13
It’s well into mid-morning before I roll over in the bed. Once we got back to the barn last night, I helped Megan make sure Molly’s stall was locked before leaving them and heading inside. Megan does not think her foot is broken, just sprained, and it can be healed with therapy and injections a few times a week. We got extremely lucky. Once the adrenaline faded last night, I don’t remember anything else besides my head hitting the pillow.
I grab my phone and my eyes widen as I realize it’s almost lunch time. I’ve missed chores. My alarm didn’t wake me up, someone turned it off and no one woke me up.
I jump out of bed and change clothes quickly. Running into the bathroom, I brush my teeth, my hair, and put on some deodorant. I really need a shower since the last time I showered was with Logan, but I feel bad enough about missing chores and not being there to help.
Running down the stairs two at a time I halt in my tracks as I see Margaret sitting at the kitchen table writing in her book. She wipes a tear from her eye, and I am hesitant to say anything or keep her from what she is doing. I reach down and grab my boots to put them on where they stay by the front door and she looks up, closing her book. “Oh, good morning sweetheart.” She says as she stands and puts her book up in a drawer.
I smile as I put my second boot on, “I am so sorry if I interrupted.” I tell her apologetically.
She smiles and turns to fix me a glass of orange juice and hands me a jelly biscuit left over my breakfast she had sitting on the table. I smile and take them from her.
“You are never interrupting me.” she said. “Sit.” She gestures to the seat at the table. I look at her confused, but I know better than to argue with her.
“Logan told me about last night.” She pauses as I take a bite of my biscuit, “I think I’ll sleep through anything now days. You kids have it all under control.” She says to me with a smile.
I give her a smile back, “I’m glad Molly and the colt are going to be just fine...” I say but not so sure where this is going.
“So,” she says after a moment, “Megan said you didn’t bring the new addition home last night. Instead, you had them give you a refund.” I take a big gulp of my orange juice nervously.
“Ivy, I’m not mad.” She smiles, “I trust you. I wouldn’t have made you and Megan partners if I didn’t. Tell me the whole story.” She tells me with a smile, and I let a big breath out of my lungs.
This woman is so easy to talk to. She listened to me tell her the whole story, minus the extravagant details of me and Logan, although I did tell her that he did kiss me. She did not seem shocked at all. I told her about Rylee, his ex, or fiancé, or whoever she is to him, and how she talked to me. Then I told her the biggest part...My plan.
She listened and she smiled. She didn’t argue or try to talk me out of it. She nodded and asked me questions and I felt like a part of me was healing in the moments talking to her. Like someone understood me enough to not belittle my ideas and trust me with them.
After I stop rambling, she smiles, “I was right.”
I look at her and raise an eyebrow, “About what?”
“You remind me of me at your age. Stubborn, hard-headed, and full of hope and dreams. I could dodge any curve ball thrown at me.” she smiles. “Have you told Megan yet?” she asks me.
“No, ma’am. I plan on it today.” I tell her getting up from the table and washing the orange juice glass I had and putting it up.
“I think she will be on board.” She pats my back as she walks past me and towards the den.
“Margaret?” I say and she turns to me. “What is it that you write in that book all the time?”
She smiles, “Something I hope gets read by the person it’s intended for someday.” She turns and exits the kitchen and starts up the stairs to her bedroom.
I hear a car pull up outside the house and I walk out on the porch, curious as to who it is. A black Audi R8 is sitting in the driveway with dust still floating in the air around it. Stopping in my tracks, my heart sinks.
“Took me long enough to find you.” The voice getting out of the car says as he slams the door. Reba sits up and starts growling, the guy takes a nervous step back to his car door.
I pat Reba on the head and whisper, “Good girl.” Looking around tensely I don’t see Megan, Collin or Logan anywhere.
“What are you doing here, Stephen?” I ask, making my way slowly off the porch. I’m confused on how he found me.
“Did you forget I have a tracking device in that piece of shit car of yours?” he points to my Altima and smiles back at me.
He looks around the place from where he stands and then looks back at me, “What the hell are you doing here, Ivy?” He steps towards me, and I take a step back in response. “This place is not you.”
I stare at him, “This is my home now and you are not welcome here. Fuck off, Stephen.” I put my arms over my chest, but my eyes don’t break his.
“Well, well. Someone has become mouthy from her time away from me. We will need to fix that wont we.” He says angrily.
My eyes are pulled back to the car when I hear the passenger door open and see a blonde-haired woman get out. She smiles at me.
“You need to come home!” My sister Courtney says to me sternly.
I roll my eyes at her and cross my arms.
“You have no room to tell me what to do you home-wrecking whore!” I snarl at her.
“Oh, come on, Ivy. Stop being dramatic.” Stephen says while taking another step towards me, “What you saw that morning was just a misunderstanding.” He gives me a devilish grin. “Don’t be a dramatic bitch.”
Courtney crosses her arms and stomps, “I seriously question your mind and how it works, nothing happened.”
“What I saw was my soon to be husband cheating on me the day of our wedding and my sister betraying me! You never loved me, Stephen. Now go the fuck home!” I yell as I’m turning back to the porch. He grabs my arm and jerks me to his car, pinning me to the front of it. I wince in pain.
“I am not going anywhere without you.” He says and I kick at him. His hand goes to my throat, “You will get in this car, Ivy! You do not get a say so.” Tears are falling down my face as his hand around my throat tightens. I start seeing stars when, suddenly, he falls to the ground. I look up anxiously and pick myself up off the front of the car slowly. Logan and Collin are both taking turns beating the shit out of Stephen and Megan runs to grab me.
I can hear Courtney screaming for them to stop but she does not move from where she is standing.
“Ivy!” Megan screams and looks at me, “Did he hurt you?” She looks me over.
I shake my head and she pulls me into her. We watch the boys kick, shove, and punch Stephen.
“Jesus!” Stephen says and stands up, blood now starting to run from his nose and a cut in his lip.
“Ivy, stop being a selfish bitch and come home.” Courtney screams at me and Megan turns her head towards my sister.
“You better shut the fuck up before my fist messes up that nose of yours.” Megan snarls.
Courtney gasps but doesn’t say another word.
“Why are you messing with our girl?” Collin says to Stephen, his fist still down at his side ready to throw another punch.
Logan looks at me and Megan, and then to Stephen, “I’m guessing you’re the prick who thinks he can cheat on his fiancé on your wedding day with her sister?” He walks closer to Stephen and Stephen cowers.
“The only reason I did it was because the little bitch wouldn’t give me what I needed.” He pauses, “But her sister sure did. More than just that time, too.” he smirks at me.
Courtney laughs, “We had plans to run away together soon after your wedding day. He just wanted the money our mom was giving him to even marry you in the first place.” She smiles at me in an almost evil way.
My tears turn into anger, and I pull out of Megan’s arms, “You know what, you don’t deserve me, Stephen. You never loved me. You were only after my name and my father”s money.” I pause taking a deep breath while looking at Courtney, “And you, you never were a sister to me! You always thought you were better. Go back where you came from and stay the hell away from here! Both of you!” Logan gives me a proud smile and I ignore it, walking back to the house.
I make it to the porch steps before I hear, “Fine. I’ll get what I need from your sister. She puts out more anyway. She is less of a bitch, too.”
I turn but Logan is already stepping towards him, “She said get the hell out of here.” He grabs Stephen by the collar and pulls him to the car with Collin behind him. “So do us a favor, you and your bitch get the hell out of here.” He slams him into his driver’s door and Stephen falls onto the ground. Courtney quickly gets into the passenger seat and slams the door.
Logan leans down and whispers, “You ever step foot towards her again or come around here and I will personally make sure you are a meal for the coyotes.”
Stephen scrambles to his feet and jumps into his car. He drives off in such a hurry, he throws gravel from his tires. Megan walks up the steps with me and we take a seat on the porch swing.
“You okay, Ivy?” Collin says while looking at me like he’s checking for wounds.
I nod my head up and down.
“I guess you do care about me.” I smirk at him, and he laughs. “You have been a pretty big help around here.” He grins and walks off the porch and around the house.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Logan says, and he stands for a moment like he wants to say something, but then walks off with Collin.
Megan wraps her arm around me and I lean my head on her shoulder, “I don’t mean to pry, but I got to know all the details and this new plan of yours.” Megan says as we swing.
I laugh and roll my eyes. Only Megan would not give me a single moment to process what just happened. She is making me tough.
“I notice the farm doesn’t have its own stud. You would make more if you had your own. What if we decide to use Molly’s colt for a stud and start building our own bloodline with him?” I say continuing to tell her about my experience with Rylee and everything with Logan and me.
She looks at me like she wanted to kill Logan and during that whole conversation, I had to physically pull her arm to make her sit back down because she literally said, “I’ll kill him.”
After a moment she comes to her senses and focuses on the bigger part of the conversation.
“Ivy!” she squeals once I am done with the details, “This is exactly what my uncle and parents wanted to do!” Tears fill her eyes and mine follow immediately after. She hugs me, “I think it’s the perfect plan! Our own bloodline!”
She jumps up from the porch swing and takes my hand, “Let”s go! You”re going to town with me.” she smiles.
I laugh, “Yeah right! I have so many chores to get done today. Y’all let me oversleep.” I roll my eyes at her.
She puts her hands up in the air as a surrender, “That wasn’t me. Logan made us swear we wouldn’t wake you up. He has done all your chores and his. Now that I know what happened, I really think he’s sorry. Makes sense why he was moping around this morning.” She says, grabbing my hand and pulling me to her truck.
“I need to talk to him,” I pause, “But.... I’m just not ready yet.” I look at her when we get to her truck. “Where the heck are we going?” I ask, still confused.
“I told Grandma I would go into town today and pay on Grandfather’s nursing home bills, so she didn’t have to get out. She hasn’t felt too good while you’ve been gone.” She shrugs and gets in the truck.
I slide in the passenger side and suddenly feel nervous.
“Maybe he’s having a good day and I can introduce you.” She smiles and puts the truck in reverse as we head out of the driveway.