I had hit a nerve for both of them. My father hadn’t wanted to sell the property at all and now that he had finally come to terms with it, my mother thought he was selling too low. And I knew he was selling it too low. The property was over 100 acres of prime, riverfront land. It was worth millions of dollars if my father would listen to me. But if he didn’t, he was going to sell it to our neighbor for $500,000 and a handshake. I just couldn’t let that happen.
“Fine, if you want to take pictures, go take pictures, but I’m not agreeing to sell it to anyone without meeting them first. I don’t want some big corporate company as our neighbor.”
“One last thing, who should I take up there with me for the night? I need to catch the sunset and sunrise. I can bring a couple tents and we will be back in the morning.”
My mother watched me as I weaved my web for my father. She knew what was going on and just smiled as my father thought about the best options for the trip. I knew, and my mother knew, there was only one other horse that could make it out to the river and back. We also knew there was only one other man besides my father that horse would allow to ride him. The trick to getting my way with my father was to allow him to think everything was his idea. I had laid the ground work, and now it was time to let my father come to the conclusion I wanted him to come to.
“Well I guess you’ll have to take Garrett. But he’s not going to do you any good if a mountain lion shows up out there. Make sure and bring the shotgun with you.”
“Okay, I guess that will work,” I said with a flat face.
I couldn’t show my excitement and tried my hardest to keep a straight face as my father looked at my mother. I urgently looked at her in hopes that she wouldn’t ruin my plans. Because she wanted the property sold at a much higher rate than my father was looking to sell it for, I thought she would be on my side. She knew I loved taking photos and she was smart enough to understand that father’s friend wasn’t the best person we could sell our property to.
My eyes stayed locked on my mother and father as I desperately waited to see what decision they would finally come to. I couldn’t wait to get away from the ranch for a night. I also couldn’t
wait to get Garrett alone and see if he opened up to me a little bit and told me more about how he ended up with us. There was so much more to that story, I felt it every time we talked.
“Does that sound all right to you?” he asked.
“Sure, I think Garrett would enjoy the ride. He needs more practice anyways,” she laughed.
“Okay, so it’s settled. I’ll go see if he’s up for it and we will leave in an hour so we have time to get up there before sunset.”
“Please be home before lunch tomorrow so your father doesn’t worry about you,” my mother said as she hugged me. “And you behave yourself,” she whispered quietly in my ear so my father couldn’t hear her.
“Thanks, mom. Thanks, father.”
I quickly walked back over to Garrett and stood a respectable distance away from him as I told him the good news. I knew my mother and father had stepped out onto the small front porch of his office and were watching me, so I needed to put on a little show for them.
“Get ready, we are heading out to the river in an hour,” I said with a smile on my face.
It was a good thing my back was to my parents. Garrett looked at me and then over my shoulder at my father who shook his head in agreement.
“Wow, you’re good. Now follow me into the barn and give me that kiss you promised me.”
Garrett raised his hand and waved at my father and mother all while keeping a totally straight face and talking to me.
“He’s a reasonable man. Go get yourself ready and gather a couple gallons of water. Talk with Forest and he’ll help you. I’ll get the tents and rest of our things ready.”
“So let me get this straight, your father agreed to let me come out to the river with you and sleep in a tent with you?” Garrett said in bewilderment.
“I’m bringing two tents. You’ll have your personal space.”
Garrett raised his hand up to my mother and father and waived at them again as he leaned toward me and whispered again.
“Barn… now… kiss…”
“My parents are watching us,” I said in total shock but I refused to turn around and look at them.
“I’m heading to the barn to check on Buckjoy; can you help me choose the saddle?” Garrett said loudly.
“Oh my God; you’re being so obvious,” I mumbled under my breath and then followed him.
I was barely inside the barn when he grabbed me and lifted me up off the ground. He placed me on a stack of hay that was near one of the horse stalls. His hands held onto my ass and he pressed himself up against me as I laughed.
“Are you serious?” I said through my giggles. “You’re just going to lift me up like that?”
“Oh, I’m very serious,” he said.