"Lame."
"Completely."
"No. I'm serious."
"I am too." Haley sighed as she squinted at the clock and rolled her head around on her neck, stretching her arms in front of her.
"It's not like we need another person coming in and crowding up the place." Gabriella grumbled as she straightened up and brushed off the seat of her pants. "They probably won't even know what they're doing and you'll have to fix it." She looked over at Haley who had immediately thrown her hands into the air at Gabriella's comment.
"Whoa there Gabby do you not remember the fact that I'm leaving for college in a week? I'll meet the guy for what, a day before I have to up and leave for the University." She scowled as she pulled her black hair into a bun, "But if he gives you any trouble you just give me a holler and I'll be down in no time." She nodded curtly and Gabriella immediately relaxed as she giggled.
"I don't think I'll be the one training him." She pointed out as she reached out a hand to haul Haley up onto her feet as the two headed down the gravel path.
"Of course you will, head stable hands always do." Haley responded as she shoved her hands in her jean pockets while Gabriella stopped short.
"Hey, I'm not going to take your place I think Mel will do that or something." She replied quickly as she spotted a fellow stable hand heading up the walk to the north barn.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Haley narrowed her gaze as she looked toward the sun. "I heard Celia talking about you being my replacement."
"For real?" Gabriella asked in disbelief as she ran a hand through her curls. "Wow." She murmured as she scratched her arm and turned to Haley. "That would be awesome."
"It is an amazing job." Haley winked as Gabriella giggled and the pair headed toward the main office where Celia Jacobs owner of Sunrise Ranch was doing her paperwork.
"We're all a family you know?" Gabriella said quietly as she looked ahead toward the nearing office. "We've been this way for four years now, I can't begin to picture someone else coming in here." She looked over at Haley who was nodding.
"I know what you mean, but that's life, we got to move on at one point or another." She sighed as she ran a strand of hair through her fingers.
"Yeah, I guess…" Gabriella responded as they reached the main office and they opened the door to the familiar smell of alfalfa cubes and saddle soap. Celia looked up from her cluttered desk as soon as she heard the small bell above the door tinkle, and she instantly grinned at the two. She ran a hand through her dark red hair before sidling around the crowded desk revealing her petite frame and bright blue sweater.
"Ah, I was wondering when you two would be in." She commented as she stepped back to grab her mug of coffee before returning her gaze to the girls. "Melanie just came round here not a minute ago."
"Oh yeah, we saw her." Haley said quickly as Celia nodded and smiled.
"Good, good, how was the tour?" She directed the question toward Haley as she was often a guide on the tours around the small foothills in that part of New Mexico. These tours were the reason that Sunrise Ranch was so popular and the stellar views of the sunrise and sunset on the trails supplied the namesake.
"Ah, the usual, tourists are tourists." Haley said tiredly as Celia frowned.
"I hope you did a good job…" She said hesitantly as Haley immediately nodded reassuringly.
"Absolutely, wouldn't do it any other way." Haley responded as she rested her back on the office wall.
"You two cooled down the horses and got them tucked in for the night?" Celia questioned anxiously as she peered out the window toward the north and south barns.
"Don't worry Celia, we're professionals, we took care of it." Gabriella said soothingly as she smirked over at Haley, Celia was known for caring for her horses like her own children.
"Well, that's good then." Celia sighed as she began rubbing at her temples.
"Long day?" Gabriella commented as Celia nodded before grabbing her mug and taking a sip from it.
"Nothing I can't handle though girls." She said brightly as her bright blue eyes popped open and she began shifting some folders on her desk.
"So anyway Celia, I heard that we were getting a new stable hand, that right?" Haley asked as she fingered an old riding trophy of Celia's.
Gabriella instantly straightened up as Celia brightened and crossed her arms over her chest. "You bet we're getting a new stable hand!" Celia exclaimed as she glanced over her shoulder and dug out a file from under a stack of papers. "He's here mostly because his dad wanted to give him a summer job, but hey I'm not complaining." She said as she began flicking through the sheets of paper.
"You mean he's only staying for the summer?" Gabriella asked in disbelief as Celia looked up at her slightly taken aback.
"I'm sorry Gabriella, but is that a problem?" She frowned as Gabriella instantly blushed.
"Um no, it's just surprising that's all, we usually make sure that our stable hands are-"
"Reasonably committed to the long haul." Celia finished as she crinkled her brow and rubbed her hands together. "Yes, I know I always say that, but let's just say that I'm doing this as a family favor. If he doesn't like the job after the summer he's free to leave." She exhaled before giving a small smile to the girls.
"When's he coming in then?" Haley asked uncertainly as Celia straightened her blouse and sat back on her desk.
"We scheduled a meeting for this Friday, that okay with you guys?" She raised her eyebrows as the girls nodded. "I believe he goes to school with you Gabriella." She added in an off hand way as Gabriella instantly sprang up.
"Seriously?" She asked as her mouth dropped open.
"Yes, last I checked he was hitting the books at East High anyway." Celia muttered to herself as she began snapping her fingers. "I guess that explains why your break starts when his does." She mused as she began ruffling her hair in thought. "His name's Troy." She stated as she swung down onto her swivel chair and threw open a cabinet. "I have his- one second." She disappeared below her desk as Haley looked over at Gabriella with a shrug. There were perhaps a billion Troy's at her school and Gabriella frowned in thought, which one of them could it be? She blinked rapidly as Celia appeared above the desk again, a triumphant look on her face. "Aha! I knew I put it in there!" She exclaimed as she brushed aside a few pens and folded the face of the folder back. "Here's…the new stable hand." She brandished the folder that contained a headshot and some information at the girls and Gabriella let out a small gasp, she knew which Troy this was just by his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes the same shade as Celia's.
