Chapter 2

Late the next afternoon, found Gabi and Emily working in the barn. Mrs. Bolton was busy cooking in the house with Chelsea, Catherine was Adeline and Addison, and Eddie was out working in the field with Mrs. Bolton. They had been in the barn now for about three hours and had become covered with straw and hay. Emily laughed at Gabi's appearance.

"You look so funny!" She smiled as Gabi attempted to pluck some straw out of her unruly hair. Even braided, her hair seemed to attract the straw.

"Well you're not exactly the picture of cleanliness either," Gabi tossed a handful of straw in Emily's direction.

"Yeah, well," Emily dodged the throw, "It doesn't show up as much in my hair. It blends in rather nicely, if I do say so myself..." It really did. Against her dark blond hair the straw pieces were barely noticeable. Gabi's hair was another story. Her dark locks made the straw stick out like a black sheep in a field of snow. "Come on; let's go ask my mom if we have to do anything else. I mean, its just Troy...he's not exactly royalty..." She pulled Gabi toward the house.

"Mom?" Emily called out as she opened the front door. Her mother appeared from behind the kitchen door.

"Emily Elizabeth, don't you set foot in this house, covered in straw!" She warned, pointing her spatula at the girls. Noticing their sober expressions and sweaty brows, her face softened. "Are you girls all done in the barn?" She asked.

"Yes ma'm," Gabi replied, attempting to straighten he hair. Mrs. Bolton laughed at her vain attempt.

"Well, I'm done in here, why don't you girls go wash up. You can also tell your father and Eddie that dinner will be ready soon," she wiped a hand against her skirt to brush some of the flour off it. "I just put some bread in the oven. Off with you now..." Emily and Gabi dashed around to the back of the house to the wash basin.

"We'd better use this," Gabi grabbed the towel off the hanger, "your mother will skin us if we get hay in the house."

"I know!" Emily grabbed for the soap. "Let's go down to the creek. We can stop on the way and tell father about dinner. It's still warm enough." The girls quickly made their way up to the field where they found Eddie working the near end of the field and Mr. Bolton towards the other.

"Hi girls, what's going on?" He stopped the plow horses.

"Mom said to tell you that dinner will be ready soon," Emily replied, fidgeting with the bar of soap in her hands.

"What's that for?" He pointed to it.

"Eddie, you should know that by now," she laughed.

"It's for cleaning..." Gabi prompted teasingly. Eddie shook his head despairingly.

"I know that. I meant, what are you doing with a bar of soap and a towel in the field? Geez girl's can be so stupid!" He finished. Gabi opened her mouth to reply but Emily stopped her.

"If you must know," she began, "we're going to the creek to wash up."

"Okay..." he cocked his head, "with only one towel?"

"Just our faces you knit!" Emily turned to Gabi, "Come on. I think I'm getting more stupid with every minute I spend with him."

Troy relaxed in his saddle as he rode over the hill and caught site of the home he hadn't seen all summer. It was good to be back. The farm really didn't look any different. The laundry was still hanging on the line beside the house and the riding horses were still in the corral in front of the barn. He noticed a new horse there, but that shouldn't be a surprise. His father had probably relented and gotten one for Catherine. Just as he thought of her, Catherine came out of the house, shooing a cat out in front of her. She immediately spotted him.

"Troy!" She exclaimed happily and ran out to meet him.

"Cati-Bug!" He jumped off his horse and hugged her. Catherine or Cati, as he called her, was his secretly his favorite sister. That, of course, didn't have anything to do with the fact that she was a miniature replica of him at that age. All of the other girls had blond hair; even, his brother, Eddie's hair was lighter than his own. Cati's was just like his though: thick wavy, and dark. She also had the same blue eyes he did.

"I missed you Troy..." she tugged on his shirt as he set her back down.

"What's all the commotion?" Mrs. Bolton poked her head out the door. "Troy? Oh, Troy! Welcome home sweetheart!" She met him halfway across the yard. By this time Chelsea had appeared with Adeline and Addison in tow. After greeting everyone, Troy spoke up.

"Where are Dad and Eddie?" He looked around the group. Chelsea pointed to the field. "I don't see Emily either..." his eyes came to rest on Mariana, "but who is this?" He smiled down at her. The little girl looked to be around Chelsea's age. She had big, almond shaped, brown eyes and thick, dark hair that hung in two long braids.

"This is Mariana," his mother replied, putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "She and her sister came to us just after you left."

"Gabi cleans," Catherine added, "you'll like her Troy, she's funny."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," he bent down and offered his hand to her. Shyly, Mariana accepted it. "Do you like horses?" Troy asked. When he received an enthusiastic nod he swept her up and onto his horse, Old Roan. She squealed in delight, her face lighting up with glee.

"I think you've a new fan," his mother observed.

"Troy, can we ride Old Roan around before dinner?" Chelsea tugged on her brother's sleeve. He looked questioningly at his mother. She nodded.

"Alright, but you girls have to take turns," he agreed, "No running either...he's had a long trip." He lifted Catherine up behind Mariana. "You lead them for a few minutes Chelsea. Then you can have a go. I'm going to up and see Dad and Eddie. I'll put Roan up when I get back." He handed the reins to her and started off toward the field.

"Don't be too long!" His mother called after him, "See if you can find Emily and Gabi while you're up there please..." As Troy reached the field he could see his brother working on the other end. His father was only a little ways away and hurried over.

"Son!" He hugged him heartily, "It's good to see you. Did you just get here?" He nodded.

"Mom told me to tell you and Eddie to come down for dinner," he gestured toward the house, "she also said I was to track down Emily and Gabi."

"That will be quite the task." His father laughed, "I saw them a little while ago talking with Eddie. Then they headed down towards the creek. I'd say that's your best bet." Troy nodded.

"Who's Gabi?" he asked, "I mean I know she and Mariana are living with us, but I don't know why."

"Well," his father began, "Her and her sister came to town shortly after you'd left. Their mother had just passed on and Gabi was looking for a way to support the two of them. You remember that add your mother placed in the paper for household help?" Troy nodded. "Gabi answered it. They have been with us ever since." He paused to wipe his brow. "Why don't you go on up to the house? I'll have Eddie bring the girls in."

"You're right Emily," Gabi splashed around in the water, some of it hitting Emily, "it is warmer than it looked."

"I told you!" Emily replied, splashing her back. "And now we're not covered in dust and straw anymore." The two girls stood waist deep in the clear creek water wearing only their undergarments. The original plan had been to simply wash their hands, arms, and faces but the warmth of the water and the shining sun had thrown that idea right out the window.

"I still don't see how we are ever going to get into the house like this," Gabi shook her hair loose from its braid, "If your mother was that upset about a little straw I don't think she'll appreciate us dripping water everywhere." Emily giggled.

"It will be fine," she persisted, "We can just climb up the ladder that goes to Eddie's room and go in through there. We'll hang our wet clothes up and change. No one will ever know."

"I guess," Gabi relented as she lowered herself further in. "As long as we don't get our hair wet, I mean...mine takes forever to dry." Gabi's long, dark hair fell in soft curls reaching a little bit below her waist.

"I wish I had hair like yours," Emily rubbed her hands together. "Mine is so straight!"

"Yeah, but at least yours cooperates with you," Gabi gently reminded her, "About the only thing I can do with mine is put it in a braid."

"Ah yes, but a very pretty braid," Emily mocked, splashing a little more water in Gabi's direction. "Come on, we'd better head in," she calmed down a moment later. "Dinner will be ready soon, and we don't want Mother to throw a fit." The girls quickly climbed out of the creek and slipped their dresses on over their wet underclothes.

"This isn't very comfortable," Gabi squirmed her way into a sleeve. After 'dressing' the girls tore off to the back of the house where they would find the ladder that led to Eddie's room. He wouldn't be back from the fields yet so there was no danger of them being caught. Quite out of breath and dusty once again, the girls started to climb...Emily first, then Gabi. Emily reached the top and pushed the window open. Seeing that the coast was clear she pulled herself through.

Troy was going up the stairs when he heard sounds coming from his and Eddie's room. A voice...a girl's voice in particular. Figuring that Catherine was waiting to surprise him he thought he'd get to her first. Standing just outside of his doorway, he crouched and prepared to jump.

"Gotcha!" He jumped into the room expecting to her Catherine's surprise. Instead, he saw Emily throw her hands in the air and cover her mouth, trying not to scream. At this, Gabi, who had been a quarter of the way in, slipped out again, knocking the ladder over. She didn't yell, just held on to the windowsill for dear life.

"Troy!" Emily gritted her teeth, and stalked towards him, "What are you doing?"

"What? No welcome home brother?" He teased, "Shouldn't I be the one asking what you were doing? After all this is my room..." He crossed his arms.

"We just came in from the creek and we..." she paused, "oh my gosh! Gabi!" She raced back over to the window were Troy now noticed a petite pair of hands gripping at the wood.

"Emily!" The voice came, "If you don't pull me up..."

"I'll get her," Troy walked over to the window and looked down. Looking up at him with a scared expression on her face was an older version of Mariana. He reached down and took her by the arms and, as gently as he could, pulled her through the window. He set her down in front of him and brushed a strand of hair from her face with one hand; the other remaining on her arm.

Gabi looked up at him through glazed eyes. This must be Troy. He wasn't at all liked she'd imagined him. She had assumed he would be thick and rugged like Eddie with light hair. The young man standing in front of her seemed much lither and had features like Catherine. Or, she should say, Catherine had features like him.

"Troy," Emily broke the silence, "this is Gabi Montez. Gabi, this is my brother Troy."