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pequestrian · 1 year

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Story below cut. TW: domestic abuse

<<; Previously

After unpacking his truck alone, Jake waited patiently for Aleisha to exit her room. It wasn’t his place to ridicule her for sleeping in or grieving on her own, especially since there weren’t any chores to do around the house. At least, no chores that he knew of.

While he waited, Jake made himself at home in the living room. The couch was faded and worn, but not tattered and broken. He found the remote on a side table next to the lone rocking chair and acquainted himself with the small selection of cable channels. He wasn’t one for watching television, but he had a microscopic list of things to do with his free time as he waited for Aleisha.

The first time he needed to eat, he pillaged the kitchen in search of something edible. He found a few cans and boxes of things with expiration dates that suggested its lack of popularity within the household. The excessive health benefits the food promised to provide screamed that they were in an old person’s house, even if it did suddenly belong to Aleisha.

In need of some sustenance from this century, he left to explore the nearest town he could find for food. Frontier turned out to be a very, very tiny town, especially compared to East Lansing up by State. Many of the buildings, even on the main street, which Aleisha happened to share with the town, were decaying and falling apart. Where windows weren’t boarded up, junk spilled out of buildings like innards from a corpse. Based on the outlook of the town, Jake was ready to pull out a map and hike his way northward to Hillsdale. He knew Hillsdale would have choice places to shop. You couldn’t have a college town without shopping, after all.

One building promised to have something inside. Jake pulled up and made sure to lock both his doors twice, just in case. He couldn’t take too many chances, discomforted by the ramshackle buildings around him, falling apart at the seams. When Jake crossed the dusty dirt patch, despite the snow and ice, which passed for a parking lot and entered the convenience store, his opinion of the place didn’t get any better. The door handle felt greasy, and even the chime of the bell to announce his entry had a dismal tune. Jake could have been imagining things, but his skin felt like it was crawling along the back of his neck and down his spine.

The man at the counter didn’t look up at Jake’s entry. He appeared to be reading from a book. He was far from clean shaven, sporting a beard that was twice the length of Jake’s hair. It twisted on itself, obvious teased by his fingers as the words from the book tickled his brain. Jake left the man a wide berth as he explored the layout of the shop.

The old, grimy wooden floor creaked under Jake’s feet as he moved on. At some places, Jake could swear that it bowed underneath his weight. His horse was stronger than this building, and that was saying something. From then on, Jake tread with caution, avoiding the apparent dips in the floor, and stepping on what he hoped were strong cross beams underneath.

The quality of the food within the store seemed to match the theme of the town as well. Jake picked a package of Oreos off of the dusty bottom shelf and saw the expiration date was nearer his birthday than the current date. He hastily replaced the package, dusting his fingers off on his pants. While his jeans were far from clean, they felt much better to Jake than the entire atmosphere.

When Jake approached the coolers, he noticed that it looked a lot cleaner inside, and the beer much fresher. He snorted softly to himself. With the state the town was in, what else did the occupants have to do?

Eventually, Jake made his way to the very small selection of food that wouldn’t cause diabetes in a day. He found some bread, lunch meat, cheeses, and not a whole lot else. The shop had some beef jerky, but even that didn’t look right to Jake. It looked like it had been packed in someone’s garage.

Jake approached the counter, and the attendant put his book down in such an irritated manner that Jake figured he didn’t even want his business. Chewing on what Jake hoped was his tongue, he rung Jake up with slow, careful movements. He didn’t appear to be able to move his fingers well. Totaling everything up, he drolled out Jake’s balance.

Jake carefully handed over a couple bills, avoiding touching the teller. He looked greasy enough to pass for a garage mechanic, piecing together old car parts to make the ultimate hick mode of transportation. With slow, less than deliberate movements, the man stuffed the bills into the register, glanced up at the return total, and fished it clumsily out of the drawer. He had to recount the change in his hand, even though he only had three coins to return. Jake cringed when he swung his hand over and dropped the one bill and change into his hand, and he packed up his purchase before the man had a chance to ask if he’d like a bag.

Fumbling with his keys in his hand, balancing his meager findings for food, Jake hurriedly unlocked the driver side door to his truck and let himself in. Already, within the safety of his vehicle, he could breathe freely. The town gave him the heebie jeebies. No matter how long he stayed with Aleisha, he would never revisit Frontier.

As days passed, Jake’s requirement to stay busy overrode his patience. It wasn’t that he was used to getting things his way, he just didn’t like sitting idle when there were things to do. Deciding that Aleisha needed some time for herself, he set himself to worrying about the state of her property.

Jake began by searching the grounds for her grandfather’s tools. His first priority was to ensure the horses were safe within their own stalls when he brought them down. Any protruding nails, splintered boards, worn and uneven flooring, and missing kick boards would need to be taken care of immediately. His next order of business was to work on one or two of the paddocks so that he could let the horses out. Jake knew Aleisha preferred Days outside rather than cooped up in a stall. With his thick Connemara coat, it made sense. She didn’t choose pasture board out of lack of funds, for there were cheaper options around Lansing than James’s farm. Once Jake brought the horses onto the farm, he’d walk one of the larger pastures.

Jake’s search began in the barn. He searched the tack room at the back of the barn. It wasn’t connected to power anymore, despite the wired lights in the ceiling. It was another project to add to his list as he helped Aleisha out. With the help of a strong flashlight beam, Jake determined that Aleisha’s grandpa did not keep his tools in the tack room.

He next searched the house, guiltily riffling through places he thought could be logical resting places for tools. The house didn’t have a lot of space to begin with, and his rummaging abruptly ended.

If Aleisha’s grandparents had any tools, which had to be the case on a working farm, they had to live in the garage. That was locked. Aleisha hadn’t made a move to hide her keys from Jake before she disappeared into the abyss that was her bedroom. She hadn’t made a secret of where she kept them, but left them exactly where she threw them down when they first entered the house. Jake grabbed them before heading outside.

The garage was detached from the house, and almost twice the side. Three car doors and a single person door decorated the front. Jake found the correct key for the people door with ease, and let himself in. Finding the light switch, Jake was happy to see that the power worked. One bulb near the back flashed bright and burnt out upon the flick of the switch, but he still had enough illumination to see by.

The building was fairly cluttered with small and large machinery, but Jake could still navigate through everything to take a look around. Aleisha’s grandfather kept his riding lawn tractor, a second larger tractor, and a myriad of attachments inside the garage. He had a table saw, a big air compressor, and a couple work benches from a quick look around. If Jake really felt like snooping, he would find all sorts of goodies. This garage was a place of business.

Jake made his way over to one work bench, looking around and collecting the tools that he would need, and possibly need, for the projects ahead of him. Aleisha’s grandfather wasn’t a particularly orderly man, but Jake was able to discern a logical pattern easily enough. Finding the correct nails proved to be the hardest part of the hunt. Placing everything in a five gallon bucket for ease, Jake returned to the barn.

Opening the stall windows for better lighting, Jake set to work. He began by taking off a busted kick board from the first stall, replacing it with a spare piece of wood stacked on the other side of the barn. Jake didn’t have a lot of supplies to start out with, but he figured what was laying around the barn would be enough to bring the horses down.

Kneeling down on the dirt floor, using his knee to hold the new board in place, Jake reached around to grab the hammer. He touched something furry rather than cold and hard. “What the –” Jake spat. Startled, Jake nearly dropped the board on his toe, until he realized the creature meant him no harm.

Three cats materialized around the stall, all staring intently at Jake working inside. The nearest was a very light calico with fairly dull amber eyes. The second cat was marked, like it had points on its face. The third hardly existed, its black coat melding with the deep shadows of the dimly lit barn, but its green eyes eerily giving away its presence. All three cats were very fluffy, and very friendly.

Tentatively, Jake held out a hand to the calico cat, whom immediately pressed its head into his palm. A loud, uneven purr rumbled from its chest. The calico’s happiness sparked the attention of the pointed one, and it joined in on rubbing against Jake. Jake didn’t have much of a choice but to give them attention. Even when he tried to turn back to his work, the cats remained persistent. He couldn’t persuade them to get their furry, purring bodies out of the way. Managing to nudge one to the side to grab the hammer and a small handful of nails, he twisted to find a different cat firmly planted in his lap, the feather duster of a tail whacking him repeatedly in the face. Around the obstacle, Jake couldn’t get a hold of the board and nail it into place.

Maybe they needed food. Jake didn’t know how long it had been until the cats had eaten. Judging by the level of their friendliness, they required sustenance from this barn specifically. He rose to his feet, the cats swirling about his feet like a miniature storm. The black cat began letting out short, halted meows. It didn’t sound like it could fully meow, but it still wanted something of Jake.

Again, Jake began riffling through the barn, opening bins and tins, on the hunt for cat food. All the while, the cats ran about his feet frantically, nearly tripping him on more than one occasion. Coming up incredibly empty-handed, Jake turned his search back to the garage. The cats continued their attack outside, meowing and weaving around and about his feet without taking head of their safety. Soon, defeated, Jake returned to his work on the stalls without feeding them, his effectiveness slashed by the cats’ interference. Now that the cats knew of Jake’s presence, they would not leave him alone.

Before long, Jake finished up the two stalls the horses would need, two of the paddocks, and two of the three pastures. Jake uncovered more lumber as he worked in the rafters of the old barn to replace what was broken. The fencing was taken care of with simple strands of wire or large staples. Jake appreciated the work as his voicebox filled with messages from his father, and the apprehension of returning back to his home expanded exponentially.

Returning, unfortunately, was unavoidable.

Jake left for Lansing early one day, tensing for the confrontation, but set on returning to Hillsdale with both ponies in tow. He had long enough to get out of his truck when James marched out of the nearest barn.

“Where have you been?” James demanded in a roar.

Jake tucked the keys into his coat pocket, securing them. “I’ve been helping Aleisha,” he said unwaveringly. His voice remained strong, but he couldn’t bring himself to lift his eyes.

“You haven’t done chores in days!”

“I told you,” Jake grunted, “that might be a possibility.” Despite himself, he added glibly, “They got covered?”

“Of course they got covered!” James boomed. “You know what happens when we miss their schedule.”

“Uh-huh,” Jake mumbled. He locked his eyes on James’s hands, still safely far away from Jake. James’s anger was palpable, growing the longer Jake remained passive. “But the fact remains that they got covered.” Before one of those hands could connect, Jake sidestepped away and power walked over to the house. He even reached the door and made it through before James caught up with him. The storm door shut naturally behind him, swinging sharply closed in James’s face.

“Get back here boy!” James demanded, nearly ripping the door from its hinges. He stomped threateningly behind Jake as Jake navigated the house to his room, catching up with him in the doorway. He grabbed him by the collar of his coat, shoving him into the frame. “I was talkin’ to you!”

Jake frowned, still avoiding his father’s eyes, and struggled to breathe against the wood pressed into his back.

“You ain’t to leave an’ have me cover your chores, Jacob! Chasin’ tail ain’t gonna get you anywhere. Your job is here.”

Jake tried to wiggle out of James’s grip to no avail. “I ain’t chasin’ tail,” he said with disgust. “Leave off.” Jake brought up both arms to break James’s hold on him, succeeding enough to withdraw into his room. “I do the work of at least three men in your business and don’t ask for wages. Only food and board. I do work for others on the side throughout seasons to raise enough money to pay entirely for Tick Tock an’ dressage. That’s not cheap. Of course, you would know that. For what’s probably the first time since I can remember, I tell you I need some personal tie, and you’re gonna get mad at me?” Jake could almost see the steam rising from James’s ears, beat red to match his face. “I don’t want to sound like one of those whiney asshole kids, but I’m twenty-four. Don’t you think it’s time I showed interest in a little bit of my own life?”

James didn’t say anything or move from his spot where he stood. His breathing came hard and uneven, and Jake swore that he saw a debate in his eyes. It wouldn’t be the first time James beat him around the house over something stupid, but this situation was far from stupid. In the first time in his life, Jake showed interest in something outside of the Fuller’s Estates. He wouldn’t forever be a full-time stable hand, groom, trainer, handy man, and eventually heir to the business and property.

“Get out,” James finally said. His voice came low and calm, more dangerous than his bellowing before. “Pack your bags an’ get out.”

“I don’t have any bags to pack,” Jake shot back much too quickly for his brain to process.

“Don’t come back,” James continued. “Go live your other life. Hope the pussy’s worth it.”

“I said I have some personal things to work out!” Jake shouted. He stepped forward, his own temper rising. “You think that means I have some secret life behind your back, on top of everything I just listed?”

There was the contact Jake expected. James swung his hand around and backhanded Jake as hard as he could muster across the face, throwing him off balance. He squared himself against his son, livid. Jake rose to his full height again, feeling his lip split, but didn’t give his father the benefit of seeing him react. This would be his last beating.

“You better hope those personal issues give you a place to live. I want that stupid pony out of my barn today. Your tack, too.” He turned around, striking out with his fist to the wall. Without another word, he retraced his steps back out the door.

Jake slumped against his bed. “Ya gotta be fuckin’ kidding me,” he breathed. The confrontation was much better than he’d expected, but he never thought he’d get thrown out. Suddenly Aleisha was his only option. He hoped that he could convince her to continue being so hospitable, even if it had only been accidental thus far.

“Shit,” he whispered, regaining his composure. He returned to the doorway and flicked on the light to his room. He didn’t have a whole lot for possessions, but his trip to grab Aleisha’s horse suddenly got a lot more complicated.

Marie, Jake’s mother, showed up as Jake worked on emptying his drawers. She knocked lightly on the doorframe. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“’S fine,” Jake mumbled.

“What was that about?”

“I got kicked out,” Jake told her. He could feel her searching his posture and movements, but he couldn’t face her, either.

“I can go talk to him –” Marie started.

Jake stopped mid-motion and turned. “No,” he said firmly. “Don’t even think of doin’ that for me. I’ve got a back-up plan and I don’t need you gettin’ hurt. He’s blown his cap. Don’t make it worse.”

Marie stayed silent and scanned his room. “Where are you going?”

Jake returned to pulling his drawers clears to stack onto his bed. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the clothes after that. He didn’t have a lot, but as he told his father, he didn’t have any bags, either. “I’ll be staying with Aleisha until she kicks me out, too.”

“Aleisha? You have a girlfriend?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Jake assured her. “She’s a boarder here. Was a boarder here. Her grandfather died and I’m helping her sort things out. I came home for a change of clothes and her horse, but ….” He sighed. “Well, I guess I’m taking a little more than that.” With his last stack of pants in hand, he faced his mother again. “You should probably leave me. Before he gets mad at you, too.”

“But Jake –”

“No, really, Mom. I’ve got it all under control. I’ll be fine.” He set down his pants and walked up to her, arms out. “I love you.”

Marie took Jake in her arms, pulling him tight and close. “I love you, too. Stay safe, Jake.”

“I will. Please, don’t worry about me.”

“I’m you mother,” she said. “I’ll always worry about you.”

Jake released her and took his show clothes off the hangers. “Can I take one of the pillow cases?” he asked. “To carry this in?”

Marie’s eyes grew wet and she nodded. “Of course. You’ll stay in touch, right?”

Jake gently pulled the pillow case off his pillow and stared loading up the clothes. “I don’t know, Mom.” He gathered up the full pillow case and his show clothes in his arms. “I need to get going. I still need to hook up the trailer to my truck and load up two horses without Dad getting worse before I go. Last thing I need is him followin’ me all around.”

“Be careful,” she said.

“I will, Mom. I promise.”

He shuffled past her, down the hallway, and out of the house. James was nowhere in sight as he walked across the driveway to load his truck with his clothes. Climbing in again, he started it up to line it up with the horse trailer. This particular trailer was a touch smaller than what his father preferred to use, but since both Tick Tock and Days were smaller horses, Jake figured he could get away with taking the trailer for at least a little while.

After hooking up the hitch, Jake did a complete assessment of his surroundings. Somehow, his father remained absent. While Jake would have loved to keep his truck running and warm for a quick getaway, he didn’t trust his father to not swipe the keys and keep them from him. Despite him saying that he wanted Jake gone, Jake had a feeling that if he stayed around much longer, he and his mother would be in for the worst of James’s wrath yet.

Tucking his truck keys back in his pocket, double-checking that his doors were locked, Jake wandered through the nearest barn where Tick Tock was stalled. The gelding poked his nose into the aisle at Jake’s footsteps. Jake couldn’t tell if he recognized Jake’s gait specifically, or if he was alert enough to pay attention to everyone going in and out of the barn. Ignoring his friend, Jake ducked into the tack room to gather his things. He had a couple saddles, saddle pads, a bridal, some training instruments, and Tick Tock’s lightly worn blanket. The grooming tools and feed all belonged to his father and Jake didn’t feel comfortable taking it.

Taking a couple trips back and forth, Jake loaded all of his things into his truck bed as quickly as he could. He had nowhere else to fit it. Once he had everything of his packed, he went searching for Aleisha’s. Aleisha didn’t keep Days stall boarded, but he knew she had some items stored in one of the barns. Finding anything beyond his halter would probably have to wait until the day she could pick her car up.

Chancing a guess at one of the halters, Jake retreated back to Tick Tock. He knew Tick Tock. He knew that he would load and stay without a problem. Days was a mystery. Again, Tick Tock stuck his nose through the bars of his tall when Jake approached.

“Hey buddy,” Jake called softly to his horse. “How’re you?”

Tick Tock retracted his nose from the door so that Jake could open it and join him in his stall, halter in hand.

“We’re going to go on a road trip, but won’t be coming back here. You’re gonna have a new home, okay?”

Tick Tock lowered his head for Jake to slip his halter over his nose and ears. As Jake buckled it up, he let out a long snort.

“It’s not the prettiest barn down there, but it just needs a little help. If Aleisha lets us stay. So you put on your best act and impress her, okay?”

Jake wasn’t sure if it was because of his quicker pace than normal, or his heightened fear of his father approaching him again, but Tick Tock’s hooves sounded remarkably loud against the concrete floor of the barn. They sounded as loud outside the barns on the gravel as well. In a hurried state, Jake threw the lead rope over Tick Tock’s back and asked him to load. Within seconds, Tick Tock was in the trailer, waiting for caramels. Jake administered them from the other side of the trailer while securing him in for the trip. Next came Days.

The trek out to the pasture where Snow Day Today and Remember My Wish was a fairly long one. “Days!” Jake called. The horse twitched his ear at him, but didn’t otherwise move. Wish picked his head up from the grazing spot pawed from the snow, and then promptly lowered it again. Jake knew that Aleisha could get Days to canter right up to her, but he was obviously not her.

Opening the gate, the halter and lead rope for Days slung over his shoulder, he picked his way through the field to get to the horses. Wish spun and found a new patch of snow to disturb for greens. Days finally acknowledged Jake with a great, sniffing muzzle. Jake almost ran into the plush flesh of his lips. “Oh hi!” he called, taking a step backwards. “We’re going to go on a little trip, buddy.” Days followed him, getting as close as possible to Jake’s face without knocking him over. Every deep breath pushed moisture into Jake’s face. “Thanks,” Jake said ungraciously. Seemingly satisfied, Days lowered his face and pushed at Jake’s pockets, effectively frisking him. “God,” Jake admonished. He held up the halter. “I really don’t have time for this.”

Days knew the sight of the halter and what it meant. Whatever work Aleisha did do with her horse appeared to have paid off. Jake had him haltered up and out of the field within moments. Loading him up was almost as easy. He wasn’t as obedient as Tick Tock and didn’t load himself, but it was close enough. Following Jake into the trailer was like following him anywhere else.

As soon as he was inside and immobile, Days starting frisking Jake for treats again. “Okay, okay!” Jake cried, pulling a caramel out of his pocket. He handed it over to the horse, whom was very fond of slobbering things. “Here you go!” Tick Tock gave Jake a side eye as he watched one of his favorite caramels disappear into the mouth of another horse.

Jake threw the each a couple flakes of hay, checked the trailer over for safety issues, and started his truck up again to leave. As he pushed the truck into drive, he saw his father standing in the doorway of the house. When he went back inside, Jake didn’t know. Nor did he care. Instead, he was on his way to what was hopefully his new, albeit temporary, home.

Jake used the rest of the day to unload the horses, pick up a ridiculously priced bale of hay from a local farm store, and then unwind.

The following morning, Jake finally decided to confront Aleisha. He knocked to no avail. Holding in a breath, he tried the door to find it unlocked. Swinging it open, he stepped inside. He room was relatively plain. The few accents it had were ore frilly and girly than he expected from Aleisha, but that was enough to show him how little he knew about this girl. “Aleisha!” he called. He strode over to the window beside her bed and flung the dressings open. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake; he needed her to keep him around.

Murky light from the permanently overcast winter sky permeated the room. Aleisha groaned from under the covers. Jake turned to face the haphazard clump. “Nope you’re done. I appreciate this is a hard hit, but I can’t let you mope in here forever.”

“Jacob?”

“Jake,” he corrected. “Get up. Days needs to see you.”

“Days?” Aleisha grumbled.

“Are you decent?” Without waiting for an answer, Jake grabbed the covers and pulled them away. She appeared to be wearing the same clothes she had when they first arrived at the house. Of course, Jake didn’t have a lot to ridicule her on, considering he only had the one set of clothes until the day before. At least she was clothed. Jake didn’t need to see anything more. “C’mon. You’ll feel better moving around. Trust me.”

“Why are you still here?” Aleisha asked drowsily. She rolled over, squinting heavily at his face.

Jake’s heart caught in his throat. He was about to be homeless. “I still ned to bring you back to my dad’s farm to get your car,” Jake replied smoothly. He’d bring up his homelessness problem at a later time. Right now, he couldn’t risk to anger her. She didn’t move. Her legs faced away from him, her torso twisted so that she could look him in the face. Her eyes gradually adjusted to the winter light from outside.

Jake sighed and sat down on the bed beside her. “Look, I know I don’t have any right to tell you what to do. I just –” He cut off quickly when she rolled over and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his leg. Her body shook ever so slightly, like she was having a difficult time breathing. Feeling awkward, Jake reached around and rubbed her on the back between her shoulders. It took him a minute to realize she was crying. He allowed her the emotional release, unsure of what else he should do.

After a couple minutes, Aleisha pulled away. Her eyes were puffy and wet, and her cheeks carried the pattern of his jeans. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled. She sat upright with effort, putting a little more distance between the two of them. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. I’ve been such a terrible host.

“Actually,” Jake started, uncertain. He swallowed. “I got kicked out of my father’s house….”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Aleisha gushed.

Jake looked away. “Might turn out to be a blessing in the long run.” He felt like he was intruding, more and more.

“What happened?” Aleisha asked quietly.

“I didn’t come home for chores the day I brought you here,” Jake told her truthfully. “Or … until yesterday. Look, I –” He felt like a beggar.

Aleisha forced a smile on to her face. She was pushing past her pain for him? “I told you, you’re welcome to stay here. I’m afraid it’s all I can do, though.”

“Tick Tock?” Jake asked. “I’ll pay for everything, of course.” He just needed permission.

“Is he still over there?”

“No,” Jake answered quietly.

“Here?”

More quietly: “Yes.”

“Good.” She extracted herself from her delicate state to quickly, Jake almost felt like he should have bothered her sooner.

“Days, too. I kinda stole his trailer.”

“So long as he doesn’t hunt you down and trespass here, that’s your business. You and your dad didn’t get along?” She hugged her knees, physically holding herself together. Maybe she was only putting up a mask for her state. She appeared to be brightening up quickly, but she still wasn’t completely here.

Jake scanned her room, looking for something else to focus on. The decorations around the room looked too young for Aleisha. “No, not really.”

“I’m sorry.”

Jake immediately looked back to her. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. Don’t worry ‘bout it.” He stood up from the side of the bed, turning to offer her his hand. Aleisha stared at it for a moment before unwrapping her arms from around her legs to take it. She swung her legs around so her feet were inches from the floor, and she used his support to help her stand up.

“Breakfast? I can make, um, toast.”

Aleisha leaned her head against his shoulder. Whatever barriers she had erected between the two of them from placing him as a faraway idol quickly dissipated. Jake would rather her treat him as an equal than a superior anyway. He was glad that she didn’t take his intrusion as a problem, at the very least. He needed to make sure he didn’t cross any lines. He was certain he was toeing them before this interaction.

“Is there any milk?” Aleisha asked. “I wouldn’t mind a plain bowl of cereal.”She followed him, refusing to let go, through the house to get to the kitchen.

“Uh, yeah. I bought some a couple days ago, so it’s still good.”

“You know how grandparents have a knack for finding food that you’ve never seen before in your life? Either they make it or it’s some off brand hidden in the dark depths of the grocery store?”

Jake couldn’t say he knew what she was talking about, but the question turned out to be rhetorical.

“My grandma was great at that, especially with cereal. Eating it will be like returning home.” The thought brought another wave of grief, so she buried her face back in his shoulder.

Jake delicately lead her to the counter nearest the refrigerator, making sure she would stand on her own before gathering the things she would need for her bowl of cereal. He’d gotten fairly good at navigating the kitchen while she barricaded herelf in the room. He set a bowl and spoon next to her, and then moved to open the fridge door in one smooth movement. Taking out the milk, he set it down next to the arrangement of dishes. Aleisha grabbed the cereal. Her grandmother had it stored in a tall transparent tub above the fridge with no indication of what was inside.

“I’m sorry I left you all alone the past couple days,” she apologized after she settled down to eat.

Jake waved his hand. Her couple of days was a little off base, but he didn’t mind the alone time. “Don’t worry about it. I managed to get a few things done while you were in your room. I’ll take you out to see once you’ve finished your breakfast.”

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Aleisha asked. She suddenly looked very concerned over his lack of food.

“Already had a little somethin’ before I woke you up,” Jake assured her.

“I wasn’t really asleep,” Aleisha admitted. “I don’t now if I’ve really slept the entire time we’ve been here. I’ve felt so tired and depressed, but I’ve only had fitful naps. I usually just end up laying there, eyes open or closed, day dreaming or something.”

“All the more reason you need to get moving,” Jake said. “You have a life ahead of yourself. Honor your grandparents by living it.”

Aleisha cracked a small smile. “Hai, sensei Jacob Fuller.”

“Finish up,” Jake encouraged with a roll of his eye. “There are animals in that barn that really want to see you.”

“Animals?” Aleisha echoed.

“Days and those blasted cats. Can’t get anything done with those fuzzy rags prowlin’ about.” Even after Jake spent money on food for them, they continued to follow him around the barnyard.

“How many?” Aleisha asked. She sounded excited.

“Three.”

She gave an unconscious shrug, a little disappointment curbing her excitement. “What colors?”

“One black, one most white with colored points, and a calico.”

“Aww, my babies. That’s Marble and Lily for sure. The black could be a couple different cats,” Aleisha told him. “There used to be a couple more hanging around, but I bet you would have seen them around with those three if they were still here.” She drank the milk from the bowl and brought it over to the sink. “So what kind of things did you get done?”

Jake grabbed her coat from beside the door and held it up for her to get it on. She held out her arms to slip them into the sleeves and pulled the zipper closed to keep in the warmth. While she dealt with getting her shoes on, Jake got dressed for the weather as well. They exited the house together. Jake led the way, following the path he’d already carved through the snow to the barn. He opened the door for Aleisha and stood aside for her to enter.

Aleisha flicked on the light, but it didn’t do much good. Most of the light Jake used to see by came through the windows or door from outside. She had to stand stationary for a moment until her eyes adjusted to the dimness inside.

Days, upon realizing Aleisha stood there along with Jake, let out a long whinny.

“Hey, buddy!” Aleisha called. She held out her hands as she strode over to the stall. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long.” She reached through the bars of the door to scratch at his nose. Even in his enthusiasm, Days didn’t appear to like the nose attention as much and pulled his face away. “Brat,” she giggled.

She then walked over to Tick Tock’s stall, greeting him as well. Jake couldn’t help but smile at the tenderness she showed the pumpkin pony as opposed to her own pony. Jake accepted it as sensible, considering that he and Tick Tock were unobtainable demi-gods at his father’s barn. He still couldn’t believe that that was how she viewed the two of them. There was more to life than inside the dressage arena, even for Jake and Tick Tock.

“You did a great job,” Aleisha said, more clearly than the soft words she spoke to Jake’s horse.

“What?” Jake asked, having been pulled out of his own thoughts.

“The stalls,” she clarified. “They look nice. They haven’t looked this nice since I was a little girl. As the horses disappeared from the farm, they took bits and pieces of the barn with them. Not just the tack and warm bodies, but the spirits of the horses seemed to hold this barn together. Without the horses, things fell apart. You gave the barn its life and purpose back.” She turned around to fully face him. “Thank-you.”

Jake shifted. “Uh, that’s not all. Grab Days.” Jake reached for Tick Tock’s halter, entered his stall, and slipped it on. Leading him out, he attached a lead rope and dropped it to the ground. Tick Tock, groomed for show, needed his blanket. He threw it on and latched it into place within seconds.

Jake and Tick Tock led the way out the barn, and then to the nearest pasture he had patched up. “I walked it last night to double-check everything’s tip-top,” he explained to Aleisha. “Does it matter if Days goes first or not?”

Aleisha shook her head. “Jake, I don’t know what to say.”

Again, Jake shrugged her off. “Nothin’. Just givin’ me a place to stay until I figure things out is enough.” He opened the gate, led Tick Tock through, and released the lead from his halter. “I should be the one sayin’ thank-you.”

“Where have you been sleeping?” Aleisha asked with a blink. She released Days behind Tick Tock, then stepped through the gate to watch them.

“On the couch,” Jake replied. It sounded more like a question than a reply, as if the answer was obvious. He nodded his head in the direction of the barn with intentions of throwing the horses a couple flakes as they sorted themselves out.

Aleisha’s eyes widened. “Oh. I’m so sorry.” She followed back to the barn, wringing her hands together. “I should have made up a room for you.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. Speaking of sleeping arrangements, you keepin’ your teeny bedroom you’e always had, or you gonna claim the master bedroom as yours?”

Aleisha tore her eyes away from him, watching the snow crunch under her feet. “It feels wrong.”

Jake licked his lip, careful of the crusted over split. “Even though this is your house now? You gonna stay here or go back to MSU?”

“I’m staying,” she said with fierce finality. “Something about staying feels … right. It needs to be rejuvenated and brought back to its formal glory. My dream was to work with horses ever since I was a little girl. My grandpa is making it reality in his dying wish. I can’t shoot him down.”

Jake nodded as he grabbed a flake for each horse. “And you’re sure I can stay?”

“Of course!” Aleisha said quickly. “I can’t help but feel responsible for being part of the reason you got kicked out. Plus, I could use you around here.” She paused, her eyes losing focus as if she were thinking about something big. Like she was recalling a plan she had mulled over for a good period of time. “Look, I was thinking…. I can’t pay you or anything because even with inheritance, I’m a little broke. But I can give you and Tick Tock a place to stay in exchange for your help around the barn? And, once spring comes along, we can build an arena and you can start making your own money around here by giving lessons or something?”

Jake stopped in the doorway of the barn in surprise. She wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t mind him staying. She went from avoiding him around the barnyard to inviting him into her home to stay within a matter of days.

“It’s a better deal than I got at my dad’s,” Jake told her. “Do you plan on boarding horses, too?”

“Of course,” Aleisha said. “How many good stalls do I have?”

“Just the two at the moment, but I can have the others fixed up real quick.” He continued out the door, his eyes finding the horses as soon as they were within sight again.

“Right. I have the pastures on top of the paddocks, but I think I’ll keep a look out for eight boarded horses. If they want pasture kept, that’s fine, but I don’t want more than one horse per stall on this property. At least not yet. I’ll have to go through my grandpa’s old connections to see if anyone has some hay they can bring over me and stock up the barn.”

“I got a few bales from a local farmer off Craigslist, but I don’t got a lot’a money left.”

Aleisha pressed her lips together. “Sorry. I really appreciate you feeding Days and taking care of things. I’ll pay it back to you.” She watched as Jake threw the hay over the fence.

“How many acres is this farm built on?” he asked out of mild curiosity.

“A hundred, give or take.”

“Damn.”

“A good thirty or so is wooded with trails. I’ll show you around some day.” She paused, watching Days come up and nose one of the flakes into the snow. “It’s not like it’s a maze back there or anything. It’s fairly easy to find your back to the yard once you want back. You’re welcome back there any time. We’ve never leased the land out to hunters.”

“Thanks.”

“Way I see it, what’s mine is yours.” She let out a breath and headed back toward the house, her hands deep into her pockets. “So I think I’m going to call around for the hay tomorrow, and if I find someone that can help us out, I’ll head over to library and put up an ad to find some boarders. My grandparents never really learned what the internet was. It was too much to get them cell phones. They still have a landline.” She chuckled. “There’s something so cozy about technology dated in our childhood. It’s amazing how much things have changed the past few years.”

“Are you sure ‘cozy’ is the right word?” Jake asked. “I think you mean ‘familiar’. I’m not sayin’ a flip phone is from when I was a kid, but whenever I had people to talk to, it was downright annoying when they’d rather send a text than call. What makes people think texting is a more efficient way of communicatin’?” He wouldn’t admit that he’d sent his dad a text rather than call when he wasn’t going to make it for chores. That was a different story.

Aleisha’s eyebrows shot up and her lips tucked in, like she was holding in a laugh. “Why don’t I formally show you to your room?” she asked as she let them back inside the house. “Consider it yours. Do what you need to do to it to make it feel like home.” She kicked off her shoes, shrugged off her coat, and crossed over the living room to the hallway. There, she opened up the door that belonged neither to her room or the bathroom.

The room was rather plain and a touch small. It had a small dressed tucked against the wall, leaving just enough space for a double bed to stretch out across the middle. The quilt was old and worn, but completely functional. A nightstand hugged the opposing corner of the room, completing the furnished feel. Drape hung down from behind the bed, concealing one window, to give the illusion of a little more space.

“Thanks,” Jake said. He brushed past her to feel the firmness of the bed. It was a little old and protested the pressure, but it would still beat the couch.

“Closet –” Aleisha pointed to the double-wide door behind the main door “-dresser, bed, and the rest is up to you. If you want, you can come with me when I got to the library to pick up some paint.”

“What? No,” Jake said quickly. “That’s not necessary. This is fine. I’ll only be spendin’ nights in here anyway.”

Aleisha shrugged. “It’s up to you. Um … wanna take me shopping so I can make us dinner? We’re probably going to have to make another trip to grab my car.”

Jake tossed a smile in her direction. “Sure, let’s go.”

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