Love Finds You: A Helena's Grove Novella (4 page)

“Ready to pick up the pace a little?” Zack asked her when they were done with lunch.

“Oh I’m not sure,” Jen said hesitantly, “do you think I’m ready for that?”

“Honey it’s so easy, just move with the horse,” Annie chimed in.

Jen laughed and agreed to try a trot and then a gallop. By the end of the day she was sure she had found a new love and his name was Stallion. She adored and respected the animal. Zack was right, he was a sweet and gentle, and it had taken only a short time to learn to trust him completely. It was one of the best days Jen had had in a long time.

They returned to the barn around three o’clock. After almost eight hours of riding, Jen was glad to be able to walk around. She was sure she would be sore the next day
, but didn’t mind and exclaimed enthusiastically, “That was so much fun!”

Zack laughed as he and Annie unsaddled the horses. “I’m glad you had fun,” he said as he pulled Stallion’s saddle off him.

“We’ll definitely have to go again,” Annie added, and held a brush out to Jen. “Want to help me brush them down?”

Jen smiled and accepted the brush. They chatted about the day as they brushed the horses and put them in their stalls.

“Who’s up for dinner?” Zack asked as they put the brushes, saddles and bridals away.

“Oh I wish I could.” Annie made a sad face. “But I actually have a date with Jack tonight.”

Zack rolled his eyes. “You would choose Jack over Zack?” He put his hand over his heart and pretended like he’d gotten shot. “That hurts Ann, it hurts real deep.”

“Oh stop it,” she said pushing his shoulder slightly. “Wh
y don’t you guys come with us?”

Jen and Zack looked at each other; Zack made a scared face and shook his head slightly. Jen laughed.

Annie folded her arms. “Zack I’m right here, I can see your facial expressions.”

Zack smiled at
her and put one hand on her arm. “As much as I would love to crash your date with Jack, I think I’ll stay home. Thank you though.”

“I’m with Zack on this one,” Jen agreed. “You guys go and have fun.”

“Well why don’t you two go to dinner then?” Annie was trying to act nonchalant. “You might as well; I think Aunt Gabby has Bingo or something tonight anyway.”

Jen laughed, “I think its gambling night actually.”

“Bingo, gambling, it’s all the same,” Annie said waving her hand.

“I know a great place if you’re interested.” Zack turned to Jen, takin
g the lead.

Jen froze. She wasn’t sure if going to dinner with Zack was such a good idea. It was clear they had chemistry but
they were a little like oil and water – they didn’t mix very well. It seemed like every time they were together they argued over something. Well, except for today. Today had actually been really nice. Maybe Jen just wasn’t giving him a chance; everyone deserved a chance, right?

“Okay,” Jen nodded.

Zack smiled, “Great! I’ll meet you at the Pizza Shack in town. You know where it is?”

Jen held in a giggle,
“The Pizza Shack? Are you sure it’s safe to eat at a place with the word ‘shack’ in the name?”

“Don’t be a snob,” Zack countered. “It’s the best pizza you’ll ever eat.”

“It really is good,” Annie agreed.

“I don’t think I know where it is but I’ll find it.” Jen wondered briefly why he hadn’t offered to pick her up.
Because it’s not a date stupid
, she scolded herself mentally.

It was as if Zack read her mind. “I can pick you up if you want me to.”

“No,” Jen said more forcefully than she intended. She composed herself. “It will be good for me to get to know my way around a little more.”

Zack nodded in agreement. “I’ll see you at seven?”

Jen nodded and followed Annie to the truck. She caught sight of Zack one more time before they pulled out of the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat; she was more excited than she should be. She and Annie chatted until they got to Aunt Gabby’s house. Jen thanked Annie again and wished her a good time on her date; Annie returned the sentiment but didn’t wait for Jen to correct her about the ‘date’ label. After all, it wasn’t a date.
It wasn’t a date!

Jen shuffled uncomfortably as she stood in front of her aunt. “It’s not a date.”

“Yes, so you have said,” Aunt Gabby said without looking up from her book.

Jen began to pace a little, wringing her hands. There was no reason for her to be nervous, but she was. “He knows it’s not a date,” she said matter-of-factly. “We’re just going out for pizza.”

“I’m sure he does,” Aunt Gabby agreed, seeming uninterested.

“I mean, it would be weird for it to be a date. I don’t even know him and he’s a country boy. I’m not into his type at all.”

“Of course not; tall, dark and handsome is so last year.” Aunt Gabby looked up at Jen over her glasses.

Jen opened her mouth to protest, but Aunt Gabby quickly continued, “You better get going, you don’t want to be late. Date or no date, punctuality is just good manners.”

Jen looked at the clock, grabbed her purse and headed out the door, unaware of the smirk on Aunt Gabby’s face as she left.

She found the Pizza Shack easily, thanks to the GPS on her phone. When she went inside Zack was already seated at a booth across the room and waved to her. He looked nice; jeans, boots, and a plaid button up shirt. Jen smiled inwardly, he really must have nothing else to wear.

“You look nice,” Zack complimented as she sat down. She really did look cute. After fussing and trying on at least ten different outfits she had finally decided on a pair of white slacks paired with a sleeveless, hot pink blouse. The outfit was tied together by white high heeled sandals.

“So do you,” she said sweetly.

They ordered their pizza and began a nice conversation. The day had been fantastic and they laughed as they remembered how fearful Jen had been of Stallion, only to have
her fall completely in love with the big brute. Jen confessed that although riding was different than anything she had ever experienced, she definitely wanted to go again.

The waitress brought the pizza and set it down in between them. It looked amazing! Oozing with cheeses and topped with tons of vegetables and chunks of chicken. Even though it
was loaded with carbs, she couldn’t wait to try it.

“This pizza is to die for,” she said after eating her second piece.

“Didn’t I tell you this place was fantastic? Do I know my pizza or do I know my pizza?” Zack had a grin on his face like he had won some big prize.

“You live here; of course you know the best places to eat,” Jen reminded him.

“That’s true but at least now you know I have good taste.” He held up his hands waiting for her to argue. She couldn’t.

Their conversation turned again to horses and the farm Zack
was working on, which was owned by Mr. Hansen, who was also the owner of all those cows that needed branding.

“I’ve known Mr. Hansen a long time. I used to help out on his farm when I was a teenager. When I got older, I needed a job so I asked him
and he’s had work for me whenever I’ve needed it. He’s a pretty successful beef distributer so there’s a lot to do, especially when branding season comes around.” Zack winked at her.
He did that a lot!

She laughed, “Oh yes, branding. How could I forget?”

Chuckling, Zack continued talking about the farm, and Jen enjoyed listening. She also enjoyed watching him. He certainly wasn’t hard to look at, and she didn’t think there wasn’t anything wrong with looking. She didn’t even notice how late it had gotten until the waitress came by and told them they were closing.

“Wow is it that late?” Jen
said, wondering where the time had gone.

“Guess so.”

“Well,” Jen started. In the back of her mind she realized this was the ‘end of the date’ moment. Wait… it wasn’t a date so it shouldn’t be awkward, right? “I guess I should get going.” She picked up her purse and stood up. “Thanks for tonight, I had fun.”

“You’re welcome. We should do it again sometime.” Zack stood as well and as they walked out of the restaurant, he spoke up, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Oh you don’t have to.”

“I know, I want to.
” He smiled at her.

They reached the car. Zack walked to the driver’s side and opened the car door for her. She turned
to thank him. “Today was great, really.”

“I have a confession to make.” Zack was suddenly looking at his feet. “I wanted to take you riding today and to dinner tonight to try and make up for my rude behavior a couple weeks ago. You know, making fun of your clothes and shoes, and then to have them ruined by dirt and mud. I realize they’re important to you.”

Jen thought for a brief moment about how shallow that made her sound, but it was true.

“Anyway, I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends,” Zack said with a smile.

“I suppose I forgive you,” Jen said teasingly. “There is a lot of dirt and mud in this town. I guess if I’m going to be here I might as well get used to it, but today really helped. I realized I don’t even mind getting dirty when I’m riding!”

“Glad to hear it.” Zack reached for her hand. “Good night Jen.” He leaned in and Jen’s heart began to race. She closed her eyes and felt a soft kiss on her cheek. Zack smiled at her again and walked away.

Jen tried to analyze the intense disappointment she felt rising in her. Did she really expect something different?
It wasn’t a date
, she thought to herself as she drove home.
It would have been weird for him to kiss you when you weren’t even on a date!
She sighed heavily.
Get over yourself Jennifer.

The house was quiet when she got home. She slipped into her pajamas and lay on her bed, thinking about her day, about her night. It had been a long time since she’d gone on a ‘friend date’. In fact, she wasn’t sure she even had any male friends. She was used to forward gentlemen who had no intention of being friends, or anything else for that matter. Her brow furrowed as she recalled some of her past relationships. But tonight was different. She had had more fun tonight than she had on any date in…
well, never mind how long
, she thought. Fun or not, relationships really weren’t her strong point, at least not romantic ones. They were complicated and messy, a lot more work than they were worth, and certainly impossible to maintain with a full time job. Still, she couldn’t shake the feelings that were growing for Zack LaFaye. She needed to step back, get out of the clouds and come back to reality. She wasn’t staying in Ohio. She was leaving at the end of August. Summer flings never ended well and she wasn’t a teenager anymore. That settled it; she wasn’t going to spend one on one time with Zack anymore. It just wasn’t worth it.

With her mind made up and determination strong, Jen let herself drift into sleep, her mind swirling with thoughts of Zack, Annie, (that girl was growing on her), and Stallion. She definitely wanted to see Stallion again.

Jen awoke on the last Sunday in June. She rolled onto her side and looked at the clock; 6:42. She winced. With all of this early rising Aunt Gabby was doing, Jen was finding it harder and harder to sleep in past 7:00. She lay there for a few minutes before she decided she wasn’t going back to sleep.

She rose and put on a pair of black slack shorts. Funny, they were tight; tighter than she remembered them. The front button was cutting into her stomach. She frowned and traded them for a pair of khaki shorts; they too were tight. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her! In shock and horror she ran to the bathroom and pulled out the scale. She stared at it, heart beating. Did she want to know? With a feeling of dread she closed her eyes and stepped onto the scale. She waited, not daring to look. She knew she had been eating more than usual. Ice cream, pie, BREAD! “Please let the number be small, please let the number be small,” she chanted to herself as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked and calculated. Her heart sank in utter despair. Twelve pounds!
Twelve pounds!!!
She got off the scale and held her chest. She couldn’t breathe. How on God’s green earth had she gained twelve pounds in less than two months? She had to do something; stop eating! Yes! That always worked. No that’s silly; Aunt Gabby would never allow that. Run! That’s it! She just needed to start running! She realized she hadn’t done as much as one Pilates workout since she had arrived in Ohio. But… twelve pounds! “Why me?” she cried out loud to no one in particular.

After finding an outfit that still fit her, Jen made her way downstairs to find Aunt Gabby making breakfast. Waffles, syrup, jams, fruit, whipped cream, eggs and coffee lined the kitchen counter. Jen was torn; she was hungry, but she was also damn angry at herself. Maybe she’d start her diet tomorrow? She mentally slapped herself and sat down on the bar stool.

“Good morning,” she grumbled, eyeing the whipped cream and fruit.

“Good morning dear, you seem a little gloomy this morning.”

“I’ve gained twelve pounds,” Jen stated, not trying to hide her shame.

“Oh that’s wonderful!” Aunt Gabby exclaimed. “I bet you feel so much better and full of energy. You were entirely too thin when you got here ya know. I determined the minute I saw you that I was going to work to fatten you up a bit.”

Jen stared at her, not believing her ears. “You mean you’ve been TRYING to make me gain weight?”

“I have simply been TRYING to make you healthier darling. You looked like you were going to blow away. And now look at you, rosy cheeked and bright eyed. It’s done you good.”

“Aunt Gabby let me explain something. I have an extensive, high priced wardrobe consisting of sizes two and four. My two’s no longer fit me. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

Aunt Gabby was chuckling to herself, “Sounds like we need to go shopping. The Fourth of July fair is Saturday. We’ll go get something cute to wear.” She grinned at Jen like she had just solved the world’s problems, but Jen wasn’t satisfied.

“Aunt Gabby, I have plenty of clothes. I just need to start working out again and eating less.”

Aunt Gabby was busy piling food onto a plate and either didn’t hear her or wasn’t paying attention.

“Aunt Gabby,” she said, louder this time.

She looked up, “Yes dear?”

“You don’t seem to grasp the gravity of my situation,” Jen stated seriously.

“What situation is that?”

Jen let out an exasperated sigh, “The situation of the extra twelve pounds hanging on my ass!” She tried to not sound dramatic but it couldn’t be helped. “What am I going to do about that?”

Aunt Gabby looked up from what she was doing, smiled and placed a large plate in front of Jen
. A beautifully made waffle covered with syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries lay there with two fried eggs and two strips of bacon nestled to the side. Jen stared at the food, her feelings conflicted. She had to admit it looked amazing.

“Embrace it,” Aunt Gabby said holding up a fork; the twinkle in her blue eyes making Jen smile. She looked down at the plate in front of her then back at Aunt Gabby. They both giggled and Jen
sighed. Then she accepted the fork.

The following Friday morning Jen, Aunt Gabby and Annie went to the local mall to try and find something to wear for the Fourth of July fair the next day and the dance on Sunday night. Jen was having difficulty finding something that suited her style. As they walked from store to store, Jen suddenly spotted one that caught her eye. A New York boutique! Jen squealed with delight and darted in as Annie and Aunt Gabby followed. Jen quickly found what she was looking for; a black pencil skirt and matching vest, with a white, loosely fitting blouse underneath. Clean, classic, and right up Jen’s alley. She held up the outfit so Annie and Aunt Gabby could marvel at its classic beauty.

“Are you going to a funeral?” Aunt Gabby asked.

“Or a business meeting?” Annie chimed in.

Jen felt a little deflated. “What do you mean?” she asked, looking at the outfit. “It’s adorable and very fashionable!”

“It’s adorable and fashionable for New York City, but not for Ohio. You’ll look like a security agent,” Annie’s tone was soft. “And it’s… black,” she finished.

“Black just happens to be a timeless color,” Jen stated, a little irritated.

“It’s the Fourth of July, Jenny.” Aunt Gabby was ready to put in her two cents. “You need something patriotic!”

Jen’s eyes narrowed, “You mean like, red, white and blue?”

Both Aunt Gabby and Annie nodded in unison.

“Well, I don’t know how to dress for these sorts of events,” Jen complained.

Annie took
the outfit from Jen, hung it back on the rack and slipped her arm through Jen’s. “You leave it to me. I’ll find you the perfect outfit.” Giddy with excitement she exclaimed, “You’re going to look amazing!”

Jen looked at Aunt Gabby who nodded her approval. She seemed to think that Annie picking Jen’s outfit for both the fair and the dance was a great idea, so Jen decided to go with it.

“Trust me,” Annie said as they walked to one of her favorite stores. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll look like a born and bred country girl!” Annie giggled and Jen laughed nervously. As Annie pulled Jen into the store, Jen caught sight of the name, Western… something. This was going to be interesting.