A/N – I've got the next chapter for you! Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews and messages and for reading. I appreciate it so much and I can't thank you enough. Your feedback means the world to me.
Also, I'd like to address a review that pointed out that I've updated this story while neglecting to update She's Always Been Right There. Thanks for your concern for the other story and I'm sorry if you feel it's not getting any attention. I've repeatedly said how hard that story has been for me to write. I haven't forgotten about it and I will definitely be finishing it. As for my being able to post this story so quickly… I had the first three and a half chapters of this story written months ago. Seriously, like eight months ago. I was waiting until I finished She's Always Been Right There to post this one or continue to work on it. But I hit a slump and I was worried that if I didn't try something different, my slump would just get worse. So I pulled this one out and started working on it again. I love this story and have been wanting to write it, but kept putting it off to work on the other one. But I've decided not to do that anymore since this one helps me get my writing flowing again. The first three chapters went up quickly because they were complete. This one took a little more time because I had to finish it and I went out of town for Valentine's Day. Again, I'm sorry if you feel I'm not getting to She's Always Been Right There fast enough, but please cut me some slack and understand that I'm not a robot and this doesn't come automatically to me. I'm doing what I can when I can. I promise I will finish it.
On another note, I went to New York City for Valentine's Day and saw Jonathan Groff in concert and it was amazing. He's great.
Disclaimer – I don't own Glee.
Rachel was all smiles as the taxi made its way through the crowded Manhattan streets to the building Shelby lived in. She was sitting in the middle so she'd be close to Shelby and was swinging her legs. She'd held onto Shelby's hand for a long time after they'd gotten into the car and only let go when she'd tried to stretch forward so she could see when they drove through Times Square. Shelby had asked the driver to take that route and he was happy to comply since it added miles and therefore fare for him.
"Look!" Rachel exclaimed. "There's the Wickedsign. Do you see it?"
"I see it," Shelby assured her with a smile. She loved the way Rachel's face lit up.
"Will you still take me to see it?" Rachel asked.
"Of course," Shelby said. "I can't wait to see it with you."
"Have you seen it before?" Rachel turned to look at Shelby intently. She wanted to know about the woman.
"I've seen it a few times," Shelby answered honestly.
"Wow," Rachel said with a hushed reverence.
Rachel went back to looking out the window and Shelby sat back and happily watched the little girl taking it all in. She was going to have to fill her in on her job sooner or later, but for now it could wait.
The beautiful apartment was just as warm and inviting as Rachel remembered. She'd been thinking about it all day because she wanted to make sure she had a clear memory of the place where Shelby lived. It was large, but also seemed cozy and comfortable. Shelby felt more at peace then she had in a long time when she closed the door behind them and knew she had Rachel in her care. There was something about the little imp that calmed her; that made her feel like a missing piece had been filled in. She never doubted she was making the right decision by choosing to foster her, but now she was even more certain. Rachel belonged with her. The girl belonged in her family.
Shelby was also grateful that it was just Thursday night. She could enroll Rachel in school the next day, but had decided that she wouldn't start until Monday. They were going to spend the weekend getting to know one another. But they would also need to go out and get everything Rachel would need. From clothes to school supplies to toys, Rachel would need a lot. Plus Shelby hoped that she and Rachel could drive to her parents' house Sunday morning so Rachel could be introduced to them.
"How about we have some dinner while we get you settled?" Shelby asked. She set Rachel's bags down on the couch.
"Can we have peanut butter and jelly?" Rachel asked.
"Not this time," Shelby said. "We're not going to have that for every meal." She had to laugh when Rachel pouted. "How does pizza sound tonight?"
"I like pizza," Rachel said.
"Good. I'll order some and we can get you unpacked and settled in your room," Shelby said.
"Will I get the same room I had before?" Rachel asked.
"I think that's a good room for you," Shelby said. It was the largest of her guest rooms, but also the closest to her own room. She felt it was better to keep Rachel closer by rather than putting her even farther back in the apartment. "And there's a bathroom across the hall from your room and that will be all yours."
Rachel was in awe. She'd never had her own room or bathroom before. She'd shared with at least one other kid in every home she'd ever stayed in.
"Shelby, can I leave my friends out? And some of my things?" Rachel asked. "You won't throw them away, will you?"
"Of course you can put them out," Shelby said. "It's your room so you get to help decorate. I want you to have your things in there. And I promise I won't throw anything away."
"Thanks!" Rachel eyes lit up as she wrapped her arms around Shelby's waist for a hug. It was such a relief to not have to worry about her friends.
"Why don't you take your stuff into your room and start unpacking," Shelby suggested. "I'll order the pizza and then come and help."
"Okay," Rachel agreed. She picked up her two bags and carried them down the hallway and out of view. Shelby smiled contentedly and reached for her phone to order the pizza.
Rachel had a bath again that night even though she argued it just as she had before. Shelby learned her lesson and didn't leave the girl alone. It was clearly something they were going to have to work on, but for now Shelby would stay and help Rachel until it became routine for the girl. Shelby didn't want to have a fight at bath time every night, but she wasn't going to back down on it either. She wanted to prove to Rachel she would always be there for her.
"Why do I have to go to bed so early?" Rachel asked with a pout later that evening. She was in her own pajamas this time because Shelby had washed all of her clothes earlier.
"It's not early," Shelby said. "It's after 9:30. And when you start school you'll have to go to bed even earlier."
"That's not fair," Rachel whined as she stomped her foot.
"You will have to be up early for school," Shelby reasoned. "And you will need your sleep."
"So," Rachel said. "School is stupid anyway."
"School is not stupid and you will be going," Shelby said firmly. "Now come on, it's time for bed."
Shelby held her hand out for Rachel and sagged her shoulders a bit when the girl didn't take it. Rachel had her arms crossed tightly and was staring hard at the floor. Shelby stepped closer to her and squatted down. She put her hands on Rachel's arms and looked up into the girl's face and was surprised when she saw that Rachel's eyes were swimming with unshed tears.
"What the matter, sweetie?" Shelby asked gently.
"You're still going to be here in the morning, aren't you?" Rachel asked timidly.
"Oh, Rach," Shelby breathed out in sympathy for the scared girl. "Of course I am. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. This is your home now and I am going to take care of you."
"You'll get tired of me," Rachel said so softly that Shelby wasn't even sure she heard her right. "Everyone does."
"No, I won't," Shelby said. "Look at me." She waited until Rachel turned her eyes to look at her and repeated, "No, I won't."
"Why not?" Rachel asked as tears started to make their way down the tiny cheeks. "No one has ever wanted me. Not even my real mom and dad."
"I want you," Shelby said. "I know it may be hard to understand right now, but I need you to trust me. I'm not going to leave you or give you back. You trusted me enough to call me when you needed help and I came and got you. And you trusted me enough to tell me why you were stealing and I said I would help and didn't tell Leroy about it, did I?"
Shelby was trying to put some things in ways that Rachel would understand. Rachel shook her head to answer the last question.
"And I was right here in the morning when you go up today, wasn't I?" Shelby asked.
"Yeah," Rachel muttered.
"And I will be right here tomorrow morning when you get up," Shelby told her. "Okay?"
"Okay," Rachel nodded and sniffed.
"Good girl," Shelby said as she stood up and held her hand out to Rachel once more.
Rachel looked at the hand and then up at Shelby's face and sniffed once more. She wiped her nose and tears with her hand and then clasped it on to Shelby's. Shelby hid her grimace at how disgusting she thought that was and led Rachel down the hall and to the bathroom. She helped Rachel clean her face properly and then washed her hands while the girl brushed her teeth. Shelby tucked her into bed a few minutes later and watched as Rachel curled up with her blanket and litany of stuff animals, Toby the monkey now included.
"You remember where my room is, right?" Shelby asked. She sat down on the bed next to Rachel and rubbed her back.
"Yeah," Rachel said through a yawn.
"I'll be in there all night," Shelby said. "The door will be open and if you need me at all for anything, you can come in and get me. If you're scared or unsure or anything else, come in and get me, okay? I promise I will be there. I'm not going anywhere."
"Okay," Rachel nodded.
Shelby leaned down and kissed Rachel's head before getting up and making sure the blankets were pulled up to her shoulders.
"Sleep well, honey. I love you."
Rachel waited until the door was closed and Shelby had walked away to whisper, "I love you too."
The following morning Shelby was up before Rachel and used that time to make some phone calls. She had done a lot of research the night before and had found a private school where she wanted to enroll Rachel. She hated having to do this to the girl because in spite of only being in second grade, Rachel had been to four different schools already. But Shelby hoped she had found the school Rachel would be at for a long time to come. She called them this morning and then faxed a copy of Rachel's records to them for review. Shelby wasn't sure what she expected to find in Rachel's school records, but was pleased to see that the girl was a good student overall. She did the work when compelled, but all of her teachers made notes of how Rachel kept to herself and was often caught staring out the window when she should have been paying attention. Homework seemed to be an issue too, but Shelby assumed that homework was something a lot of Rachel's foster parents probably didn't pay much attention to. Even from the brief time she'd known her, Shelby knew that Rachel didn't really do things she didn't want to do. If no one kept on top of her homework and Rachel wasn't interested, it wasn't going to get done.
It didn't take long for the school to get back to Shelby and told her that they were accepting the girl and she would be joining a second grade class on Monday. They also faxed over a list of school supplies and uniform requirements. Shelby smiled as she read over the list. The school seemed like it would be a perfect fit for Rachel. The class sizes were small and the academic standards were high.
"Hi," Rachel said a little while later when she walked into the kitchen and looked up at Shelby.
Shelby smiled at the girl's bed head and big yawn. "Good morning, sweetheart. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Do you have any cereal?" Rachel asked.
"I sure do," Shelby answered. Once the bowl was poured and Rachel was eating, Shelby told her, "We're going to go shopping today. How does that sound?"
Rachel scrunched up her nose and shrugged her shoulders. "Shopping for what?"
"Well, I think we need to get you some more clothes and we need to get school supplies," Shelby said.
"Can I get a back pack?" Rachel asked. "I was using an old one at the O'Connors and it smelled weird."
Shelby chuckled and then nodded, "Sure, we can get you a back pack."
"Am I going to a new school?" Rachel asked. "My last new school was hard."
"I'm sorry," Shelby said. "It is a new school, but I think you'll like it. It's a private school and I think it'll be good for you."
"Will it be hard?" Rachel asked around a bite of her cereal.
"I don't know," Shelby answered honestly. "But I will help you with whatever you need help with."
"I wonder if I'll make a friend this time," Rachel said and Shelby realized that Rachel wasn't worried about the school work at all.
"I'm sure you will," Shelby said. "I bet there's some kid there just waiting to be your friend."
"I've never really had a friend," Rachel said. "Except Leroy. And you."
Shelby smiled and reached out and petted down some of Rachel's unruly hair. "I know you'll find one."
A couple hours later they were in a store and Shelby had Rachel by the hand as they walked around and looked. Rachel wasn't as into the clothes as she had been the school supplies and toys. Clothes were just too boring. She wanted to go back to Shelby's and play with some of her new things. But instead they were looking at jeans and stupid shirts with ponies and princesses on them.
Rachel couldn't believe the amount of people who wanted to help Shelby as soon as they came in the store. She knew right away that the store was a lot different than the Wal-Marts and Targets she'd been to, but no one ever rushed to help Mrs. O'Connor like that. Every time Shelby picked something out someone was there to take it from her and hold it up at the counter. Shelby had zoned in on the essentials like underwear and socks as soon as they got there and passed them off to the people helping her.
"Do you see anything you like?" Shelby asked.
"No," Rachel answered.
Shelby rolled her eyes and led them to another rack and let Rachel look there. "How about any of this?"
"It's all the same stuff," Rachel whined.
"No, it's not," Shelby said. "There's lots of different things."
"What's wrong with the clothes I already have?" Rachel asked. She'd been wearing them for a while now and they were just fine.
"They're all old and worn and nothing fits properly," Shelby said. "Plus you can't wear jeans to school."
"What? Why not?" Rachel asked. "I always wear jeans to school."
Shelby knew that was true. Rachel had two pairs of jeans and they were the only pants she owned.
"Because it's a private school and they have a dress code," Shelby told her. "You have to wear khaki or black pants or a skirt and a polo shirt."
"I don't even know what a polo shirt is," Rachel grumbled. "And I don't wear skirts!"
"Then we will get you pants," Shelby said patiently.
"Do we have to do it today?" Rachel asked.
Shelby sighed and looked down and her charge. "Yes. How about I pick some stuff out and you just try them on for me?"
Rachel let out a belabored sigh and nodded, "Okay."
Shelby just shook her head and went back to looking at the clothes.
By the time they got a dressing room, Rachel was certain she'd never seen so many clothes in all her life. And to make it worse, she had to try on all of them. The jeans went fairly quickly after the proper size was discovered. Shelby set aside six pairs that were taken to the front of the store to wait with everything else she was going to buy. The khaki pants were next and once they had the proper pair, Shelby asked the clerk to get her five pairs of those and five of the black design that matched. She figured ten would be a good number since they would be worn for school. Rachel also had to try on shirts and sweatshirts and two jackets and a sweater. She couldn't possibly need all of this stuff.
"Okay honey, I've got one last thing for you to try on," Shelby said and she held up a black skirt for Rachel to see.
"I hate skirts," Rachel whined. "I don't want to have to wear it. Why can't I just wear pants?"
"You can," Shelby said. "But I'd like you to try it on so we can see how it fits."
Rachel looked at Shelby like the woman was purposely out to get her as she stepped into the skirt and let the woman secure it around her waist. It fit perfectly.
"It looks good," Shelby said.
"I look dumb," Rachel retorted. "Please can I take it off?"
"Go ahead," Shelby said.
Shelby stepped out of the room so Rachel could get dressed and asked the woman helping her to find another skirt just like it. She was going to buy two pairs anyway.
Shoes were next and Shelby was glad it was the last thing they had to get. She didn't even bother with trying to get the girl to try on a few dresses. She thought Rachel would have fun getting new stuff, but she thought back to the many times she was dragged shopping with her mother for hours on end and got an understanding of where Rachel was coming from.
Rachel was more excited about getting shoes, but only slightly. Shelby got her two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs for school, and a dress pair that Rachel was determined never to wear.
Shelby also picked up hats, gloves, and scarves for the girl and had all the packages delivered to her building and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief when they finally walked out the door.
Shelby took them for a quick lunch and then started some laundry as soon as they arrived home. She wanted to get Rachel's new clothes washed and put away and then she could get rid of her old ones.
"Rachel, why don't you take your new toys to your room and put them away where you want them to go," Shelby said. "You can play for a while if you want, but we're going out later tonight."
"We're going out again?" Rachel asked. She wanted to stay in and play with her new stuff.
"Yeah, unless you don't want to. We don't have to go and see Wicked," Shelby said casually.
"We're going to see Wicked tonight?!" Rachel exclaimed as she jumped out and ran to Shelby.
"Only if you want to," Shelby said.
"I do! I really do!" Rachel said. "When do we have to leave? Can we go now?"
"No, we can't go right now," Shelby said. "We don't need to leave until a little bit later. We'll have dinner here first and then we'll go."
"You won't leave without me, will you?" Rachel asked.
"Of course not, sweetheart," Shelby said.
"Okay, good," Rachel said.
With that, she was off and running to her room.
"Rach, don't run in the house," Shelby called after her, but the words fell on deaf ears because Rachel was already in her room.
The theater was already packed by the time they arrived because Shelby wanted to be able to slip in as late as possible and go straight to her seat. She usually didn't mind being noticed and when she went out to a show or a concert or something similar, she knew what she was getting herself into. But it felt different having Rachel there and she didn't want too much to distract the girl from the play.
"Look at all the stuff for sale!" Rachel said as soon as they entered the theater.
"I see," Shelby said. She wished Rachel would have been this enthusiastic about shopping earlier. "Maybe we can get something after it's over, but right now we need to go and take our seats."
"Okay," Rachel agreed. She did study the merchandise stand as they walked away though, as if she were making a mental note of everything she was going to want.
Shelby and Rachel slipped into the theater a few minutes before the show was to start and found their seats.
"Wow," Rachel whispered when she saw the stage and the dragon.
"I know," Shelby agreed as the lights dimmed and the music started.
Rachel was completely beside herself at the intermission and couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Did you see her fly?! And that song was so cool! This was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I don't want it to be over. Can we see it again?"
"It's not over," Shelby said with a chuckle. "This is just a break. There's a whole other act that starts in a few minutes."
"There's more?!" Rachel exclaimed. "We get to see more tonight?!"
"Yes ma'am," Shelby said.
"I can't believe it!" Rachel said excitedly.
"How about we go and get you a shirt while we wait?" Shelby asked.
"Yeah!" Rachel was out of her seat and moving so fast Shelby had to hurry to keep up.
Shelby hear the chattering of people around them as soon as they stepped out into the lobby and headed towards the merchandise stand. A few people got bold and came up and asked her for an autograph and a picture while they waited. Rachel gave them all confused looks and stared up at Shelby. Did she know all of those people?
All of her interest in the people staring at Shelby disappeared when they reached the front of the line and she got to pick out what she wanted. She got two t-shirts and a stuffed flying monkey and a keychain and a magnet. Shelby also bought her a necklace that had Elphaba's hat on it.
"Come on, honey, we need to get back in," Shelby said.
Rachel was more than ready and she pulled Shelby along with one hand while clutching her bag in the other.
When it was over and the lights came up, Shelby looked over at Rachel and saw that the girl had tears streaming down her face.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Shelby asked, concerned.
Rachel wiped at her face and looked at Shelby with earnest, open eyes and said, "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
"I'm so glad you liked it," Shelby said.
"I want to do that," Rachel said with certainty. "When I grow up I'm going to sing like that and be on stage. I've never seen anything so magical."
"I know how you feel," Shelby said.
"Can we see it again?" Rachel asked. "I have to see it again."
"Yes, we can," Shelby told her. "There are other shows we can see too that I think you'll like very much."
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Yep," Shelby said. "But for now, we need to get home. What do you say?"
Rachel nodded and got to her feet and they followed the crowds out into the lobby. Shelby headed towards the escalators that would lead to the exits, but Rachel stopped and started looking around.
"Shelby, I've gotta go to the bathroom," Rachel said.
Shelby sighed and looked at the massive line coming out of the ladies room. For a moment she thought about taking Rachel backstage and meeting some of the actors and letting her use the restroom there because that would certainly be faster than waiting, but she decided that was a trip for another day. So she kept Rachel close and went over and got in line with everyone else. It didn't take long for people to realize she was there and Shelby knew what the silence that followed meant.
"Wow, you're amazing," one girl said. "Can I take a picture with you?"
"Sure," Shelby said with a smile. She knew it would open the floodgates and everyone would want one, but it would be way too awkward to say no while they all waited in the long line.
Rachel stood next to Shelby and watched her new foster mother take pictures with strangers and sign their playbills. She didn't understand what was happening and why everyone wanted to talk to Shelby. All of those people got pictures and Rachel wasn't sure why.
"Shelby?" Rachel asked with a tug on the woman's sleeve.
"Yeah?" Shelby asked as she bent down to be at Rachel's level.
"Why are all those people talking to you and taking pictures?"
"I will explain it all to you later," Shelby said. She had hoped to push this conversation off for a little while, but now there was no way of getting out of addressing it.
Shelby was happy to get out of the bathroom and theater and into a waiting car. Rachel talked the entire ride home about the show and music and costumes and everything else and Shelby was glad to let her talk. Bath time wasn't even a fight when they got home because Rachel was too busy telling Shelby every detail of the show to complain about the bath. She went to sleep that night with her arms wrapped around her new stuffed Chistery doll.
The following day Shelby sat Rachel down to explain why everyone knew her and wanted a picture. The girl may have forgotten about it the night before, but it was her first question that morning.
"I don't understand why everyone knew your name," Rachel said when they took a seat on the couch. She sat up on her knees and faced Shelby.
"Rach, you know how you said last night that you wanted to be like the people on the stage and get to be in musicals and act when you're older?" Shelby asked and Rachel nodded. "Well that's what my job is. I'm an actress and I've been in musicals and I've been in movies and I'm pretty well known and that's why people know who I am."
"You're an actress?" Rachel asked. "You're like the people we saw last night?"
"Yes," Shelby said.
"You're famous?" was Rachel's next question.
"Yes," Shelby answered again.
"But I've never heard of you," Rachel said and Shelby chuckled. Leave it to a kid to bring you right back down to earth.
"Other people have and they think it's neat to see someone famous and have a picture with them," Shelby explained. "And that's why people were asking me."
"I bet they really love you," Rachel said with a wide smile.
"I guess some do," Shelby responded.
"You can sing like those people on stage last night?" Rachel asked and Shelby nodded. Rachel gasped, "Have you ever been in Wicked with those people?"
"No, sweetheart, I wasn't in Wicked. I was in some other shows, but they were musicals like Wicked," Shelby explained.
"Can I see them?" Rachel asked. "Can I see the movies you were in?"
"Maybe one day," Shelby said.
"Will you sing me a song?" Rachel asked.
"Sure," Shelby said with a smile. "What do you want to hear?"
"Anything," Rachel shrugged.
"Alright," Shelby said. "Sit right there."
Shelby stood up and began to sing one of the songs from her last show. She smiled when Rachel's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. It felt amazing to sing for her and see the reaction from this little girl she'd just brought into her life.
Rachel applauded when Shelby was through and the woman took a small bow and smiled for Rachel.
"How do you do that?" Rachel asked. "That was amazing! You're so cool! Can I take a picture with you?"
"Whoa, slow down," Shelby said. "I work very hard, that's how I can do that. And I'm not that cool. And yes, you can take a picture with me. Grab my phone and come here."
Rachel did as she was told and Shelby sat down in a chair and put Rachel in her lap and then held her phone out to take a selfie. It was a good picture and Shelby kissed Rachel's head and reminded herself to download it later because it was the first picture they'd ever taken together. When Rachel got up and disappeared into her room to play, Shelby sent it to her parents so they could see the little girl.
Later that evening, the two were locked into a familiar fight when Rachel declared she didn't need a bath since it was Saturday and she hadn't done anything all day.
"Rachel, I'm not going to argue about this with you," Shelby said. "You are taking a bath every night, end of story."
"It's stupid," Rachel yelled.
Shelby closed her eyes and tried to maintain her cool. She was determined not to lose this battle of wills with the eight year old in her care.
"Rachel, I think it's time for a time out," Shelby said when she opened her eyes and looked at the defiant child in front of her.
"No," Rachel whined immediately and shook her head.
"Yes," Shelby said. She took Rachel gently by the arm and marched her dining room and pulled out one of the chairs and turned it so it was facing the wall, but far enough away so Rachel wouldn't be able to prop her feet on it if she wanted to. Shelby and her brother had spent many time outs in that exact position in their younger days.
"I don't want to sit here," Rachel cried when Shelby sat her in the chair.
"That's too bad," Shelby said. "You are in time out and you need to calm down. You are getting a bath every night and we are not going to go through this fight every night. You will find yourself in time out a lot because this is a fight I'm going to win. Now sit still and calm down."
"You're not very cool anymore," Rachel yelled as Shelby left her sitting facing the wall.
"That's fine," Shelby called back.
Rachel crossed her arms and stared at the wall so hard she could have put a hole in it. Time outs were so unfair. Despite that perceived unfairness, Rachel did not get up from the chair. She liked Shelby, she just hated baths.
Shelby went down the hall to Rachel's bathroom and ran a warm bath for the girl. She didn't know how long this fight was going to last, but she was hoping she could break the girl of throwing a fit every night before it lasted too much longer. She hadn't wanted to put the girl in time out, but she also knew she had to put her foot down. She had to be the authority.
Shelby returned to Rachel ten minutes later and found a quiet and calm little girl in place of the yelling child she'd place there before.
"You can get up now," Shelby said.
Rachel slid from the chair and turned and looked up at Shelby, but didn't say anything.
"I've got your bath all ready. Come on and I'll help you and it'll be over before you know it," Shelby said.
Rachel sighed but stepped forward and took Shelby's hand all the same.
A little while later a squeaky clean Rachel with braided hair and new pajamas was tucked into bed and sleeping peacefully among her family of stuffed animals. Shelby looked down at her and gently moved some hair from her face. She wished she knew how to help when it came to bath time. She would talk to her parents tomorrow and see if they had any advice to offer her.
By the morning, Rachel's tantrum and time out were forgotten and the girl happily sat in the back of Rachel's car as they drove out of the city and towards the Corcoran ranch.
"How long is the drive?" Rachel asked.
"Not too much longer now," Shelby said. "My parents are excited to meet you."
"Will there be stuff to play with?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, I think you'll have a good time," Shelby said.
Half an hour later they were pulling up the long driveway and parking in front of the house.
"Shelby!" Rachel exclaimed from the back seat. "Look! They've got horses!"
Shelby smiled widely in the front seat and was glad she had kept that a secret from the girl.
"I'm gonna go see them," Rachel said as soon as the car was stopped. She had her seat belt off and the door open before Shelby could even react.
"Rachel, wait," Shelby yelled, but the girl was running full speed ahead. Shelby had no choice but to run after her.
Rachel reached the fence and climbed to the top and looked at two of the horses that lived there. She put her legs over the side and was ready to hop down into the pasture where they were grazing and see them.
A/N – That is all for this chapter. I hope you all like it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Your feedback means so much to me. Thanks, everyone!
