Flutter-Field Ranch

Chapter 7

The White Mare is waiting for me and I carefully jump onto her back, waving to everyone as she takes a much calmer pace through the trees back toward the Ranch where I had no doubt Drew and everyone were still trying to find me and the Mare. It was more relaxing riding the Mare back, she wasn't going at full speed like before, so I was really able to take in the beauty of the large amount of wooded area that we had passed through.

"I understand that you wanted me to meet my fellow Fae, but let's not frighten anyone the next time. Alright?" I murmur to the mare as I hold onto her mane gently since the other Fae had removed the ropes from around her face, "And I'll just tell the others that I took the ropes off because they were too tight on you... that the pain was why you ran off the way you did. That and all the excitement going on around the ranch since I arrived."

We continued our way back, having a one sided conversation from what others would see and hear, and I became rather fond of the Mare as she carried me back to the Ranch. I knew when we were close because I could hear Drew and the others calling out for me as they tried to figure out how to maneuver their way through the trees... all the while not really making any progress at it.

"Diane! Diane can you hear me!" Drew shouted louder than any of them and I rolled my eyes slightly even though I felt my heart swell at the fact that he seemed to care even a little bit.

"I think the whole wood can hear you Drew!" I shouted back as the Mare and I emerge from the trees in a calm manner and walk over to join the rest of them, "I swear it's how Snow here made her way back."

"You're okay? You're not hurt? Wait, who's Snow?" Drew started asking me questions and I barely managed to catch them all because he was speaking so fast.

"Drew, this is Snow... my new favorite Mare ever, and yes we're both doing just fine." I laugh at him lightly as Snow tosses her head at the sound of the new name that I've given her, "This isn't my first time on a horse that was got spooked... is everyone else alright? I know she ran off quicker than everyone expected."

"They're all fine, and you're just insane." He grumbles as he paces along side me as we head back to the main barn at an easy pace.

"Then you're just as crazy because you were still worried about me." I tell him a I playfully punch his arm.

"I wasn't that worried." He instantly protests and I just roll my eyes at him.

"Sure you weren't... that's not why you were the loudest one calling out for me when I came through the tree line." I teased him before kicking Snow gently in the ribs and taking off ahead of him toward the barn.

I could hear him still trying to protest a bit as I took off, but the words were drowned out by the thundering of hooves as Snow and I basically pranced our way to her new barn stall... the one that they had left empty for which ever horse that I was going to end up getting for myself. This stall now belonged to Snow because she was just as much mine as I was hers. That's how best friends worked in my opinion.

"I see you brought home our one and only troublemaker."

"She's not a troublemaker, she just likes having space to run freely and to be herself." I reply with a smile as I accept one of the brushes she brought with her and I started brushing Snow's side and flanks gently, "I don't think she really likes the idea of being cooped up so much... now she won't have to worry about it anymore because she can show me around the ranch the best way anyone should explore such a large expanse of land."

"Sounds like you two were meant to be partners then." She laughs as she gently brushes Snow's other side.

"Certainly feels that way." I smile brightly and then look over my shoulder when I hear Drew and the others entering the barn shortly after.

After taking care of Snow by brushing her, feeding her and making sure that she had fresh water, I made my way back to the house and found Sam, Cole and Rachel all huddled up on my bed with their school books between them. I nodded at the fact that they were taking my words this morning seriously and started unboxing my office supplies... starting with the new corner desk that I had found. It was shaped like an "L" and fit into the far corner perfectly after I had moved the rest of the boxes and supplies to either the foot of my bed or to the window seat. By the time that I had finished putting together the new desk, with a little bit of help from the teens in exchange for my help with some of their questions, Drew was knocking on the wall as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Hey, busy bees dinner is ready now." Drew tells us, his eyes trailing my every move as I was double checking to make sure that the desk wasn't going to fall apart once I stepped away.

"Good job with your homework guys, I think we've gotten you ahead in most of your classes and almost caught up in a few others." I comment as I then brace myself to move the desk that had already been in the room up against the new one so that they were right next to each other with the "L" portion separating the two of them, "Go eat and we'll discuss the truck and anything else afterwards before bed."

The teens packed up their belongings, hurried out of the room and I was shocked to find that Drew was still there because when I was beginning to lose my grip on one of the large printers, he stepped forward to take it from me all together and set it where I had been going to put it.

"Come on, I'll help you out with this some before bed after we go and eat so that we have the strength to set up your office." Drew chuckles at me teasingly as he turns me around and guides me by my shoulders out of the room.

"You don't have to do that." I tell him as I roll my eyes a bit before walking on my own out of the room and toward the stairs.

"I know." He replies and it causes me to look at him as I stand at the top of the stairs and continues toward me, bending down to speak into my ear just as he's passing me by, "I want to."

I feel a blush try to crawl it's way along my cheeks, surprised that my heart was beating as hard as it was and quickly covered my reaction as he looked over his shoulder at me with an overly confident smirk on his face. I shook my head slightly, smiling back at him and following him the rest of the way to where dinner was being served in the kitchen.