Heart of Georgia

Chapter 10

I awoke to bright morning sunshine slanting through my window. The sheer curtains did little to dim the unforgiving light and I rolled over, groaning. My phone clock read 7:47 AM, meaning Luke would arrive for work soon. With a deep sigh, I kicked my covers off and set about getting dressed, putting on my usual denim shorts and a tank top.

The sound of pans clanking and sizzling bacon caught my attention, drawing me toward the kitchen. I reached the bottom of the stairs to be greeted by an enthusiastic chocolate lab, its nails clicking against the hardwood floor.

"Oh!" I gasped, shocked at the sight of a strange dog in my house. It nudged its wet nose into my hand, begging to be given attention. After a quick pat on the head, it seemed satisfied and trotted down the hall. I followed the happy animal and froze in my tracks when I reached the kitchen.

A woman stood at the stove, facing away from me, and my first thought was mom. The breath died in my chest and a wave of dizziness washed over me. She was here, standing in the kitchen, only a few feet away.

After a long moment of staring at her, though, I noticed the details. This woman's hair was more caramel than my mom's blonde, and she was far too tall. It took a minute, but I managed to regain my composure and find my voice.

"Uh, hi?"

The stranger wheeled around, clearly startled. The spatula in her hand clattered to the floor and she clutched her chest. After staring at me for a second, she let out a deep breath and burst out in relieved laughter.

"Dear Jesus, Shay, you scared the life outta me!" She bent over and picked up the spatula, chuckling to herself. She noticed my wary expression and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. We haven't even met yet. I'm Linda." Her southern accent was thick, possibly of Alabama origin.

I smiled, hoping it didn't look too forced. "You already know who I am. Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope. I would've said hello last night, but you were asleep when your dad and I got here. He left for work already but I wanted to stay to finally introduce myself." She was pretty, with warm brown eyes and a heart-shaped face. Her skin was tanned from the sun, and there was a light smattering of freckles across her nose. She looked younger than my dad, possibly in her late thirties.

"Oh, yeah. It was a busy day with that new horse." I walked across the kitchen and poured myself a mug of coffee before sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh yeah your dad told me about him. I'm sure you and Luke will have him straightened out in no time," she said, flipping an omelet in the pan.

Her comment sent a prickle of irritation through my chest, but I swallowed back my rising anger. I would never hear the end of it from my dad if I snapped at his girlfriend. She was probably oblivious to my less than positive attitude of the situation.

I breathed deeply, casting my gaze to the window. Another bright, hot day. "We'll see about that. He's already shown us it'll be quite the challenge."

Linda smiled as she set a plate of steaming bacon and an omelet in front of me. I mumbled a thank you as she sat down across from me with her own breakfast.

The dog trotted over and sat beside me, silently begging for the bacon on my plate with its wide, pale eyes. "Sorry buddy, I don't share," I said, taking a bite.

Linda chuckled. "Oh, sorry, that's Gunner. He's still in training."

At the sound of his name, Gunner's ears pricked and he walked to his owner, wagging his tail. She gave him a quick pat and turned her attention back to me. "Did you name the horse yet?"