Chapter 4

• ***
• For the start of a short holiday at High Meadows, I was having a good time. We'd already made three days there and honestly, at my age, I was quite happy and looking up to seeing Heather every morning made it better.
• So far aunt Christina hadn't scolded me yet. I avoided that. Sawyer on the other hand was still as cold and rude with me. I avoided her and decided to ignore her throughout my stay in the ranch.
• ~~
• On Tuesday morning of the first week, after breakfast my dad and uncle ken decided to have a ride in the nearby woods on horseback.
• "Hey son, wanna come too?" Uncle ken asked.
• "Sure!" I replied excitedly.
• "You should know that we'd be returning late."
• "Why?" I asked.
• "We wanna have a hunt actually. We wanna eat good meat that isn't cow meat or pork."
• "Oh, okay! I'm still coming," I said excitedly.
• "Okay, son. Go get the food basket from my wife. That's what we'd be eating once we'll take a break in those woods."
• "Okay!"
• I ran into the house and straight into the kitchen.
• "Aunt Christina?"
• She turned to me with a frown.
• "What did I say about running in the house?" she asked angrily. I gulped.
• "Um, I'm– I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
• "Pff! I hope so. Don't bring your bad manners along whenever you come to this ranch."
• What?
• I stared at her, intimidated and lost.
• "Well, don't just stand there staring, you idiot! What did you come for?" she asked strictly.
• "Uh, um, the food basket."
• "Was it hard to say?" she sighed. "Get it on the table."
• I turned around to get the basket. That was when I noticed Sawyer leaning against the door post. She'd heard her mother scold me. She had a satisfied little smirk on and then to my surprise, she stuck her tongue out at me. I shook my head, took the basket and left the kitchen.
• I was angry within. I was embarrassed and felt humiliated. Why had aunt Christina insulted me that way? My eyes watered and I tried not to cry.
• As I walked down the little corridor, I met with Heather. I winked away my tears.
• "Sheridan? Your eyes are red. Were you crying?" she asked in her low soft voice.
• "No, Heather," I forced a smile. She smiled back.
• "Okay," she noticed the basket. "What's that for?" she asked.
• "I'm going hunting with uncle ken and my dad."
• Her smile faded.
• "Oh. That means we won't play?"
• "I guess."
• "Plus, it means I will see you tomorrow only."
• "Tomorrow?"
• "Yeah. Dad always comes back from hunting at about nine in the evening. Nine is our bed time."
• "Oh um, don't worry. We'll play tomorrow," I reassured her. She smiled.
• "Okay," she replied shyly before walking past me. I turned and looked at her go. As if knowing I was watching her, she turned and gave me another shy smile before disappearing down the hall way.
• I went to meet my dad and uncle ken.