Heartbreak Town (COMPLETED)

Chapter Thirty Seven

       "Wait a second, can you please say that again? I don't think I heard that right." Matt played, oh so confused by Renne's 180 degree mood change. 

         "You heard me right. I said let's get married." Renne pulled away from Matt to walk over to the flip calendar on the fridge. She scanned the dates, turning a couple pages. Doing "eeny meeny miney mo" on the dates, Renne's finger landed on a Friday. "There. This is when we are gettin' married. Two months away. Plenty of time to plan stuff." She said, almost sarcastically. 

          "Umm, babe, that sounds great, but what about the whole Chris situation? Just ten minutes ago you were about to kill me because you were so angry." 

          Renne stopped looking at the calendar to glance at Matt. "Oh, nothing, I was just scared and worried about it at first, but I made a phone call to a friend back in Alpine Ridge, and they made me realize that there isn't anything goin' on with you and her, and I am the girl you are marrying." Even though Renne had said those words over and over, they still didn't sound right coming out of her mouth, but she told herself it was just because she was nervous about planning the wedding. 

          A smile spread across Matt's face. "Well, sounds like we are gettin' married then." He walked forward, swooping up Renne in his arms, spinning her around the kitchen. Setting her back down on her feet, Matt added, "Use my credit card and get whatever you want for the wedding. It's your day, and I want it to be perfect for you, the day you have always dreamed of." 

        Matt leaned in for a kiss, with Renne hardly welcoming it. Once he pulled back, he said something about how he had some chores he had to get done outside, leaving Renne standing alone in the kitchen with only her thoughts. 

       With one hand on the counter, Renne fingered her lips with the other, remembering Matt's kisses. Her mind couldn't help but stray back to the past month that she had spent in Alpine Ridge, with Swayde, and the times they shared together, the times they had kissed...

        In an attempt to get Swayde out of her mind, Renne went about eating the breakfast that she had prepared for her and Matt. Once she was finished eating, she packed up Matt's breakfast that he had abandoned to start his work outside. 

      As she was wiping off the counter tops in the kitchen, Renne's mind began to think of everything that she needed to start planning for the wedding. There was so much to do, and only two months to do it. Who would she invite? Where would the wedding be held? Who would be her bridesmaids since she hardly had any friends in Montana? Since she was a young girl, Renne always believed that she would get married in Alpine Ridge, with her sister as her maid of honor, and Swayde being the groom. Renne stopped herself, snapping her head up. There was no way that she just allowed that thought to pop into her head. It was her and Matt's wedding, not her and Swayde's. Things have changed now, and it was time Renne started to see that. 

      With a click of her tongue, Renne threw the towel she was using to wipe the counters behind her, walking to the foyer. Slipping on her boots, plopping her cowboy hat on her head, Renne headed outside to start her work day. She needed something, just anything, to get her mind off of this wedding craziness. 

                                                             ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

         "Hey, Jerome." Renne poked her head around the side of the barn. She thought that she had smelled cigarette smoke. Sure enough, Jerome was trying to hid his smoking by sitting on top of the stacked straw bales at the end of the barn that no one ever goes to. "You know we don't allow smokin' on the ranch." She pointed to the burning rolled paper hanging out of his mouth. "Put it out." Renne took a step closer, keeping her voice firm, but quiet.

        "I don't have to listen to any of y'all. I am startin' to feel like I was treated better in juvie than I am here." Jerome took another puff of his cigarette, not budging from his stack on top of the straw bales. "They always guaranteed me three meals a day, and plenty of time outside playin' basketball..." He tried to think of other reasons to prove his point, but failed.

         Jerome was a good kid, a really good kid, in fact, but he had just made some bad decisions. He came from a drug and gang corrupted family, so that was the only life he knew. He had gotten into himself into enough trouble that it landed him in juvenile detention twice. The first time was only overnight, but the second time it was for a month since the crime was much more serious.   

          While Renne was in Alpine Ridge, Matt had allowed Jerome to go to a "Bible study," or at least that's where Jerome told Matt he was going. In fact, he was driving an hour away to be a designated driver for a few of his drunk friends. Even though Jerome was trying to do the right thing, he was still driving with a suspended license, far out of the radius he was allowed to travel since he was on probation. Heading back to the ranch, Jerome had been speeding in an attempt to get back sooner, but that was a poor decision. Jerome was pulled over by the police, but thankfully, he was only fined with a large ticket instead of having to go back to jail. It was a huge blessing and could have ended a lot worse considering the circumstances. 

        With her arms folded, Renne leaned against the barn, watching Jerome. "Three square meals a day, get to play basketball whenever you want, pretty much sounds like life here. But, in jail you won't have cable TV, free range of the property, WiFi, church on Sundays, not to mention getting to be outside and doing work. Oh, and you also get to wear whatever you want. You may not realize it, Jerome, but we really are doin' you a favor. You actually have it pretty good here." 

        Jerome shook his head. "Maybe, but I ain't about this ranch life. I have never liked horses, or anything like that. I would rather play basketball with my friends." He took the cigarette out of his mouth. It was just about at the end of it's life. 

        When Jerome reached for another cigarette in the pocket of his jacket, Renne stepped forward, grabbing Jerome's wrist, stopping him. "Listen. I don't care how much you hate, or love horses. I don't even care if you're afraid of them. You are here so you don't have to sit in a jail cell. You might not be gettin' paid for your community service right now, but you do good work. So, who knows, maybe after your probation is over, we might hire you on here." Renne grinned; there was something about Jerome that had always made her keep trying with him. "Besides, I know you don't have anywhere else to go, so make the most of the free room and board while you're here, alright?" 

         Jerome jerked his wrist free from Renne's hold. "Fine. It's only for another month, I guess." He shrugged, slouching back against the barn. 

        "That's the spirit. Put out the cigarette and grab a muck rake. There's some stalls that need cleaned." Renne wanted to smile since she was finally getting somewhere with Jerome again, but she refused the urge, knowing it would give up her serious demeanor she was trying to keep up. 

          Letting out a sigh, Jerome stood up off the bales, tossing the cigarette on the ground, putting it out with the sole of his shoe. Picking it back up to throw into the trash can, Jerome followed Renne into the barn.

       Handing Jerome a muck rake, pointing him towards the wheelbarrows, Renne took a minute to let out a content sigh. Despite everything going on in her personal life, it certainly felt good to get back into the swing of things at her ranch, the only place she felt she was making an impact...the only place she truly felt she belonged anymore.