Play it Again

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I wiped the sweat off my brow as I looked ahead on the path. The heat of the mid day summer sun was beating down on me when I rode up to the large red barn. Today was the day. I had been waiting so long and finally the day has come. Excitement coursed through my veins, making the smile on my face unable to be wiped off. Knowing that I am so close made this day even more exhilarating. Hopping off my horse, Mabel, I heard Ma yell from inside the house loud enough that I could hear her with my headphones on.

"Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" by Luke Bryan was blasting in my ears, going along with the energized mood I was in for the upcoming events of the day. I pulled the buds out with one hand while still holding the reigns in the other as I led Mabel into the barn.

"Kennedy, the food's on the table!" I smiled at the sound of Ma's sweet southern accent and made my way toward the house once I finished securing Mabel in her stall. We had bought Mabel a few years back from a breeder on the other side of the country. She's a beautiful American Cream Draft horse, cream colored body with a white mane and pink skin. She's a beautiful girl, and my dad's prized possession.

Making my way inside, I found my mother setting food onto the oak wood kitchen table. "'Afternoon Ma." I kissed her cheek and sat at the table next to my three brothers.

Pops was reading the paper, as usual, and the boys were scarfing down their food. My oldest brother, Jace, who was 25 was ready to get back to work outside just as I started on my sandwich. Across the table were my two older brothers, Tate who's my fraternal twin and Blake who's 23. I was considered the youngest, 21 years young and the only girl besides Mamma in our family of five. We're a small family, but a close one.

I shoveled the food into my mouth, already late since my brothers were heading outside before me, when Mamma looked at me with a funny expression painted on her face. "Sweetie, the food ain't going nowhere. Take your time and you can get to work once you're done." I simply nodded to her and started to eat slower, smiling as I put the pasta salad in my mouth.

Pops looked up from his paper and smiled at me. "Jane, the girl's gotta eat! She'll need her energy for the big day today." Jane Monroe my beautiful mom rolled her hazel green eyes and got back to cleaning the kitchen with her dishtowel thrown over her shoulder.

Pops winked at me and sipped his sweet iced tea, looking over the paper once more. I put my plate in the sink and walked onto the porch outside, thanking Ma as I left the kitchen. The sun was shining through the tall green trees, and the rays of light peeked through and cast a bright yellow glow on our 130-acre plot of land. I took in a big breath of the Nashville air and let it swarm into my lungs, there's nothing like the smell of a summer day.

I sat down on the bench on the porch and slid my feet into my calf-high cowgirl boots, tucking my light wash jeans inside, and went to find my brothers. Tate and Jace were most likely in the barn and Blake was probably rounding up the truck so we could hook on the trailer.

Today was the big day. We were going to go pick up the new addition to our family. A beautiful American Quarter horse. I was so excited for this horse; we have been trying to find one like him for about two years now. The breeder lives in Houston, but they were going to send the horse with their friends who were moving this week to Nashville from Houston. They had arrived earlier this week and so out of kindness; we waited for them to settle in before we went to pick up the horse. Conveniently they only live a few miles out, down the road from Main Street.

"Let's head out." Jace said to me. I nodded and waited for him to connect the trailer to the back of the truck. Tate and Blake were busy feeding the baby pigs, laughing as the runt of the family squealed when they picked him up.