Muscle on muscle, plus a height taller than my own. His eyes were the same shade as Clay's but his seemed more serious than anything. I patted my lap a second time to make sure I hadn't ruined my jeans. He was extremely intimidating, almost like a buff drill sergeant that you were scared to say one word to. Clay's father Ray was definitely a person you didn't want to run in to in a dark alley way of New York City.
Clay's hand tightened around my mine, letting me know that everything was alright. "I remember you" his father suddenly spoke. "You're Philip's little girl, aren't you?"
"Yes" I squeaked.
He smiled, urging us to come further into their back yard where he was cooking burgers on a fairly large charcoal grill. "It's good to see you then Charlotte, way to make me feel old. You were so little the last time I saw you."
"Dad, please don't embarrass her" Clay begged. "Isn't frightening her with your looks bad enough?"
His father innocently grinned in response. He was like those big teddy bears you can buy around Valentine's Day. "I didn't scare her too much, she's still here after all."
Clay tugged me toward one of the picnic tables covered in a red and white checkered table cloth. Their place was actually extremely beautiful. It was just as old as the young family's home, but better. When you come in through the drive way, you pass the hand built, thigh high stone wall that makes everything look magnificent. It just went perfectly with the small two story off white farmhouse, with green shutters and a beautiful front porch with a additional porch swing.
If you keep following the rocky path instead of turning right to stop at the house, it led you passed an open field where you saw cattle happily grazing on the plain, and it was a dead end gravel driveway that stopped at their green and white barn. It truly was a gorgeous place.
Clay and I took a seat at the closest picnic table and were soon accompanied by Jax. I met him before his father, and I had to say, the boy was too cute for his own good. Avery had been right about his freckles and hair not matching, it was still too adorable to even care. He had a beautiful smile like his father and brother, I could hardly believe how handsome of a boy he was.
"Show Charlie the necklace Jax" Clay told him when he sat across from us.
Jax reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a silver chain with a horse pendant on it. Avery was beautifully carved into the silver, announcing to the world that it was hers. "That's beautiful Jax" I told him with a smile.
His cheeks colored a deep shade of red, showing how flustered he was over the situation. He wanted to show her how much he liked her. I thought it was a sweet thing to do. Hopefully Brant never asks where it came from. Jax tucked away the necklace into his pocket for safe keeping before he asked, "Is she really going to be here?"
"She seemed excited about it, so I'm guessing yes. Actually, she seemed excited about seeing you more than anything." He nervously straightened out his plain t-shirt, hoping he looked alright.
"Baby bro, Avery could care less about what you're wearing. You've known she's been crushing on you for years, your clothes aren't going to change her mind."
Jax then did a pit check to make sure he put on deodorant. By the look on his face, he had completely forgotten. He excused himself from the table and hurried off to freshen up even though we still had a little while before people started showing up.
"We should probably get started on that peach cobbler Charlie. Are you ready?"
I hesitantly nodded in reply to Clay, letting him pull me up from the bench we had comfortably been sitting on, and into the dainty kitchen where our fresh peaches were ready to be sliced and cobblered.
He grabbed us some aprons to wear to keep our clothes from getting dirty. I got his mother's old apron. With pride I wore the worn cooking garment, it gave me an amazing feeling. I didn't understand why he would let me wear something so precious, but he insisted that I wear it. "Alright beautiful assistant of mine, preheat the oven to three-fifty while I prepare the peach mixture."
I saluted him and walked over to the stove. I may not know how to make a cobbler, but I did know how to turn an oven on. I stared at the buttons, choosing them carefully in order to get the right result. "Get it?" he asked behind me. A smile tugged on my lips when his arms hugged my waist.
"Are you always this cuddly with the help?" I asked.
I turned around in his arms, trying not to get too charmed like earlier when his playful green eyes looked into mine. "Seeing that my brother is the one that normally helps, nope."
I laughed a little, bashfully tucking some hair behind my ear. He leaned down to my exposed ear, his warm breath luring me in closer to his chest. "I've got to stick the pan in the oven, but I don't want to because it would involve letting you go" he murmured. "And I quite like you in my arms Charlie."
He pulled his face away from my ear, the smile on his lips making my cheeks catch fire. Reluctantly he let me partially go. His hand wrapped around my own, holding on as he grabbed the glass cooking pan with a stick of butter inside with his free hand. I opened the oven door for him so he could stick it inside, and then he held onto me while we waited for the butter to melt.
"Charlotte?" he started while checking the peaches on the stove. "This Chanel woman that's engaged to your dad, do you think she's actually going to marry him? For your sake I'm hoping not, but what if she does? You can't stay there, you'll be miserable."
What would I do if my father married her? Clay was right, I wouldn't be able to stay with them because it would be nothing but conflicts. "I'd have to find a place I suppose" I answered.
His eyes shaded a dark worry. "You're only seventeen Charlotte, you do not need to be living alone. I can tell you're an independent girl, but honestly I think that a girl should be under the wing of her parents until she gets married, but that's me. A girl should never be unprotected, especially if she is you."
I lightly hit his arm at his terrible flirting. He just smiled and took the peaches boiling off the burner. I stood back and watched as he worked his magic by making the cobbler. He filled the pan full of melted butter up with the peaches and other magical mixtures, then stuffed it into the oven. A man who bakes, it was actually kind of sexy.
"You didn't pass out or scream when you saw my dad, you know what that means, right?" he randomly brought up.
"I'm super macho?" I answered. I flexed, frowning a little when not a one muscle formed. I really need to start working out again. When I hit middle school, I became obsessed with loosing weight, but never abused it. I didn't lose it for any other reason but to be healthier, and once it was gone I stuck by it until all of this Chanel stuff started happening, along with working.
"Put those things away before someone gets hurt Charlie." He gave a grin. "By you not freaking out over my dad means that hopefully I'll get to take you on another date soon." He gave me a look of pure hope and wanting, one that made me nervously fiddle with the hem of the apron. Brant was going to kill me!
I tore my eyes away from him at that thought. "Charlotte don't worry about Brant! If he doesn't understand, that's not your fault. I like you, please give me a chance."
He held my face in his hands, beautifully smiling at me in a way that made my knees wobble and my heart wildly flutter in my chest. "We won't talk about it now, I'll give you time and call you tomorrow for an answer."
He untied my apron and insist I come watch TV with him. I didn't see what the big deal about watching TV was, but I soon found out that their source of entertainment was watching home movies instead of the newest show on cable.
Clay Holt was an adorable little blond ten years ago. On the video slides that played on the twenty inch television, they revealed the sight of a little boy who loved to ride horses. The only thing that would show up on the screen was him and a horse.
Not so subtly, Clay stretched his right arm over the back of the couch behind me. I smiled to myself, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He was focused on the TV screen, but the smile that slowly tugged upward onto his lips said something. It couldn't have been over the slides that were changing on the screen.
"You were a cute kid" I complimented when a video of him and Jax started to play. It showed him and his brother planting some things by hand in the garden I remembered going to earlier today with him.
"Eh, Jax was cuter. Look at his face" Clay urged. I focused on his brother, trying to decide who was cuter. It was a tie really. They both had those enchanting green eyes that made you second guess every word you say just in case you might have accidentally said something hurtful.
"You both are cute." Jax was probably seven making Clay ten, and they both had baby faces. The screen then flashed to Clay and a extremely familiar brunette boy with sparkling blue eyes that went along with his dazzling boyish grin. "Brant" I breathed. I grabbed the remote and paused the video.
It was the Brant that I use to know. He was in his own fantasy like always. The little cowboy looking back at me didn't seem to have a flare of anger in him, not even with Clay's arm draped over his shoulder. "Do you want to know why Charlotte?" Clay randomly asked. I turned my gaze onto him. "Do you want to know why he hates me?"
I wanted to know so much, but I didn't want know unless Brant told me. Whatever it was, whether it was Brant's or Clay's fault, they definitely shouldn't have held on to the grudge stick. "How about we go check on Jax, he's been in his room for a pretty long time."
Clay shut off the television, tossing the remote onto the couch while I stood up to advert the conversation elsewhere. Hopefully Jax wasn't anxious about tonight. I was sure Avery was going to love the necklace he had gotten her, not because it was pretty, but simply because it was from him. Young love, it was so beautifully awkward.
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Guest were arriving right from left. I seem to have been the main attraction, that, and everyone was interested in what I was to Clay. They came up and asked if we were dating, Clay simply hid our joined hands and told them that we weren't. It wasn't very convincing since everyone had already seen his left hand comfortably in my right, but they didn't question it as they walked away.
The cookout was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The food was good, especially the peach cobbler, and the laughter happening around us was harmonic. Ray and a couple other guys played their guitars so others could dance by a fire, Clay and I were one of those couples.
Everyone was friendly, I even recognized some people from all those years ago. Some remembered me, some didn't but remembered my parents. I mostly stayed at the Young resident when I was little, it was the only place I felt safe.
Just thinking about the Young family made my heart twist. It was already an hour into the cookout and they weren't here. Anxiously I took a seat at a picnic table, sadly smiling at Clay when he asked if I was alright. "They're not here yet" I explained.
He rested his hand on the top of my head, giving my cranium a little pat to cheer me up. "They'll be here" he told me with a confident smile.
"Charlotte!"
I looked up to Ray as he rushed over to us. Ray easily pulled me up to my feet. "One of the cows at the Young farm is having a calf, they called and thought you might want to be there."
A baby cow was being born? Ray handed me a set of keys, urging me to follow him. I looked to Clay, he looked back with an intriguing dazzling expression. "Thank you Clay, for today" I said gratefully. I stood on the tips of my toes, quickly giving his cheek a kiss before I turned to follow his father.
Ray and I jogged around the house to a small white Toyota truck parked in the driveway. "Drive carefully Charlotte, the deer are dangerous even when driving a short distance."
I thanked Ray as he opened the door to the truck and hurried me inside. He saw me off with a wide grin that explained everything. I was about to witness a miracle. Into the night I drove to the Young's house that took less than thirty seconds by vehicle.
When I arrived back at the house, I hurried to the barn behind the house since there was a light on inside. A moo of distress made me walk faster in anticipation. I couldn't miss this birth, I had to see it. As if I was the father about to miss the delivery of his very first child, I burst into the barn doors.
"Charlotte! Come see!" Avery demanded in joy. I excitedly ran over where Jack and Brant were knelt down next to the mother, both of them rubbing her belly and stroking her to soothe the cow in labor.
My timing was impeccable. I arrived by their side just in time to see the calf slide out of the cow's.....
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What happened? That question kept flickering in my mind as I rolled my weak body over. Someone ran their fingers through my hair when I snuggled my face into their lap. I wanted to thank them for letting me use them as a pillow, but the stench of dirt, sweat, and manure refused to let me be grateful. Even so, I didn't raise my head, I was too light headed to.
Slowly I opened my eyes, stiffening when I saw the ceiling that looked an awful like the ceiling of a barn. I let my eyes trail to the left, them resting on Brant's face. He was staring straight ahead as his fingers glided through my hair. By his serious expression, he looked deep in thought.
"What happened?" I asked aloud.
He looked down to me, scoffing at my miserable state. "You passed out when you saw the calf being born." His hand hovered in front of my face, his middle finger deciding to flick my forehead. "Stupid city girl."
I sheepishly grinned at his words. Only I would pass out at a crucial time like that. He hadn't said it in a mean manor, more like a playful teasing one, that's why I was able to softly laugh at my issues. A small moo made my head jerk to the right. I smiled when I saw the newborn calf drinking from his mother. They were only a couple yards away. Being up close to this type of nature, it was beautiful.
"Avery normally names the newborns, but she told me to tell you that you can name this one." She wanted me to name the calf? "It's a heifer."
I hit Brant's chest at the term. "I don't care if that's what they're really called, where I grew up, that's a mean word!" Brant rolled his eyes, but softly laughed in his throat. I shut my eyes and ran every girl name I could think of. "I've never had to name an animal before, any suggestions?"
My eyes opened when his finger trickled down my nose. He stared at me in thought, racking his own brain for the perfect name. "How about Celeste, after celeste blue? Your eyes are the exact same shade of it."
The name was perfect, and I liked the reason behind it. "Celeste it is" I sighed. He slightly smiled at me, his fingertips brushing up against my cheek when he pulled some hay out of my hair.
When I looked at Brant, I couldn't tell what was on his mind. It looked like everything in the world was rushing through his eyes making it impossible to keep up. He was secretive, angry, happy, sad. One wrong word could trigger any emotion he had, but more than likely it will be anger.
"I know that it was a date" he confessed. "And I was going to make a scene about it, but you looked happy." I was happy, it was my first date how could I have not been? I looked away from his eyes that were turning a fiery blue. The blue part of the flame will always be the hottest. Brant let out a frustrated breath. "Charlotte, I'm only saying this because I care. Clay has been through a lot, and he's never a bad guy at first, but he will hurt you."
I chewed on my lip, wondering if he was right. Brant knows Clay better than me, it would be wise if I listened to him right? Then why did I stubbornly tell myself that Brant was just being a jerk and he was just heartbroken. "I like him" I quietly whispered. "He's the first guy I've ever been on a date with."
Brant forced me to sit up, those eyes of rage igniting like always. "Fine" he quietly spat with a fake smile. "Whatever Char." He stood up to his feet, glaring down at me. "Tell me, did he use the old 'wear my mother's apron' trick?" he grumbled.
My eyes widened at the coincidence. It couldn't be, or could it? Was Clay really toying with me? The thought made my eyes burn. He was, wasn't he? My first date was ruined by a guy who thought he could have his way with me like the other girls he's probably been with.
"Charlotte, I'm sorry" Brant crouched down and brushed away a tear that fell from my eye. "I didn't mean to make you cry, please don't cry Charlotte, I suck at cheering up crying girls."
I laughed through a small sob, his worried eyes actually seeming comforting. He was still Brant, even with the changes. I remember when we were young and he had no clue as to what to do when I cried, so he bawled his eyes out because I was bawling too. "He did" I sniffled. "He pulled the deceased mother's apron trick. My first date was all fake."
Brant grabbed my hands and pulled me up to my feet. With his hand cradling my neck, he pulled me into his chest. His hand on my neck moved when he wrapped his arm over my shoulders and the other around my waist. "Don't cry Charlotte, it doesn't suit you. How about we go to the lake? The night sky looks best there and it might cheer you up."
I lifted my head to ask why, but he told me to shut up with a playful smile and dragged me away. The first thing he did was drive Ray's truck back to their house where I picked him up in the Young family's truck. I somehow stopped him from storming to the backyard to start a fight with Clay. I think my pleading eyes were mostly how I lured him into the truck. The last thing I wanted was for them to fight, even if I was hurt that Clay would do this to me, then again, we've only known each other for a day so I had no clue as to who Clay was.
Quietly Brant and I sat in the truck. I had moved over into the passenger seat and he was intently focused onto the road, I'm guessing because of the deer that Ray had been warning me about. We arrived in about three or four minutes, it was only a mile drive from the house to the lake.
He parked close to the dock then looked straight at me. I had been staring at him the whole drive. He was definitely a impossible to solve puzzle with those closed off blue eyes of his. "Alright, into the back" he bossily ordered. He reached across of me, opening the passenger door to get me started. I slid out the same time he did and managed to crawl into the bed of the truck with him.
He popped open one of the compartments on the truck's toolbox, soon handing me a pillow that we shared to rest our head under in order to gaze at the stars above. The sky was pitch black with twinkling dots scattered all across of it. When I looked at the moon, I could hardly believe that everyone on earth looks up to the same thing we do. My dad could be looking up at the moon right now even though he's thousands of miles away.
"I know we're friends Charlotte, and it might be weird, but we're counting this as your first date" Brant declared, causing me to look over at him in surprise.
Was he serious? He was right, it was a little weird, but it was definitely better knowing that I could count this as my first date instead of earlier. I didn't say much, but Brant talked away about everything as we gazed up at the stars. He admitted that he was scared to let Avery be with Jax because of Clay, he didn't want his sister to get hurt if Jax was just imitating his brother.
"Did you really not keep my drawings?" I asked when he gave me the chance to speak.
He sadly shook his head. "I don't think so. Clay lied though, I did talk about you. When you moved, you're the only person I ever talked about, even to him. Then our letters stopped, and everything vanished."
I don't even remember when the letters stopped. It had to of been around middle school after I befriended Niona and started spending a excessive amount of time with her. One of us didn't write back, but I guess it doesn't really matter. "I think it was me Char" he said with a pained look. "I started hanging out with Caroline and never responded."
I turned to my side, and over the roaring of the crickets and bullfrogs, I told him, "It doesn't matter. You were busy being happy, there's nothing wrong with that, besides, it might have been me who never responded."
He let out a laugh. "Oh please Char, you and I both know you responded, you were obsessed with me."
I didn't hesitate to grabbed the pillow under our heads and beat him with it. I didn't need him repeating things his mother already wrongfully suspects. He tore the pillow away from me, the husky cheerful laugh rumbling from him making me smile through my glare. Quickly he pulled me into his arms, holding on tight when I began to thrash about in a attempt to escape.
He got us off the truck and I screeched when he took off running full speed down the dock. With me in his arms, he tossed us both into the black abyss of the lake. I burst up out of the water and immediately grabbed Brant in fear. There was no telling what crept in this water at night.
"Relax Charlotte" he softly laughed. "I've got your back." That he did. He helped me onto the dock, out of the shockingly warm water, then pulled himself up. He gently shoved me before pulling me into his arms. "I don't care whether we forgot each other for a short time or not, I've missed you Char."
I hugged him back, nodding against his damp shoulder. "I've missed you too Brant."
There was only one problem now. How was I going to avoid his next door neighbor for the rest of my stay here? I couldn't take seeing Clay again, not after learning the true colors of him. "What am I going to do Brant?" I whispered. "I don't want to have anything to do with Clay."
Brant gave my back a friendly pat. "Trust me, you won't have to worry about that Charlotte. I'll take care of it, and I promise I won't even use my fist."
Because I'm a coward and didn't want to face this myself, I gladly accepted my friend's help with it, even if I was pretty sure his fist would eventually get involved. I was hurt, so maybe Clay should be too. It was a mean way to look at things, but he ruined my first date with his player ways and I wanted revenge.
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AN:)
Picture on the side is of the Holts! Ray is John Cena and Jax is a young actor I have forgotten the name of :/ I'll look him up again and recast!
For a dedication on the next chapters! It's Trivia Question TIME!!!
Here's The Question: What color are Charlotte's eyes??