A/N: Whew! This is a long one, but it's one of my favorites now. I'm no expert on horses or Texas weather, so please cut me some slack! I hope you enoy!
Sometimes they just had to get away. Like any family, especially ones surrounded by all the glitz and exotica of Vegas, the Stokesia needed time to escape from the daily grind of work and school. It was late September when it occurred this time. Mally had the back-to-school blues and Nick; well, Nick had a job that could send some people insane. Seeing dead body after dead body took a toll on even the toughest person and he desperately needed some breathing room.
So, Mally and Nick loaded up their SUV and headed out to where their hearts really lay – out at Nick's parents' ranch in northern Texas. Nick of course called for permission to come, but he knew well that he and Mally were always welcome. His parents would be tickled to see their nine year old granddaughter who he'd sure they'd say had gotten so big. Mally adored her grandparents and loved the ranch. She got to ride her horse, Captain Navel, all day long, eat real home-cooked meals (that her father couldn't cook), and best of all – papaw and mamaw. To get into the country mood, Mally popped in her Dixie Chicks CD and started singing along. Nick wasn't quite as fond of the group, but at least it was country; better than the normal pop she listened to.
"She needs wide open spaces!" Mally sang happily as they cruised down the state road, windows down. The sweet, tired, autumn air blew her hair about, freeing her of all the troubles she'd been having lately.
Mally had been experiencing a rough start to the school year. For the first time in her life, she had a teacher she didn't like. Miss Janny was grumpy and mean and Mally didn't think she liked her. Mally had fallen in love with every other teacher she'd had up until this year, fourth grade. Nick had taught her to always respect adults, and so she was always a perfect angel in class (for the most part), and would never think about being rude or talking back to Miss Janny, though sometimes she really felt like it. Nick would hear the brunt of it at home each night; listening to her tell him about all Miss Janny had done that day. Nick would never bad-mouth her teacher in front of Mally, but he'd had numerous conferences with her teacher and the school to help out the situation. He knew this type of atmosphere all year would be detrimental to Mally. She needed a positive female role model in her life, and Miss Janny definitely was not one.
Nick looked over at his daughter and saw that she was happy for the first time in a while. Her arm was perched out the window and her bangs were blowing in the breeze, a smile dancing on her face. One of her teeth was missing, making her that much more adorable. If he could, he'd freeze this moment forever before she grew up too fast; before she had to go back to school; before countless other demons she would face in her life. Mally was too little to have so many bad cards dealt to her. She was just a little girl, and Nick was doing his best to make sure she could act and live like one.
"Darlin', you're gonna have a buggy snack if you're not careful." Nick warned her with a playful laugh. Almost her entire head was stuck out the window now like some sort of dog on a high.
"I don't care, daddy! It feels goooooood!" She ended in giggles.
"I'm gonna have to cage you up before long, Mal." He commented, and they kept on cruising happily down the road.
Hours later, Nick's SUV pulled into the long, windy driveway of his parents' Texas ranch, the vehicle bouncing lightly around from the graveled pave way. He didn't realize how much he missed a simple thing like that until now – it was so simple, but there was something just about it. He was back to his roots now. Nick took a deep breath of the musky, dirty Texan air, knowing he was home. Right out of a movie, his parents appeared at the front of the wraparound porch that surrounded the huge, two-story house where he and his siblings grew up. The ranch was so cliché – a tire swing hung lazily from a nearby tree; two dogs running in the yard barking; the sound of horses trotting and neighing far off in a field. And those were the ONLY sounds – no traffic, or sounds of gambling games, or annoying neighbors.
Mally practically jumped out the car and ran to her grandparents, who had their arms open wide. Nick smiled as he turned off the ignition, and then calmly took his time to get out and make his way over to his mom and dad. He was thankful to see they were looking healthy with some gray hairs (which they'd told Nick and siblings they'd caused). Nick worried that they got a little lonely with an empty nest, and knew they truly cherished their time with their grandchildren.
His mother Jillian wrapped her arms around Mally, swaying her back and forth and the look in her eye was enough to make Nick a little emotional.
"Oh, Mally, you've gotten so big!" She said predictably. It was like a catch phrase all grandparents had to use.
"I knew you were gonna say that!" Mally smiled up at her mamaw. "Papaw!" She turned to him and he took her in his arms, hitching her up on his hip.
"Ohhh…" He pretended to strain at her weight, but he was still a strong man. He peppered her with kisses on the face sending the girl into fits of laughter. "It's so good to see you!" He turned to face his son. "Nicholas! Come give your father a hug!"
"Good to see you, sir." Even though Nick was in his thirties, he still referred to his father as 'sir', as a sign of respect.
Nick walked over to his dad and gave him a manly embrace, Mally's arm going around her father's head for a group hug. When he finished, he faced his mother, towering over her small frame. Nick leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then brought her into a warm embrace.
"Hi mom. I missed you so much, and Mally did too." He pulled back to look at her a little more. "You look great, ma."
"Oh, Nick, you have no idea how great it is to have you back! Old Peppercorn's been missing you too." She teased.
Nick rolled his eyes a little and smiled.
"Don't roll your eyes at me!" She teased back. Even though he was grown up, she could still tell him off.
"Sorry, ma'am."
"Let's get you inside. I bet you're both tired."
Jillian and Bill Stokes lead Nick and Mally inside into the air conditioning. They immediately brought the travelers refreshments, bringing them the best of homemade foods. Jillian had baked chocolate chip cookies, both Nick and Mally's favorite, and had prepared a big pitcher of sweet tea.
"So how is old Peppercorn doing?" Nick inquired as he took a refreshing sip of tea.
"Oh, he's just fine. Misses being ridden by you though, Nicholas."
Mally giggled as she took a bite of her cookie.
"What's so funny?" Bill asked, pretending to be angry.
"You called daddy Nicholas!" She let out another one of her contagious little girl laughs, causing the three adults to smile.
"Well, that's the name we gave him." Jillian defended.
"Everyone else calls him Nick." Mally informed them, like she was enlightening the world.
"You know it's funny, Nicholas," Jillian emphasized her son's name, hearing a snicker from her granddaughter. "Peppercorn is almost paternal towards Captain Navel. It's sweet."
Nick couldn't help but laugh at the reminder of his daughter's horse's name.
"Where on Earth again did you come up with that name, Mally Elyse Stokes?" He turned to his daughter.
Mally shook her head and rolled her eyes at having to explain it yet again. She knew her father was well aware of her naming process, but knew it amused him to hear it again.
"Remember, when he was born when I was four, I wanted to now where his belly button was and then you showed me where it was. You told me it was called a navel and then he kicked you and made you fall over!"
"And she just thought it was the funniest thing in the world." Jillian recalled fondly, tracing the rim of her glass mindlessly. Of course, they all didn't think the bruise on Nicks' chest was all that funny at the time, but now they could laugh. Mally loved it when Bill explained her humor was ahead of the times. She was proud of that.
"It was!" She giggled. They had all finished their snacks, so Jillian moved to take all the glasses and plates.
"No, ma." Nick got up. "I'll take care of it." He politely got up and took the items from his mother's hands.
"Thank you, honey." She turned to Mally, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Well, Miss Mally, what do you say we got pay Captain Navel a little visit?" Jillian suggested, eyes sparkling, knowing Mally would love the idea.
"Yay!" The girl jumped up from her seat and hugged her mamaw.
"Make sure she wears a helmet!" Nick called from the kitchen, ever mindful of his daughter's safety. "And no bareback, young lady!"
Jillian smiled at his over protectiveness. Nick was really a wonderful father. "I do know how to take care of a child, Nicholas! I raised seven including you!"
Bill joined his son in the kitchen and patted him on the back. He'd turned out to be a good man and he couldn't be prouder.
"Bye! Have fun!" He yelled over his shoulder as he started filling the sink with water.
CSI
CSI CSI
Jillian and Mally headed out to the stables together,
chattering and laughing as they went. Though she'd never say it
out loud, Mally was probably Jillian's favorite grandchild. She
held a special place in her heart for the nine year old. Something
about her playfulness, honesty and innocent silliness that brought
out the best in her. Jillian loved all her grandchildren, but Mally
was something special.
"You know, when your dad was your age, he used to ride bareback all the time." The mother admitted, a little guilty pleasure she relished in, ratting on her kids to their children. She figured they needed some ammo. What were grandmother's for?
"He did?" Mally was intrigued.
"Of course he wasn't supposed to. He got a long lecture from your papaw when he got caught."
"My daddy got in trouble?" The nine year old was awestricken. She thought of her dad as some kind of saint who'd never done anything wrong. He was the weight of her world and he could do no wrong in her young innocent eyes. This was just juicy!
"Oh, your daddy got into quite a lot of mischief in his day, but that's for another time."
"Please, mamaw, please! Tell me!" She desperately wanted dirt on her father.
"Well, I will tell you that one time he was riding bareback and the horse bucked him off."
"Peppercorn?"
"No, that was before his time. It broke your dad's arm and he got a pretty bad bump on his head."
"Really?" Mally was amazed. They reached the stables, stepping out of the warm fall Texas heat. The stable almost seemed to have a different smell and a different feel in the autumn. Browned leaves cluttered the floor and scurried across as they opened the stable doors. The air was tired and tranquil as the animals on the ranch prepared for a cool winter.
"That's why he always insists on you wearing your helmet and always using a saddle. He knows what can happen." She told her matter of factly, turning the story into a lesson. Though she liked to tell funny stories about her kids, she also tried to help Nick out as much as possible. He was a single father trying to raise a little girl. She'd had a tough time herself with her own five daughters and she had help. They seemed to have prepared Nick well for fatherhood. He'd seen about everything between his five sisters.
"Oh. Well, I guess it just always takes a long time to put everything on and everything."
"There's nothing more important than your safety. Remember that."
They reached Captain Navel's stall and he poked his head out.
"Captain Navel!" Mally reached up and rubbed the horse's nose, smiling ear to ear. "I missed you!"
Jillian laughed out of joy. "He missed you too."
CSI CSI CSI
Back at the house, Nick had a cloth draped over his shoulder as he carefully washed the dirty dishes in the sink, his father standing next to him, back to the counter.
"So when I talked to you on the phone, you said you were worried about Mally?"
Nick gave a concerned sigh. "Yeah, she's been having trouble at school lately."
"She's been acting up?"
"Nah." He continued washing and placed the clean dished one by one on the rack. "She's got a bad teacher. It's been tough for her."
"Well, kids are resilient."
"I don't know, dad. Mal's really struggling. I'm trying to to get her moved to another class."
Nick waited for the rebuttal. He knew his dad would think of it as giving up when things got rough.
"Is that really necessary? She has to learn to stick things out, Nick, even when it's hard."
"Dad, you haven't seen what she's like when she gets home from school each day and it's only a month in. I mean, this teacher deflates her, is uninspiring, and downright cruel. And with everything else she has going on in her life…" Nick trailed off, hoping his father would understand and drop it.
"Well, if that's how you feel…"
"It is, sir."
Nick and Bill just studied each other for a few moments, trying to figure each other out. Nick had such respect for his father and still somewhat sought his approval. He wanted to be half the dad his father was, but at the same time, had to be twice the parent.
"Dad, I know my daughter. This is what she needs. And she needed to see you and mom."
"And she still needs her daddy." Bill told him, smiling. "Why don't you take her out riding this afternoon? Clear both your heads. You can even take out Peppercorn.
Nick let out a hearty chuckle. "Thanks, dad. That's a great idea."
"I'll finish up here. You go find them in the stables."
Nick gave his father a pat on the back and then squeezed his shoulder.
"Thanks, dad."
CSI CSI CSI
When he found them, Mally was already up on Captain Navel, helmet, saddle and all, being lead around by his mother just outside the stable. The sight of his daughter beaming and happy for once let his soul rest easy for a while and he could feel his shoulders relax a little. He had no idea how down he really was until he started being lifted up again. After watching them interact for a few minutes, Nick finally stepped into view as Jillian was giving Mally a tip.
"That's right. Just lean your body to the right, but don't tug the reins." She spotted her son. "Nicky!" She greeted him, shielding her eyes with a darkened hand from her frequent activity outside. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Don't mind me."
Mally successfully halted the horse and Nick walked up to the beautiful brown creature and gently stroked its face and nose, realizing how he missed the soothing texture and the kindness of its jet black eyes.
"Howdy, there, Captain Navel."
"Mamaw had to reshow me how to brush him, daddy. I forgot." Mally huffed. Yes, it had been too long.
"Is that right?" Nick continued to stroke the horse's snout and look into his eyes. Jillian could sense her son missed this life sometimes. He needed to get back on a horse.
"Nicky, you want to get out Peppercorn? He's itching for a run." She suggested, giving her head a motioning towards the stable.
"Nick flashed a huge smile, his first true one in weeks.
"Yeah, come on daddy!"
"I'd love to. Let me get him set to go. Will you watch Mal for me?"
"Of course."
Nick retreated to find his beloved Peppercorn in his stall, hearing his mother review how to gallop with his daughter. Mally went on a short gallop and returned to Jillian just as Nick came out with Peppercorn all saddled up, talking calmly to him the whole time. Nick mounted the horse and guided him over the Captain Navel so he Mally were face to face.
"You all ready, sweetheart?"
"Yes, daddy."
Nick turned back to his mother.
"We'll be back in a couple hours, alright mom?"
"Sounds good."
He gave her a gentle smile. "Thanks mom." He tightened his grasp on the reins and turned the horse, making clicking sounds.
The pair started off with a light walk towards the brush in the distance, Nick patiently directing Mally what to do.
"You're doing great, Mal." He encouraged her. When he could see she was confident, Nick suggested they picked it up. "You wanna try to trot?"
"Okay."
"Alright, give him a gentle kick. I'll go first."
Nick looked back to see Mally soon catching up, a big grin on her face, eyes shining with delight. Nick knew how she felt. He took a moment to take in the feel of the horse – the sheer strength of the gentle giant's muscles, its smooth, shiny, chocolate hair, and the feel of it moving swiftly beneath him. Peppercorn was moving beautifully as was Captain Navel.
Nick didn't want to push his luck trying to get Mally to gallop at her age. If he needed to, Nick could go for a solo run later, but right now he wanted to spend time with his little girl. They slowed back down to a walk as they reached the small creek at the end of the property.
"Daddy, look at the leaves!" Mally commented as they stopped. They didn't really get to experience the beauty of autumn out in the desert.
"It's pretty, isn't it?" Nick agreed as he gave Peppercorn a pat on the neck. "You wanna take a break for a hile?" He suggested, seeing the porch swing rocker his parents had set there years ago. It would be perfect place to relax and open up some conversation.
"Sure dad." Mally was looking around, taking in all the scenery she could.
"Alright. You stay there and I'll come get you."
Nick dismounted and walked Peppercorn over to the steel bar built for this purpose. He then went to Captain Navel and patted Mally's leg.
"Swing your other leg over, sweetheart."
Mally did as her father asked, putting a hand on his steady shoulder to keep her balance. When she was ready, she slipped off into Nicks' waiting arms. He overemphasized his grunt at her weight, spinning her around once and then kissing her on the forehead.
"I bet Captain Navel was straining over you this time, Mal." He teased her. Nick then took her horse by the resin and led them to where Peppercorn was tied up, shedding their helmets as they went. Then the father daughter pair sat on the swing, Nick slinging his left arm around Mally's shoulder.
"Captain Navel's gotten big, don't you think?"
"Yeah." She smiled, curling her legs up under herself and clasping Nick's forearm with both hands. She sighed as she settled into her dad's side. HE grinned and ruffled her hair with his free hand and dropped a kiss to her head, making her giggle. They just stayed like that for a few minutes, Nick gently stroking her hair, listening to her breath in and out peacefully as the creek water played tranquilly in the background. Nick again wanted to freeze this moment in time.
"Are you okay, Mally?" Nick finally asked in a gentle voice, breaking the silence.
Mally looked up at him with confused, big eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…are you happy…at school, with your friends, with…me?"
"I'm always happy with you, daddy." She said softly, hugging him tighter. Nick new in a few short years he'd probably be begging to hear those words. Nine was a great age. She was still cuddly and sweet but turning out to be a pretty cool kid, he thought. One day she'd make some lucky guy very happy.
"How about school?"
Silence – an indication that she didn't like the subject.
"Is Miss Janny any better?"
"No." He sensed her sadness in her voice and he'd do anything to take it away."
"No? Do you think you'd be happier in another class?"
Mally sat up a little, a hopeful look on her face.
"I could change classes?"
"Well, I'm working on it baby." He told her, seeing her face drop a little. She sat back now on the swing and Nick gave her a little space.
"Is that what you want?" He wanted to make sure.
"Well…what about al the other kids? Will they get to move?"
Mally surprised him again. He couldn't believe that with all the trouble she's been having, she was still worried about the other kids. She was still concerned about other people first. Did he teacher her that? Se made him so proud.
"Well, no they wouldn't, Mal. They'd stay in the other class."
Mally looked at him like he'd just said the most insane, inconceivable thing.
"Why would I get to move and they don't? That's not fair!"
"Sweetheart, if you're having a really hard time…" He struggled with his words, "I don't want you in a place you're unhappy."
Mally reach down and picked up a dead leaf, tracing the veins with her little finger with care. Nick was a tear trickle down her cheek.
"I don't know, daddy." She finally said, on the verge of bawling. Wen Nick gently stroked her back and then pulled her into a hug, the waterworks began.
"Shhh…It's okay." He soothed into her hair. "You don't have to decide today." Mally crawled into his lap and flung her arms around his neck, still needing him at this tender, delicate age of nine. He just held her for the next few minutes as her sobs died down. It was a tough decision for a little girl, that she shouldn't have to make. But this was something she'd need to decide for herself. He'd help her either way.
Nick took her head in both his hands and gave her a wink before kissing her square on the forehead.
"Enough tears. Let's go head back and have a little ride. What do you say?"
Nick was relieved to see a mile peek through her tear-stained face as she nodded. He helped her back on to Captain Navel, making sure she was safe before mounting Peppercorn himself. When they were both ready, they slowly began their walk back towards the house and they could almost smell dinner cooking the distance.
