Chapter Three
Rachel
I was halfway back to Austin before I noticed how far to the right the needle on my speedometer was. I took my foot off the gas, grateful that I had caught myself before I’d been caught by a speed trap. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I wasn’t quite clear about how much of that was because I had an internship at one of the most respected and prestigious ranches in the state and how much was because whenever Daniel Hargrave got close to me, my knees threatened to give out.
I was beyond impressed with the stables and the high tech birthing center on site, and to distract myself from a certain set of ice-blue eyes and touchable black hair, I spent the remainder of the two-hour drive brainstorming ideas for Lago Colina Ranch. I had a secret dream of one day training a racer, and I wondered if I could convince Mr. Hargrave or his stable-master Pete to board a horse or two for training.
My phone buzzed in my purse like an angry wasp, but after breaking land speed records in my little Rav4 already, I thought it best not to tempt fate by digging it out and reading texts while driving. I parked in the garage and as I turned the car off and sat quietly, I began shaking as the immensity of what was happening to me sank in.
I knew I still had to speak with my advisor Dean Green about creating this position specifically for me, but I wasn’t as angry or offended as I felt I probably should have been. I mean, if it got me an internship at that gorgeous ranch, who was I to complain? I breathed through my anxiety and within minutes, felt well enough to actually check my phone and go up the apartment, where I was sure I’d be hit with a barrage of questions from my roommate.
I checked my messages. There were two from my parents, asking about the interview, and one from Edith, regarding the same. My brother had texted to specifically tell me he wasn’t asking about the internship, but if I wasn’t going to be home over the summer at all, would I be offended if he packed up the remaining things in my old bedroom and turn it into a weight room? I laughed and responded to him first, then sent affirmative replies to my parents and my mentor.
Lastly, there were texts from both Freddie and Tracy, asking me to meet them for lunch, with an amendment from Tracy to swing by and pick her up first. I texted Tracy to meet me downstairs, rather than go up and get her, and replied to Freddie that we’d be on our way soon, if she wanted us to pick her up, as well. Tracy responded with a thumbs up emoji and the number two. However, her two minutes turned into ten as I sat there with my eyes closed, imagining waking up on that ranch every morning and taking Peacemaker out for a sunrise ride every day.
Poor Peacemaker had been stuck in the suburbs for two years, ever since the medical costs of a car accident had forced my parents to sell their property and downsize our lives. Thanks to a good lawyer and my dad’s amazing business sense, our lives had gotten mostly back on track. However, my younger brother, Caleb, had made friends and was happy in the high school he was attending, so my parents put off moving again until he graduated, which was going to happen in about three weeks.
Tracy banged on the window, and I jumped and glared at her while she stood laughing, hugging herself with mirth.
“You’re such a cow,” I panted as she climbed in the passenger seat. “I should’ve just left without you.” She attempted to look chagrined as she buckled her seatbelt. She opened her mouth to apologize, but I held up a finger to silence her. Chuckling, she sat facing forward and drummed her fingers on her knees. After a couple of minutes of silence, I felt she’d been punished almost enough and decided to give her a little payback.
“I’m going be spending the summer on the ranch!” I shouted abruptly, causing Tracy to jump and clothesline herself on her seatbelt. Coughing, she made a pistol with her hands and pretended to shoot me.
“Touché, bitch,” she croaked, rubbing her throat where the seatbelt bit into it. She turned and smiled at me as we sat at a red light. “Congratulations!”
I squirmed in my seat and giggled. “It was amazing and intense. I thought maybe I’d blown it a couple of times; Mr. Hargrave the elder was really specific and asked some questions out of left field, but I managed to pull some answers out of weird past experiences I had,” I felt my stomach clench. “There was another surprise, though.” I paused, trying to find words that wouldn’t incriminate my traitorous libido. “The eldest of the Hargrave sons seems to be running things. He gave me the bulk of my interview…” My voice trailed off and Tracy poked me in the arm.
“And? AND?” she pressed. I shrugged my shoulders. The truth was, I really didn’t know what to say about him. He was gorgeous, that was for sure. But there was something else about him, an ease in his own skin that I both envied and admired.
“Well, it seems like the whole change in management is new to them, so I’m not sure who will be calling the shots,” I finally added. “I really hope there’s no, you know, power struggle or contention. I wouldn’t want to be in the middle of that.” I pulled up in front of the salon Freddie worked at and Tracy texted her that we were outside. “What do you think, Trace?” I mused. “Do you think my future will be made this summer?” Tracy laughed and fiddled with the radio stations.
“I don’t see why not!” she laughed and waved at Fredericka, who was staggering towards the car, balancing boxes and bags as she walked. I popped the trunk as Tracy jumped out to help with the packages.
“What, you couldn’t wait to go shopping with us?” I teased her when they got back in the car. “Now what are we going to do after our celebratory lunch?” I turned the car on and took us to the Blue Lemon, one of our favorite lunch spots. Freddie got her second wind while we ate and was able to outspend me and nearly Tracy, as well.
I called my mother as soon as we got home that evening and worked out the details. I was excited to have Freddie taking my place in the apartment while she and Jayden decided if they were ready to move in together.
My parents seemed happy for me, although it did mean I had to skip out on our summer vacation plans. I suggested to Caleb while we face-timed that he ask them for a proper senior trip for his graduation and watched his face light up right before the phone started shaking as he jumped up and down in excitement.
“Scotland!” he shrieked into the camera. For a moment, he was a child again, not a nearly six-foot-two, hundred-eighty-pound man.
“That was my general idea,” I replied. “I would’ve picked somewhere sunny, but hey, different strokes, right, kiddo?” He laughed and the video shook some more. I signed off and started packing clothes. I didn’t think I’d be needing any sun dresses where I was going, so I boxed up everything dainty and pretty and hauled it to the storage closet. I looked at what was left and realized I hadn’t made all that much of a dent in the pile. I seriously considered what that meant about my sense of style and created a new parameter for packing, so that I’d have enough clothing to last the summer with the wear and tear, without taking more than three bags. By the time I had divided everything into appropriate piles, I was exhausted.
I readied myself for bed and slid between the soft, cool sheets and passed out. The next morning, my parents arrived bright and early to help with the boxes. In the end, I had so much to store, I was afraid I’d take up the whole storage space at the apartment, and my dad had come through for me and offered me the upper floor of his garage until I started school again. I rode back to my parents’ house with Caleb, listening to old country songs and talking about how long to wait before he came to visit.
Back at the mom and dad’s house, Skipper attacked me with wild puppy abandon and nearly drowned me in dog slobber from his kisses. Caleb and I took Skipper down to the equestrian center where we boarded the horses, and went for a ride.
I wanted to be sure that Mr. Hargrave’s fears about my fur baby were unfounded, so we took him to be evaluated by a proper dog trainer throughout the week. Other than a slight tendency to be stupid and get under foot of his human companions, Skipper passed with flying colors, but I’d expected nothing less from the young retriever.
The week flew by, and before I knew it, Sunday had arrived again and it was time for a last fling with my friends and family before leaving for the great unknown…or at least, the possibility of the unknown that lay at a gorgeous ranch and lake a mere a two-hour drive outside of Austin. I was thrilled and terrified, and the combination left me feeling numb and slow-witted. I was handed a glass of champagne, but Tracy took it from me before I could drink and handed me a glass of water instead, and slipped me a small, white pill, scored down the center.
“My anxiety meds,” I stated dumbly.
“You looked like you were having one of those silent panic attacks. Your eyes just sort of glazed over and I thought you could use a hand.” She patted my shoulder. “You are doing an amazing thing here, honey,” she said. “You’ve been through a lot and you’re not just carrying on: you’re thriving.”
I agreed with her. I’d gotten farther than I ever thought I would when I was stuck in a hospital bed for two weeks and all the news I got seemed bad. I took the busipirone and drank the water. Tracy turned to go, but I caught her by the arm. I gave her a hug and squeezed her so tight I spilled the last bit of the water. She squealed at the cold water hitting her back, and I laughed so hard I couldn’t apologize.
We rejoined the party and within minutes, I felt more able to talk and laugh with my friends. I spent the remainder of the evening dodging the increasing questioning regarding the younger Mr. Hargrave, whom I was finding had something of a reputation among the long-standing residents of Austin. I had to admit that I could see why they were popular.
I kissed and hugged my friends goodnight, and my parents slipped off to bed while I double checked that I had all the appropriate veterinary paperwork for both Peacemaker and Skipper. It would’ve been bad form to ask them to let me bring my animals with me, then expose their livestock to any illnesses they were carrying. I brushed Peacemaker and promised him a ride as soon as we settled in tomorrow. I looked into his dewy, brown eyes and spared a thought for the eldest Hargrave brother and wondered if he would see the amazing creature that my young racehorse really was.