Song for chapter: OTW - Khalid ft 6LACK & Ty Dollar $ign
|one week later, Sunday|
"I got a story for ya'll this morning," his voice rang out throughout the whole metal building church.
"Now, any of ya'll ever been to a horse trader's?" Jeremy, the associate pastor, asked the church. A few people raised their hands.
"Alright. Then ya'll know that when you pull up and you see a sign that says 'all sales final,' that it's already pretty bad," he smiled as the congregation laughed, "Well, I pulled up and I got out of my truck and the horse trader guy introduced himself to me. Then, I was looking way out in his pasture where he had this beautiful horse that was just running. And I kept telling him, "You know, that's a good looking horse out there!" and he would just say, "Nah, he don't look too good," and I was like, "Are you kidding? He looks great. I want him. I want to buy him!" So, he went out and caught this horse for me and I was excited, you know. I paid the man, then I went to go load this horse into my trailer. And he runs smack into the side of the trailer door!" He clapped his hands together for emphasis as the people started laughing, "And I get to looking at this horse... And this sucker is blind. I mean, he can't see nothing. At all. So I walk over to the guy and I tell him that this horse is blind! And he goes... "I told you he didn't look too good...'" The entire congregation busted out into laughter as Jeremy started smiling.
He reached up and removed his cowboy hat from his head, "Let's pray before we start the message."
--
"Tenley!" I turned around to see Jeremy walking up to me after service. He pulled me in for a hug.
"Hey, kiddo. How did your rodeo go last weekend?"
I gave him a side eye and he let out a laugh.
"Not too good, huh?"
"I mean..." I pulled away from him and shrugged my shoulders before bursting out in a smile.
"It was great! I won barrels both days, I placed in the top five in breakaway, I placed in the top 10 in goats, and in team roping, I placed in the top five!" I jumped up and down before I felt Jeremy pull me back in for a hug.
"That's great, kid! I'm super proud of you!"
"Thanks," I gave him a big smile before walking out to my car in the parking lot.
--
I pulled up to Grayson's house and jumped out of my car. He didn't know I was coming over, but he had been taking care of Adeline since school started, and I figured it was my turn to taker her. Although I could have just waited one more day and gotten her at school, I figured he would want a break sooner, rather than later.
I rung the doorbell and then stepped aside, waiting for an answer that didn't come. I reached up and rung it again.
The door swung open, revealing a sweaty looking Ethan whose eyes got big once he recognized me at his front door. He squinted his eyes at me and leaned forward, as if making sure he wasn't hallucinating.
I rolled my eyes at him, "Where's Grayson?" I asked him while crossing my arms over my chest.
He rolled his eyes right back at me before stepping out of the doorway, allowing me to enter the house.
"He's in his room. It's upsta-"
"I know where it is, Ethan," I snapped at him, cutting him off.
I jogged up the stairs and turned to face the first door on the left. I knocked on the door and heard shuffling around coming from inside the room.
"Ethan, not now!" I heard Grayson yell, sounding frustrated.
"Gray, it's me. Tenley," I said softly.
I didn't hear anything for several seconds, growing worried that he was going to ignore me, I began to turn around. Just as I had started to back away from the door, it swung open, revealing Grayson, peering down at me due to his height.
"Hi," he said breathlessly.
"Hi," I smiled softly.
He turned sideways and allowed me to enter the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I walked over to his bed and plopped myself on the corner of it, crossing my legs and leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, setting my clutch on the comforter beside me.
Grayson sat opposite of me, on the chair at his desk, facing me.
He smirked up at me, "So, how may I help you, Miss. Ross?"
I leaned back and placed my hand on my heart, acting offended, "When did we get a divorce? I've been known as Mrs. Dolan for the past three weeks."
He leaned his head down and laughed before looking up at me.
"My apologies, Mrs. Dolan. How may I help you?"
"I came to get Adeline," I pointed to the baby doll that laid in a pile of pillows on his floor next to the head of his bed, "I'm sure you've been crazy busy lately, and dealing with the doll for the past three weeks probably hasn't helped, yeah?"
He tilted his head as he looked at me, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sure, you can take her. No problem," he got up from where he was sitting and walked over to pick up the doll and placed her in her carrier. He shuffled around his room, looking for the bag before finally finding it among his football gear in the corner. He grabbed it and tossed it to me. I barely caught it, which caused Grayson to erupt in laughter.
"Just give me the doll," I told him while I rolled my eyes.
He placed the carrier in my outstretched hand. I got off the bed and started walking towards the bedroom door, intending to leave and go home.
I was almost at the door when I felt something grip my wrist, causing me to turn back around and face Grayson.
I raised my eyebrows at him.
What?
He looked back up at me with his eyes squinted before tugging on my wrist, causing me to collapse into his chest. It threw me off guard at first, but eventually, I hugged him back.
"Be safe on the way home, Ten," he whispered in my ear.
I pulled back and tilted my head at him, giving him a confused smile before turning around and walking out the door into the hallway.
A/N
Okay, so Jeremy is also based on a real person - my youth pastor at church. He always starts his sermons off with either a story or a joke, and that was a real one he told a couple weeks ago. I'm sorry I've been so inactive, I've been busting my ass working and rodeoing lately, and I have had literally zero time to write for the past month.
xoxo,
peaches <3
