This Is My Life
Chapter Four "Birthdays"
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my made up characters!
Saturday September 15th 7am Jade POV
I woke up and stretched. It was so nice to be able to sleep in a bit. To some seven am might not be sleeping in but to me it was great to sleep past five. I was off work today since it was my birthday, I hadn't really told anyone, I wasn't in the mood for a big celebration without my family. I dressed in a pair of jeans and a short sleeved gray t-shirt with my boots on.
My phone vibrated on the table and I just figured it was another "Happy Birthday!" message from someone back home. But instead of another message, it was Ryan.
"Hey, I'm not asking you to come into work," He chuckled as I answered. "I wanted to see if you'd ride along with me into Reno to look at a horse."
"Sure!" I said excitedly. I didn't have any plans for today and I was pretty sure Nate was riding out with his brothers to do something or another. Sam and Jen had told me they had plans for today to help Sam's dad or something.
"Okay, I'll be at the Ely's in ten minutes." Ryan hung up and I left the bedroom excited. I greeted Nate, Quinn and Maxine in the kitchen and Nate raised his eyebrows at me as I grabbed a protein bar out of the box.
"You're not gonna eat a real breakfast?" Nate asked. I shook my head.
"I have to go see Magic before Ryan gets here." Now Quinn and Maxine looked at me too. "I'm not going to work or anything. Ryan wants me to check out a horse with him in Reno."
"Oh, well I wonder what kind of horse he'd be looking at.." Maxine mused as she washed her bowl out. I shrugged.
"Probably either a jumper or eventing mount. He wants one, I think, to ride until Hotspot is fully trained. I think he was talking about trying to compete again." I took a bite of the bar. "But I really want to go see Magic before he gets here so she doesn't feel abandoned by me, so I will see you guys later!"
Quinn and Maxine waved as I walked out but Nate caught up with me. "Should I be worried about you and Ryan hanging out all the time?" Nate joked as we went out the door. I rolled my eyes.
"Puh-lease. Ryan's totally not my type." Nate chuckled but spun me around on the porch so I was facing him. He pulled my close and his arms connected around my waist.
"What is your type Miss Underwood?" Nate asked kissing me. I smiled at him.
"Apparently half-Shoshone guys with messy black hair and brown eyes that has a love of horses...along with a good sense of humor...and he really knows how to kiss." I broke out of his hold and ran towards the pasture. Nate chased me down and kissed me again.
"Ya know, this guy sounds really great." Nate slung his arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah, I guess Bryan really does.." I teased him and his eyes met mine as he pretended to glare at me. "Aw, you know I'm talking about you."
"Of course." Magic walked over to me as I walked in the pasture and I rubbed her neck.
"Hey Magic, I promise we'll have a little ride when I get home. I know, I miss you too." I kissed her nose as I heard a vehicle come across the bridge. It was a champagne colored Jeep, which meant it was Ryan. I gave her one more pat on the shoulder and left the pasture with Nate.
He kissed my cheek. "I''ll see you soon." I gave him a smile as I got into the jeep.
…...
"So what do you think?" Ryan asked as the chestnut gelding flew over the jump. The gelding hadn't touched one pole, listened to his rider's cues impeccably, and was just so beautiful.
"I think, if you were going to buy a horse to jump with, he'd be perfect." I watched as the rider pulled the horse up to where Ryan and I stood.
"So?" The guy smiled at Ryan and I. "You wanna take him for a ride?" Ryan nodded and then he mounted the horse. "So does your boyfriend compete often?" The man asked as he and I stood watching Ryan.
I blushed. "Oh Ryan isn't my boyfriend." I laughed. "He's my boss's son. And he used to, his horse is in training so he wants to get another to compete with."
"Sorry, I just assumed." The guy grinned at me. "He looks like a good rider." I nodded in agreement. "Do you ride?"
"Yeah, I usually ride Western though but I do ride both ways." I said conversationally. I didn't notice the looks he threw my way.
"So if Ryan's not your boyfriend..." He started but I quickly shut that down.
"He's not my boyfriend but I do have one.' I told him and he gave me an understanding smile.
"I knew a girl as beautiful as you had to have one." I just blushed and thanked Ryan in my head that he picked that moment to come over and interrupt.
Ryan made arrangements to buy the horse and have him delivered to Gold Dust on Monday. "You made a really good purchase today." I complimented Ryan.
"Thank you. I think so too. Now I can go back to competing and I'll have two horses to compete on hopefully." I smiled at him.
"Maybe three once Boots is of age." I reminded him. Ryan shrugged.
"We'll see how Boots turns out." Ryan said, neither agreeing or disagreeing. "Do you mind riding with me for a little bit longer? Jed asked me to pick up some feed and then I have to make a quick stop at Riverbend."
"Sure that's fine." I told him.
A few hours later, I was regretting my decision. Ryan, sure, had stopped for feed alright. A lot of feed. Then we stopped in the mall where Ryan looked for a good pair of boots for an hour! When we finally arrived at Riverbend, I was more than ready to go back to Three Ponies.
Ryan walked into the house to talk with Brynna, Sam's stepmother, about something. I leaned against the Jeep, wishing Sam was here. "Can I help you?" A young red haired man asked with a smile as he saw me. I smiled back at him.
"No thank you, I'm just waiting for Ryan to be done talking to Brynna." I gestured towards the house.
"Are you Jade?" He asked and I felt the surprise in me.
"Yes...am I supposed to know you?" I asked, embarrassed. He shook his head.
"No, I just heard Sam and Jake talking about you before. I'm Pepper." He reached out to shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you." I said to the cowboy. Just then, Ryan came bounding out of the house.
"Ready to go?" I glared at him. "I'd say that's a yes." I told Pepper goodbye and finally we were on our way. But Ryan turned right instead of left.
"Where are we going?" I almost shouted.
"There's a problem with Boots—maybe you can help." Ryan looked worried so I kept my mouth shut as we drove towards Gold Dust. Well good thing I had no plans today.
…...
It was nearing five o'clock when Ryan drove me back to Three Ponies. Boots had gotten himself caught in his hay net and freaked out but luckily no injuries. It just took awhile to calm him down. We decided to put a metal hay rack in as soon as possible for when he was in the stall.
As we drove into three ponies I noticed plenty of trucks and cars. "What is all this?" I wondered out loud. I got out of the car and Ryan followed me. I ran up the steps to the house and opened the door.
"SURPRISE!" Multiple shouts came from everywhere in the living room and kitchen. I jumped in shock and looked over at Ryan who had a grin on his face.
"Wha...?" I was so confused. Maxine stepped forward with Nate and Bryan.
"Do you really think I talk to your mom and she wouldn't tell me today was your eighteenth birthday?" Maxine hugged me. Her and my mom had recently started talking over the phone and text since I had started school. They had hit it off immediately becoming friends. I hugged her back and laughed.
"I guess I did think that."
"Well we have another surprise for you!" Bryan grinned and three people stepped forward. My parents and Chris.
"Oh my God!" I shouted as they all hugged me. "You're here! What are you doing here?"
"You don't think we'd miss your birthday did you?" My mom said as she squeezed me tightly.
"I can't believe you're here!" I tried to hold back my happy tears.
"Hey, no tears birthday girl." My dad hugged me and kissed my forehead. Once I was done with them, I hugged Maxine again and Luke tightly. Then Nate, Bryan, Adam, Quinn, a reluctant Jake and I had a group hug.
"You guys are amazing!" I was passed around by the neighbors, wishing me happy birthday. I saw Sam and Jen. "Were you two apart of this?!"
"Yes!" They laughed at my expression. "We're sorry that we had to lie but it was for good reasons.."
I hugged them both. "Thank you." And the party went into full swing. We went outside where the boys started a bonfire and we all started eating foods people had been generous enough to make and bring. Jed, Lila, Wyatt Forster, Brynna, Grace Forster, Darrell, Ryan, Linc, Helen, Mrs. Allen, the Riverbend cowboys(Ross and Pepper were the only ones I hadn't met before today), my parents and Chris of course were all here.
Nate walked over after helping with the fire and I took the time to introduce him to my parents and Chris. "Mom, Dad, Chris, this is Nate, my boyfriend. Nate, this is my mom, Margaret, my dad Sean and my brother Chris." He shook everyone's hands politely and I could see my father sizing him up.
"First few weeks you're away from home, you go off and get yourself a boyfriend. Maybe Nevada isn't good for you." Chris teased. I hadn't really been too interested in dating back in Virginia, I was more interested in horses. I laughed.
"Well there was no one really interesting there." I joked back. Nate smiled and put his arm around my waist.
"Jade's a great girl." Nate said to my family, giving me a gentle squeeze. "We get along really well."
"A hard worker too." Jed's voice sounded from behind me. Lila and him stepped forward to shake my parent's hands. "I'm Jed Kenworthy, I'm the foreman at Gold Dust, where Jade works. I have to say, your daughter is a hell of a rider and good worker." I blushed in pleasure as Jed talked to my parents about me. Jen told me compliments from Jed were rare so this was one of the best birthday presents ever.
My parents smiled as they talked to Jed about me, asking about Gold Dust and then talking about the Kenworthy's Fire and Ice Palomino breeding program. I knew they were starting it up again finally after all this time since they had sold their ranch to Slocum.
Nate pulled me off to the barn away from everyone else and sat me down on a hay bale in the barn. "What's up?" I asked him as he smiled at me.
"I wanted to give you your first present." Nate said, pulling a medium sized velvet box out of his pocket. It was wide like it held a necklace. "Open it."
I opened the box and in it laid a beautiful dream catcher necklace. It was one I had saw at the western wear store in town. "It's beautiful Nate!" The dream catcher itself was silver and had a sea opal bead in the middle, then a few hanging off of them that lead to tiny feathers hanging off the dream catcher. Nate helped me put it on.
"I remembered seeing you eye it and say how beautiful it was when we were at Tully's. So when Mom mentioned your birthday, I went back and bought it for you." Nate put his arms around my waist.
"I love it. Thank you." I kissed him. He pulled me up and we re-joined the party. I enjoyed watching my parents and Chris interacting with my Nevada friends. My mom and Maxine were standing together talking with Lila and Brynna. Dad was talking between Luke, Jed, Wyatt, and Dallas. Chris talked with Bryan, Quinn, Pepper and Jake.
I leaned into Nate and touched the necklace with a smile. Life in Nevada wasn't turning out to be so bad.
…...
A/N: Hey readers! Sorry that November was my last update of this! I finally got every story updated though and now I'm updating every few days/at the longest, weekly. I'm trying for every few days though and have been doing great so far(1 day is the shortest time, 7 days the longest). I have a new story since I last updated, I just posted it on 3/24. It's called You Are The Only Exception, it's a Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island fanfic, my first one. If you'd like to go check it out, I already have a few chapters pre-written and will be updating that one while I update my other stories as soon as I get a couple of reviews! So review on this chapter and let me know what you think about it! I know it was a bit short but there will be more soon!
Also, I try to answer every reviewers review with a PM or an reply in the AN of my newest chapter, but if I have forgotten to do that for someone, I'm sorry! I love all the reviews I get!
Thanks for reading! -Quinnandsethsgirl15