Down on the Ranch

Chapter 1

"Nana, may I spend a couple of hours at the arcade with Kent, please?" I shyly ask as I help her cook supper for everyone.

"When, where, and who else will be going with?" Nana asks with a frown as she looks at me from the corner of her left eye as she continues to stir the homemade spaghetti sauce.

"The when and where is tomorrow night at seven at the arcade in town, and the who else is going is Carter, Jessie, and Kyle," I honestly answer as I make the garlic bread.

She is quiet for a moment before saying; "I have to talk with Pop-op first. We will have an answer by bedtime, okay?"

Nodding at her with a tiny, thankful smile; "Thanks, Nana."

She hums in response as we continue cooking.

"Jace, let everyone know dinner is ready, please," Nana requests ten minutes later. "I will start placing the food on the table while you are doing that."

"Yes, Nana," I answer, heading toward the front door to do as I have been asked,

Stopping at the horse barn first where I find Pop-op, Warren, and Ford, whom I tell dinner is ready before heading off to find Tory and Claire once I have an acknowledgement from the three of them. I find Tory and Claire at the chicken coop, and I tell them, too, and head back toward the house to finish helping Nana.

Once all of us are sitting at the table about ten minutes later, Pop-op gains our attention by clearing his throat; "So, as everyone is aware, Tory will be leaving us in two weeks. He has graciously agreed to help train his replacement, who will be here tomorrow morning to start working."

We all know Tory is leaving for his hometown to take care of his dying mum. He is becoming her private caretaker, and is being paid by the state to do this for her, so he won't be without income. We also know he is doing this because he loves his mum a great deal.

"What is the new guys name again?" Ford asks as we start to eat dinner, now that everyone has food on their plates.

"His name is Gage McCoy," Pop-op answers. "He is 18-years-old, and has just graduated from high school."

"Jace, I am gonna need you to show Gage the horses, cows, bull, chickens, rabbits, pigs, and sheep since all the animals respond the best to you," Pop-op says a few minutes later.

Swallowing thickly around the sudden lump as my stomach knots in nerves; "A-alone?"

Pop-op frowns at me as he nods; "Yes, why does that scare you? You did that with everyone else without a problem when they were new here?"

"They are older than me, and don't make me scared," I nervously murmur, my appetite completely gone now.

"Gage is older than you, too," Nana points out gently. "He is actually closer to your own age than the others. What is the difference, love?"

I know they do not understand my fear of people close to my age, and I do not want to explain it either.

"O-okay, I w-will," I murmur with a slight frown, but I know I can't argue with Pop-op and Nana since they have taken me in when the did not have, too.

Pop-op nods, but I can tell he and Nana are curious about my answer and reaction to the request. For the remainder of dinner, I remain silent as I internally try to calm myself down. I help Nana clear the table, and clean the kitchen before I wander out to the horse barn to take Gypsy out for a ride. Gypsy is my horse that Nana and Pop-op bought me when I was seven. She is an Appaloosa, and is eight, and she was ready to ride when we had gotten her.

"Mind if I ride with ya?" Tory asks as I am placing the saddle on Gypsy.

"Sure, that would be really nice," I murmur with a tiny, sad smile.

He saddles Ringo with a fond smile at me, and then the horse, and we climb onto the horses once we have them outside of the horse barn.

"I am gonna miss you, kid," he softly says as we ride next to each other toward the trail that is along the fence of the property.

"I am gonna miss you, too," I reply with another sad smile. "I am sorry about your mum, too, but I am glad you are gonna be with her to take care of her."

Nana and Pop-op have two hundred and fifty acres of land, and they inherited the property and ranch from Pop-op's parents when they retired.

"My mama is the best mama I could have ever wanted," he replies in a sad tone. "Your mama is another great mama, too."

"That she is," I agree, missing her a lot at the moment. "Do you miss your mum when you don't see her for a long time?"

"Yup," Tory simply answers. "When is the last time you talked to your mama?"

"Um, we video called almost two months ago, and I got a letter from her two weeks ago, and I wrote her back the same week," I answer after thinking for a few seconds.

"Will you bring your mum to visit if she is well enough to travel?" I ask curiously while pulling back lightly on the reigns to slow Gypsy down to a slow walk.

"Yes, if she is well enough to travel here," Tory agrees with a hopeful smile. "I am sure she would love it here."

We change the subject to different topics the rest of the ride, and return an hour later. Brushing out the horses after the saddles and bridals are off, and putting them back in their stalls. Wandering up toward my bedroom to grab clean clothes for a shower before bed, and hope that I can spend some time tomorrow night with Kent.

"Hey Jace, will you come here for a minute, please," Nana calls out from the living room as I walk by.

When I enter the living room, Nana tells me that her and Pop-op are fine with me hanging out for a couple of hours at the arcade tomorrow night.