Chapter 3: explanations
The next morning Mallory walked in to the kitchen, to get some breakfast before starting her morning chores, to find everyone but Badger having breakfast. She decided to look for him out of the window while getting a glass of water, she began to wonder where he was when Jack spoke to her
" so where did you go on your midnight adventure last night?" Jack asked her, knowing that she did something that she knew was wrong
"what? ... Umm I want just went outside and ... Sat out on the porch to watch the sun come up" Mallory lied, trying to think of so Jack and the other wouldn't know she and badger talked alone in his loft in the middle of the night
"really, why would you do something like that?" Amy asked suspecting that something was going on with Mallory, more than the usual
" couldn't sleep" Mallory said as she thought that she wasn't exactly lying as that is why she went to Badger but she wished they would let this go before she slipped up
" too busy thinking about a certain boy, were we?" said Ty as he teased her knowing that Badger's sudden arrival had rumbled her cage
" Like who" Mallory asked trying to sound innocent and sweet as she wonder which boy Ty would think hoping it wouldn't raise too many questions
" Badger!" Ty said knowingly and excitedly just as Amy said " Jake" in the same tone
"Jake?" Ty said surprised at the same time Amy said " Badger?" the same way
They both turned to face each other with surprised looks as Mallory looked for one to the other, not knowing what to do
"Mallory, why don't you go and help out with the morning chores ok? You can start on moving the hay" Jack said knowing this was something that would only further confuse Mallory on the subject of the two boys
Mallory looked back to Amy and Ty wondering what was going to happen as she left to go the truck where the hay was
" Wait why would Mallory be thinking about Badger? He just got here yesterday" Amy said as she began to get herself some orange juice as she check her list of clients for the week
" Because he decided to fight for her after seeing her with Jake last night plus she almost kissed last night before Jake got here" Ty explained as he looked at Amy with disbelief as he sat down across from her at the dinner table as she went on the computer
" Well he's going to have fight pretty hard since her and Jake actually kissed last night on their date after deciding to try and be a couple" Amy told him as she began typing up the progress reports on the horses she had been working with lately
" she what? Im not sure she knows what she doing" Ty said beginning to get more and more protective of Mallory, at the thought of all the hurt that this could cause if it ended badly
Outside the house, Mallory had began to get the hay off the truck and on to the ground outside of the barn, still looking out for Badger but saw no sign of him. Therefore she began to sing to her self, thinking that she was alone
" I never knew that you liked Kelly Clarkson, I mean now I'm seeing you in a whole new light" said Badger as he began to mock her while heading towards the truck full of hay
" Badger! You scared me, what are you doing here?" she said knowing that was probably a stupid question since Jack probably told him to help her with the hay but she didn't know what to say to him
" Well I finished clearing out the stalls and Jack said I should help you since you have other non chore related work to been doing soon" he explained but not fully understand what Jack meant, hoping she further explain it
" oh yeah I guess I do, I've been helping Amy with her clients by gentling their horses and training them or whatever" she explained slightly shy about it since she knew he never really liked horses or believe in the work that Amy did. Mallory always though he saw horses just as useless animals
" That's kinda...cool, so what kinda work are doing today?" Badger said trying to seem interested in her work, hoping she would see him as in a more friendly manor
" I'm working with this horse, felix, who is scared of the water so I've decided that I would take him to the lake and work on him there. Amy is letting me take my own clients as long as they are easy problems to solve cause I'm still a beginner" she said while throwing the piles of hay to him from the truck, only having a few left. Allowing her not to look him in the face
" do you want some help with?" Badger asked thinking that maybe if she saw that he was trying to take this whole horse thing seriously and was trying to be her friend. He thought it would make things easy for her
" umm sure why not?" she said unsure whether or not this was a good idea
After finishing unloading the hay from the truck, Mallory decided to go into the stalls and copper while she was thinking over what Jake might think about Badger helping her rather than him when he had offered many times but it never seemed right to Mallory with him helping. She decided to text Jake
( hey, I dealt with that 'thing' last night like I said I would so I was thinking maybe we could hang out later xoxo M). A few minutes later Jake replied
( thats good, I hope it went ok and nothing happened. I'm just about finished my roping lessons so why don't we meet up in ten minutes at Maggie's? X J). Mallory thought about whether or not to tell Jake she was working with Badger
( I cant, I have to work with a horse and I'm meeting Badger in few minutes to go to the lake with the horse. How about you come to heartland after dinner and we can hang out? Xoxo M) hoping he wouldn't pick up on the Badger factor
( ok fine! I'll come by around 7, J)
She knew as soon as she saw the text that he wasn't happy with her bailing on him to spend time with Badger but she hoped she could explain it later when he came over. She also hoped that by seeing her and Jake together Badger would understand that they could only be friends But somehow she doubted that he would no for answer.
Meanwhile Badger went into the house to grab a couple of bottles of water for him and Mallory before they began to prepare the horses to take them to the lake. He thought of the different ways that he could show more that he really cared for her in ways that Jake could only dream of. He also thought of the possibility of talking to Jake but thought that give off the wrong idea. While he was in the fridge, he heard a pair of boots head towards him. When he looked down at them, he knew who it was
" so how things with you and Mallory going, I mean I saw you guys looking pretty friendly when I went into my truck for something. Which reminds me, here you go" Ty said handing a pair of cowboy boots that were slightly worn but were still in good shape
" 1. Why do I need cowboy boots and 2. Kinda well I mean I said I would help her with work for Amy so we're going down to the lake to work with felix, any advice wise one?" Badger said in an amusing tone while he put the bottles on the table when he took the boots from Ty
" well it keeps you from ruining your other shoes plus it shows you embracing the cowboy in you, a part of Jake that Mallory likes. And yeah for now don't try anything with her like hit on her or anything, just try to be her friend you know be there for her. I mean it worked for me and Jake" he said while smiling at the memories but also at the fact that Badger had began to put on the boots he gave him
Grabbing the bottles and his old shoes, Badger kept saying to himself ' just friends' . Thinking that no mattered with her and Jake, he would be the one that she would turn to.
At the lake, Mallory tied up copper on a near by tree trunk that was steady enough while Badger waited by the water with felix, getting him used to being near the water and the sounds around him
" ok so let's go in to the water... There's a good boy... Such a good boy" she said as felix began to water into the water without much trouble till he was in far enough, Badger followed unsure what to do
" ok so now we splash some water on to his legs so he gets used to the feel of it, I'll do this side and you can do that side just be gent though ok?" Mallory said to Badger as she began to gather some water in her hands to show him
" umm yeah ok I can do that" Badger said as he began to copy her, while he watched her do the same and noticing the sun shining in her golden hair
While they worked, Mallory accidentally splashed Badger as splashed some water on felix's leg, Badger took this as a sign and splashed her back. Soon they became involved a water fight as Badger gently pushed Mallory into the lake, they began to tumble and turn in the water as they playfully wrestling. Soon Badger had won and was on top of Mallory as he began to lean in for a kiss, Mallory's phone went off so she escape from underneath him and looked at it
" it's Amy, she wondering where we are. I guess we should be heading back" she said a slight disappointed both with the outcome and herself for letting things go so far
When they came back to heartland,soaking wet from their water fight in the lake, they saw that Amy and Ty were looking at them with questionable looks as they continued to joke and laugh with each other while walking the horses to the barn. When they were in the barn finishing untacking their horses and cleaning them, they noticed they were no longer alone as they both turn to look at the barn door
" what is going on here, Mallory?" Jake demanded as he stood at the barn door looking at their wet appearances