A/N: so this is basically what would happen if it had been Cricket, instead of Amanda who moved back to Dallas in the beginning. Eventual Blicket. I hope y'all enjoy! I'm still devastated over the fact that this amazing show has been cancelled. Please sign the petition to bring it back! Happy reading.
It had been about a month and Alexandra was on winter break so Blake decided to take her and Cricket to the ranch for a few days to relax. They got there late the first night so Blake just made them something to eat and held Cricket by the fire. He could tell she was happy and it made him smile, "things are so much nicer now than they were this time last year.." She mumbled into his chest.
He gently kissed her, she was starting to get comfortable with his touch, but still tensed sometimes.
"Sweetie, you've been through so much, but you've gotten so much better. I brought you out here so the horses could help you get stronger, and so we can work on your trust a little bit" he said, rubbing her back.
She sighed and just snuggled with him. She loved it when he held her, and the ladies at church noticed her happiness when he would come stand by her at coffee hour. "Alexandra's kinda nervous about learnin to ride"
"I'm takin her out there early, I want you sleepin in and you can come ride when you get up" he told the woman.
She just nodded and let him hold her until it was time for them to go to bed.
The next morning Blake had to calm Cricket back to sleep so he could work with Alexandra. The teen met him in the kitchen and nervously smiled, "where's momma?"
"Still sleepin, she'll be down later in the mornin"
The teen sighed, "I want her out there..."
Blake could tell she was nervous, "I'm gonna be with you, we don't have to ride until your momma comes. I just want you to see the horses"
She hesitantly nodded and followed him out to the barn. He wrapped an arm around her and led her to one of the stalls. She stood close to him and just watched the horse come closer to her. "This is the horse I got your momma for Christmas, she doesn't know yet, but she'll see her soon"
"Why'd you get her a horse?"
"So she'd have one of her own, she loves horses.." He told the teen.
She just sighed and her attention was drawn to a light brown horse two stalls down. Blake noticed and quietly walked that way with the teen. "This is Sadie, your momma loves this one, she's so gentle" Blake told her.
Sadie lowered it's head so they could pet her but it startled Alexandra. Blake rubbed the teens back, "she just wants to be petted, she won't hurt you"
She just nodded and watched Blake gently hold the horses head so the teen could try to pet her. She did try and Blake smiled, "I want you to try somethin, there's an open area at the end of the barn, and I want you to just try walkin with her there"
Alexandra just looked at him but he smiled, "I'll be right next to you, promise"
She nodded and let Blake get Sadie ready for her. He led the horse to the open area and Alexandra followed. He had her hold the reins with him for a while and they just walked. He smiled when she started to relax, "I'm going to let go, and I just want you to keep doing what you're doing"
She shook her head and was nervous. He put a hand on her back, "I'll be right behind you, I'll grab her whenever you need me to"
The teen just nodded and Blake let go. This was the scene a sleepy Cricket walked in on a few minutes later. She stood back and watched Blake help her daughter walk Sadie around the barn. "Are you ready to try sittin on her?"
The teen looked a little scared but nodded. Blake and a ranch hand helped the teen up on the horse. Blake showed her where to hold on and told her to relax. He smiled and started to walk Sadie in the same slow pace they were before. Alexandra became more comfortable as she spent more time on the horse. Cricket was happy with the way Blake could keep the teen calm and work with her in a way that she felt comfortable.
Cricket watched this until Alexandra was ready to get down and Blake brought the horse back to her stall. This was when he noticed cricket, "hey sleepyhead.."
She just laughed, "you're so good with her..."
"She was so nervous, but Sadie is the calmest horse, so it helped her a lot" he told the woman.
Cricket just smiled, "can I ride her?"
"Actually there's something I want you to see.." He smiled.
She just followed him to a stall that held the dark brown horse. She didnt remember seeing this horse the last time, "Blake... What's this"
He gently wrapped his arms around her, "merry Christmas Crick, I want you to have your own horse."
She sighed, in the past Mason had apologized with a very large piece of jewelry and waited a few days after Christmas to hurt her again. But this year it wasn't even Christmas yet, and Blake had gotten her a horse. "Really?"
"Yeah, we can keep her here, but she's all yours, all you have to do is name her" he explained.
Cricket was quiet, she couldn't think of a name. She just shrugged and Blake rubbed her shoulders, "if you don't know yet that's okay. Just take it slow when you ride her, okay"
She nodded and Blake watched her take her time with the new horse. He knew a new horse would help cricket a lot. She had to be gentle and patient to help the horse trust her and even though she struggled a little, she let Blake help calm the horse. She eased herself onto the new horse and smiled. She just walked with her horse for a few minutes to let it get used to her. She stayed in the barn for a while but then took her out to the open area outside and started teaching it to run the barrels. She really wanted Sadie, that horse knew she liked to go fast and it helped her feel free. Blake decided it was okay for her to run Sadie for a while and she climbed up onto the horse she loved. The horse was happy to be run around the barrels and Blake decided that later that night he was going to do something special for her.