Love Finds You

Love Finds You - Part 5

Jen looked over at Aunt Gabby. She was talking to Mr. Hansen who had climbed off his horse. Zack was standing a few feet from them and she suddenly noticed he was watching her. Completely annoyed, she lifted her head and stood a little straighter. She could do this, she could do anything, she wasn't afraid. She took one step, then two, walking strategically through the mud, trying to find the driest places to step. She was doing it! She got halfway to where Annie was standing when out of nowhere, her foot sank. She looked down and gasped; her ankle was surrounded by dark sludge. Reflexively, she pulled her foot up. It came up, but her shoe stayed where it was. She cried out dramatically as she stooped over to try to pull her shoe from the mud. It was completely engulfed. Bent over, pulling on her shoe she heard something behind her. She looked to see Zack, laughing hysterically. She shot him a look that made him pull his hat over his eyes, but he continued to giggle. Her blood began to boil beneath her skin. She tugged on the shoe, one, two, three times. The fourth hard tug brought the shoe out of the mud. Unbalanced in her one six-inch heel, she teetered and finally fell straight on her butt. Blackish-brown, muddy water oozed around her and she screamed furiously.

Zack and Annie were suddenly beside her. Annie looked horrified. "Oh Jen! I'm so sorry! I don't know why I asked you to come over here in this mud. I'm so sorry!" Her apologies continued as Jen sat there in the mud, so shocked she didn't know what to do. Zack moved in, took one of her hands and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her up. Jen briefly felt the strength in his arms but chose to focus on other things.

"Were those shoes expensive?" The worry in Annie's voice was evident. "Oh, my goodness is there something we can do? Your dress, Jen! I'm so sorry! Maybe we can clean them off..."

Once again standing upright, Jen shook her shoe; little droplets of mud flung everywhere.

"Don't worry Annie," Zack said, a laughing tone in his voice, "these shoes are from a top designer... Miss Berkley probably has them insured."

Jen felt a flash of anger, the heat rose in her cheeks, and then she snapped. "You are an inconsiderate, unrefined jerk! You are arrogant and insensitive; you don't know anything about me... and you definitely don't know a thing about decent shoes!"

"You're right about that," Zack retorted, suddenly defensive. "I don't know you, which is why it is such a complete mystery to me why you would bring high heeled shoes to a place full of dirt and manure. Maybe if I knew you better, I'd understand that decision more fully."

His statement was dripping with sarcasm and Jen's fuse burst even more. "You bigheaded, stuck-up, snub-nosed, son of a b..."

"Jennifer!" Aunt Gabby said sharply, cutting her off. She had seen what happened and had made her way to their circle. "Get in the truck. I'm taking you home." Her tone was authoritative. She held her hand out to Zack, who without question gave her the keys. Taking them, she slid her arm around Jen, who had taken the other shoe off, and led her to the truck. Barefooted, she waddled through the mud. It wasn't until she was in the passenger seat that she fully assessed the damage to her apparel. Her shoes, one completely covered in mud and the other halfway so, sat on her lap. Her feet were muddy up past her ankles. Her dress was muddy from her butt to her shoulder on the left side. She was a mess and felt ridiculous. Suddenly, her eyes begin to burn, and tears formed. She wasn't used to being publicly humiliated. She held it together until they had driven down the road aways before she broke down.

Aunt Gabby said very little on the way home. Jen just sobbed pathetically. She felt awkward, but couldn't stop the tears from coming. Her clothes were ruined, but even worse, her pride had been bruised. When they reached the house, she went straight to her room and stripped. She threw her shoes in the sink and began soaking them, hoping against hope she would be able to get the dark color out. Using some spot remover and fierce determination, she worked to get the mud stains out of her dress and jacket. After two hours of scrubbing and soaking, she sat down on her bed and acknowledged her defeat. The white dress was now half brown, her bright yellow jacket was speckled with dark spots, and her expensive shoes were toast.

Red nosed and puffy eyed, she lay down on her bed, the fury growing. She hated Ohio. Hated mud. Hated cows. Hated trucks. Hated the smell of manure. But most of all, more than anything, she hated Zack LaFaye.

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