Southern Boy Charm | ✓

Chapter 2

The stables aren't much. It is further down the dirt path, a dark wooden structure with a high-pitched roof. As I approach, the slight neighing of the horses grows more and more audible. Inside there are ten stalls, five on each side.

A white horse in the furthest stall catches my eyes. It's pearly white, its long silvery mane brushed well. When I reach it I outstretch my hand, placing it right above it's nose. It lets out a huff of protest before quickly relaxing, seemingly forgetting that I'm there.

I continue petting it, and I can't help but let out a smile. At least the horse likes up to me, unlike someone I know. I haven't done anything to Nick to deserve him to talk to me like that. Sure, my presence here may be unwanted, but it's not like I begged to come here. We're both stuck together and the least he can do is not make the summer any worse.

It's almost hard to imagine him as the toothy ten-year-old I used to know, stumbling over his own two feet. Sure, he has changed physically, his body taller and more muscular, his jaw sharp and squared, but it is his personality that did a 180. He was always so sensitive, and now? I sigh.

"What's stuck up his butt?" I ask the horse, stroking its nose. It breathes heavily, which I take as a sign of agreement.

"Yea," I mutter. "I think it's a hay bale too." The horse breathes heavily once again, and I smile. "See you get me. I think we're going to be good friends this summer."

"Are you talking to the horse?"

I whip around to see Kelly standing with her hands on her hips. Her eyes gleam with amusement.

I think about making up an excuse, but I realize that it would be pointless. I've been caught red handed. She strolls towards me, her pink flip flops kicking up dust as she walks.

"Don't worry about me, I didn't see nothing," she says, zippering her mouth. "I see you've taken a liking to Pixie." She brushes her hand through its mane. "I'm surprised, she usually doesn't fair well with strangers."

"Maybe she can naturally sense out amazing people."

"Maybe so." Her eyes gleam with a hint of sadness that quickly fades. "Did you find Nick yet?"

I bite my lip and try to make my face impassive. "Yeah I met him." The last thing I need is for an interrogation on how her son basically shunned me from the farm.

She lets out a hearty laugh. "I take it he told you to go back to wherever you came from?"

My jaw nearly drops. How does she know that? She seemingly reads my mind, answering my question before I even ask it. "Honey you couldn't hide anything if your life depended on it, and frankly, I would be more worried if he was nice to you."

A small part of me feels a tiny bit better. At least he wasn't just mean to me. "Don't worry about him, he'll warm up to you."

I highly doubt that.

"Now, why don't you go upstairs and rest, you must be beat tires. Dinner will be ready for you when you wake up." I nod my head. The drive here was exhausting, and the sluggishness of the heat wasn't helping. My eyes droop, and I practically fall asleep before we even enter the house.

The smell of barbeque wakes me up. The sun has almost set, the sky a mixture of dark red and orange, and the colors shine through my window, casting a myriad of colors on the yellow walls. I stumble out of my room, making my way down the stairs and to the kitchen. My mom and Kelly sit across from each other, talking animatedly between bites while Nick sits beside them quiet. He's the on that notices me first. His eyes locks with mine, squinting them, his face painted with annoyance, before returning his attention to the ribs in front of him. I roll my eyes. His attitude is getting old, and fast.

"Leighton," my mom says, turning around in her chair to see me. "You're finally up." I nod, approaching her from behind and wrapping my arms around her as she sat. "Yup, the nap was much needed. How long was I out for?"

"Long enough for you to skip having to help cook. You're on cleanup duty." I groan, and Kelly interjects. "Don't worry about it Syrina, Nick's got it." Nick shoots me another glare and I can't even bring myself to care anymore.

"Don't worry, Leighton's got it. We're not guests Kelly, we're family." Kelly nods and they resume their conversation. I help my self to a plate from the stove and sit down beside my mother and across from Nick. We sit in unbearably awkward silence until I can't help but say something.

"What were you doing in the barn," I ask, dipping my green bean in barbeque sauce. Kelly sure can cook. "When you were throwing around those bales of hay."

He hesitates, debating whether or not to ignore me before finally looking up at me. "I was getting it to make feed for the cows."

My brows furrow in confusion. "Can't you just buy feed?"

"Not if we want to keep our organic certification."

"Oh," I nod my head in understanding, although I'm not too sure what an organic certification entails. "Lifting all those bales must be heavy."

"They are."

"And you made feed all day?"

"Yes."

Another awkward silence passes over us, and I scrape for anything to say. "You must be exhausted."

"Yes." He clips. He doesn't answer any further. "I take it you hate conversation?"

"Right again."

"Well I hate farm boys who give me attitudes for no reason, so I guess we both like to get on each other's nerves." A hint of a smile sits on his face and I can't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.

"You're right once again. One would say you're on a roll." His answer is more than three words, and I can't help but feel that I've made a breakthrough. But before I can respond he stands abruptly, carrying his plate to the sink.

"I'm gonna go finish the feed," he says excusing himself before Kelly can give her approval. My mom looks at his retreating figure pointedly, and I know that I would be in loads of trouble if that was me.

"Hey, come back here!" Kelly calls out, Nick already half-way out the screen door. He turns back towards her. "Don't forget that you need to drive to town tomorrow to pick some things up for me."

He turns around to leave, but Kelly continues. "And take Leighton with you too."

He spins around suddenly, and I can see his jaw visibly tense. "I can go alone Mom." I try to hide the hurt panging in my chest. Being in my company isn't that bad. I guess that smile wasn't so much of a breakthrough after all.

"It's okay Kelly, I don't have to go." It would be doing both him and I a favor. If he is this crabby twenty-four seven, I most definitely do not want to be stuck in a car with him.

She shakes her head. "Nonsense, you're both going, and that's final." She shoots me and him a stern glare, and we both know that the argument is final.

He shoots me an icy glare, his eyes deadly, as if this is my fault. I shoot him one right back before turning my attention to my food again. He leaves, closing the screen door a little too hard before stalking towards the barn. I'm not surprised that he's throwing tamper tantrums like a child.

I jump into my mom and Kelly's conversation of the last season of The Bachelor, and soon all thoughts about moody farm boys and daytime trips to town leave me.