Macintyre Farm

Twelve

ANDREA POV

Marianne really was as wonderful as I thought during our first conversation at the diner.

She arrived while we were devouring nachos and was quickly introduced to our parents, sitting at the counter by Austin while we ate the rest of our lunch.  The girl had no problem diving into the food we had ready to go, complimenting us on how the home was arranged as well as the kitchen layout.  The kittens were eager for extra attention, as always, so Austin loved introducing our new friend to the little ones.

Mama always took a lot of pride in our home.  Dad worked with a local builder and friend, Simon Kent, to give the kitchen a makeover when we first learned of her vision issues.  We upgraded appliances and made the entire main floor more streamlined so we could more easily adjust to her new struggles.

My brother was being his dorky self but Marianne laughed at his dumb jokes so it seemed to be a good match so far.  His distraction worked to Bash and my benefit, as well.

We filled water bottles then headed to the barn after I let her borrow a pair of my boots. Her feet were a half size smaller than mine but all it took was a warm pair of wool socks to make them perfect.

The walk to our barn was full of soaking up Marianne's excitement.  Once Austin opened the doors she immediately gasped as her eyes locked in on the baby goats then noticed the horses as well as a new stray cat that was now hanging out with us.

"I don't even know where to start..." she almost whispered, shaking her head with wide eyes at all the animals ready to meet.

"Well, the baby goats could use a treat..." Bash said with a grin.  I had watermelon in the fridge and handed the container to Austin so they could take care of that task while we prepared the horses.

Marianne couldn't stop smiling as she cuddled the goats, "I would never get anything done. Bring me a pillow and I'd sleep here."

My brother laughed at her enthusiasm, "Well, we have a shed behind the house where they stayed the first few weeks while we got them introduced to Fiona and Muffin. The 3 of us were working around the clock even though AJ had just been injured and we had the 4 kittens to feed, too."

"Give me a call next time, Austin. I can be here in a half hour."

Her conviction and honesty caused Bash and me to share a grin. Once the babies had been cuddled we got her introduced to the horses. She immediately took to Daylight which was no surprise. We did a quick safety run down before Austin helped her onto my horse while I grabbed Maverick, he took Lenny, and Bash was with Roscoe.

The weather was cool and crisp, a beautiful day to bring in the New Year.  Maverick was antsy but relaxed when Marianne and Daylight caught up with us. We showed her around the property and bunk house, allowing Austin to run point with our guided tour.

Bash caught my eye and I grinned, trying to keep myself calm.

I still could not believe he kissed me. 

Twice.  

It was risky to have any kind of physical relationship near my family, though I was pretty sure everyone knew what is going on.  Austin had been caught more often than not in the hayloft or bunk house during the off season.  While my parents were not prudes, they liked knowing what was going on so they could steer clear or at least be prepared.

If anything they would be surprised our first kiss was after New Years Eve.

After about half an hour Marianne was a little uncomfortable, but I showed her some quick stretches to make riding easier.

"Your core must be insane," she commented with wide eyes.  "Just balancing like this is using muscles I didn't know existed!"

I shrugged but Bash choked out a laugh.  She noticed and smirked, "Got something to say, Bash?"

He shook his head while my brother groaned. "I don't need to hear this. Just clean up after yourselves if you use the bunk house before anyone else is here."

"That's an option?" Bash asked, leaning forward in his saddle while I couldn't stop my laughter.

We kept moving forward and eventually headed back to the barn. Austin jumped down from Lenny and helped our new friend, holding her by the waist and slowly lowering her to the ground.

It was adorable. He may be my brother, but seeing him this happy was wonderful.

Marianne helped brush down Daylight then gave her carrots while we did the same for the other horses.  I took a few minutes with Matilda while Austin properly introduced her to Jeffrey, giving them a bit more focused attention.  She was a bit sore from our adventure and giggled on the way back to the house. "Okay, I get it now... how people say you look like you've been riding a horse. Oof, that's rough."

"You get used to it. If you want to come by when you're free, it'll be easy to adjust before summer. You're always welcome, Marianne," I said with a grin.  "It's muscle memory, too.  Now that you've been on one ride, the next will get easier.  We will guide you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Andy... thanks to all of you. I've been nervous moving in with my Uncle but home wasn't a safe place. When I talked to him a week before Christmas and he mentioned wanting a hand, this seemed like a great opportunity."

Austin gave her a shy smile, "Well, you were right. It's great to see things through your eyes. We get so caught up in the day to day chores that it's easy to forget the magic."

Marianne tilted her head while smiling at him, her expression warmer as she moved closer to my brother.

Bash slipped his hand around mine while we walked and I had no problem accepting the contact.  I'd been itching for time alone since I woke up this morning.  For now we had the chance to relax and enjoy dinner but I was positive a night ride would be happening later to allow us the opportunity to be alone.

Our meal was delicious and Marianne stuck around afterward laughing at the kittens.  Austin let her use the laser pointer so we couldn't stop cracking up at how Bagheera and Tommy Boy kept going wild for the toy.

"This would never get old," she said while shaking her head. "Your house is so much fun."

"We are so happy to have you, Marianne," Mama said with a warm grin in her direction.

Marianne let out a content sigh, leaning toward Austin as she replied, "I'm really happy to be here."