Chapter 4 New Life

Mollie

SPLASH

Cold water shocked my body. “What the hell!” I yelled as my body submerged. Crap. I tasted the river on my lips as I swam to the surface. I dozed off on the wharf.

I broke through and wiped water from my eyes. The sun was low. I could not have been asleep long. The sky was still bleeding orange and pink, breathtaking all over again. I swam to shore, my clothes heavy and dripping. My calves itched from the grime. I pulled the bandana off my head and shoved it in my pocket. It would have to dry out, and I would never get that smell out of it.

I tipped my head upside down and twisted my hair to wring water out, then flicked it back and ran my fingers through the tangled mess.

“Well,” I sighed, “I should probably get back to finding that animal shop.”

I broke into a slight jog, scanning the road and hoping it was not closed. I did not even know how late it was. They probably did not get much business around here, considering I was the only farmer in town.

Just after crossing the bridge, I stumbled upon a little barn-shaped building with a horseshoe on the door. It was obvious.

I pushed the door open. The place felt like a bigger version of my home. There was a counter to the left. In the middle of the room sat a sofa, love seat, chair, and coffee table set. The table was crowded with photos of a honey-blonde girl. I guessed she was the owner’s daughter. The room led into a hallway and another room beyond it.

I stood by the counter.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

“Hello?” I called lightly. “Is anyone here?”

No answer.

“Hello?”

I sighed and leaned on the counter, slumping forward and putting my weight into my hands.

If I waited long enough, someone would come out. I wanted a chicken today. Then I could spend the rest of my evening getting it settled in.

I smiled, impatient, but I had all the time in the world. What was wrong with waiting a little bit?

I turned and leaned my back against the counter.

That was when I noticed the reflection.

A girl stared back at me.

She did not look like the blue-eyed blonde beauty from the photos. She was the opposite.

Her hair was whip straight and dark as chocolate. It framed a pale neck and brushed past her shoulders. Her jaw looked innocent, her cheekbones sharp in the right places, but her nose turned up just enough to keep her from looking perfect. Her lips were light pink. Soft. Her eyebrows were dark and naturally angled, her lashes thick and black.

Her eyes were black as the night sky, with just enough blue to look navy.

Wait.

I blinked and grabbed my face. The girl in the glass mimicked me.

Holy Hannah.

I tilted my head and ran my fingers through my knotted hair. I could not remember my hair ever being this dark. I always thought my weave matched my real color. I touched my lips, lips I did not even know had a color. My lashes looked natural. My skin looked clean.

A smile stretched across my face, showing straight white teeth.

After that month in the water, my weave had fallen out. My makeup had washed off. And to top it all off, I never had to apply that pore-clogging junk again. I could not believe how clear my face was underneath everything. Maybe I really did get a salt-and-water facial.

My eyes left my reflection when I saw movement.

A man walked out of the hallway and into the other room. From the look of him, he worked here.

A cowboy. A full-blown cowboy.

He wore a black hat, black jeans, and a button-up shirt, with a white bandana tied around his neck. A rope hung off his belt, and brown leather cowboy boots finished it off.

Seriously? What is it, Halloween?

Then again, it was not like my outfit was any better. Red bandana. Wet clothes. Tangled hair.

If he could sell me a chicken, I would kiss his feet.

Without thinking, I followed him into the back room.

He stood by the fridge, drinking straight from a carton of milk.

Gross. Other people might have to drink that.

I grinned a little. “Hey. Do you work here?”

He took a big gulp, then choked like I startled the life out of him. His head snapped toward me with an evil glare.

Goosebumps rose on my skin, not from fear.

Those eyes.

They were purple, the strangest color I had ever seen. Bright and pale, like the inside of a shell, with darker violet strands like lilac petals. Majestic was the only word that came close.

He grabbed his hat and tugged it down.

“Get out,” he slurred in a tangy country voice.

I snapped out of it, my eyes darting from his face to his mouth.

“You’re annoying me.”

What nerve. How blunt. I was standing here giving him business.

He kept staring at me like he might jump at me. I stared back. He was big and grumpy, but something in his eyes said he was not as horrible as he wanted to seem.

I ignored his comment. “Um. Do you work here?”

He furrowed his brows and tipped his hat up, scanning me up and down. I caught another flash of those purple eyes.

“What the hell are you doing here at six in the morning?”

I tilted my head, lips parting. “What? Six? No, I just got off of…”

I glanced at the window.

The sun was rising, not setting.

“Aw man,” I muttered, realizing my nap was a full night’s sleep. Great. Now I was the weirdo creeping around town at dawn.

His eyes stopped narrowing. A saucy smirk tugged at his mouth like my stupidity amused him. He shook his head and pulled his hat down again.

“I feel like a ding-bag,” I mumbled, not even sure if I meant it for myself or him.

“Get outta here,” he demanded.

My mouth fell open.

“Excuse me?” I asked, a little braver now that his eyes were hidden. His hospitality skills were garbage. I thought people in Wears Valley were supposed to be friendlier than this.

“Fuck, you’re annoying,” he repeated. “Leave.”

Nope.

I folded my arms, narrowed my eyes, and smirked. “Hold your horses, cowboy. I’m not going anywhere. Now tell me. Do you work here or not? Because I came here for a chicken, and I refuse to leave without one.”

His mouth twitched. “You’d need a chicken coop for that, little lady.”

I grimaced at the stone-cold tone. Then I shot him my own death glare and sarcasm. “Oh really? I did not even know.”

He narrowed his eyes again, then muttered, “Dammit. Just get the hell out. Water’s dripping off you everywhere. You’re making a mess.”

I rolled my eyes. I was not wasting my time arguing with this idiot.

“You really need to work on your customer service,” I said, staring hard at him. “I don’t think that’s how you treat your only customer in town.”

I turned on my heel, letting my thick hair flick with attitude.

Vaughn

“Hah.” I could not help but snicker out loud as I slapped my hat onto the table. That girl was implying she was the town’s farmer. Her daddy must run it. There was no way in hell that scrawny runt could swing an axe.

That was the stupid girl from the wharf. Nimrod.

She must have fallen in the water, too. She left a damn trail from the door to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Vaughnie!” a high-pitched voice sang.

I groaned. Someone else to annoy me.

Long golden curls dropped into a chair, bright sky-blue eyes greeting me like sunshine. My cousin, Julia. She drove me insane, but she was family. Beggars could not be choosers.

She frowned. “Lighten up, grumpy. How do you expect to make friends like that?”

I scoffed. “Easy. I don’t.”

She glared and marched toward the kitchen to start cooking, her soft eyes turning sharp. Julia was pretty. That was the annoying part, and she knew it. Daisy dukes riding up her butt. A tiny tank top so tight her womanly parts were practically yelling for attention.

I knew damn well she dressed like that to impress the guys around here, especially that nerd from across the garden.

I scoffed. “Jules, why do you wear those clothes anyway? You look like a tramp.”

She spun around. “Want to hear my opinion on your little outfit you wear every day?”

I sighed. “No.”

“It’s cute for Halloween, cowboy,” she said. “But as a fashion statement? I don’t think so.”

She checked herself in the mirror and sighed. “Besides, Elliot seems to like it. It distracts him from the other girls.”

Elliot. It was hilarious Julia was after him. The kid was a mouse.

I chuckled. “I think you’re doing nothing but scaring the living hell out of him. How’s the boy supposed to talk to you when he’s distracted? Besides, if you put on a t-shirt, your twins aren’t going to disintegrate. And he sure as hell won’t forget they exist.”

Her face flushed. “You take that back!”

“No,” I muttered. “Being a slut isn’t going to get his…”

“GOOD MORNING, CHILDREN!” my aunt’s strong voice boomed. She trailed off. “Where in the world did all this water come from?”

She grabbed the mop without questioning it further. I was thankful for that. I would have gotten a beating if I told her I kicked the farmer out.

She peeked at Julia’s pan and screwed up her face. “Well, gosh dang it. I pity the poor man who marries you.”

I snickered. Team up on Julia day.

“Julia honey,” my aunt added, “Vaughn is right. You’re trying to make that poor boy fall in love with your body. He knows you’re pretty. Those things are distracting him from your personality. And your friend Natalie is a terrible influence. Do you think a boy wants to date a girl who is best friends with his controlling, obnoxious older sister?”

Julia shot me a glare. I smirked back.

My aunt snapped at me next. “Now, young man, wipe that greasy grin off your face. I’m mad at you too.”

“What did I do now?” I sighed.

“I heard you being unnecessarily rude to somebody in the house this morning,” she said. “And I sure hope it wasn’t that farmer.”

I did not answer.

“Did you at least figure out what she wanted?” she asked.

“A chicken,” I said stiffly.

“Vaughn!” she scolded. “Don’t you dare turn away our only customer. How do you expect our business to take off?”

“Chill,” I snapped. “She’ll be back. Where else is she going to go?”

“You watch your tone and your language,” she sighed, mopping.

“I’m going to do some chores,” I muttered, walking past Julia and grabbing her side just to make her jump. “Wouldn’t want Julia to work up a sweat. Elliot probably doesn’t like his girls dirty.”

I ducked just in time to avoid a spatula flying at my head.

I chuckled. “And he sure as hell doesn’t like a dirty mouth either.”

Julia opened her mouth to spit fire.

My aunt cut her off. “KIDS. Be good now. Vaughn, stop tormenting the poor girl.”