This Is My Life
Chapter 3 "Rides and Robes"
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or any characters except my own.
A/N; I just re-read my first chapter of this story. I just realized that I said Magic is a mare(which she is) but later on said "I was supposed to be wrapping his mane and his tail for his trailer ride to Nevada"! I didn't even notice that til now. Sorry about that!
Sunday, August 26th, 2009—2PM
Jade Pov
This last week before school has been great. I've settled into work good, with Jed, Jen and Ryan showing me the whole farm and helping me if I needed it. The Elys have been awesome too. Jake, Quinn and Bryan taking me out on the range and showing me places to ride, Maxine helping me prepare for my classes, Nate giving Bryan and I advice about school.
Bryan and I have sort of bonded this last week. My truck had broken down last Sunday so it was Bryan who offered to take me to work and pick me up, Bryan who helped me take my truck to the mechanics and it's Bryan who I'll be in classes with.
Bryan had told me he too, was taking Equine Management. He wanted to be a Western riding instructor. I had to say, I was surprised.
I've talked to my parents everyday since I left and they were glad I had somewhere to stay besides a hotel.
Now I was getting ready for work. I had just showered and was blow drying my hair in my towel in the guest room when I heard a knock at the guest room door. "Who is it?" I asked, turning off the blow dryer.
"It's Nate." The answer came out muffled.
"Uh, hold on for a moment." I grabbed my soft and fuzzy Bambi bathrobe that my mom had gotten me one year and put it on. "Come in!"
Nate walked in-his mouth dropped open for a moment before he closed it- and he shut the door. "I didn't realize you weren't dressed...I can come back." Nate seemed almost speechless.
I waved it off. "No, no it's fine."
"Some of us were just going riding and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?" Nate said looking at the ceiling.
I had to grin at him. He was obviously looking anywhere but me. "Thanks for asking but I have to be at work at 3."
Nate's disappoint was obvious. "Oh, well maybe next weekend or sometime after school starts?"
"Sure. That'd be great." I was still grinning.
"Well have a nice day at work. Guess I'll see you later." Nate made a quick exit. I just shook my head and returned to getting ready for work.
…...
Nate Pov(Same day-same time)
Jade Underwood had been living with us for a week and it was driving me partially insane. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, from her light brown hair to her jade green eyes. She was kind of shy with our family except for my Dad, mom and Bryan.
Her smile was adorable and contagious. Every time she smiled at me, I couldn't help but smile back. I was excited that she would be going to school with us and that I could see more of her. I wanted to show her I was a decent guy, it was embarrassing when Jake, Quinn and Jade had showed up when Janelle and I had gotten into that fight over a girl that was a friend of mine.
And yes, that's all she was. A friend.
So today Jake had told me to go ask Jade if she wanted to go for a ride. I went up to the guest room door and knocked. I could hear a blow dryer turn off. "Who is it?"
"It's Nate." I said into the door. I could hear her moving around.
"Uh, hold on for a moment." A short pause. "Come in!"
I walked and my jaw dropped. Jade was standing by the dresser wearing just a fuzzy light green, short bathrobe with Bambi on it. I averted my gaze. "Some of us were just going riding and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?" I stared at the ceiling while I talked.
"Thanks for asking but I have to be at work at three." Jade answered and she sounded like she was smiling.
I felt really disappointed, I had wanted her to come. "Oh, well maybe next weekend or sometime after school starts?"
"Sure. That'd be great." I looked at her and she was grinning at me.
"Well have a nice day at work. Guess I'll see you later." I quickly left the room. After I had left I could hear the blow dryer going again and drawers being opened.
I tried to keep my thoughts off of how she had looked in that bathrobe. I had glanced at her legs, which by the way looked great, and the bathrobe had dipped a little in the front by her chest. A little too much.
Stop it Nate! I told myself. If you want her to know you're a decent guy, you can't think of her in that way. But she had looked pretty.
I walked back to the kitchen where Jake and all my brothers were. "Is she going?" Jake asked, taking a drink of his Gatorade.
"Nope, she has to work." I answered. Pulling out a chair, I sat down with them.
I could see Bryan watching me and I gave him an annoyed look. "What?" I snapped at him.
Bryan looked surprised. "Nothing. You just looked weird."
"Whatever, let's go for that ride." I said getting up and walking out the door.
…...
Jade Pov
About an hour later, I was wishing I had went of that ride with Nate and everyone else. I had been mucking out stalls for awhile and it was hot. According to the radio station Jed was listening to in the barn this was going to be a hot week, like temperatures in the hundreds hot.
Today it was only 89 degrees but the humidity sucked. I had to work Sky Ranger in the arena-thank goodness Jed had fans in there!- Linc also wanted me to work with Princess Kitty and I had agreed to organize the tack room.
When I was finally done with the stalls, I headed towards the tack room, hoping it would cool down before I had to ride the horses. Organizing the tack room didn't take long, so I was soon saddling Sky up.
The brown thoroughbred gelding pranced in anticipation. As I tightened the cinch, my name was called from the other end of the barn aisle. I turned to see who had called my name and saw Ryan standing there holding a appaloosa mare who I had learned was named Hotspot.
"Want some company working Sky?" Ryan called as he got closer.
"Sure. I think that'd be better than working alone." Sky nuzzled me as if to say let's go! I'm ready to go right now! "Okay Sky, we're going buddy."
Once we were in the arena, Ryan helped me mount Sky then went to Hotspot. "So what are you supposed to be doing with him?"
"Working him. Working on his turning, his gaits and such." I shrugged. "What are you doing with her?"
"Just getting her used to me riding her, want to work on her turning. Thought maybe if she had another horse with her she'd be better about it."
"Smart." I agreed.
After that we both worked in silence, focusing on our own horses. Hotspot didn't act up at all during the time Ryan worked her, I was pretty amazed. But when I watched Ryan and Hotspot together, they looked so much like a team, it just seemed natural for her to respond to him like that.
I was getting ready to ride Kitty to the arena when I heard the shouts. "Some of the cows are loose!" It was Jed shouting. When I looked to my right, I saw six cows making their escape. Immediately I pushed Kitty into a run towards them and fifteen minutes later, Kitty and I had the six cows back in their pasture.
As I rode Kitty out and away from the pasture, I got nods and winks from all the cowboys and staff watching. Jed walked up next to Kitty and I. "That was a damn good job right there." Jed complimented.
I smiled. "Thanks. Kitty is a great horse, so she pretty much did it all."
Jed smiled back. "It was you too, if an inexperienced rider had been up there, she wouldn't of been able to do it."
"Well, Thanks." I said, half blushing.
"Cool her out, then take a break. Go get yourself something to eat from Clara's or something, or do something with Magic." Jed suggested.
"Okay, I think I might go to Clara's first. I didn't have breakfast or lunch today, so I'm starving." So after I cooled Kitty down I got ready to leave for Clara's.
Ten minutes later I walked into Clara's. "Afternoon Jade." Clara gave me a smile.
"Good Afternoon Clara." I replied sitting down at the counter.
"What can I get you?" Clara asked handing me a menu.
"Can I have a coke and I think I'll just have a burger and fries?"
Clara nodded. "I'll get it right to you."
"Thanks Clara."
I grabbed my new cellphone out of my pocket-I had bought since I was no where near home and I didn't have any other communication with them besides e-mail-and checked the time. It was about five thirty.
Three more hours to go. Clara sat my soda and food in front of me. "You start school tomorrow don't you?"
I nodded, grabbing a fry. "What are you majoring in?" Clara asked.
"Equine Management." I told her.
"Planning on having a barn?" Clara put her elbows on the counter and cupped her chin.
"I hope so. Once I'm done with college I'm planning on going back to Virginia and getting a job in a barn or maybe getting a grant or loan and buying my own property."
"What kind of barn?"
"Western/English riding lessons barn, boarding too."
Clara smiled. "That's nice. Where are you from in Virginia?"
"Lovettsville. Loudoun County." I told her.
"I've been there before. Nice town." Clara said.
I nodded in agreement. I heard Clara's bell ring and I turned to see who it was. It was Nate. I smiled at him as he walked up to the counter. "Break time?" Nate asked me.
"Yep." I said, taking a bite of my burger. Yum. "What are you doing here?" I asked after I swallowed.
"Picking up dinner for the family. Mom doesn't feel like cooking tonight so we're getting food from Clara's." Nate answered.
"Oh that's cool." I replied. Nate and I talked for a couple more minutes and then he got the food and left. I finished up my burger and fries, paid Clara and headed back to work.
…...
After Work, 8:45 Jade Pov
I parked my truck next to the Ely's blue stock truck and leaned back for a moment. Tomorrow, I would be starting college. Wow, it just seemed so far away when I thought about it in June, but now it was August and I was starting school again tomorrow!
I opened my truck door and headed into the Ely's house. Quinn and Adam greeted me when I came in the door. "How was work?" Quinn asked.
"It was good. A few cows got out but Kitty and I rounded them back up, I organized the tack room, exercised Sky Ranger and rode out with Jed around six." I said, taking my boots off.
"Sounds like you had a fun day." Adam commented.
"It was, but it so hot. I'm just glad Mr. Slocum has that arena with fans and cool air in it." I paused to take a drink of my Gatorade Ryan had given me before I left. "I would have died without it."
Quinn and Adam chuckled. "You'll get used to the Nevada heat soon enough." Adam said.
"I sure hope so. I'll be here for two more summers." I yawned. "Well I'll see you guys tomorrow night I guess. Quinn, have a good day at school, Adam have fun working tomorrow."
They wished me a good night and I walked up the stairs to their kitchen and the hallway to the bedrooms (a/n:probably not how they have their house but this is kinda how I see it.). I saw Maxine sitting at the table with a cup of tea.
"Hi Jade!" Maxine smiled at me.
"Hey Maxine." I smiled back.
"Why don't you sit down with me for a couple minutes?"
"Sure." I said sitting down with her.
"Do you need anything to eat? I can fix you a sandwich or something if you'd like." Maxine asked.
"No I'm fine, I had Clara's around five thirty and I'm not really hungry, just tired." I was being honest. I was really tired, it had to be the heat because I did a lot more work back home plus all the school too.
"Well then I should let you go to bed." Maxine smiled again. "By the way, Nate wanted to me to tell you that he would drive you and Bryan in the morning if you'd like."
"That would be a great idea but I have to be back by at least 2:30 because I work at three." I said.
"Well Nate and Bryan's classes end the same time as yours. I've checked." Maxine said sheepishly.
I was surprised. "Really? That'd be great then!"
Maxine nodded. "That sounds like a great idea. I'll make sure to tell Nate you'll be riding with him in the morning."
"Thanks Maxine for checking that out." I stood up and gave Maxine a hug. "Night Maxine."
"Night Jade." Maxine hugged me back and then let go. I made a stop to my room to grab my PJ's so I could take a shower.
I took a quick shower, dried off, and got into my PJ's. I braided my hair so I wouldn't have much trouble with it in the morning and got under the covers. Tomorrow I would get my dorm assignment and I would have to leave the Ely's house. I didn't really want to—I liked this, living in a place that felt homey. That was a home.
I fell asleep with the thought that maybe I could ask Maxine and Luke if I could stay.
…...
Maxine Ely Pov-bed time.
It was close to midnight when I joined my husband in bed. Luke turned over towards me when I let out a sigh. "Something wrong Max?" Luke asked, using his nickname for me.
"It's been really nice having Jade with us this week." I started, "I feel like I've known her for years. She's such a nice girl and I can't help thinking how sad I'll be when she goes to live in her dorm room."
Luke sighed. "I know what you mean Max, it's kind of like having our own daughter isn't it?"
I nodded. "We'll never see her that much when she goes to live in her dorm room."
"I'm sure she'll stop by Max. I mean she is working at Gold Dust and her and Bryan seem to becoming friends so maybe she'll be around more with Bryan. And I know she likes Quinn and Jake and they like her too. I'm sure she'll come around Max, sweetie." Luke paused. "But...if you want we could ask her to stay."
I looked up at my husband with an excited smile. "Really Luke? You wouldn't mind?"
Luke smiled back. "Of course not! I'm actually kind of fond of the girl. She seems to fit right in with the boys and maybe she could move Magic over here so Magic would be right where she is."
I hugged my husband. "Oh Luke, that's a great idea! Thank you!" I kissed him and snuggled under the covers.
"You better get to bed Max, you've got a big day tomorrow." Luke said.
I nodded and within minutes I was falling asleep, happy at the thought of Jade staying with us.
…...
Author's Note: Hi Readers! I know this is definitely a short chapter and I'm sorry about that, but the next chapter should be a little bit longer and the chapters will get longer. I didn't want to start her day at school yet, and I really wanted to get this up so I can continue to work on my other stories. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I posted pictures of what I feel Jade kind of looks like, I mean of course she looks different and has green eyes but I think the girl who I picked is a good match. I also posted a picture of Magic, hope you like her!
From: QuinnandSeth'sgirl15