Page 4 of The Tryst

Kat was there to meet me. “Come on,” she whined.

Kat and her twin, Abby, were younger than me by two years but we became close friends when I started riding at Blackburn.

“I have to put Chester up,” I said, taking hold of the reins.

Mr. Blackburn took them from me, winking at his daughter. “I’ll handle his tack. You girls go on ahead and have fun.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Kat crooned at him and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the barn. I managed a wave back to her dad and then we were running through a sun-drenched pasture, the grass tickling our legs. We made our way down to the pond, the main place we all hung out during the warm months. Trey, Wade and Abby were there waiting for us, the still waters shaded by the surrounding oak trees that swayed in the gentle breeze.

Trey and Wade had fishing poles in hand, casting from the bank while Abby sat on a blanket with a picnic basket that had been put together by their housekeeper, Miranda. She made the best chocolate chip cookies and I hoped there’d be some in there.

“About time you got here,” Trey called out, his longer black hair falling across his green eyes as he cast his line into the water. He was older than me by four years and the leader of our motley gang. “The fish are biting.”

“Yeah, we were starting to think you’d forgotten about us,” Wade said with a grin. He and I were the same age, although he was a lot taller than me.

“Shut up, you two,” Kat retorted, sticking her tongue out as she joined Abby on the blanket. “She was finishing up a lesson on Chester and she did amazing.”

I dropped down beside them, my heart swelling with happiness. Not only did I have a very good ride that earned the praise of Mr. Blackburn, but this place, these people—they were my safe haven, a world away from the chaos at home. “What are we eating?” I asked, peeking into the basket.

Lunch at my house would have been a bologna sandwich I would have had to make myself because my mom was too busy watching soap operas.

“All the good stuff,” Abby chirped, pulling out sandwiches, fruit and… chocolate chip cookies!

We spent the next hour fishing, eating and laughing. Abby and Kat weren’t too keen on the fishing part, but I loved it. Loved all the new experiences hanging with the Blackburns brought me. Sometimes it made me feel guilty, but I always had a deep sense of belonging on the farm and that’s something I’d never felt in my own home.

As the sun dipped lower and we munched on cookies, my thoughts drifted back to that morning—my dad, red-faced and screaming, his breath reeking of alcohol. His angry words echoed in my mind and made my stomach roll to the point I couldn’t finish my cookie.

“How many times do I have to tell you to leave your fucking shoes on the porch?” he’d yelled at me.

I cringed away from the harsh words, waiting to see if a slap would come, but that morning, he held himself in reserve. It was a rarity, but he’d gotten sidetracked by a call that came in from the printshop. Mom hurried me out of the house and drove me to Blackburn Farms where she dropped me off for the day. The Blackburns were always happy to have me hang around after my lessons. They were the best days of my life.

“Want to cast some, Holland?” Trey hollered, jolting me from the acidic memories of my father’s harsh words and my mother’s indifference.

I nodded, stuffing the rest of the cookie in my mouth, and jogged to Trey’s side. He handed me the pole, already laden with a worm which I appreciated. I cast my line with efficiency.

“Great job,” he praised, and I preened.

Memories of my dad were long gone.

Trey was ever observant though and must have noticed something because he asked, “You okay? You seem a bit off.”

I forced a smile, not wanting to share my troubles. Really, I was way too embarrassed to ever let anyone in this perfect family know how imperfect mine was. “I’m okay. Why?”

He shrugged as I reeled the line in. “You just seemed sad there for a bit while you were sitting with Abby and Kat.”

“Nope,” I replied, pulling the hook out of the water and launching another cast, this time farther than the last. “Nothing’s wrong.”

I risked a glance at him, the afternoon sun making those green Blackburn eyes sparkle. I was only ten and he was fourteen, but oh boy, if my heart didn’t beat a little faster.

He looked skeptical but eventually we broke eye contact and he nodded down. “Close your bail and start to reel.”

He watched me quietly for another few casts before he spoke again. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

It seemed an odd thing to say and at the same time, I’d expect nothing less of Trey. He always seemed to say the right things.

I nodded, the words caught in my throat. I’d never admit how bad things were at home, how scared I was at times. I was tempted to at least thank him for his kindness because it really did mean a lot.

It meant he cared.

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