A Long Way From Home

Chapter 7

Maddi

"You know if you want to borrow my jeans you like so much on the first day you can, but only if you give me back my fucking cookie Maddison Nicole." Liv said with a smile. I thought about it for a minute and gave her a smug look as I stuck my tongue out to show her the chewed up cookie and said "here you go. You didn't specify how you got it back." She gagged while I started to laugh. Pap walked in and looked at Liv and said "she gave you the chewed cookie again, huh?" Liv nodded her head with a scowl. He laughed and said "you never learn Livia. She has done that to you since you could eat those things."

I gave my sister a smug look and then turned to Pap and asked "so is there anything that I can help out with here on the farm, pap?" He pondered over my question and then said "You two will have some chores. Mads you are on the barn. Moving the hay, letting the horses out, mucking the stalls, and also giving the cows hay and making sure all water troughs are full. Livia, you are on the pig pen, chicken coop, goats, dogs, the barn cats, and then you both will be doing night checks." I groaned and whined "I wanna work on the tractors."

He chuckled and said "you will get there Mads. I promise, but for right now just getting these chores done is the best way to get started back into the farm work. Now go out and check on the barn and bring in all the animals since it is getting dark. Put the cows in the pasture beside the barn since there are too many to place inside of it and then come inside for dinner and then get ready for bed seeing as you start school tomorrow."

I looked him in the eyes and said "MEH! Come on Liv, we can race out to the cows and herd them in." Hearing the word race she was up and out in the barn getting Freya and Spartan tacked up and ready to ride. I slipped my boots on and ran out to where Liv was with the horses. I walked up to spartan and looked into his eyes and it was like it just him and I. I looked over at Liv and said "you know what, I don't wanna race. I just want to enjoy a nice ride with my sister and our amazing beasts." She nodded her head in agreement and then we were off.

After riding for about 20 minutes we made it to where the cattle were. Liv took the right side while I took the left. We rounded them up and then started to head home. Our way back I was counting them and noticed we were missing a couple. I called Pap and let him know we were going to bring them in and then go back out to find the missing ones. He said a quick be careful and hung up. We got the cattle in the pasture beside the barn and then went back out to find the missing ones.

We took off through the field back to where the cattle were. We were looking around in the woods and I see two horses with riders herding them towards the field. We stop to listen and I hear them talk.

"I don't see the herd." The first one said. "Maybe Jack brought them in?" The other replied. I could make out that the voices were guys but we couldn't see their faces so I decided to make ourselves known. I nudged Spartans sides and came out of the woods and said "My pap, Jack, didn't take the cattle in, my sister and I did. We were actually out here looking for these two." Liv was the next to speak "Not being rude or anything, but who are you and what are you doing on this property?"

The first one to speak was a handsome looking guy. From what I could see he had chestnut brown hair and a very nice face shape. He was wearing boots, a pair of wrangler jeans, and a black and white flannel with a baseball cap covering his eyes from the sun. I'll admit he was very good looking. I snapped out of my trance when he cleared his throat and said "I'm Alex and this bozo is Andrew. We actually work for your grandfather." Alex was on a beautiful white stallion and it had blue eyes. Andrew was on a brown and white paint and its eyes were a very golden brown.

I nodded my head and then said "well we better get them back to the herd." I looked at Liv and said "Come on Liv, we still have a lot to do before we go in and get ready for school tomorrow." She nodded her head and then waved to Alex and Andrew before she rounded the cattle up and started her way towards the barn. I looked at the guys and said "you can either come with us or go home. It's up to you, but I'm leaving." I kicked Spartan's sides and he took off like a bullet that was fired from a gun. I was just about to catch up to Liv when I see Alex beside me and Andrew was beside Liv and they were talking.

I glance at Alex and say "Can I help you?" He shook his head and said "nope. Just thought I could ask you for your name since we're going to be seeing each other a lot since my brother and I work here and help Jack out." I nodded my head and said "My name is Maddison. Don't call me that unless I'm in big trouble. Call me Mads or Maddi." He nodded his head and then looked back at me and said "I'm gonna call you addi." I laughed and said "Don't let Pap hear you give me a nickname that no one calls me. He'll start to think you're in love with me." I shoot him a wink and then took off with Spartan towards the barn.