My Parents banished me to my Uncle's ranch:

I laid back down on my bed with my eyes shut, trying to block out the pounding going on in my head; when someone came barging into my room. I didn't even look up. I was too dizzy.

"Knock?" I complained.

"No. Get up." Nate ordered.

"Go to hell." I groaned.

"Get up Erin," He grabbed me and pulled me to my feet. I was looking into those big beautiful brown eyes and then answered back, "T-iggie." I said emphasizing the 'T' and spiting a little in his face.

"Get dressed right now." He growled and then slammed the door on his way out. I was already awake so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I threw on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt. I looked in the mirror and did my best to hide the bags under my eyes with my cover up and mascara.

I was barely in the kitchen when Nate pulled me by my arm and dragged me out back to where a few other boys were sitting astride a few horses.

"What the hell?" I screamed. Then I moaned grabbing at my head. Bad idea.

"You were supposed to be out here at seven helping us. Don't you listen to your Uncle?" Nate asked, still grabbing my shoulder.

"No." I said honestly. "And I'm not helping you."

"Do you want us to tell your uncle you were out last night?" He quirked a brow at me.

I pulled my arm away and looked at the boys. It was Danny and one of the twins sitting on a couple horses and there was a brown one without a rider.

"What do I have to do?" I asked. I couldn't have Jack knowing about my little escapade. It would be twice as hard sneaking out now.

"C'mon," Nate hopped up on the horse.

"Oh what? You're going to make me walk." I complained.

"No." Danny answered. He held out his hand.

"Danny's horse is the biggest, you're riding with him."

"Are you calling me fat?" I asked Nate. I knew I wasn't some model, and that I had a boyish figure but I wasn't that big...

He looked a little taken back, then he looked me over letting his eyes linger a little too long. I folded my arms and looked up at Danny. God, he is hot...

"Here," He said offering his hand while leaning out of the saddle.

"I'm sorry no one informed you but I've never ridden a horse in my life. And I'm not going to now." That was a lie. But those memories hurt too much to think about. I had lied for four years and I was doing just fine.

But before I could walk away Danny snatched my arm up with his huge muscled biceps flashing at me--and then I was sitting behind him, holding onto his muscular waist for dear life.

"P-p-put me down!"

"Shhhh, you're going to be fine. Danny reassured me in a low husky voice. I didn't care that I was grasping around his body, feeling all over him and pressing my body as close as it would go--I was hung over. I didn't even want to look down.

We had been riding for almost an hour when I finally relaxed. Danny was just a few strides behind the others.

I let out a deep breath. Riding wasn't horrible, but it was still making me dizzy. The twin looked back and laughed. I couldn't see the expression on Danny's face but it looked like he was grinning. I smiled. Maybe he was enjoying this more than I thought.

"Are you okay?" He turned a little to look back at me.

I nodded. "Did she break you're ribcage yet!" The twin called from in front of us laughing. I let go of my death-grip a little.

"It's okay," Danny winked at me. "I don't mind." A shiver ran down my back at the sensual voice he made.

I laughed a little. "Sorry." I let my hands fall down more to his waist hoping that I hadn't bruised his chest.

"If you think that's any better, it's not." He said still smiling and looking down at my hands.

I'm sure I flushed red when I noticed that he was referring to the awkward placement of my hands near his crotch.

"Where do I put them?" I asked laughing nervously.

"That's up to you." He said winking. Man was he hot! What am I thinking!? I can not start getting friendly with these guys.

"Danny! Keep your hands to yourself!" Nate yelled from up ahead.

"God, that's creepy how he didn't even turn around to see us," I mumbled.

"She's touching me!" He yelled back and the three of them all started laughing.

"You wish..." I whispered in his ear.

We rode up to a clearing and there was a herd of horses grazing in a large fenced area of what I could only assume was maybe two or three acres of land.

"What are we doing here?" I asked as Danny slid me off the big brown horse.

"We're separating the herd." He answered back.

"Why?"

"Because we have to pick out the horses that we want to break and the ones that are going to be broodmares."

"Why the hell would you want to break them!" I shouted and some of the horses perked up their ears in my direction.

"It just means we're going to train them, chill out you little veg-head." Danny grinned at me.

"Oh. Well then why the hell am I here? I don't even like riding and I sure as hell don't know how to do any of this?" That was a lie actually. Most of this was an act. I wasn't going to let on that I knew more about horses than they thought. Although, I was rusty.

"Jack says you're supposed to help us. We don't question him like you do." Nate retorted sarcastically.

"Well maybe you should." I shot back folding my arms. "Because I can assure you I'm not doing shit."

"Didn't your mother tell you that boys don't like a girl with a dirty mouth?" Nate asked as he walked up to me and Danny. The twin was already unlocking the gate and heading into the large open field.

"Well men," I emphasized the word in contrast to 'boys', "like a girl who can talk dirty." I said in a mocking seductive tone. And then I found a near by stump and placed myself on it. "And no, my mother died, and the only thing my step mom taught me was to marry for money." It was too true also. I knew Veronica didn't really love my dad, sure she wasn't the cheating type but I could tell that she enjoyed my father's money more than him. And he was okay with that!

"I'd like to hear some of tha--OUCH!" Danny was cut off by Nate smacking him over the head. I smiled. Danny was cute. Not hot like Nate, but cute.

I watched for a while as they focused on rounding up some horses here or there and then checking them over. Some of them bucked and kicked but the guys looked like they knew what they were doing. Well until this one horse came along. I have to get a better view of this... I sat on the far end of the railing and watched as this horse totally embarrassed them.

My mother had taken me around some of her horses before, but none of the horses she competed on. She told me they were too high spirited. This one looked like a 'high-spirited' type. It was actually a beautiful animal. Dark midnight black coat, with a glossy sheen that shone under the sun. It was a fairly big horse, and he was absolutely entertaining.

He pranced around the field avoiding the boys who were trying to catch him. He would trot and then stop. And then right when the boys were about to rope him, he ducked his head and took off. He was fast too. He hid in the herd. Raced around. Jumped. Kicked. Squealed. I couldn't help but laugh after an hour of them chasing that thing around.

I laughed continuously until the boys retreated to the fence for a break.

"What are you laughing at?" Nate grumbled.

"Something," I said innocently.

"What?" He asked, dismounting and sitting up on the fencing. The other two boys stayed on their horses drinking from canteens. All of them were sweating.

"I find him refreshing." They all looked at me confused.

"How so?" The twin asked. I think it was Isaac but I wasn't sure.

"I don't know. He's just the only horse that's smarter than you three dumb asses." I said smiling. "I like him." The horse was innocently grazing only a half a football field away. He did that when they weren't paying attention but then he would run the second the guys got nearer.

"Yeah well you should be glad this dumb ass saved yours last night." Nate said in a growl.

"Saved?" I tried scoffed at him. "Far from that. I was enjoying myself." I said happily. I thought about Chase. He was a very good dancer. Or maybe I was just so drunk that imagined that...either way it was great.

"I'm sure the Farlander kid was enjoying your intoxication also." Nate scoffed back. "You were five minutes from passing out!" He said angrily. He clenched his jaw down tight and spoke through his teeth. "How could you be so stupid? He could have taken advantage of you."

Okay this was seriously insane! "What are you my big brother? And besides," I said puffing out my chest a little and leaning over to him, "You gotta lose it sometime!" I yelled that last part a little bit.

Danny dropped his water bottle and starred open mouthed, while Isaac just spit out a mouthful. Nate was taken back also. He shook his head. But it was true.

"You're kidding right?" Danny asked. There was something behind his questioning, do I detect eagerness? Maybe I was imaging that...

"Shut up jackass!" Nate shouted back. Then he hopped on his horse. "C'mon," He called to the two other boys who were starring open mouthed. Danny with just a hint of a grin on his face.