The Virginalist

Two large bags, one under each of her eyes. Blemishes on an otherwise beautiful face. The by product of Annabel Grace spending the last night the same way she spent the previous two. She lays in bed huddled close to her bedside oil lamp, reading. Her golden blonde hair hanging long. She is accompanied only by her trusty pup Caesar, and by the words of Jules Verne. The brown leather back novel is well worn and ragged. It fits perfectly in her room. Her train of thought derails as her father begins to holler from the kitchen.

" Annabel Grace, that damn mutt of yours, has done it again." She leaps from her bed and races into the kitchen. She looks down at the large puddle of shit. Then up at her father, "Mean" Mel McCafferty." If I had any left, id say this mutt has gotten on my nerves." She grabs the bucket and scrubber from the closet and begins to clean.
" I'm sorry, pa. It's those oats, they're for horses. Not pups." Mel clenches his toothless jaw
" Well, do forgive me, your highness. If only this place was more like your fancy books. And we could give your mutt a helping of pork and beans. Clean this up before your mother sees." He stomps out of the house and before he closes the door, he turns to his daughter. " That Williams boy starts today, and so do you." The hot summer heat pours in from the open door and somehow makes the shit smell worse.

                                                                      Act 1: The Ranch Hand

Annabel Grace fights with Ethel, a weekly challenge, trying to clean out her shoes. The crotchety mare whinnies and huffs the whole time through. " We should just put you down, but I don't want to eat horsemeat for the next week." she said. A feeling shared throughout the household, lucky for her. She hears a commotion from outside the barn.

Clyde Williams stands hat in hand,  a strip being torn off him by Mel. " Now, I expect hard work, and hard work done fast. I don't pay much and I put up with even less. You annoy me, boy, and losing your job will be the least of your worries. And my daughter, is whole heartedly off limits, is that understood, Clyde?" Mel looks down at Clyde's shoes. They're riding boots, scuffed, but not enough to be those of a cow puncher. Clyde nods his head, and watches Mel as he shuffles away. For a brief moment, Clyde swears he got a buzz from Mel's Whiskey breathe. He places his hat back on and looks over to the ranch house, he sees a woman standing in the bay window. She waves.

It's Janey McCafferty. The family matriarch. She is blonde and beautiful and young. She was all of 16 years old when she had Annabel Grace. Folks around the county often say that the McCafferty girls look more like sisters, than they do mother and daughter. Janey's tenderfoot demeanor only fanned those flames. 20 years ago, Mel was the most eligible bachelor in Rainier county. Back when he had hair, and teeth, and money.

Annabel Grace flinches when she hears the squeak of the barn doors. So does Ethel. She gently places her hoof down and leads the mare into her stall. She hears an unfamiliar voice.

2."Hello?" the voice says.  She slowly peaks her eyes out from the stall. She sees the young man, his brown hair dangling past his blue eyes. Her heart beats in her throat like the tick of a clock. He repeats again "hello?" She fixes her hair, and wipes her hands clean on her pants. She emerges from the stall,

 " Good Morning". She says.  Clyde stops dead in his tracks

." Oh... Hello Ma'am, I'm Clyde Williams. I started today".

 " I know it" she replies. 

" Now, you are Janey or Annabel?"

"Annabel Grace". She says with a slight annoyance in her voice. 

" That's a long name."

" I guess". She says with a subtle shrug. 

" Your sister don't like workin?"