Family Secrets
Summer Visit
Stephanie sat quietly in the car and looked at the scenery as they got closer to the ranch her parents lived on. She was nervous about meeting the rest of her family and staying somewhere that wasn’t her home. She knew that Papa and Suzy were struggling and even Brian was being quiet and trying to be nicer to her. “How much farther is it?” She asked Papa quietly.
"Not that far honey." Papa promised her.
“You know I still love you both the same right? I’m not doing this to hurt you. I will be back before school starts.” She told them quickly feeling guilty.
Papa looked at her through the rearview mirror, "We know honey." Papa assured her.
She gasped seeing the house and the people on the porch and bit her lip nervous. “There are so many people here. Maybe this is a bad idea. I kind of want to go back home.” She whispered.
Papa pulled up and looked at her. "It's going to be ok baby. I promise. We're right here with you." Papa promised seeing Suzy nod.
Sighing she got out of the car with them and smiled seeing Rip walking up to the car. She turned and hugged Suzy before letting Papa pull her into a tight hug. “I love you daddy. I promise to call every day and I will be home at least two weeks before school starts again. Will you really bring Matt and guys for a visit in a couple weeks?”
"I promise." Papa held to her not wanting to let her go.
She hugged him one more time and then watched them talk to Rip and Beth before heading to their hotel for the night. She fought back tears and looked up when Rip put his arm around her. “I’m happy to be here but I’m going to miss them.” She sighed. “So many things are changing so fast.”
Rip looked at her nodding, "I know it is. I promise to be with you through all of this." Rip told her.
“Would you be okay if I called you dad?” She asked him suddenly. “I’m closer to you than Beth.”
"I would love that." Rip smiled at her.
Smiling a little she turned and walked up on the porch with and gave a small smile to the people on the porch. She was pretty sure they were all family and realized that one of them was her grandpa by the look in his face. It was obvious that he was happy to see her and she hoped to get to know him better during the summer.
"I am so glad you're finally here." John smiled. "I'm your grandpa John." He told her.
“I’m happy to be here.” She smiled before giving in and hugging him. “I can’t wait to spend more time with everyone grandpa.”
Hugging to her, John smiled widely. "We can't wait either." John whispered holding her.
Stephanie finally pulled back and met the rest of the family knowing she would have trouble remembering all the names. She went back to stand by her dad and smiled at them arguing over where she would stay. She heard her dad say she would be staying at his cabin and giggled when her grandpa said she had to stay at the main house some nights as well. She felt Rip hug her again and then noticed a group of kids her age coming up on the porch.
"Guys Stephanie is here." John announced to them.
Stephanie smiled and waved at them seeing Rip walk out and talk to one of the hands before walking back to stand beside her. “I can’t wait to meet you all.” She told them honestly. “You guys can call me Steph.”
"Nice to meet you." Emilia smiled at her. "I'm Emilia your cousin, Lee is my daddy." She walked over and hugged her tight. "I can't wait to get to know you." She chimmed smiling.
She smiled returning the hug and smiled when Tate hugged her before seeing the other guy just kind of stare at her. She wasn’t sure what to say to him when the guy her dad had talked to came back leading a beautiful white horse. “She is beautiful.” She smiled watching the horse prance around a little. “I love the attitude she is showing.”
"This is your horse." Rip smiled at her. "I wanted you to have your own." He smiled.
“Are you serious?” She asked before hugging him tight. “Thank you so much daddy. She is perfect for me.” She told him noticing the tears the others had when she called him daddy or the frown on Carter’s face.
"Not that far honey." Papa promised her.
“You know I still love you both the same right? I’m not doing this to hurt you. I will be back before school starts.” She told them quickly feeling guilty.
Papa looked at her through the rearview mirror, "We know honey." Papa assured her.
She gasped seeing the house and the people on the porch and bit her lip nervous. “There are so many people here. Maybe this is a bad idea. I kind of want to go back home.” She whispered.
Papa pulled up and looked at her. "It's going to be ok baby. I promise. We're right here with you." Papa promised seeing Suzy nod.
Sighing she got out of the car with them and smiled seeing Rip walking up to the car. She turned and hugged Suzy before letting Papa pull her into a tight hug. “I love you daddy. I promise to call every day and I will be home at least two weeks before school starts again. Will you really bring Matt and guys for a visit in a couple weeks?”
"I promise." Papa held to her not wanting to let her go.
She hugged him one more time and then watched them talk to Rip and Beth before heading to their hotel for the night. She fought back tears and looked up when Rip put his arm around her. “I’m happy to be here but I’m going to miss them.” She sighed. “So many things are changing so fast.”
Rip looked at her nodding, "I know it is. I promise to be with you through all of this." Rip told her.
“Would you be okay if I called you dad?” She asked him suddenly. “I’m closer to you than Beth.”
"I would love that." Rip smiled at her.
Smiling a little she turned and walked up on the porch with and gave a small smile to the people on the porch. She was pretty sure they were all family and realized that one of them was her grandpa by the look in his face. It was obvious that he was happy to see her and she hoped to get to know him better during the summer.
"I am so glad you're finally here." John smiled. "I'm your grandpa John." He told her.
“I’m happy to be here.” She smiled before giving in and hugging him. “I can’t wait to spend more time with everyone grandpa.”
Hugging to her, John smiled widely. "We can't wait either." John whispered holding her.
Stephanie finally pulled back and met the rest of the family knowing she would have trouble remembering all the names. She went back to stand by her dad and smiled at them arguing over where she would stay. She heard her dad say she would be staying at his cabin and giggled when her grandpa said she had to stay at the main house some nights as well. She felt Rip hug her again and then noticed a group of kids her age coming up on the porch.
"Guys Stephanie is here." John announced to them.
Stephanie smiled and waved at them seeing Rip walk out and talk to one of the hands before walking back to stand beside her. “I can’t wait to meet you all.” She told them honestly. “You guys can call me Steph.”
"Nice to meet you." Emilia smiled at her. "I'm Emilia your cousin, Lee is my daddy." She walked over and hugged her tight. "I can't wait to get to know you." She chimmed smiling.
She smiled returning the hug and smiled when Tate hugged her before seeing the other guy just kind of stare at her. She wasn’t sure what to say to him when the guy her dad had talked to came back leading a beautiful white horse. “She is beautiful.” She smiled watching the horse prance around a little. “I love the attitude she is showing.”
"This is your horse." Rip smiled at her. "I wanted you to have your own." He smiled.
“Are you serious?” She asked before hugging him tight. “Thank you so much daddy. She is perfect for me.” She told him noticing the tears the others had when she called him daddy or the frown on Carter’s face.