Kayla spent the afternoon setting up the room above the stables. It wasn't bad. It had heat so she wouldn't freeze this winter. She set up a few pictures of her and her dad and put her clothes in the closet. It also had a small bathroom in it. It would do at least she was still at home. She decided to walk down to the little grove to her parent's grave. Her father had only been gone a week and her grief was still new to her. She had cried very little, to much had been happening this week.
Mark walked out to the stable and up the side stairs. He wanted to see if Kayla wanted some dinner. He had fixed some steaks on the grill. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Where could she be he wondered. He had an idea and turned and headed back downstairs toward the meadow.
Mark came upon the little grove by a small stream. There she was by her parents headstones.
"Daddy, I'm sorry. I failed you. I let him get the ranch. I didn't have no choice." Kayla said.
Kayla placed the small bunch of flowers between her parents grave.
Mark heard her words. Poor kid she was shouldering all this by herself. He looked at her kneeling there in a pair of overalls and her hair braided and was taken back in time.
* "Hey Kayla, what ya doing?" Mark asked.
Kayla looked up from stringing flowers and scowled at Mark.
"My daddy's in the barn." Kayla said.
"That's awful pretty; who are ya making it for?" Mark asked bending down in front of her on the front porch.
"It's for my mama, today's mama and daddy's anniversary and we always take flowers to her grave. I made this to surprise daddy." Kayla said.
"I guess today wouldn't be a good day to talk business then." Mark said.
Kayla looked up at him.
"Well I think daddy just likes to talk to you. We don't get many visitors. You could go out and say hi." Kayla said and went back to stringing flowers.
"I think I'll do that." Mark said standing up.
"Mr. Callaway, you'll never get my home." Kayla said.
Mark looked at her for a long moment then turned and walked off.*
Mark shook his head. She had always been so stubborn. Kayla stood up and turned around.
"What do you want?" Kayla asked.
"I wanted to see if you were hungry?" Mark said.
She was but she wasn't going to eat with him. She would go get some grocery's tomorrow.
"No thanks." Kayla said.
"By the way, do you care if I cook my meals at the house? I'll clean up my own messes." Kayla said.
"That's fine." Mark said shortly.
Hell he had been trying to be nice to her for the last ten years and it hadn't got him anywhere. He was quickly running out of patients with her.
Mark turned around abruptly and started back toward the house.
He suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Oh by the way your job duties include taking care of the horses keeping the stalls cleaned, keeping fences repaired. I have decided to keep raising the small amount of cattle your dad did, I mean there's no reason to stop. You will also be responsible for taking care of them, taking them to graze and such. I know you keep chickens and pigs here too, I was planning on selling them but since you're here we'll keep them. You can also keep the barn clean." Mark said.
Kayla didn't say anything. She wasn't about to complain. So he was showing his true colors. He was going to use her as a work horse. Hell she was used to hard work. She wasn't giving an inch. Kayla looked him right in the eye.
"I understand." She said and turned and headed back toward the stables.
"Shit." Mark muttered under his breath and turned and walked off.