Saving Grace

We Both Have

Chapter One

Jay

I stepped out of my truck and breathed in the air for the first time in years. I had forgotten how it smelled out here. But I soon realized I hadn't missed it. All I smelled was manure and the lake.

I looked around at the old white farm house in front of me. It looked the same except for maybe it got a fresh coat of white paint. It was bigger then I remembered it to be though. It had two floors and the first floor had a wrap around porch. I stood and looked at it for a moment remembering all the memories I had surrounding this place. I walked around the back of my truck and started unloading my bags.

"Pres? Your grandpa needs you to fix a fence in the east pasture. A few cows got out. He says he needs it done now."

I turned around to see a girl walking towards me. I couldn't really see, because she was too far away, but she didn't look familiar. Maybe she was a cousin who had grown up since the last time I saw them? I don't know. But why did she think I was Preston?

"Pres, did you hear me? Are you okay?"

She was now only about ten feet from me. She had long, wavy blonde hair and big brown eyes. She was maybe a little over five feet tall and she was wearing jean shorts, a button down shirt and white cowboy boots. She had some freckles spread across her cheeks and from what I could tell, she was really pretty. But I still had no idea who she was.

"It's not Preston," I called out, squinting against the sun to see this stranger better.

She got closer and once she heard that, her eyes opened wide.

"Woah, you look exactly like him. Sorry then, but uh, who are you?"

She was just as confused as I was.

"I'm Jay. Who are you?"

She nodded her head a little and then stuck out her hand.

"Cali."

I shook her hand and nodded my head slowly. I could tell we were both really confused.

"I'll be right back," she said quickly as she ran off towards the house.I stood watching her, shaking my head a little to snap out of a confused daze.

Was she Preston's girlfriend? He never mentioned her. Maybe she was a summer hire just to help around the place. I didn't know and honestly, I didn't really care all that much.

I grabbed my bags and started walking towards the house. I climbed the four stairs, and had just gotten onto the porch when the screen door opened. I looked up and met my brothers eyes. I dropped my bags and he pulled me in for a hug.

"I missed you man. How have you been?" He asked as I pulled away. God, he grew up. I remembered him as being a little kid running around with matchbox cars. Now an eighteen year old guy, with strong muscles and a tall figure, was standing in front of me.

"I've been good. How about you? I see you've grown up," I said in disbelief. He had changed a lot.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Moving out here was the best decision ever."

He was probably right. Even though I missed having my little brother around, he was much better off here.

"I see you've grown up too."

Of course I have. We both have. We haven't seen each other in about four years. We've definitely changed.

"What the hell did you do to your hair?" I asked as he picked up some of my bags and we walked into the house. Preston used to have blonde hair that touched his ears and bangs that fell a little above his eyes. He looked really different without it.

"I chopped it off. It's hot as hell out here and the long hair wasn't helping. Grandpa thought I looked better with a buzz cut anyways," he said, leading me into the house.

I laughed. Grandpa never liked us having long hair. Preston looked so different without it though. But now we looked even more alike. I cut mine a few years ago too. And even though I was two years older, people always thought we were twins. We had the same color hair, same color eyes and were always the same height. It was weird.

I followed Preston inside and entered the kitchen. I smiled when I saw it. I remember sitting at the old wooden, circular table in the center of the room watching my grandma bake endlessly. God, how I missed this place. I walked to the back of the room and up the stairs and Preston led me down a hallway. I looked at all the pictures that lined the walls. They were all of me, Preston, and our cousins when we were younger.

Preston stopped outside a door and opened it. I immediately recognized it. It was the room I would stay in when we were younger. I used to share it with my cousin Finley. The beds still had the ugly floral bedspread and my bed still had the small rip in the bedspread on the left side I had put in it when I was seven.

"Look any different?" Preston asked, setting my bags down on one of the beds.

"Not at all." It really didn't. I haven't been here in over eight years, but nothing had changed. It was like the farm had been frozen in time.

"Well, get settled and then come outside to help me. We have to mend a fence in one of the pastures."

"Okay," I said as I looked out the window. I could see the big red barn that was next to the house, that housed the horses. Just then, that girl came walking out of it. I had forgotten all about her.

"Hey Pres?"

He had just walked out, but came back in.

"Yeah?"

"Who's that girl?"

He looked out the window.

"Oh, that's Cali."

He stopped there. "Okay...anything else about her?"

"Nope," he said as he slapped me on the back and walked back out of the room.

What the hell did that mean? I set the bag I was holding down on the bed and ran after him. I needed more then that.