"So you ride this thing? This thing?"
"Yeah. And she's not a thing, she's a horse.", Dixie corrected, feeding the large brown and black creature an apple.
"Is she yours?"
"Uh huh. We used to just have pigs and a chicken or two, but my Uncle Palmer kept a horse and when he moved away, he couldn't take her along with. So he gave her to Momma and Momma gave her to me!"
"And you ride her?", Tad asked, still in awe.
"You already asked me that. Yeah! It's not scary. You wanna try?"
"No. No, that's okay."
"Oh Tad don't be a chicken."
"Hey you know what one of those things did to me once?"
"No, what?"
Wishing he hadn't blurted out anything, Tad tried to dodge her question.
"Nothin, just...forget it."
"No, c'mon. Tell me!", Dixie demanded.
"Tell me!"
"It sat on me, alright!"
"It sat on you?"
"Yeah! I was at summer camp two years back and, I was trying to put a saddle on it and it just, sat on me.",
admitted Tad, giving Dixie a sheepish look. It wasn't pathetic enough though to keep her laughter at bay.
"It's not funny!", he pouted, making her laughter turn to squeaks as tears slid down her face.
"Oh c'mon, Tad..", she said, trying to catch her breath.
"It's a little funny."
Shrugging, a slight smile found its way to Tad's face. Mostly a result of her laughter, not the situation.
"See! Even you think so.", smirked Dixie.
"Now c'mon, we gotta get ready to go."
"You really don't like being late do you?"
"No, I don't!" , she made clear as she darted back toward the house, leaving Tad to catch up.
"C'mon you're such a slowpoke!", Laughing, rolling her eyes, Dixie ran up the steps to the front porch, right as Seabone stepped onto it and collided with her.
"Whoa there! You trying to run me down!"
"I..,I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to!", she apologized.
"It's okay. Just, watch where you go stepping next time, baby girl."
Seabone sighed. Turning around he patted Dixie's head and handed her a candy bar.
"Here, a little present for you."
Taking the candy, Dixie watched her father walk off the stoop, and frowned seeing a familiar looking suitcase in his hand.
"Daddy where you goin?"
"Just on a trip, hon."
"Where though?"
"No place important. Tell your brother Will, I-"
"Tell Will what? Daddy what's goin on?"
Nervously Dixie followed him off the porch, walking faster to catch up to him in the driveway. But he didn't slow his pace and more importantly, didn't answer her.
"Daddy?", she cried, wanting to know why her father was ignoring her, and why he was holding that beat up suitcase. The last time she'd seen Seabone leaving the house with that, he'd left for over a month. Momma had cried and Will had been angry. Now it was all happening again, unless she could do something to stop it.
"Daddy wait up!" Breaking into a run finally Dixie caught up with him in the driveway. But he was already putting his suitcase in the trunk of the car.
"Dixie? What in the-"
"Daddy where you goin? Why you leaving again?"
"Baby girl, just go back in the house and eat your candy.", Seabone said gruffly, slamming the trunk shut before opening the driver's side door. That Dixie quickly slammed shut.
"No! Tell me!"
"Hey don't you take that tone with me now!", Seabone growled.
"Go on back to the house, Dixie. Go on!"
When Dixie stood her ground and blocked the car door, frustrated and impatient, Seabone shoved her out of his way, causing her to fall and land on the pavement.
Immediately he regretted it though when Dixie began to cry. Kneeling to her level he smoothed her pigtail between his fingers.
"Dixie I'm sorry, I gotta go!"
"Go where?", she choked out, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
"Baby girl. I'm sorry I-"
"Get the hell away from her!", Tad growled. After seeing Dixie get shoved down, running over he saw tears in her eyes that only fueled his anger.
"Are you okay Dix? Are you alright?", he asked nervously as Dixie stood.
"Now boy you listen to me", Seabone warned.
"This here is my daughter. I can tell you if she's alright!"
"I don't think you have the first clue about her.", Tad glared, stepping protectively in front of Dixie. Prompting Seabone to roll his eyes.
"I got no time for this."
Climbing into the driver's seat he slammed the car door shut and put the car in drive. And after backing out of the driveway, he turned down the road and sped off.
Leaving Dixie standing in the driveway, lip trembling as she bowed her head and crossed her arms.
"Dix? I asked if you were okay?"
Getting no response, Tad sighed.
"Dixie c'mon. Talk to me."
Gently he reached to lift her chin, and saw her eyes were teary and an icy shade of blue.
"No!", she cried, taking off toward the yard.
"Dixie..Dixie wait! Just, wait a second!"
Catching up to her, he took her by her shoulders and spun her to face him.
"Lemme go!"
"No! Talk to me! Why'd you run off like that just now!"
"He was gonna tell me!"
"Tell you what?"
"Daddy! He was gonna tell me where he was going! Til you ran over and he got mad, now..now I don't know where he's goin or if I'll ever see him again!", she cried, sitting on the lawn with her head in her hands.
"Dix...Dixie I'm sorry.", he apologized sitting beside her, head bowed.
"I, I thought he was, I thought he was gonna try and, and hurt you, I...",
Trailing off, Tad met her gaze but regretted his words when he saw the horrified look on Dixie's face.
"Daddy wouldn't hurt me! He..he never spanked or anything!"
"He made you cry though..I..I thought-"
"No...Tad. No.", she insisted.
"Fine, I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't know.", sighing, Tad got up and turned to leave.
"Wait where are you-?"
"I'm gonna go."
"The heck you are!", getting up Dixie ran over and blocked his path.
"Dixie what are you-"
"My daddy may have left but I sure as hell won't watch you leave too!"
"Okay..okay. Just, take it easy."
"You'll stay?"
"Yeah, I'll stay."
Relaxing somewhat, Dixie nodded and sat back down on the lawn, fiddling with a dandelion as Tad joined her.
"Tad?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you think Daddy was hurting me? Mommas and Daddies, they get angry sometimes but they aren't suppose to hurt."
Looking at her with a pained expression, Tad sighed.
"They aren't supposed to but, sometimes they-"
"They what?"
"Nothing, I...forget I said it."
"No. Tell me."
When Tad didn't answer, Dixie watched him closely and saw him cradling his arm.
"Wait..", she said fearfully.
"Did...was it your...your daddy who.."
"Dix just forget it, okay?", Tad begged, but tears had already taken over her eyes.
"How! Why would he do that to you? It...it's so mean!", she choked out, prompting Tad to move closer.
"It's okay though, I'm okay. It won't hurt so bad once I go to the doctor right? That's what you said."
"Yeah, but..."
"But nothing. Just forget about it Dix, okay? My dadd-Ray. He won't do this to me ever again, understand?"
"You're sure he won't?", Dixie asked nervously.
"I promise."
"Okay, I believe you Tad.", she said, as Tad sighed in relief.
"Let's go back to the house, huh? I'm hungry again from chasing you all over."
"Well I'm hungry from you chasin me.", she smirked, standing up.
"I think we have some cereal left over from breakfast."
"Left over? Ugh.", Tad grimaced, but spotted a wrapper in Dixie's pocket and smirked.
"Hey can I see this..", he said, making a grab for the candy bar.
"Hey that's mine!"
"Don't worry I'll be sure to share it. It'll just make that cereal taste a little better, that's all.", he smirked, and this time left Dixie to chase him back to the house.