One Way to Say I LOVE YOU

Chapter 7: Break Free

The next morning was tough to wake up to. The rooster from a distance crowed at 5:30 in the morning. I was so pissed off. Finally when seven 'o' clock came around the corner I was up. Barely, but up.

"Sleepy head, Miles. Com'on," I could hear Brad shouting from a downstairs, "Breakfast is nice and hot. You better be coming to get it". I ignored him and slowing walked downstairs and he wasn't kidding about breakfast. That table was full of food for just us three.

"Really?" I was in shock.

"What?"

"All this food. Really? We need all this food." I grabbed a plate and started to fill my plate.

"Oh this is normal and we usually finish it all." He faked a huge smile and he put a huge bite of a pancake in his mouth. I started laughing. Jacob was trying to get most of it in his mouth too but he couldn't. I giggled at him too.

"Okay." I kept laughing while I filled my plate. I couldn't believe in how much I was putting on my plate. It was a tower.

After breakfast I just sat on the couch feeling bloated. "I think I ate too much."

"Aww, you'll be okay." Brad patted my shoulder, "Now com'on we got to go out to the barn." I got up and followed him outside and to the barn. It was and older rustic colored barn. I knew it would need a paint job to make it seem better. I didn't know that he had animals, or just horses. He opened the door and three horses stuck their heads out of their stables. I smiled and I knew Brad noticed that.

"You have horses?!"

"Yeah, always have. Always will." He walked up to the first stable and gave him some feed. "Here's Thunder," I laughed. "Yeah I know it's funny, but he's Jacob horse and he named him when he was littler and it just stuck."

"Oh." I patted Thunder's nose. We continued.

"This Big Boy is mine," He laughed and gave him some feed too. When I walked up he wasn't kidding out his size, he was huge. "Oh and his name is Big Boy."

"Oh. Ha." I laughed a bit too.

"This little girly over here is Hanley. She's the youngest of them all." Hanley slightly galloped in her stable. I giggled a bit until it hit me; she looked like someone.

"Blue Jeans" I put my hand out and she nudged it.

"What?"

"Blue Jeans, my horse. She looks like Blue Jeans."

"Oh. Is that fine?"

"Yeah." I shook it out of my head. I rubbed her head and it felt like I was back in Tennessee with Blue Jeans. I couldn't let it leave my head. I felt that Brad snuck out of the barn with Big Boy. He shouted for Jacob to also get his horse. All of a sudden Jacob of down here getting Thunder.

"Hey Miley. You got Hanley while you're here."

"Yeah and she's great." I kept staring into her eyes just making a conversation with her. She wasn't scared of me or anything. She was so calm and after awhile I found her saddle and hooked her up. I brought her out of barn and Brad was smiling. I got up on Hanley; it felt so weird because I haven't gone riding in so long.

We slowly rode circles around the area that he had fenced up. I had to get back into the rhythm of riding. I have missed this. "Miley, take her out of here. She needs some freedom. Just be back later," Brad yelled across the fenced area. I saw in the distance he opened the gate. Hanley stopped and just stared it down.

"Hanley, girl?" I was confused. All of a sudden she started to gallop to the gate. I almost fell off, but I grabbed the rope before she was at full speed. We sped past Brad and Jacob and across their yard and into the open range of the hills behind his house. In the distance I could see the beach, I tapped her to go there and she jogged her way down that mile.

I didn't control her; I let her do her own thing and it felt so good. When we were at the beach I jumped off her and I walked her on the sand.

"You freaked me out a bit there, but that was a great feeling. Thank you." I rubbed her nose and we were both quiet. We walked probably a good mile on the beach. We played around in the water a bit and it just felt nice to joke around with a horse. She made me think of Blue Jeans. When I wanted to leave I jumped back on her and she took off once again, but she didn't run.

I decided the lean forward on her and relax listening to her breathing.

After awhile of just reading and sitting on the porch Brad came out and sat down by me.

"Thinking?"

"Yeah, kind of." I faced him. He faced me back.

"Hey, we were wondering if you want to come to town?"

"Yes. I'll just go change and yeah." I stood up and started running to the door until he stopped me.

"Calm down there missy. It's not like the major town that your use to, it just…town."

"Yeah I know, but I would like the change."

"Okay, but we are leaving in ten minutes." I sprinted into the house, up the stairs and into my room. I brushed my hair slightly and put on a new shirt and kept on the jeans and cowboy boots I had on. I fixed my make up somewhat and then walked downstairs. It only took me about 5 minutes. Brad was at the door looking at his watch laughing.

"What?" I looked at him with a smile.

"You city girls."

"What do you mean about us city girls?"

"Don't you guys take like thirty minutes to get ready for a simple trip?"

"No. Not always, but I still got my Southern roots, so it only takes me five minutes."

"Okay, whatever." We headed for the truck and headed for town.

Town was tiny, as he said. We walked down the street and there were all of these family business stores. I walked into store full of miscellaneous stuff. I started looking at some objects on the wall until someone walked into me. With how clumsy I am, I fell over.

"Ohh. Sorry." There was a mystery man behind the tower of boxes he was holding.

"Nah, its fine. No harm, no foul." I helped him with some of boxes and walked with him. I took off a few boxes and he wasn't a man, just a guy. A teenager. We walked into the back room and set down all the boxes, he put his hand out.

"Lucas. Lucas Rushton. Thank you."

"Miley. Miley Cyrus. You're Welcome."

"You from around here? I haven't seen you before"

"Actually no," I finally realized I was still shaking his hand. I let go, "I from California, My dad shipped me down here to get away from things."

"Like what?" We started walking back to the front of the store.

"Oh…" I had to lie. It's not the perfect first impression saying my boyfriend/fiancé died and that's why I'm shipped down here. I lied with a simple one, "… just family stuff."

"Oh…well sounds interesting." He laughed a bit. I saw Brad in the corner of my eye wave at me.

"I got to go. I hope I see you around---", I was stuck on his name.

"Lucas."

"Lucas, I hope to see you around." I shook his hand again and ran off.