A/N: Hi y'all! So I'm new here and this is my first go at a multi-chapter fic. It will probably be around 10 chapters. It's outlined, but I'm not completely sure on an ending yet. But I hope you like it!
Also, the title is from the song "Summertime" by Mae
P.S. Reviews are cute :)
Rachel Berry grew up in the hustle and bustle of New York City. She's rich but she's never acted like most of the spoiled trust fund kids on the Upper East Side. It's because both her Dads worked hard for their money and neither came from money. They always instilled in her that you can't just expect things to happen to you, you have to make them happen for yourself. She was still enriched with the lavish lifestyle of New York's elite but she was always sure to say her pleases and thank yous (and mean them).
Rachel always worked hard and thrived off the thrill of succeeding. She graduated on the top of her class and will be attending Juilliard in the fall. She has been working all her young adult life for this and has never taken a break like most of her peers. After a lot of consideration and talking with her Dads, they decide it would be best that she take the summer off and actually take time to do nothing.
Rachel just needs to get out of the city. She knows if she stays in New York for the summer it would be anything but calm and stress-free. Even if she's not taking a dance class or attending an acting workshop, there's always a party or a brunch to attend or plan. If she's going to be doing nothing, she wants just that.
So Rachel ends up packed and heading to Shelbyville, Tennessee for the summer. Her Aunt Sarah has been begging her since forever to come spend a summer with her on her horse ranch there so she is going to take her up on that. She's been there a couple times for short visits with her fathers and it's beautiful and she's always loved how relaxed she can be there.
On the flight she thinks of the last conversation she had with her best friend Kurt Hummel the night before. Kurt is the typical New York Gay Best Friend. She knows it's cliche, and most things in her life seem to be, but he's her best friend beyond just shopping and mani/pedis.
"I can't believe you're leaving me for the whole summer", Kurt sighs dramatically as he lays on Rachel's bed while she floats around her room packing.
"You'll survive. I'm not your only friend, just your best" Rachel responds messing up his hair.
He smacks her hand away and smooths down his hair, "Well you have to do one thing for me while you're there."
"And what's that?" Rachel asks with intrigue.
"You know, save a horse. And ride a cowboy."
Rachel laughs and says, "You're so bad." as Kurt smiles and raises his eyebrows at her.
But then she lays on the bed next to him and says, "But I'm sure that the boys there are a lot less high maintenance then the ones here. It would meet nice to meet a boy who doesn't spend sixty dollars on his shampoo."
Kurt laughs and tells her (orders her), "Just have a summer fling with a southern gentleman."
"Maybe" Rachel says, but with the smile she shares with Kurt, they both know it's definitely now on her summer agenda.
When Rachel gets to the baggage claim she hears someone yell her name and when she turns around, her Aunt Sarah is running towards her and wraps her in a hug. Rachel laughs and hugs her back just as tight.
"Oh Rachel, I can't believe you're here! This is so exciting!"
"I'm glad I'm here too, I'm looking forward to this lazy summer in the south."
"Good! Be as lazy as you want, I'm just so happy you're here" Aunt Sarah says as she hugs Rachel again.
The drive to Shelbyville from Nashville is a little over an hour. She talks with her Aunt about the last year at school and her plans for college in the fall. She asks her Aunt how the ranch is and how Joe is. (Joe is Aunt Sarah's boyfriend, they've been together as long as Rachel can remember, they aren't married but it seems to work for them.)
They arrive and Rachel forgot just how beautiful it was here, it's completely breathtaking. The house sits on like a gazillion acres of land. The air is even different, calmer. The house isn't huge, but it's got character. It's an old house from the late 1800s and has this gorgeous wrap around porch she thinks is the perfect place to lounge with a good book and a glass of iced tea.
She's staying in the guest room on the first floor right next to the kitchen. The room is smaller than her's at home, but it has a bay window that overlooks the property. She opens the windows taking a deep breath of the fresh summer air, and starts unpacking her things.
When she's done she goes into the kitchen and tells her Aunt Sarah she's going to go walk around. She goes straight to the barn housing the horses. This was always her favorite part of visiting, though it will take her a couple days to get used to the smell.
When she enters the barn she sees Joe standing there next to the most gorgeous guy she's ever seen in her life. He has tanned skin that's glistening from what she's guessing is a long day of hard labor. He looks at her and she sees he has piercing green eyes in contrast to his dark hair and a smile that she knows probably gets him whatever he wants.
Joe notices her then and runs over hugging her and swinging her around, "It's great to have you here, kid."
"I'm glad to be here. I'm sure Aunt Sarah had a heart attack when I told her I was actually coming"
"You don't even know the half if it" he says with a laugh and twirls her around, "Look at you, all grown up now, I bet you're beating all those city boys away with a stick."
Rachel can feel her face get red and says, "Stop."
The boy laughs along with Joe and when she looks he's walking over to them.
Joe says, "Excuse my manners, this is Puck, he works here with me during the week and this is Rachel, Sarah's niece."
Puck wipes his hand on his pant leg and reaches out and Rachel takes it, "Nice to meet you Rachel".
"You too" she says with a smile.
"Okay we have to get back to work, but you know where the brushes are if you wanna spend some time with the girls" Joe says giving her a pat on the head.
Rachel says, "Okay" excitingly and runs over to where they keep the brushes.
She loves brushing the horses and spending time with them. There's something really great about it when you can be around these animals and they're so calm. She knows it's because they trust you and that really is a great feeling.
Rachel spends the next hour or so brushing and talking to the horses. She's in the middle of asking Star (her favorite horse, and the one that Aunt Sarah and Joe let her name when she was 12) if she was enjoying her summer so far and it seems the weather has been perfect.
"You know they're horses and they can't answer you right?"
Rachel lets out a scream and turns to see Puck standing leaning over the gate to the stall. "I know that, but that doesn't mean you can't talk to them."
Puck laughs and then says, "So Joe said you're from New York City?"
Rachel nods, "All my life"
"What's it like?" Rachel looks at him and sees that he may look very much like a man, but she can tell from excitement she sees in his eyes and hears in his voice, that he's still, mostly, a boy.
"It's wonderful. There's so much there and so much to do. I have lived there my whole life and I still can find new things to enjoy. Have you ever been there?"
Puck shakes his head, "No, but I always wanted to. I've been to Nashville some though, but I don't think it's the same."
Rachel laughs and says, "Probably not. You should go though, I highly recommend it."
"Maybe, one day." he says shrugging his shoulders.
Rachel smiles and thinks she found the perfect southern gentleman for this summer fling Kurt suggested.
They talk a little longer before he has to leave. She learns he graduated the year before and took classes at the local community college. He doesn't know what he wants to do yet but he likes it. She tells him that she's going to Juilliard and she's going to be starring on Broadway in 5 years. He grins when he tells her she seems pretty sure about that. She says if you can't be sure about your dreams, then they can't come true.
Before he leaves he says it was nice meeting her and will be seeing her around. She decides she is sure that this summer is going to be great. She also decides she's sure he's going to be why.