My Parents banished me to my Uncle's ranch:

(TIGGIE)

The last day of camp was proving to be a good day. As me and Bryson sat down by the big bonfire I felt relaxed. Bryson was like a friend by now. He listened to me rant about all my problems and he was one of the funniest people I knew. He even cheered me up by imitating an 'American accent' when I was feeling sad.

Bryson even let me rant about how Nate was constantly breathing down my neck. Like right now!

"Tiggie we need more marshmallows." He threw the empty bowl at me.

"Fine." I grumbled. This was the third time the huge bowl had gone empty and Nate was making me fetch more.

I came back and handed Nate the bowl. He was sitting across from me and Bryson and I laughed every time I saw Olivia inch closer to him. I couldn't blame her--Nate was...beautiful. It kept coming back to that. There really was no other way to describe him. Especially in this lighting--with the fire throwing shadows on his muscular body. The way his normally chocolate brown eyes turned a luminous shade of gold. Oh my god! Stop thinking like that...pretty soon you'll be saying you like him!

But it was too late for that. I hadn't wanted to admit it but I stole my fair share of glances at Nate when he wasn't looking. Even now trying to act mad at him was hard.

I sat back down next to Bryson. We watched as parents picked up their kids. To my surprise Alison and Katherine came over and gave me hugs. Jessica was a little more shy but she smiled and waved goodbye. I noticed Nate pull a fast one on Olivia. He had made an excuse about needing something in the house just before her parents came to pick her up. Nate didn't come back out until Olivia was forced to leave.

Ha-ha--ha-ha-ha!

"You look tired Bryson."

"Yes, I am. I think I better leave. It's a long drive from here to Oregon."

"I'll walk you to your car." I hopped up and pulled him to his feet.

"Where are you two going?" Nate asked as we walked by.

"None of you're--" Bryson bumped me a little.

"I'm leaving. She's going to walk me to my truck." Bryson held out his hand to Nate, "Thank you for a great week."

"Just be careful of any bears." Nate warned.

"Yeah, bears..." Danny said nudging Ian. I rolled my eyes and me and Bryson headed for his truck. It was fairly dark and we had to watch our step the whole way--trying not to trip on pot-holes.

"Well, I guess it's goodbye love." Bryson said turning to me. I didn't want him to go. It had been nice having someone to talk to. Especially about Nate.

"Yeah. Are you sure you can't just stay a little longer?" I asked eagerly. He chuckled. Even his laugh seemed to have some type of British accent.

"We've gone over this already. If I'm not back home I'll miss my competition." He grabbed me up in a big hug. He was just about my height plus an inch or two but he was still much stronger than me.

"I'll miss you." I mumbled into his shoulder while wrapping my arms around him.

"I think my British charm is working. I just can't seem to keep you off of me." He teased. We both pulled away and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not the least bit attracted to you." Liar liar pants on fire!

"You could have fooled me. Just promise me you one thing?" He said while pulling the truck door open.

"Okay..." He smiled smugly and hopped into the big truck.

"Stay out of trouble." He teased. I shook my head and laughed.

"Oh and another thing," He added.

"What?"

"Be nice to Nate."

"Why!"

"I think you know why..." The engine roared to life and he winked at me as he pulled away.

I walked back to the fire just in front of the house as the last of the kids were being pulled away. It had surprised us all that the kids had taken to Danny so nicely. They had been attached to him since day one.

"See any bears?" Steven asked as I sat back down on one of the logs.

"No. I think you're body odor was enough to keep them away."

"We'll it couldn't be any worse than your face." He shot back.

Ian and Isaac both laughed. "You wouldn't know anything about my face since your eyes are always glued to my ass!"

I sat down triumphantly as he searched for something to say. It was strange just sitting here with all the guys. Joe and Jack were up in the house probably drinking and relaxing and Rosie and Dona had needed to go into town before all the stores closed. The other trainers didn't show up this whole week due to the camp.

"Tiggie! Phone!"

I shot up my head. Jack was standing on the porch holding the receiver. I was scrambling to my feet. I snatched away the phone from Jack and answered.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly hoping it was Alex.

"Erin, it's da--" I hung up the phone. No if's-and's-or-but's. I wanted nothing to do with Richard.

The phone rang again in my hand and this time Jack took it from me and answered. Why is he calling now...what could he possibly take away now?

"Yeah she's right here." Jack said still holding the phone to his ear.

I could hear the scratchy voice talking rapidly. I didn't care.

"That wasn't the deal we had." Jack grumbled back.

The voice was starting to shout now.

"Dammit Rich, don't do that!" But the line went dead on the other side. And Jack just gripped the phone.

"What does he want?" I demanded. By now the boys had put out the fire and were headed in our direction.

"What does he want!" I demanded again, but louder. Richard would only call if he wanted something.

Jack shook his head and slammed the phone down on the porch railing. I flinched back a little in his outburst.

"He's coming to pick you up." He almost whispered.

"What? I'm going ho--" He shook his head violently and held up his hand.

"You're moving to New York. He wants to take you before the summer ends." I couldn't believe what he was saying--well I could, I just didn't want to. I started to get angry.

"He didn't even fuckin' ask me!" I screamed. "What about my friends? What about Alex and Jason in California? What about my Senior year in high school? What about Jupe? What about--" I was cut off due to lack of air. I started gasping. The boys were now standing around me, watching as I flew out of control.

"Tiggie I know you're upset--" Jack started but I continued over the top of him

"He can't do this!"

"He'll be here tomorrow." Jack said trying to hold my shoulders but I ripped away from his grasp and just started running.

"Tiggie come back! It's not safe..." But his voice faded. I felt those silent tears fog up my vision and I ran harder--letting them stream down my face. I beat the ground with my feet as I sprinted off . I didn't know where I was going, I just wanted to run.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I scolded myself for ever getting attach to anything in my pathetic life! I ran for over a mile through the forest until I heard a crashing noise behind me. Then I snapped out of my anger mode and turned to fear.

...Bear!

(Nate's POV)

We all watched as Jack slammed the phone on the railing. His eyes were pleading with her. "He's coming to pick you up." He managed to voice out.

Pick her up? She's leaving! No...I didn't say anything though. I couldn't. It wasn't the right time.

"What? I'm going ho--" Tiggie started to talk but Jack wouldn't let her. He was shaking his head, his eyes were starting to get moist. She was standing there just waiting for his answer.

"You're moving to New York. He wants to take you before the summer ends." What! Tiggie stood there for a moment--starch still. She didn't move. She didn't even breath for a second. I wondered if she even knew that we were all standing around her. Then her hands turned to fists and she started screaming and yelling. Her body was trembling

"He didn't even fuckin' ask me!" She held her hands to her temples and kept yelling. "What about my friends? What about Alex and Jason in California? What about my Senior year in high school? What about Jupe? What about--" She gasped for air like a dying fish.

Jack tried to speak, "Tiggie I know you're upset--" But she screamed over the top of his voice in determination.

"He can't do this!" The smallest tear rolled down her face.

Jack tried to comfort her, "He'll be here tomorrow." But she ripped away from him and pushed past us all. I tried to go after her but Steven held me back.

Jack yelled after her. "Tiggie come back! It's not safe, there's bears!" But she was too far gone to hear him.

"Let go!" I shouted at Steven. I needed to go after her before she got hurt or lost.

"Hold a second man. She's upset."

"I know!" I said ripping away from his grasp. "That's why I need to go after her. She's going to get lost in the dark."

"What's going on Jack?" Steven demanded. We had all come in mid-conversation and we only heard the last part.

"Her father called and wants to take her back." We all saw how it pained Jack. It was easy to see something about Tiggie made him happy.

"Summer has barely started." Danny argued.

"I know...I know..." Jack mumbled. "Her father is moving to New York. He wants to be closer to his work so when the baby is born he won't have to leave on business trips. He also wants to put Tiggie into a boarding school up there. Says it's best if she just goes now." Jack scoughed and shook his head. "That bastard hasn't done one good thing for her since my baby sister passed away."

He snapped his head up after a small pause. "You need to go find her. I don't know what I'm going to do but I'll figure it out."

I was already walking before he finished. I started jogging for the barn. She would be too far away by now. I needed to catch her quickly.

I pulled out my horse and threw on my tack in record time. The guys were right behind me tacking up also.

"I'm going to track her down the small trail. You guys take the South and North ends."

They nodded. "I have my cell phone." Steven said.

"I have mine too. Call me if you find her." I said.

" 'kay." We all departed. I galloped straight after her as fast as I could. I tried not to think of all the wild animals--especially the bears--that came out after dark. She was there in the Forrest all alone.

(TIGGIE)

Oh my god I'm going to get eaten by a bear! I froze in my tracks--not willing to turn my back to see what was crashing through the forrest behind me. I shut my eyes as tight as I could. Just waiting for the bear to start gnawing on my back.

The crashing noise came to an abrupt halt just feet behind me. I held my arms tight at my side. This is better than moving to stupid New York, with stupid Richard and stupid Veron--

"Tiggie!" I snapped out of my mindless thoughts and turned to see Nate swinging off his big brown horse. He was at me in an instant--his arms encircling my whole body.

I didn't know what to do. I just stood there. I had gone from angry, to angrier, to tears poring down my face to now--thinking I was going to be eaten alive by some wild bear...

"Nate--" Was all I could croak out. I had stopped crying but I assumed it was just because I was out of water.

"It's okay..." He grabbed me up into his arms even tighter. He rubbed his hand gently behind my back.

We stood there for a few minutes until he finally pulled back a little. "Are you okay?" He asked looking me over.

"I'm fine..." I whispered. He used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear. My skin seemed to light on fire when he kept stroking my cheek even after all my tears were dried up.

I hadn't felt this...this...safe for a long time. His arms were like my personal wall. I just wanted to be close to him. I tightened my arms around him. "Nate, I don't want to leave. Not now..."

He looked down at me with those big brown eyes and those curly lashes. Then he leaned down and let his lips brush along mine--breathing his warm breath against my skin. He was driving me crazy with how slow he was going. He seemed hesitant. I threw my arms around his neck and just pulled him down to me.

He swooped me up off of my feet and kissed me back. It wasn't a 'goodbye' kiss--it was a possessive, lasting kiss that made me only more sure of my greatest fear. I was falling in love...

I couldn't worry about that right now though. I was too concentrated on him kissing me. He cradled my body with one arm as if I were weightless--which would be the only way to describe how him kissing me made me feel--and with his other hand he craddled the nape of my neck ever so delicately.

He pulled away resting his forehead against my own. We both let out a labored breath at the same time.

"Tiggie," His voice seemed even more husky than any other time. "It's not safe out here." He let his hand drop from my neck and he used both hands to carry me back to his horse. He climbed up first and then lifted me up behind him.

I kept my arms wrapped around him, giving him gentle kisses on the back of his neck the whole ride.

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As we road up to the ranch my run started to catch up with me. I was exhausted. Nate cradled me in his arms and laid me on my bed.

"I'll be back later." He kissed me on my forehead and left the room. I lazily changed into a tank-top and a pair of shorts.

A knock sounded at the door and I rushed to open it, thinking it would be Nate.

"I know you're mad at me Tiggie but I'm doing all I can to help you." Jack entered my room and I sat back on my bed.

"You can't help me. Richard is just going to take me away like he always has." I tried not to think about it.

"Let me explain something to you Tiggie," He sat on the edge of my bed. I watched as his blue eyes turned a dull shade of Grey.

"Richard didn't want to send you here in the first place. I convinced him to let you stay here. I hadn't seen you since you were a baby. You probably don't even remember me--but Richard made a deal with me. He said that I could have you this summer but that after that I wasn't allowed to see you. Ever since Erin died," I winced at the mention of my mother, "he cut off all my contact from you. And now he's cutting short what little time I have left with you. You don't understand Tiggie, you're so much like your mother...everything about you. Your hair. Your eyes. Your spirit. I can't look at you for one second and not see your mother starring back at me."

"I had no idea..." Jack shrugged.

"I know you don't exactly like it here, but I'm going to talk to your father tomorrow." He stood up. I didn't know what to say. "You better get some rest." He flicked off the lights and shut the door behind him.

Richard you are the biggest control freak I know! I threw myself back in my bed and breathed out a heavy breath.

I waited almost an hour until I heard a soft knock on my window. It was well past twelve but I had been waiting all night hoping Nate would come back.

"Hurry up, I'm freezing..." Nate whined at the window while I unlocked the latch. He hopped in and I noticed he was bare-chested with only a pair of shorts on.

Before I could comment on his lack of clothing he scooped me up into his arms and kissed me. I let my palms rest on his chest while he carried me over to my bed.

I pulled back the covers and he pulled me close to his side, kissing my forehead. I pulled him down so our lips met again--even while I was laying down I felt weightless. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and I pulled closer to his body. After exploring my mouth he kissed up the side of my cheek and started to suck on my earlobe.

But I couldn't concentrate, my thoughts were in a whirlwind. He's going to take you away...Nate stopped kissing me and looked at me a little perplexed. "Who?" He asked.

"What?"

"You mumbled something about me being taken away..." I couldn't look at him any longer. It was too true. Anything I got attached to, Richard found a way of making it disappear.

"What's wrong Tig?" Nate asked as he kissed my forehead gently, resting his lips there.

"Every time I get attached to something or someone, it seems like they all have a way of being taken right out from under me."

"What do you mean?" He asked pulling me closer onto his bare chest. I could literally feel his heart beating, pushing the blood from his heart to his veins. It was so rhythmic and soothing. I didn't even want to think about tomorrow. I just wanted this moment to last.

"I mean that...I don't want to leave here--I don't want to leave you especially. And now I'm being forced to move to New Yor-k." I hiccuped the last part. I was getting too worked up over all this that I was hiccuping!

Nate just gently rocked me in his arms letting me drift away while he whispered in my ear..."I won't let you leave."