Chapter One
Matilda’s POV
“Do you think horses talk shit about us?” Jasper asks.
“What horse shit are you puking?” I chuckle.
We were currently out on a trail ride. He was on Missy his horse and I was on the newest horse, Penny.
It’s kind of sad to say that my best friend was a nineteen-year-old boy. I mean my job has me looking after little kids all day so you’d think I would want to hang out with people my age.
Which was twenty-two.
I loved my job. I run the daycare in town. It’s so popular I have a waitlist. How fancy!
It’s a two-story building, that at first was just going to be the full business. But after careful consideration, I decided to make it an apartment for myself.
I still come up here to the ranch now and again. My oldest sister Terry took it over three years ago after dad had a heart attack and decided to step down. He now lives in the cottage on the land with his Kelpie Carrie.
My dad’s a nerd who loves Carrie Fischer.
I’m named after the lake that runs through meadow hills. Lake Matilda.
I coincidentally lost my virginity beside the said lake.
It was to Isaac Mench. He owns his family bar in town. We are on a friendly basis.
You kind of have to be in a small town.
“Well obviously animals can talk to each other,” Jasper says. “Do you reckon they would talk shit about us?”
“That should be a question for Mary-Beth she’s the horse whisperer,” I state.
Jasper tenses and stops Missy, climbing off her.
Poor little Jasper had a thing for Mary. He’s currently seeing this girl Shannon so I think he’s over her, but honestly, the guy doesn’t talk about it much with me.
My sister Mary, who’s older than me too, is married to this asshole, Samuel. They met in high school and he was a dick then too.
He was captain of the debate team and thought he was the shit. Good thing my boyfriend at the time was on the football team and would clock him if he said anything smart towards me.
I was very surprised when Samuel proposed to Mary she said yes. Just days before she had confided in me she may break up with him.
How do you go from breaking up with the guy to marrying him?
Anyway, Jasper’s 19th birthday shit went down. Samuel was spraying shit at Jasper, and Callum stepped in and punched him in the face.
Callum is Terry’s scrumptious fiancé. Honestly, though the guy is hella fit and he can put up with my sister.
He is perfect for her.
Plus eye candy for me.
Terry is-
Can be-
In simple terms a bitch. She cares for people she loves and trusts, but anyone else has to earn it. And it’s hard to do that when she either punches you or threatens you if you come too close to her.
She’s a whole different person around Callum. Softer, smilier.
No surprise when Dad gave Callum Mum’s ring. He always said he would give it to the first man that he approved of. And also if the love they shared compared to mum and dads.”
I don’t remember mum. I was two when she died. Dad always made sure to tell us stories about her though.
People in town say I resemble her the most. My long brown curly hair that none of my other sisters got.
I climb off of Penny and follow Jasper into the barn. Said sister, Mary-Beth was brushing out Gigi Terry’s horse.
“Matty I didn’t know you were out here,” she gushes.
“Yeah, my weekly hang-out with Jasper,” I answer.
Mary smiles softly at Jasper. “Hey.” He just nods at her and puts Missy back in her pen. He leaves the barn and Mary sighs. “He’s upset with me,” she mutters.
“What did you do?” I ask.
“Why do you presume I did something?” Mary asks.
“Because Jasper is a sweetie,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “Things have just been awkward since his birthday.”
“When Callum punched Samuel in the face?”
“Is that all you remember?” Mary questions.
“Well no, but it was a highlight,” I deadpan.
“Matty, come for dinner tomorrow,” she says. “I swear Samuel will be on his best behaviour. I just want one of my sisters to get along with him.”
“Yeah,” I drawl out. “You might have to try Lainey.”
“Matty,” she whines.
“Look, Mary, the guy is an ass and a dick,” I say. “And that’s me putting it politely.”
“Whatever,” she mutters in a sulk.
I sigh. “Fine alright, I’ll come for dinner,” I huff. “He says one thing though, I’m out.”
She smiles. “Okay deal!”
I make terrible life decisions.
ONE HOUR.
One hour into this dinner and I want to throw myself over the banister of the second floor.
Mary and Samuel’s house was fancy, so I put on my nicest dress and did myself up pretty.
What’s the first thing Samuel said to me as I walked in the door;
“Could’ve at least made your hair look nicer.”
Mary had to beg me to stay.
Mary put on a nice feed though. An array of roasted vegetables with some Cuban roast pork.
Samuel’s co-worker Howard had also joined us. They say stockbrokers are all the same and I didn’t see that till tonight.
“So Matilda what do you do?” Howard asks me.
Samuel snorts. “She runs a daycare.”
“Oh, are you practising for when you have your own child?” Howard asks.
Oh my god.
“No I was a babysitter when I was younger and I just grew it into a business,” I state.
“Matty is great with kids,” Mary chirps. “She is so popular in town, she has a waitlist.”
“Maybe ’cause she is immature like them,” Samuel says.
I bite my bottom lip hard, I’m scared I have drawn blood.
“The food is delicious Mary,” I comment. “The last good thing I ate was Jasper’s sloppy joes.”
“We don’t say that name in this house,” Samuel grunts.
I smirk. “You know,” I drawl. “I was hanging with Jasper the other day and Jasper was saying something so interesting about horses. Jasper and I-”
“Enough!” Samuel growls and slams his hand on the table.
“She’s sorry Sam, she was just joking around,” Mary laughs it off awkwardly. “Right Matty?” She hisses.
“Right,” I mutter.
“Just proving how immature she is,” Samuel grumbles. “Howard join me in my man cave.”
Howard and Samuel walk off and Mary whacks my arm. “What the hell Matty?” She hisses.
I laugh. “Are you serious?”
“You provoked him,” she argues.
“Are you deaf?” I demand. “Did you not hear the quips he was throwing my way?”
“He doesn’t understand that what he is saying is wrong,” Mary murmurs.
I sigh and stand up. “I’m going home.”
“Matty-”
“Let me cool off,” I snap. She flinches back. “Just call me tomorrow,” I huff.
This place was hell
