AN: Hello dearies!

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns Zach and Cammie and the Gallagher Girl universe.


Cammie POV

My jaw practically unhinged on a yawn as I clomped down my grandparents' creaky stairs and into the kitchen. The movies wanted you to believe that life on a farm started at dawn, that you rose when the sun's rays eventually crept across your pillow and into your eyes.

I glanced to my right and looked out the window. Blackness. Not a single ray of sunshine in sight. Movies lie.

I was not not an early riser, per se. But seeing my grandparents' alert and cheery faces already sitting at the table made me believe I was doing something wrong.

"Mornin', Dolly," my grandpa said with a smile over his coffee.

"Morning," I mumbled, kissing his cheek. Then I shuffled over and gave my grandma a peck as well.

Grandpa leaned back in his chair and scratched the silver chin bristles that were in danger of becoming a beard. "S'pose to be a storm tonight."

I grabbed my steel-toed work boots from their mat by the door and lugged them over to one of the empty seats. "Big one?"

He nodded, and Grandma said, "Weatherman said it would be the biggest of the season."

"Don't you always complain that your weatherman is only right, like, 20% of the time?" I asked as I laced up my boots.

"But my bad knee is right 100% of the time," Grandpa said proudly, patting the knee in question. "And it can feel all that rain and thunder coming. I think it even feels a twister in the works."

"Didn't the weatherman mention the possibility of a tornado?"

Grandpa sent Grandma a look that said she always ruined all his fun. I smiled and started to stand when Grandpa caught my hand.

"I mention the storm, Dolly, because I need you and the boys to get the chores done quick then bring the herd in. I don't want anybody out there when that storm hits."

"Don't worry. We'll do the important ones first then work on getting the cows to the barns."

Pleadingly, he looked to grandma, who quickly took a long sip of coffee. I was missing something.

"What is it?"

Grandpa cleared his throat. "We just…we need the work to get done."

My brow creased. "I know, Grandpa. I'll make sure we get as much done as possible."

He looked at Grandma again, but she was somehow still gulping down coffee. He sighed and finally said, "What I mean to say is, I think maybe your friend should…sit out from the chores and the herding today. Just so they can get done quickly. And correctly."

I winced, both at his use of the word "friend" and at what he was insinuating. As the days of our short visit had passed, I'd easily slipped back into my usual role on the ranch. It might've been three years, but a girl doesn't readily forget sixteen summers worth of farm chores. Muscle memory took hold in most situations, and it hadn't been long before I was doing my duties at the same pace as the ranch hands.

Zach, however…well, Zach tried. And that was a very new experience for him. Zach was used to doing, he was used to accomplishing and succeeding. But I think both he and I were a little surprised when he didn't immediately take to farm life like a fish to water.

So far this week he'd prematurely pulled up Grandma's carrots while weeding; sliced through the securing twine on at least four hay bales by swinging the hay hook too hard; slipped and landed in manure while mucking the horses' stalls; nearly threw up when I did a few bovine palpitations, and then fled the barn when Ryden asked if he wanted to try; chased and tackled a chicken, and somehow managed to maneuver it into a nearly fatal chokehold; and he'd fallen off of Dragon yesterday.

I cringed again thinking of that last one. He hadn't really been hurt—the bruise on his hip didn't even hold a candle to some of the injuries I'd seen him sustain—but I still felt guilty. He'd told me he didn't want to ride horses from the get-go, but I'd still jumped at the opportunity when he said he'd go along with Ryden and I. He'd looked nervous, so I assured him he didn't have to go, but he'd insisted. He probably felt obligated. Now he'd forever be scared of horses thanks to me.

"He did a good job fixing the fence," I mumbled in his defense.

"Dolly, he secured those beams together like the pasture was Fort Knox. I'm not even sure where someone learns those types of complicated knots like he did with that wire. Waste of material and time."

It had actually taken Zach less time to complete those "complicated knots" than it had taken the farm hands to do the simpler knots they'd been twisting their whole lives, but Grandpa's point was made regardless. Zach would slow us down.

I shook my head. "I can't just ask Zach to sit in his room all day like a child. He's not that kind of person. He wants to help."

"He can help by staying out of the–"

"He can help," Grandma interrupted sternly with a reproachful look at Grandpa, "by assisting me today, Cammie baby. I'm gonna teach that boy to garden. He'll have two green thumbs by the time I'm done with him."

I tried to smile at Grandma's attempt to make the situation better, but I knew Zach would still feel slighted. My stomach pinched as I imagined the look on his face when I told him.

But the pinch turned into a full-blown squeeze of panic when my grandma said, "Besides, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to him alone yet."


AN: Thanks ever so much for reading this chapter! You're the best, and you deserve to treat yourself today! Let this be your sign:) If you're up to it, leave me a helpful critique or an encouraging comment. I'm a glass half-full kind of girl, so Imma just assume y'alls silence means this story is rendering you speechless (except for the one Guest who has left me a few kind comments. Appreciate you, dearest.) Anyway, if you think I need knocked down a few pegs, y'all better let me know. Because I live my life in a "fabulous until told otherwise" kind of way, and even then it's up for debate;)

Have a great week! Much love, Rachel