Chapter Two - Sweet Apple Pie
"I know a place,
I know a place we can go,
Where everyone's gonna lay down their weapons."
~MUNA, I Know A Place
~~~
I woke up to knocking at my door, "Wake up, Blaine, grandma's making breakfast and we've got things to do today." My dad said.
I knew what he meant by that, we had to unpack today. I groaned but got out of bed and threw on a shirt before walking downstairs and joining my family for breakfast.
"Hey, Blaine, I know you have to start unpacking today, but I'm taking Bailey out with me to pick the apples from the trees out front and I wanted to see if you wanted to join us and take a break after a while of unpacking." My grandma offered.
"Don't let her fool you, she just wants someone to carry around the ladder and do the hard work." My grandpa butted in, smiling as he put some sausage on his plate.
I took a bite of my eggs and smiled, "I'd love to join you, even if I'm just being used." I said in mock hurt.
My grandma rolled her eyes and smacked her husband but smiled.
After breakfast I went into my room, opened my window and started unpacking, putting clothes in the closest and dresser and putting my books in the bookshelf I had in the room. I also managed to unpack a few of my photos and figures that would go on my dresser.
I was completely finished putting up my clothes and halfway done with my books and other stuff when my grandma knocked on the door.
"You ready, Blaine?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm going to change and I'll be down there." I said, grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt.
When I joined them we had to go by the shed to get the ladder and baskets.
As we walked to the trees, exposed to the son, I could feel myself start to sweat from the heat, "Why is it so hot?" I groaned, ready to be under the shade of the apple trees.
"Welcome to Texas." My grandma smiled, patting my shoulder.
Once we got to the first apple tree, I unfolded the ladder, against the tree and let Bailey go up first, I went up right behind her to make sure she didn't fall, "Hey, get her attention." My grandma said.
I tapped Bailey's shoulder and got her to look down.
My grandma began signing and speaking, "Just pick the apples on the outside of the tree, towards the center and when you pull them, roll them up and give them a twist." She informed, pausing ever so often to try to find the right word in sign language.
I had to show Bailey how to do it a few times before she could do it on her own and we picked until we filled up the basket we had on top of the ladder.
We moved to another tree and filled up another basket and then another one. Until all three baskets were filled.
Then we each carried a basket back to the house. I was sweating pretty bad, even with the wonderful breeze in the air. My basket of apples was surprisingly heavy and I still had to carry to ladder.
"Go ahead and take that ladder back to the shed, and go ahead and take an apple with you," she smiled, "Thank you for all your help. We are going to go fix up lunch." She said before taking my basket of apples, letting me grab some before they walked inside. I put one apple in my pocket and started eating the other.
The apple was kind of soft and really sweet. I had the first one finished by the time I got to the shed and was about to start on the second one as I got the door open when I saw Jaxon.
"Hey," I found myself hollering. He looked over and offered a smile, "You want an apple?" I asked, holding up the red fruit that I almost took a bite of.
"Sure, thanks." He said as I tossed it to him, "You go out and pick some apples with your grandma?" He asked, taking a bite. I nodded in reply and he smiled, "That means she's going to make some apple pie, real good apple pie. Thanks again for the apple, I'll see you around." He said and went back to work, finishing up last minute things before lunch.
I put the ladder back and walked back to the house.
When I got in the house the girls were getting out stuff to make sandwiches and slicing up some of the apples we had picked.
I washed my hands before taking a seat by my dad and Brax at the table, where Bailey and grandma were moving the sandwich stuff.
We all made our own sandwiches and began eating, my grandma sparking conversation with everyone at the table.
"Oh my," my grandma said, "I forgot to tell you, we are hosting a party this weekend. I can't believe I didn't warn y'all. I can cancel it if it is an inconvience since y'all just moved in."
My dad smiled, "Don't cancel it on account of us." My dad said, giving Braxton a bite of his sandwich, "Who all comes?"
"Half the town." Grandpa all but groaned making my dad chuckle.
"Maybe Blaine will make a few friends." My dad nudged me.
"Maybe." Grandma smiled giving me a knowing look, then she sighed, "I've gotta clean the whole house and go shopping."
"What is there to clean, mom?" My dad asked.
"I've gotta dust and sweep and mop and make sure there is enough seats inside and outside of the house." She said, listing off things.
"I think it looks fine." He said, taking his sandwich back from Braxton and taking a bite. I hated when he did that, there's no way in hell I'd eat after a slobbering baby, I loved him but it was gross.
"Well thank you." She said and took a bite of apple.
"Are you going to make your famous apple pie?" My dad asked, a hopeful glint in his eye. I had never had apple pie before, sure they had bakery's in New York that sold it but I was never much of a pie person.
"Sure am." She smiled and got up to take her empty plate to the sink, "Better start now if we want it by dinner." She said and came back to put away the sandwich stuff, which after a look from my dad, I helped with.
When I got back in the dinning room my grandpa motioned for me to follow him.
I followed him along with my dad and Braxton, who was waddling along with us.
Grandpa led us outside to the horse stables, Braxton turned to me and raised his arms, "Up bubba!" He said and I picked him up so he could have a better view of the horses as we walked through the stables.
"Have you ever been on a horse?" Grandpa asked.
I shook my head, "No."
"Well how would you like to try today?" He asked as we walked out of another set of side doors to a fenced in area.
"Sure." I smiled, I had always been interested in riding a horse, my dad used to tell me how he did it all the time as a boy.
My grandpa whistled loudly and after a minute or so a tall strong looking brown horse with white spots all over it.
"This is my paint horse, Patches," He said rubbing her neck, "She's a real good horse and trained for children and first timers like you." He smiled and motioned me to step up.
I set Braxton down and walked over to where my grandpa was standing by the large horse.
"Go on, pet her." He encouraged, so I put my hand in front of her face and her nose flared as she sniffed my palm then lifted her head up again as she allowed me to rub in between her eyes.
"Good, I'm going to go get her saddle, Peter, will you come help me?" Grandpa said getting my dad to go with him.
I continued to rub Patches, moving to her neck. Braxton saw me petting her and came up to do the same but I stopped him before he could slap her on the stomach.
"Careful," I said picking him up, "Be gentle." I said letting him get closer to Patches so he could lightly run his hand across her neck.
He smiled and turned to me when she jerked her head up and huffed.
My dad and grandpa came back with a saddle, rope and a weird leather thing that I recognized as going around the horses muzzle.
"You're not so bad with her." He said, rubbing her head before sliding on the leather contraption which he later told me was a bridle, what helps steer the animal when riding them.
He led her to a fence, tied her to it then hoisted the saddle onto her back over a blanket like thing the he had put on first. He tightened the straps with the help of my dad and once they were finished he untied her from the fence and brought her away from the fence.
He talked me through how to get on and off the horse before he let me do it. Braxton had gone back to our dad, watching as I slowly made my way onto the horse, careful not to accidentally kick her.
Once I successfully made it on to the horse I gave her a pat on the neck and nearly nearly yelped when she took a step forward, the saddle lurching to the left.
"It's okay, Blaine, I'm just going to walk her around so you get used to the way she walks." My grandpa said, taking the rope attached to the bridle and walking in a circle, slowly but surely I got used to the way that the saddle would rock with every step Patches took.
"See it's not so bad." He said, smiling.
I smiled back, "Yeah, this is actually pretty fun." I looked over at my dad who was smiling, almost as if he was proud of me.
I did it for a little longer, feeling almost invincible as I found my balance on top of the horse and looked down at every thing else.
"Maybe we can work you up to riding on your own." He smiled.
"Maybe, I really liked that, thank you." I offered to help him take off the saddle and bridle but he waved me off and told me to go inside and check to see how my grandma was doing with the pies and to finish unpacking.
My dad ended up helping with taking everything off of Patches and they washed her, I took Brax back to the house with me.
I walked into the kitchen to find Bailey and my grandma making the pies, two of them and in quiet big pans.
"You come to help?" Grandma asked.
"Just to check on you two, I've gotta finish unpacking." I said, then watched as Bailey signed to me, Did you get to ride a horse?
Figuring my grandma told Bailey what I had gone out to do I nodded and she smiled and turned to grandma, Do you think I can ride a horse?
Of course, grandma signed and smiled.
I took the chance and walked up to my new room to finish unpacking.
It didn't take too long, by the time my dad came knocking on the door to tell me dinner was ready I had finished and had folded empty boxes on my floor.
When I got downstairs my grandma spoke, "We are going to be eating dinner outside tonight, I made enough for everyone." She said as she handed me a huge dish and we walked outside where all the ranch hands and my family were, putting food on their plates and taking a seat at one of the many tables around the pool.
I set the food on the table that held all of the food then grabbed a plate myself and went to the end of the line.
After I had my food I looked around for a place to sit, I felt like it was my first day of high school all over again. My dad had Brax sitting beside him as he talked to two men, they seemed to be friends from high school. Bailey was at a table with a burly man and my grandpa, happily signing away. I was surprised when the burly man signed back.
I finally settled on a seat across from Jaxon, he was sitting at a table by his self, I saw his mom at another table with a few men.
"Hey," I greeted as I sat down.
"Hey," He smiled, "How was your day?" He asked.
"Good, I rode a horse for the first time and I finished unpacking. What about you?"
"Well my day was like other days, I worked. But this is the highlight of my day," I was foolish and let my mind wander to thoughts of talking to me being the highlight of his day before he finished, "Your grandma's apple pie is so good, you ever had apple pie?"
I shook my head, "Never."
"You've been missing out." He smiled and took a bite of his food.
We talked a little more, finishing the food on our plates before we both got up and got a plate of apple pie.
He watched patiently as I took a piece of the small triangle of pie I had gotten from on of the pans and brought it to my mouth, taking it between my lips and chewing.
It took a minute for my taste buds to pick up on the flavors I tasted. The apple pie was sweet and the crust was a nice contrast to the sweet flavor of the filling and I thought the chunks of apple would make me hate the dessert, but it only made it better.
"So do you like it?" He asked, finally taking a bite of his own pie.
I nodded, "It's really good, now I know why you were so excited for it."
"Every time she makes apple pie she makes enough for everyone on the ranch because everyone loves it." He informed me.
That was sweet of her to do that, my grandma was a really sweet woman.
Jaxon and I talked the rest of dinner until everyone started going back to their home to get some sleep.
Before Jaxon and I could part ways he stopped me, "Hey, tomorrow's my day off, I was wondering if you'd like to trail ride. I usually do it by myself, but I figured since there's another person my age here we could go together."
I smiled, "That'd be great, thank you."
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said and walked in the direction of his house.
I turned around and helped clean up before going to take a shower and sleep.