On the Outskirts

Four

~Sadie~

Dad had, graciously, given me this morning off and demanded I take Hallie to the park and to get ice cream before I bring her back, shoving way too much money into her hand because he knows for a fact I wouldn't take it from him. He's already doing too much. 

"Pops said I have to treat you to ice cream." Hallie pulled on my hand, far too excited to get to the shop. "What flavor are you getting?"

"Your mom's gonna get one scoop of raspberry, one scoop of birthday cake." Brynn answered far too quickly. "I'm getting rocky road." 

"What's that?" Hallie stopped dead in the middle of the pavement, dropping my hand and turning to face Brynn who, I'm sure, loved Hallie like she was her own flesh and blood. 

"You can't have it baby." 

"What? Like hell you'll be prohibiting the God's gift of rocky road from my niece." Brynn shoved me, grabbing Hallie's hand and striding into the shop quickly. "It's chocolate ice cream with marshmallows and nuts in." 

"I can't have that." Brynn turned to me offering a firm scowl before turning to Hallie. "Right mom?" 

"Right." 

"Why the hell-" 

"She's allergic to nuts Brynn. Super allergic." 

"I have to use a special pen if I eat them." Brynn stood up quickly but Hallie was completely unphased, running over to the glass and peering at the huge range. 

"I could have killed your kid with ice cream." 

"Don't worry about it. I almost did kill her when I gave her peanut butter for the first time when she was like 8 months old and then when we tried to reintroduce it when she was 5." Brynn stared at me and I forced a smile, tapping her arm. "Don't worry about it." 

Hallie pointed out the flavours she thought looked good and we crossed out the ones she couldn't have, landing on blue bubble gum and a donut one that looked like a unicorn had thrown up on it. I fought a battle to get her ice cream in a cup, losing and her walking out with a cone that was gone before she got to the park, in perfect time for the sugar rush to hit in and send her barreling straight to to climbing frame. 

"Your kid has so much energy." 

"Yeah, I know." I turned to Brynn. "I'm pissed at you." 

"All I said was-" 

"Yeah, I know. I'm pissed that no fucker told me Ryder worked at the farm." Brynn smirked, turning her head back towards where Hallie was playing. "Hello?! Do you know how fucking bad that threw me off? Hal literally came running in saying there was a cowboy looking for my dad and how he looks like he belongs in a magazine." 

"Mmm. He really does." 

"BRYNN." 

"Calm down Sadie, it's not that deep." 

"Not that de- Brynn. He's working at the farm." 

"And?" 

"I work at the farm." 

"Still failing to see your point." I groaned, sending Brynn into hysterics. "How'd it go?" 

"Fucking terribly. He said he didn't know I was back in town and I just said it was a long story, as if the long story hadn't been sat on the fucking porch when he pulled up looking all-" 

"All hot as fuck?" Yes. Hot. Very, very hot. I'm still feeling dehydrated and I was only stood in his presence for less than 5 minutes. I'd stood behind the front door until I heard dad coming back inside. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night either, which I'm guessing is why dad kicked us off the farm. "Ha. Knew it." 

"I didn't say a thing." 

"You don't need to. I can see it on your face. Same way you used to look at him when you saw him around." I rolled my eyes, sinking down in my spot on the bench. "You want the details now?" 

"No." Yes. 

"Liar." I scowled but Brynn knew me all too well, even after 9 years of bare minimum conversations. "He came home after he graduated college. Hung around for a few weeks and then his mom talked your dad into giving him a job. Apparently he was super apprehensive about it and expecting Ryder to leave after a few weeks but-" She shrugged. "He kept coming back. Bought a house somewhere on the outskirts of town, keeps himself to himself. Used to go out once or twice a month with his friends from high school. Now, I've not heard a single thing about him dating anyone since he got ba-" 

"I don't want to know about his dating history." 

"Yeah you do. No one has really been saying anything about him dating someone but there was mention maybe last year or something of him having a girl over a few times. He bought some cheap roses from the flower shop, Tara in the store said he saw her at one of the bars in Cressbury with some blonde but he was super distracted, ended in them leaving early and she didn't look happy, he took off on his trip a few weeks later, been gone for just over a year." 

"He's been gone a year?" 

"I told you, you were interested." Brynn smirked. 

"What are you talking about?" Hallie made us both jump, causing me to drop my cup on the floor. "Is it the cowboy from yesterday? He was handsome. Mom didn't look happy to see him." 

"Oh didn't she?" 

"For god's sake." 

"No. She shouted at me. Mom never shouts at me. She won't tell me who he is. Do you know who he is Brynn?" 

"I do." 

"Well?" Hallie grabbed Brynn's hand. "Will you tell me?" 

"Ryder is an old friend. From when we were at school." 

"I thought you, Erin and Fallon were Mom's school friends. And if mom's friends with him, why didn't she introduce me like she introduced me to you? Do we not like Ryder? Mom, why don't we like Ryder?" I sighed. 

"No, we like Ryder Hal." 

"Then why didn't you-" 

"Did you see they've got monkey bars over there?" 

"Yes. But I want to know-" 

"Hal?" Hallie turned to Brynn. "Your mom doesn't want to talk about it babe. I think she's a little shocked at seeing Ryder again after so long because she didn't know he was here." 

"But she wasn't shocked when-" 

"When she brought you to see us?" Hallie nodded. "Because she came to see us. She knew where we'd be. But we were shocked to see her and you. Remember how we were frozen and we just stared at you both?"  Hallie nodded again. "Same thing." 

"Oh." Hallie turned to face me, bending down to pick up the rubbish that had fallen from my hands. "It's okay Mom, Pops said Ryder works for the farm so you'll know where he is next time and you guys can be friends again. You have loads of friends here. You didn't have any in Montrose." And then she skipped off. As if she hadn't just dropped a truth bomb. I could feel Brynn's eyes on me as I watched my daughter throw the rubbish away before climbing up to the monkey bars with ease. 

"You should have come home sooner Sade." I sighed, nodding my head slowly. I know.