Chapter 3
Katy woke up when her head hit something hard. She lifted her head a little bit just to have it hit the same thing again. Then she realized she was moving. Her head whipped up and her eyes shot open. She was in the back of a moving truck. She panicked and shook her head around until she saw Flicka, following the truck at a brisk trot. Her saddle was in the truck bed next to her. She calmed down a little bit, if she needed to escape, Flicka was here.
But she didn't need to. The truck bed had small or broken pieces of wood in it. The sky was still bright but it was cooler, the sun heading across the sky. It was probably around six. She turned around and peered into the truck. Gus was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, listening to country music. Luckily, Jack wasn't there. She didn't want him of all people so see her sleep. Nope. Never.
She sat up from her leaning position and cracked her neck. Flicka nickered a greeting and tossed her head, playing behind the truck. Katy looked around, a few minutes drive from being home. She dusted the dirt from the back of her jeans as she kneeled over the side of the truck, crooning to Flicka. Flicka tossed her head and cantered up to the side of the truck. As Flicka ran alongside the truck, Katy stroked her neck. She wanted to jump off the truck and onto Flicka's back but it seemed to her that Flicka had worked enough today.
The truck bumped up to the barn and parked just outside of it. Katy grabbed her saddle and slid off the end of the truck's bed. Gus didn't even glance at her as he walked into the barn. Katy looked at Flicka, eyebrows raised.
"Oops, probably made him work more than he aught to." Flicka snorted and flicked her ears forward.
Katy carried her tack into the barn and placed it on it's rack. Flicka had followed her in and had wondered into her stall, dipping her head to drink the cool water. Katy sighed and closed the stall door behind her beautiful mare.
"I'll be back later Flicka." She tapped her hand on the wood before jogging out of the barn.
Katy sped through her chores, dodging out of the way from Gus, Jack, and her father, just in case he already knew about her little nap. She hoped he didn't. Though it was probably too much to wish for, she wished he never knew. Maybe, just maybe, Jack and Gus wouldn't tell him. But that was close to impossible. Especially with Jack's big mouth he had gained, even more, after the cougar.
She stepped foot in the house tenderly, waiting to see if she would be yelled at. When no comment came, she slipped off her boots and threw herself onto the couch for the "evening meet-up" they sometimes had. Tonight was one of those nights. Being the first one there, she claimed the couch. She spread herself over it, taking up all the room.
Her mother came in the door from her garden work only a second later and splayed herself across the leather chair in the living room across from the couch at a left angle. Next Gus came in, seating himself in one of the few remaining chairs, next to the couch. Her father was next in and took the last of the single chairs. Katy frowned. She didn't look at anyone and kept herself stretched out on the sofa. Jack stomped his boots outside the door before swinging it open, the screen door squeaking. He stood in the living room, his hands on his hips as he stared directly at Katy. Then to the sofa she was hiding beneath her.
She closed her eyes. Maybe he would just leave. She wanted the couch. It had accepted her.
Nope.
Jack strutted over to the sofa, everyone else ignoring him and talking in their own conversation. Jack looked expectantly at her. She didn't move. Go away. She repeated in her head. Go sit on the floor or something. He just stared at her. She still didn't move. She couldn't do much else to stop him from sitting down. He reached out one hand and brushed her legs aside, making her spin around from the force that seemed to be too easy for him. Katy glared at the floor and crossed her arms.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, even though it was only about a minute later, the three "adults" finished their side conversation. They all turned into a more inviting angle which would allow the two couch loungers to speak freely. Katy didn't want to talk. She didn't even glance up from her stare at the floor when her father started talking.
"How does the fence look?" He made a sound that suggested he had moved his chair around.
"Looks good." Gus said after a few seconds of waiting for Jack or herself to speak.
It seemed like Jack was playing the "quiet game" right along with her. This made her more angry. She tapped her foot of the floor and tightened her grip around her knee. She was just waiting for someone to tell her father that she had fallen asleep when she was supposed to be working. That time didn't come. The rest of the small amount of time, both Jack and Katy kept quiet. The amount of time for their "meeting" was almost over when her father singled her out.
"Katy, tomorrow take Luna to patrol the fence. It seems that Flicka has had a lot of extra work today and needs her rest." Katy was about to smile and leave when he kept talking and made it worse, "Jack, go with her."
Fury. That was all she felt for that moment. She didn't need a babysitter. She could take care of herself! How could she feel like she could be trusted if she wasn't being treated like it. Okay, she hadn't really been trustworthy recently but that was only because of her father's stubbornness. And her own. A wave of her mother's hand dismissed everyone. As the ranch workers dispersed, Katy stomped her way up to her room and closed the door behind her. Though sleep pulled at her eyes, she didn't go to bed just then. For the next hour, her stubborn nature kept her awake, staring out the window. Only late in the night did she leave her post to go to sleep. Wrapped up in her blankets, she huffed. Not only was she going to have a babysitter, she had to ride Luna instead of Flicka on a full days ride. She puffed her annoyance before settling into a calm sleep.