Chapter 20 –
A/N
Me: Yay Max and Fang wrestled in the last chapter.
Fang: Not so fun for me,
Me: Aw poor Fangy Wangy.
Fang: Is this chapter going to have me in it?
Me: Maybe not
Fang: So we are bothering to write it why?
Me: I already sent you to manners class; do I have to send you to obnoxious class as well?
Fang: Nah I don't need a class, I'm good enough as it is.
Me: (Face palm) why?
"Dad!" I squealed as I ran to the door.
"Princess," Dad replied and picked me up and spun me around.
"Princess?" I asked wanting to throw up.
"Hey, Val," Dad greeted my mum and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"It's good to see you, Jeb," Mum smiled. I couldn't help thinking 'aw they would be so cute together' but then I remembered they're divorced!
"You ready to go munchkin?" Dad asked me. I nodded eagerly.
"You left the baby in the car?" Mum questioned Dad.
"Val, he's fine, don't worry so much," Dad laughed.
"Let's go before she kills you," I suggested as I tugged Dad's arm. I'm only eleven and I know when he needs rescuing.
"Maxie!" I heard a little voice yell.
"How does he remember who I am?" I asked Dad.
"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the photo of you that he snuck away," Dad grinned.
"Aw, that's so cute," I gasped.
"My God, you're so big," Dad sighed as he looked at me properly.
"Hmm I wonder why you've missed it," I smirked.
"Alright, I should've called and there is no excuse so I'm not even going to try. However, Max, I would like another chance," Dad asked me.
"Fine, you're the only Dad I have anyways," I sighed.
"Thank you," Dad gave a sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around me.
I opened the back door to see my brother Ari.
"Hello," I smiled at him. I picked him up and gave him a big hug.
"When did you get so good with babies?" Dad asked me.
"I have a friend who has a sister who would be about the same age as Ari," I explained.
"Ah ok," Dad realised. I put Ari back into his seat and climbed into the front next to Dad.
"Where are we going?" I asked Dad.
"Anywhere you like," Dad told me.
"Hmm, a movie, then lunch and then for the afternoon I want to go horse riding," I listed and no I'm not a spoilt brat.
"Hmm, I think we can manage that, sweetheart I wanted to talk to you about your year seven graduation," Dad agreed and then carried on to another subject.
"Oh you mean the one that isn't for another year?" I asked him cheekily.
"Yes I was going to ask you if it would be alright if I bought your dress." Dad asked hopefully.
"Oh, Mum already called dibs," I apologised.
"Damn, I was hoping I would get in early, hmm perhaps your mum and I can come to an agreement,"
"Like what?" I asked cautiously.
"Like she goes shopping with you and I'll pay for it." Dad suggested.
"I think that'll work," I nodded.
"Alright off to the movies," Dad cheered.
At lunch we went to a nice restaurant where we could talk and catch up.
"So, Max, I want to ask you a favour,' Dad began.
"Oh, this oughta be good," I muttered.
"You mentioned you had a friend who had a sister who was Ari's age and I was hoping that maybe you could talk to her and arrange for them to meet," Dad requested.
"Um, Dad, Angel can't really speak yet," I told him.
"No, honey, I meant your friend," Dad laughed.
"Oh, my friend isn't a girl," I told him bluntly.
"You don't hang out with boys, what happened to Casey and Sally?" Dad asked.
"Oh um they ditched me and I met Fang," I shrugged.
"So you hang out with a boy?" Dad double checked.
"No," Dad began to look relieved.
"I hang out with three," I finished.
"So tell me about Fang?" Dad asked.
"Oh you mean my husband?" I checked.
"Ok, that's it I'm never going away again," Dad insisted.
"Dad, Fang and I are just friends," I insisted.
"As long as he doesn't put his hands on my baby girl," Dad warned me.
I explained the story of how Fang became Fang and how he became my husband.
"He's a really great guy, Dad," I insisted.
"Well that's good but still hands off," Dad warned.
"Ok now this conversation is making me uncomfortable so can we go?" I asked.
"Yep what was next on the list?" Dad asked.
"Horse riding," I reminded him.
"Right well a quick detour first," Dad grinned. It wasn't a sweet grin it was a grin that told me that he was up to something.
We were driving and driving and driving and driving and driving forever and ever and ever and ever.
"Dad where are we going?" I asked.
"Just wait and see," Dad told me.
"I hate waiting," I moaned.
"You have no patience," Dad noticed.
"Yeah Fang tells me that all the time," I grumbled.
We began to head up a driveway and it was a long driveway.
"Dad, this isn't where you take me riding?" I realised.
"I know," Dad chirped.
"Ok, what's going on?" I asked when we parked the car.
I got out and Ari out of his baby seat.
"I thought this would help me say sorry," Dad explained.
"Dad, you don't have to buy me things to say sorry. I'm not the kind of girl," I explained to him.
"How long have you been riding?" Dad asked me.
"You've been taking me for as long as I can remember," I replied.
"Well I put you on a horse when you were two years old, maybe Ari can learn a few things for his big sister," Dad hinted.
"So you want me to bring Ari to a horse school?" I asked Dad.
"Not quite," Dad replied and walked ahead of me.
"Do we know what he's talking about?" I asked Ari.
"Shhh," He answered and put his fingered over his mouth.
"Yeah I thought that was going to be your response," I sighed.
"Horsy!" Ari squealed when he saw a paddock full of horses.
"Yes, Ari, horses," I said in my baby excited voice.
"Jeb, I was wondering when you'd get here," I turned and saw a beautiful woman who looked quite young but at the same time I could tell she was in her mid thirties. She had red curly hair and eyes that sparkled like emeralds. I wished I could be as beautiful as her instead of my dirty blonde hair and my muddy brown eyes.
"Hey, Nancy, this is my daughter Max," Jeb said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Hi, Max, I'm Nancy," She showed me a pearly white smile and I instantly liked her.
"Hi, so what horse am I on today?" I asked her.
"What? Jeb, you didn't tell her?" Nancy shot Dad a look as I felt my face go bright red.
"Not yet I wanted to surprise her," Dad grinned.
"Ok well, Max, I want you to come with me," Nancy smiled.
I silently followed the whole time thanking the lord wherever he may be that Nudge was not here.
"Max, honey, are you ready to buy your first horse?" Dad asked me. Nancy quickly took Ari from my arms.
"Are you serious?" I screamed.
"Yes," Dad confirmed.
"Oh my gosh. Thank you so much!" I squealed as I wrapped my arms around the best dad in the whole wide world.
"You don't have to do this," I told him.
"I want to," Dad insisted.
I gazed into the paddock for a while and my eyes fell on a gorgeous black colt with white socks and a white blaze down the front of his gorgeous face.
"Wow," I breathed.
Nancy went into the field and soon enough she'd led the colt to the riding arena. I put on a helmet and mounted up on him. I rode him around the arena. His riding style matched mine in everyway.
"Is he the one?" Dad asked as I pulled the horse to a stop.
"Absolutely," I said.
"Alright see if you can get him into the trailer," Dad told me.
"Huh?" I asked him.
"There is a trailer attached to the back of the car," Dad told me slowly.
"Um, Dad, where exactly am I going to put him, I doubt Mum is going to let me keep a horse in the back yard?" I asked Dad.
"We'll take him to my new place," Dad told me.
"Oh ok," I nodded slowly. Wait since when did Dad have a new house.
I dismounted and led my new horse to the trailer at the back of the car. I decided that I would call my new horse Midnight. He was absolutely beautiful.
"Come on boy," I told him as I tried to lead him to the trailer. He saw the trailer and stopped.
"Oh, so you're one of those are you, Midnight?" I asked him. I placed my hand on his nose.
"It's alright boy," I soothed him as I stared into his dark eyes that looked like the night sky.
Slowly I led him back into the trailer.
"Good boy," I patted his neck and locked the door.
I ran back over to Dad.
"Dad this is the best present in the world." I thanked him again.
"I don't know how you're going to top it for her birthday," Nancy laughed.
"Dad, what about equipment?" I asked him.
"Oh, I've thrown in all of his gear for free," Nancy smiled.
"Thank you," I grinned.
"No problem, your Dad and I went to university together so it's a favour to a friend," Nancy told me.
"I like your friends," I laughed to Dad.
"Come on, Ari," I grabbed my little brother and took him to the trailer.
"I have a horse," I told him.
"Yay," Ari squealed and clapped his hands together.
"He's coming home," I told Ari.
"Horsy!" Ari giggled.
"Yes, Ari and one day I'm going to teach you how to ride," I told Ari.
"Yay, thank you very much," Ari smiled. The kid had manners.
I hadn't seen Ari in a year since Dad had taken him with him when he left but now they were both back and both mine.
We drove all the way to Dad's new house. It was on the outskirts of town maybe about a half hour away from home but yet it was secluded. I looked out the window and lost my breath.
"Oh… my… god!" I gasped.
A/N:
Me: Yay, Max has a horse.
Fang: I wasn't in this chapter.
Me: Fang it isn't all about you and you've been in every other chapter… I didn't want you to get tired.
Fang: Fair enough and tell her what you think in a review so that she'll stop yapping on to me about how she wants reviews and all that crap.