Copper View Ranch
Chapter Six
Sophia was thinking to herself as she ran the dandy brush over the coat of the red bay horse. It was later in the evening and most of the horses had been settled in for the night. Emily was in the farmhouse, preparing dinner, while Ethan and Lucas had headed down to the neighbors ranch to help with an injured horse.
The young stallion stood quietly at the hitching post, his hind hoof resting on the ground. Although he appeared quite relaxed, she had an idea he wouldn't be the same if they happened to pass by a mare. She wasn't sure what Ethan's plans were for this horse; she didn't know if he bought him and intended to geld him or use him in their breeding program.
She decided to name him Gambit for the time being. She wasn't sure why the name came to mind when she looked at him, but she felt it suited him. She had no idea what his registered name was on his papers. She wasn't even sure what breed he was. He didn't look like he was a purebred Quarter Horse, but she could easily be mistaken. She wasn't any good at recognizing horse breeds.
"Come on, let's go put you away," Sophia said as she dropped the bush in her grooming kit and untied him from the hitching post. Gambit shoved his face into her arm, sniffing around her pockets for treats before she pushed his head away and began leading him back into his pen. She let him go and watched him shove his head into the hay manger eagerly and begin to eat.
"Soph, your mom needs help with dinner," Tom suddenly called over as he walked over from the direction of the farm house. Sophia nodded, hanging up Gambit's halter outside his pen before hurrying towards the farmhouse quickly.
The smell of a roast chicken met her as she opened the doors. She breathed in deeply as she kicked off her boots and brushed the dirt off her clothes in slight disgust. She could hear Emily moving around in the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared supper.
"You need help?" Sophia asked as she came to the doorway, running a hand through her slightly greasy hair. She furrowed her brows, hoping she'd have a chance to shower before dinner. Emily turned from the counter where she was preparing a salad.
"Yes, could you cut up those vegetables?" Emily pointed to some of the vegetables on the counter, then caught sight of Sophia. "Wash your hands first."
With a sigh, she quickly washed her hands off in the sink before starting on the vegetables. Her mind was drifting back to her friends in the city; they'd talked about trying to sneak into some clubs while she was there and head up to the new shopping center that was only an hour away. With a sudden pang, she realized she hasn't even talked to her friends since moving back to the ranch.
"Abby called a few times," Emily said conversationally as she continued to prepare the salad. "She said she had fun on your ride this morning."
"Is that all she said?" Sophia asked warily as she cut the carrots up for the salad. She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the news that Abby was trying to get a hold of her already. She didn't mind the girl, but the younger girl seemed to have an endless supply of energy that Sophia didn't have.
"She was mentioning a camping trip she wants to go on," Emily said cheerfully. "You didn't mention it yet? She said you guys were planning on going up the mountain later this week for a few days and camp out. She wanted to know what kind of food you could bring and if we have an extra tent."
"What?" Sophia asked angrily as her knife suddenly slipped and she gouged herself in the hand. Wincing, she held her hand up as blood began to gush out of her hand between her thumb and her finger. Thinking it was just a small cut, she shoved her hand under the sink and ran the water, attempting not to look at the blood. "We didn't make any plans."
"Oh," Emily glanced up, frowning when she saw what Sophia was doing. "I was under the impression you already made plans, although I wondered why you didn't ask me about it first. I told her we have an extra tent anyway."
"We just mentioned it," Sophia withdrew her hand and suddenly began to feel lightheaded as she saw the amount of blood that was still pooling out from the cut, which was deeper than she thought. "I'm going to need the first aid kit."
Emily took one look at her hand before rushing out the door. A few moments she returned and began to clean up the cut on her hand while Sophia looked away, feeling only a simmering anger towards the younger girl. Who knew what else Abby had been planning since the ride this morning? "Did she say anything else?" Sophia asked, looking pointedly away from her hand as Emily began to bandage it up.
"She said she might phone later, and she is probably coming over tomorrow morning," Emily replied. "It's nice you girls can hang out, I didn't like the idea of not having anyone around your age around here. There we go, why don't you go clean up? Supper will be ready soon and Ethan should be back."
Sophia nodded, gritting her teeth as she headed up to her room. She didn't have time to shower so she simply threw on a pair of short denim shorts and a clean shirt before awkwardly tying her greasy hair back into a messy bun. She stared at herself in the mirror as she heard Tom and the rest of the ranch hands come in for dinner. She quickly ran some water, splashing cold water over her face to wash off the sweat and grime before hurrying downstairs for dinner.
The young stallion stood quietly at the hitching post, his hind hoof resting on the ground. Although he appeared quite relaxed, she had an idea he wouldn't be the same if they happened to pass by a mare. She wasn't sure what Ethan's plans were for this horse; she didn't know if he bought him and intended to geld him or use him in their breeding program.
She decided to name him Gambit for the time being. She wasn't sure why the name came to mind when she looked at him, but she felt it suited him. She had no idea what his registered name was on his papers. She wasn't even sure what breed he was. He didn't look like he was a purebred Quarter Horse, but she could easily be mistaken. She wasn't any good at recognizing horse breeds.
"Come on, let's go put you away," Sophia said as she dropped the bush in her grooming kit and untied him from the hitching post. Gambit shoved his face into her arm, sniffing around her pockets for treats before she pushed his head away and began leading him back into his pen. She let him go and watched him shove his head into the hay manger eagerly and begin to eat.
"Soph, your mom needs help with dinner," Tom suddenly called over as he walked over from the direction of the farm house. Sophia nodded, hanging up Gambit's halter outside his pen before hurrying towards the farmhouse quickly.
The smell of a roast chicken met her as she opened the doors. She breathed in deeply as she kicked off her boots and brushed the dirt off her clothes in slight disgust. She could hear Emily moving around in the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared supper.
"You need help?" Sophia asked as she came to the doorway, running a hand through her slightly greasy hair. She furrowed her brows, hoping she'd have a chance to shower before dinner. Emily turned from the counter where she was preparing a salad.
"Yes, could you cut up those vegetables?" Emily pointed to some of the vegetables on the counter, then caught sight of Sophia. "Wash your hands first."
With a sigh, she quickly washed her hands off in the sink before starting on the vegetables. Her mind was drifting back to her friends in the city; they'd talked about trying to sneak into some clubs while she was there and head up to the new shopping center that was only an hour away. With a sudden pang, she realized she hasn't even talked to her friends since moving back to the ranch.
"Abby called a few times," Emily said conversationally as she continued to prepare the salad. "She said she had fun on your ride this morning."
"Is that all she said?" Sophia asked warily as she cut the carrots up for the salad. She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the news that Abby was trying to get a hold of her already. She didn't mind the girl, but the younger girl seemed to have an endless supply of energy that Sophia didn't have.
"She was mentioning a camping trip she wants to go on," Emily said cheerfully. "You didn't mention it yet? She said you guys were planning on going up the mountain later this week for a few days and camp out. She wanted to know what kind of food you could bring and if we have an extra tent."
"What?" Sophia asked angrily as her knife suddenly slipped and she gouged herself in the hand. Wincing, she held her hand up as blood began to gush out of her hand between her thumb and her finger. Thinking it was just a small cut, she shoved her hand under the sink and ran the water, attempting not to look at the blood. "We didn't make any plans."
"Oh," Emily glanced up, frowning when she saw what Sophia was doing. "I was under the impression you already made plans, although I wondered why you didn't ask me about it first. I told her we have an extra tent anyway."
"We just mentioned it," Sophia withdrew her hand and suddenly began to feel lightheaded as she saw the amount of blood that was still pooling out from the cut, which was deeper than she thought. "I'm going to need the first aid kit."
Emily took one look at her hand before rushing out the door. A few moments she returned and began to clean up the cut on her hand while Sophia looked away, feeling only a simmering anger towards the younger girl. Who knew what else Abby had been planning since the ride this morning? "Did she say anything else?" Sophia asked, looking pointedly away from her hand as Emily began to bandage it up.
"She said she might phone later, and she is probably coming over tomorrow morning," Emily replied. "It's nice you girls can hang out, I didn't like the idea of not having anyone around your age around here. There we go, why don't you go clean up? Supper will be ready soon and Ethan should be back."
Sophia nodded, gritting her teeth as she headed up to her room. She didn't have time to shower so she simply threw on a pair of short denim shorts and a clean shirt before awkwardly tying her greasy hair back into a messy bun. She stared at herself in the mirror as she heard Tom and the rest of the ranch hands come in for dinner. She quickly ran some water, splashing cold water over her face to wash off the sweat and grime before hurrying downstairs for dinner.