Sorry for the long delay but I went camping with some friends and had no access to the internet, so I've been offline for a while! But I'm back and to celebrate summer, I'll post a few chapters really quickly, right now in fact! So please enjoy and thank you for all being patient with me, happy holidays!
Every day the house became more and more like how I remembered it, except for the lime wallpaper. I scraped off the old wallpaper and began to paint a white coating on. The house was so empty that it was easy to do, especially with the older ladies and a few men helping me from noon to the moment they went home again late in the evening, bringing me back for some good food and a laugh.
It was so quick that the entire house was redecorated within the week. Slowly, new furniture began to filter in. I ordered online because it was easier for delivery apart from a few things I saw in town that I decided I liked. I was not used to having money so I was careful to spend it wisely.
Though I did splash out on some cowboy boots and some denim. Hey, I'm a ranch girl at heart! I also made sure to spend at least an hour of my time every day with Magic, getting her used to me. Soon she was letting me pet her though once she had had enough, she made it known. She never went to bite me but I was always aware.
By the end of the week I got a letter from Roberto and a photo, he and Maria standing proudly in front of their newly renamed restaurant which they had finally bought and opened. La Bellezza di Isabella. I chuckled as I held the photo, feeling honoured that he had named it after me with our secret name. I would have to go and try their menu one day.
Roadblock's family were just forty minutes' drive away so I called ahead and borrowed Albert's car to go and pick them up and bring them back. In a better car, I suppose it would take a little less time. Poppy and Daisy loved the horses, they even got to ride a few after pleading with an acting Benjamin, who was pretending to be cold hearted before laughing and finding them a pony each to ride. Even Millie got on a horse though after half an hour she declared she would stick to dancing.
"Can we see the mare again? Please Robyn!" Poppy begged so I took them over to Magic.
"You must be very quiet though, she's very shy and has a bit of a temper." I warned them. "So calm down, otherwise you might spook her." Instantly they stopped jumping about and followed me over. I lifted Daisy up, propping her on my hip then clucked my tongue, holding out a carrot for Magic. She took it then nuzzled my hand. It's an improvement, she's never been affectionate before. Maybe it was because I had children with me. She was a mother at heart.
"When will her foal be born?" Daisy asked. "Can we come and see the baby when it's here?"
"Of course. It will be here in a few weeks, ready for Spring." I explained to them. "Magic will look after her baby for a while and I'll help keep it healthy before I start to train it."
"Will it be a boy or a girl?"
"I don't know. We won't know until its born." I continued to answer their questions before I finally persuaded them to come into town with me. I showed them where I lived and then took them to visit everyone. Celia adored the girls, calling them her little sweethearts as she showed them how to kneed bread, which she was making from scratch. As I distracted the younger ones, dancing with them in the street Millie chatted away happily with my neighbourhood, glad to see younger people again.
It seems more people were moving out than moving in, wanting the city life. We got plenty of visitors but they never stayed long. "So my little sweethearts, would you like to come back?" Celia asked, looking to Annie-Marie who was smiling at us and coming over.
"Yes! Can we come back mom? You said we could come and see the foals in spring time!" Daisy begged and Millie laughed.
"I don't see why not. We'll definitely be coming here a bit more often, I expect, if you want those riding lessons." The girls gasped.
"Really!" They squealed and hugged their mom, who smiled and embraced them back.
"Seems like Ben's got a few more students on his hands." Annie said then placed a hand on my shoulder. "Toby's been asking after you a lot. I think he's quite taken."
"Well, as you all know, my affections lay with another." I chuckled then became a little serious, thinking deeply. I hoped he wouldn't get offended if I have to turn him down flat. Pushing this aside, I continued with entertaining my guests.
"You should get a dog. Every ranch has a dog, don't they?" Poppy said to me as I walked with them back to my home where I was wondering about what to cook for their dinner.
"Benjamin had four doggies!" Daisy remembered. "They all jumped up at us to say hello."
"Maybe one day, I'll have to think about it." I said to them. "But if I did…what should I call it?" Then a long list of names were reeled off at me, making both Millie and I laugh. Once the girls began to fall asleep from such an exciting day I helped Millie carry them over to Albert's car before driving them back.
"Thank you so much. They've had a great day. I'm so glad you showed them a new view on life, they didn't even look at their phones once!" Millie smiled as she tucked them both in. "When you see my husband, tell him I love him for me?"
"I will. It was good to see you again Millie. Good luck with your dance school." I said then started the journey back. It was late as I parked Albert's car onto his drive. The door opened as the engine guttered out. "Come in pet! We've got pie hot from the oven for you." I love this town.
Smiling I followed her in, putting the keys into the jar where they belonged as I passed. "Thanks for lending me your car Al." I said as I hugged him. "They all had a great day."
"Not at all, it's good to see new faces around here." He said, sitting down and began to cut himself a rather large portion.
"Uh!" Annie-Marie slapped his hand then eyeballed him dangerously. Albert pouted and pulled a sad face, pleading quietly. Annie relented. "Oh go on then. You old sausage." Albert smiled then reclaimed his large pie slice. Annie cut me a piece, also considerably large, then tucked in herself. "So you were saying about this fellow. What does he look like? I must admit I'm intrigued. As a child you swore you'd never marry, you'd spend your whole life with horses." I chuckled.
"I said that?"
"You sure did. Loud and proud." Albert said to me, mixing his peas with the gravy juice.
"Well, he's got brown hair and blue eyes. He's fairly tall, around Albert's height. Though compared to me, everyone is tall." I said, referring to my small stature. "He's fairly broad, well toned from his training and has the nicest manners a guy could have. Old time chivalry, I'd say." To avoid speaking further I put a large chunk of pie in my mouth.
"Sounds like my Albert back in the day." Annie smiled lovingly, reaching across the table to hold his hand. They gazed lovingly at each other and I sat back, watching them contently. I'd like that one day. When I'm old, wrinkled and grey, I'd like a man to look at me and still think I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
"So how long are you enlisted for?" Albert said to me, making me waken from my daydream.
"A few years yet, I think. Five at the most. So that means you won't be able to see me all that often but after those five years, I should be back with a flexible contract. Six months in, six months out or something." They frowned slightly.
"You're going to stay in the army all your life? Honey, you've got to start planning beyond that. One day you'll be too old to fight or you'll be badly hurt, then how are you going to support those horses you want? Let alone yourself."
"It's what I enjoy. I love being out there in the thick of it, fighting for my country." I didn't tell them that I had saved the world, the detail seemed a bit too unimportant. Unimportant and classified. "And I don't intend to be there forever, just until I've earned a good reputation to get me a good fund for later years." They looked at each other with worry.
"We just worry about you dear. We don't want you to get hurt, or worse, killed. We've only just got you back." I smiled softly at them.
"Don't worry. With my unit, it's pretty darn hard to die. We've got each other's backs and we're some of the best soldiers the military has to offer. I'm good at what I do. Besides. Someone's got to fight for this country and enlistment numbers are falling."
"We're all so proud of you, Robyn, doing what you do. You make sure you think about us when you're out there. Think about your ranch and the horses, let them bring you back."
"I sure will, Annie, I sure will."