Crows Don't Fly Through Autumn Rain
Higher Level
It was early in the morning when Dakota woke up and got dressed. She would have preferred to sleep in, but sleeping in when she has a lot of chores to do wasn't something to consider.
Today there was more work than usual, which Dakota wasn't really looking forwards to. She'd come home the previous day from the clinic to have her parents announce that Aubrey Wright was coming over to their farm to look over a few of their Morgan's for sale for one of her clients. That meant they needed to groom the horses, make sure the barn looked as good as it usually does and have the place ready for when she arrived along with her client.
"Good, you're up." Mrs. Kendall glanced over to Dakota as Dakota stumbled sleepily into the kitchen. "The horses are fed but all of the stalls need to be done and they need to be groomed. There's breakfast on the table, I'll see you outside." Without waiting for an answer, Mrs. Kendall grabbed some papers and left the house.
Dakota sighed as she sat down at the table and started eating breakfast while flipping through the newspaper. Tammy would probably come by later. Now that she thought about it, she was surprised Tammy wasn't there right now. Knowing Tammy's obsession over Aubrey Wright, she was sure Tammy would want to be there when she came. Tammy's "obsession" wasn't what Dakota had in mind as she reached for the phone; if Tammy was going to come over, she would be there to help out with the chores.
Dakota wasn't surprised when Tammy didn't answer. Knowing her friend, she is probably still sleeping. Dakota left a message, knowing Tammy would probably come over as soon as she could and finished eating her breakfast before heading out the door.
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"When did you say they were coming?" Dakota asked her mother with a hint of impatience in her voice as she ran the dandy brush over the now gleaming coat of the chestnut mare she was grooming. Only an hour had passed since she had eaten breakfast but it felt like half the day was gone. Still, they had accomplished a lot in the past hour.
"Just before noon," Mrs. Kendall replied distractedly as she untied the bay gelding she had been grooming and led him down the barn aisle and outside without another answer.
"Why would they come before lunch?" Dakota mumbled in annoyance to the mare she was grooming. That would mean a delayed lunch, or maybe they were just in a hurry and wanted to see the horses and leave. Dakota glanced at her watch to discover that it was still 9:00.
"That can't be right," Dakota frowned as she unstrapped the watch and shook it, as if the hands of the watch would fall back into the correct place. She then realized how cracked the screen was; her watch was probably broken from her fall. She tossed it aside carelessly and finished grooming the mare before putting he back in her stall.
"Dakota!" Tammy's familiar voice called through the barn, startling the mare as Dakota closed the stall door. Tammy was hurrying into the barn, looking excited.
"I just got your message. She hasn't come yet, has she? I would've been here sooner but I didn't have a ride so I rode Rosie here. I put her in one of the back paddocks, that's okay, right?" Tammy said quickly, referring to her thoroughbred mare.
"Yeah, that's fine." Dakota had completely forgotten that she had called Tammy and that she was coming over. Now that she thought about it, there wasn't very much work left to do. Grabbing a broomstick, she began sweeping out the barn aisle.
"Anyway, I talked to Joel last night. He said he's been trying to get a hold of you but you haven't been home," Tammy began talking as she seated herself on a bale of hay outside one of the stalls. "He said he was leaving today anyway. Oh, did I tell you about what happened when Deb and I went to Aubrey's stables? She was so nice! And her groom William-did you know that he came from Dublin as well, to keep working for her? I asked about getting coached by her but-" Tammy continued rambling on about Aubrey, her horses, her grooms, and everything else about her visit there. Dakota's attention kept slipping and she was finding it difficult to keep up with what she was saying. Tammy tended to go on and on about things and not even expect anyone to listen anyway.
"Do you know what time it is?" Dakota finally interrupted as Tammy began describing how perfect Aubrey's barn seemed. She seemed to be the only one who was getting tired of hearing about Aubrey and how "amazing" she is. Dakota's visit to Crow Nest Stables didn't leave her that impression. Then again, Dakota supposed she had caught Aubrey by surprise. She had probably been busy training one of her horses when some pony comes charging through her stable and causes some trouble. That could put anyone in a bad mood.
"11:30," Tammy replied as she pulled out her cell phone and began rapidly texting someone. Dakota put the broom away and was just about to sit down when she heard someone come up the driveway.
"Sounds like they're here," Dakota groaned as she stood up, heading for the door to the barn. A black truck had parked outside the barn and as expected, Aubrey was getting out and with her was a young woman looking to be in her early twenties. Dakota hesitated by the entrance to the barn, waiting as her parents greeted them.
Today there was more work than usual, which Dakota wasn't really looking forwards to. She'd come home the previous day from the clinic to have her parents announce that Aubrey Wright was coming over to their farm to look over a few of their Morgan's for sale for one of her clients. That meant they needed to groom the horses, make sure the barn looked as good as it usually does and have the place ready for when she arrived along with her client.
"Good, you're up." Mrs. Kendall glanced over to Dakota as Dakota stumbled sleepily into the kitchen. "The horses are fed but all of the stalls need to be done and they need to be groomed. There's breakfast on the table, I'll see you outside." Without waiting for an answer, Mrs. Kendall grabbed some papers and left the house.
Dakota sighed as she sat down at the table and started eating breakfast while flipping through the newspaper. Tammy would probably come by later. Now that she thought about it, she was surprised Tammy wasn't there right now. Knowing Tammy's obsession over Aubrey Wright, she was sure Tammy would want to be there when she came. Tammy's "obsession" wasn't what Dakota had in mind as she reached for the phone; if Tammy was going to come over, she would be there to help out with the chores.
Dakota wasn't surprised when Tammy didn't answer. Knowing her friend, she is probably still sleeping. Dakota left a message, knowing Tammy would probably come over as soon as she could and finished eating her breakfast before heading out the door.
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"When did you say they were coming?" Dakota asked her mother with a hint of impatience in her voice as she ran the dandy brush over the now gleaming coat of the chestnut mare she was grooming. Only an hour had passed since she had eaten breakfast but it felt like half the day was gone. Still, they had accomplished a lot in the past hour.
"Just before noon," Mrs. Kendall replied distractedly as she untied the bay gelding she had been grooming and led him down the barn aisle and outside without another answer.
"Why would they come before lunch?" Dakota mumbled in annoyance to the mare she was grooming. That would mean a delayed lunch, or maybe they were just in a hurry and wanted to see the horses and leave. Dakota glanced at her watch to discover that it was still 9:00.
"That can't be right," Dakota frowned as she unstrapped the watch and shook it, as if the hands of the watch would fall back into the correct place. She then realized how cracked the screen was; her watch was probably broken from her fall. She tossed it aside carelessly and finished grooming the mare before putting he back in her stall.
"Dakota!" Tammy's familiar voice called through the barn, startling the mare as Dakota closed the stall door. Tammy was hurrying into the barn, looking excited.
"I just got your message. She hasn't come yet, has she? I would've been here sooner but I didn't have a ride so I rode Rosie here. I put her in one of the back paddocks, that's okay, right?" Tammy said quickly, referring to her thoroughbred mare.
"Yeah, that's fine." Dakota had completely forgotten that she had called Tammy and that she was coming over. Now that she thought about it, there wasn't very much work left to do. Grabbing a broomstick, she began sweeping out the barn aisle.
"Anyway, I talked to Joel last night. He said he's been trying to get a hold of you but you haven't been home," Tammy began talking as she seated herself on a bale of hay outside one of the stalls. "He said he was leaving today anyway. Oh, did I tell you about what happened when Deb and I went to Aubrey's stables? She was so nice! And her groom William-did you know that he came from Dublin as well, to keep working for her? I asked about getting coached by her but-" Tammy continued rambling on about Aubrey, her horses, her grooms, and everything else about her visit there. Dakota's attention kept slipping and she was finding it difficult to keep up with what she was saying. Tammy tended to go on and on about things and not even expect anyone to listen anyway.
"Do you know what time it is?" Dakota finally interrupted as Tammy began describing how perfect Aubrey's barn seemed. She seemed to be the only one who was getting tired of hearing about Aubrey and how "amazing" she is. Dakota's visit to Crow Nest Stables didn't leave her that impression. Then again, Dakota supposed she had caught Aubrey by surprise. She had probably been busy training one of her horses when some pony comes charging through her stable and causes some trouble. That could put anyone in a bad mood.
"11:30," Tammy replied as she pulled out her cell phone and began rapidly texting someone. Dakota put the broom away and was just about to sit down when she heard someone come up the driveway.
"Sounds like they're here," Dakota groaned as she stood up, heading for the door to the barn. A black truck had parked outside the barn and as expected, Aubrey was getting out and with her was a young woman looking to be in her early twenties. Dakota hesitated by the entrance to the barn, waiting as her parents greeted them.
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The rest of it will be in the next chapter.