Aaric (Gallant Mountain)

Prologue

Hannah

I wish I were as outgoing as my younger sister. She’s so confident and friendly. I’m shy and nervous around people.

In addition, she’s a tomboy, and I’m girly. We’re only a year apart in age—she’s ten, and I’m eleven—but we’re as different as night and day. Mama says I’m the calm one because I have white-blond hair. Rebekah has fiery red hair. That makes her the wild child.

Rebekah sneaks away from our homestead and onto the next property all the time. She traipses around in overalls and dirty shoes. She climbs over branches and steps in mud. Gross .

It takes me twice as long to get to the Gallant homestead as my sister because I avoid puddles and don’t like my knees getting scraped up. But some days I follow her.

I have followed her today, and as usual, I’m hiding behind a tree, watching. I live vicariously through Rebekah. Mama taught me that word. Vicariously. It means I don’t do the things myself; instead, I watch my sister and pretend I’m outgoing and fun.

Rebekah is skipping around in the clearing in front of the main house. She’s giggling. It’s making me smile.

The Gallants have six sons. Even the youngest ones, the twins, are old. Eighteen. But they’re nice to us, well, mostly to Rebekah.

One of the brothers, Adam, grabs Rebekah by the hands and starts spinning around in circles so she flies. Her hair is unruly, whipping around her face. She’s laughing so hard. I’m not jealous, though, because I don’t want anyone to swing me like that. I’d probably vomit.

“Pst.”

I gasp and turn around to find Adam’s identical twin, Aaric, sneaking up behind me. My heart is racing as I put one hand on my chest. My cheeks heat because I’m embarrassed to have been caught spying.

Aaric is holding two apples. He takes a huge bite out of one and chews.

I swallow hard as I watch the juice run down his chin. I bet that apple is so delicious.

He finishes the bite and glances at his other hand. “I don’t know why I grabbed two apples from the fruit basket. I don’t think I’m hungry enough to eat this one, too. Mom would be mad if I wasted it. Do you want it?”

I lick my lips and slowly nod. I know he made that up.

He thought I might be out here snooping around and intentionally came to find me so he could give me an apple.

It’s a ridiculous game we play. Mama says it’s to save face.

I don’t really know what that means, but Mama is smart, so I’m sure she’s right.

Aaric hands me the apple, and I take a small bite, not wanting him to think I’m starving. The truth is, I haven’t eaten anything yet today. Mama says she’s making lunch, but she also says we girls need to learn patience.

It’s not like we can hide how skinny we are.

Rebekah and I have no meat on our bones.

But when one of the Gallants asks me if I’m hungry, I always say no.

It’s not polite to ask for handouts. Mama says we girls just have a high metabolism.

That’s why we’re skinny. I looked that word up in Mama’s dictionary, so I know what it means.

This is the best apple I’ve ever tasted. So sweet and juicy. I keep licking my chin so that I don’t waste a drop.

Aaric leans against the tree next to me, nonchalantly. We don’t speak while we watch my sister. When he finishes his apple, he says, “Rebekah is quite a firecracker.”

I nod.

“Not you, though, huh? You prefer girly things like reading and dresses.”

My face is hot again. “Yeah.”

He shrugs. “That’s cool.” Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out something wrapped in a napkin. “Oops. I forgot I put a sandwich in my pocket. I’m not hungry. Do you want it?”

I shrug as if it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.

He holds it out. “Well, you take it. I don’t want it to go to waste. Maybe you can share it with Rebekah later.”

“Thank you,” I respond softly, trying to sound grateful. There’s no reason to be embarrassed. The Gallants know we don’t have enough food. They’re very kind about it, and I appreciate their help. I’m so hungry that my hands are shaking.

“Go ahead.” Aaric nods toward the sandwich. “Eat it if you want. I bet Adam has one for Rebekah.”

I finish the apple all the way down to the seeds and the toughest part of the core, leaving not one drop of the sweet juice. Aaric takes the core from me, and I unwrap the sandwich. “Thank you,” I whisper again.

“You’re welcome, sunshine.”

I blush deeper. Sometimes Aaric calls me sunshine. I have no idea why. I’m dull and boring. But I like that he has a silly nickname for me. It makes me feel special.

I’m sure I’m nothing more than a silly girl to him. I’m only eleven. I am a silly girl. But his kindness means a lot to me. If I were grownup like Aaric, I would want to be his girlfriend.

Silly pipe dreams. Mama says I spend too much time daydreaming, but I don’t care. I like my imagination. It’s much better than my reality.

There’s a clap of thunder in the distance, which startles me. I jump in my spot.

Aaric tips his head back. “Looks like rain’s coming.”

I turn around to see Rebekah skipping toward me. When she gets to my side, she grabs my hand. “We gotta go, Hannah.”

She’s right. Shoot. I’m going to have to hurry to keep up with her.

Our father doesn’t permit us to be on the Gallant property.

He says the Gallants are too good for their britches, and we are not allowed to speak to them.

If we get caught in the rain and come home soaking wet, he’ll know we disobeyed him.

Aaric gives me a wink as he waves. “Be safe going home, girls.”

Careful not to drop my sandwich, I glance back at him as I climb over a branch. I don’t think sunshine is a good word to describe me, but maybe Aaric is sunshine. He certainly brightens up my day.

I offer him a smile and then turn and jog to keep up with Rebekah, stuffing the sandwich into my mouth as we hurry home. My tummy and my heart are fuller because I was brave enough to follow my sister today.

I hope someday, when I’m grown, I’ll meet a man who smiles at me like Aaric and treats me right. But that’s probably a pipe dream, too.