Caught between Stones

Mable:

I'd been here three days, gran says it's time for me to get out meet some of the people in town. I pulled my long brown hair in messy knot on my head before heading downstairs. Gran was already waiting by the stairs. Her silver hair braided and under a sunhat, keys already in her hands she smiled her usual kind smile as she watched me walk down the stairs.

"Well dear are you ready?"

I nod meeting her at the bottom her eyes scanned me. Noting the black tank top and red flannel I wore."alrighty let's go then." She took my hand in hers as we walked out the door towards her old pickup. It was a old style all metal ,a few dents here there but ran good. She's probably had it for years. The tan paint on it was starting to peel. I opened the passenger side side door with a hard yank getting in.

"Seatbelt." She's chimed before starting the engine with a surprising roar. I buckled my seat belt. As she pulled out the driveway passing the farm land. Most of the drive was quiet gran put on some oldies music. I watched as trees and occasional cow, horse or donkey went by.

Most of the land around my grandparents was all farm land. They had an old barn a few feet behind the old house, though they don't really keep livestock anymore. They still had chickens and buzz the old horse they've had since I was a little girl."well darling? What do you think?"

I hadn't noticed when we made it into the small town a few miles from their house. It wasn't much. A small convenience store, hardware store, feed store, a small diner. A few other places but again not much. It was nice though quiet. "It's nice gran. Different from home."

She nods a smile forming. "I knew you'd like here. I'm so glad you decided to come stay with us. You know its just been so quiet since you all grew up on us." She reached over and squeezed my hand gently."thank you, I promise it'll be worth coming to stay may."

I give her a warm smile back.

"I think it'll be a good fresh start gran."

She smiles brighter.

I agreed to come stay with my grandparents a few months ago after my 20th birthday.

I just decided I wanted a change . And gran had been asking me for a visit for awhile so I asked if I could come live with her and grandad for awhile. Ofcrouse she agreed in a heartbeat. Granddad was more than happy to take me in too. Someone to help tend to some of the few crops they still had. "Alright first stop will be the market." Gran says as she pulls into a small parking space. We step out of the pick up walking towards the farmers market. Gran smiles and greets Different people as we walk pass. Grans always been one of the sweetest people I know. Always smiling and willing to help anyone. We stopped at small stall that had a few nic nacks. An older woman with graying hair sat behind it. She smiles warmly."this must be your grand daughter mable?"

"Yes ma'am" I give a polite smile.

"Your gran here has been telling us about you coming for weeks. She's been so excited. I have something for you here.. Maggie said you like old things." She leans down opening a bag and pulls out a carving of a wolf."this isn't exactly old.. but the story behind it is. Have you heard the story about our town?" She asks handing the carving over to me.

I shake my head turning the wolf over in my hands."I don't think I have.."

The lady grins leans closer.

"We're protected by wolves. Supposedly a chiefs son made a deal with the wolves to protect our town. Something like that its a really long story. "

She shrugs.

"Wolves huh?" She nods. Gran rolls her eyes.

"Every town has their legends."

She grabs my hand. "Come on dear."

We spent most of the morning browsing different stalls . As we walked towards the dinner for lunch. I noticed a group of men standing nearby they were all tall and well built from the looks of them with varying age differences. A younger man immediately noticed gran and I running over. "Mrs.dawn."

He smiles brightly as he steps over in front of us. He was tall not quite as tall as the men he left behind but he also looked to be the youngest of their group. " oh. Beckett." Gran smiles and hugs him.

"You remember my granddaughter mable? I believe you two used to go on little adventures together." She grins.

Beckett looks me over a warm smile on his face.he nods."yep. We used to go down to the creek behind the old barn and play in the woods."

He starts to go for a hug but I step back.

"OH sorry I guess you might not really remember me..huh. it was a long time ago.."

He rubs his neck awkwardly. Looking all around before his eyes meet mine again.

"Beckett stone." He holds out his hand.

Then I remember the scrawny little kid who I used to play with years ago.

"OH right. We used to play hide n seek in grans barn until that one night it got too dark and you got scared because you thought you saw something move in the woods. You cried until I said we could go back in huh."

A deep shade of red colors his cheeks briefly.

"Yeah.. that was me."

He dropped his hand. Gran smiles. "Well dear would you like to catch up with Beckett i just remembered I want to go by miss Drew's for something. " I nod.

"Sure gran."

Gran nods and waves as she walks off.

"Soo I can't believe you actually came back here. To stay i mean." Beckett says putting his hands in his pockets. "I mean i thought you had like started a whole life over there.'

I fall into a casual walk beside him.

"Not really. I mean.. I liked it back home but I didn't exactly fit there you know."

He nods.

"So you don't have some guy waitin for ya back there?"

I laugh.

"What? Guys back home barely even noticed me."

He does a double take.

"Really? I find that hard too believe. "

I shrug.

"Believe it."

He glances over at me while we walk.

"Well I hope you stick around a while."

I give him a small smile.

"Yeah."

We spend a while talking and catching up. Before I meet my gran outside the diner.

"Well did you enjoy catching up Beckett? His grown up a lot since you last seen him. Become quite the young man." She says casually pulling my arm through hers as we walk back to the truck.

"Yeah I actually really enjoyed getting to hang out with him. And he is a lot different from when we were younger. " Gran smiles.

"Not the little boy anymore is he no."

I roll my eyes with a laugh. "No gran he isn't. "

We talked about what we were having for dinner when we got back to the house and hadn't been paying much attention to where I was walking when I suddenly walked slam into a wall. Knocking the breath right out of me and landed on my butt. I looked up at the wall. Only it wasn't a wall but a man. He turned around slowly looking down at me. My eyes trail up and up he was tall really tall. Dark long messy hair. A face that was unforgivingly handsome. Stubble on his chin framing around forest green eyes.

He reaches down with one hand offering it to me.

His eyes land on mine they seem to dilate for half a second as I take his large hand completely covering mine. He takes a sharp breath when my hand meets his then he pulls me up with little effort.

"You okay?" He asked in a low gruff voice. He said the words like they were odd coming out of his mouth.

"Yeah. Thanks." I give him a polite smile.

"Sorry about running into you I wasn't paying attention.." i say awkwardly.

"Good." He murmurs to himself more than me and finally released my hand he was still holding.

A small barely noticeable smile forms revealing a scar through it i hadn't noticed before then it disappeared just as quickly.

"You should pay attention to where your going. "

He watches me for a second longer before turning back around walking away. I stare at his back as he leaves.

Well he seems friendly.. gran looks at me.

"You okay sweetie?"

I nod.

"Yeah let's get home." Gran smiles and tucks my hand under hers as we walk the rest of the way to the truck.

~~~~~~~~~

We've been riding quietly for a moment.

"So do you know who that was gran? The guy i ran into? He always that.. rude?"

Gran shakes head keeping her eyes on the road.

"That was Silas stone.. becketts oldest brother..never was talker.. " She shurgs.

"I don't remember him."

Gran sighs adjusting her shades.

"You wouldn't. He was much older than you and Beckett. He mostly stayed with their father working learning their business. "

I look at gran curiously.

"So I never met him?"

Gran shakes her head.

"If you did it was very briefly."

We pull in the driveway a moment later. Gran starts dinner as soon as we get back inside grandpa is sitting at the kitchen table with his paper nursing a cup of coffee. I settled on the seat across from him. He looks up at me from his paper.

"How was town may?"

"Fine I ran into Beckett remember him?"

Granpa nods.

"I like that boy always comin over helping me with the chickens and buzz and the crops."

I look at granpa a moment.

"He comes over a lot?"

He nods.

"Every day just a bout. Strong dependable man there."

Granpa rubs his chin in thought his whiskers russeling with the moment.

"Say you should come help me with the coop in the mornin he should be out there bright an early. You can help him clean it. I have a early mornin appointment. Can't stay. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the help."

I lean back in my chair eyeing granpa suspiciously.

"Sure granpa."

After dinner I shower lay in my bed staring up the ceiling. Beckett has an older brother..that i don't remember..

Maybe cleaning out the coop with Beckett tomorrow won't be awful..