Eight Months Earlier
759 Words
Eight Months Earlier
I cranked the volume on the stereo and sang along to an old track from Lady Antebellum while driving away from my grandma’s ranch. She insisted I stay since it was almost midnight and drive back to campus in the morning, but she knew I wouldn’t change my mind. I didn’t mind driving at night. Actually, I preferred it. Besides, I knew these roads by heart.
The aroma of cookies filling the inside of my car made me smile, and I inhaled deeply. She always baked something whenever I came to spend the weekend with her—which was often—and made me a huge container of whatever it was so I could take it back to campus. The bad side was that I had to share it with my roommate. Although we weren’t close by any means, she loved my grandma’s cooking.
I guess everyone loved my grandma’s cooking.
I glanced at the cookies on the passenger seat. Mmm, too tempting. I reached for one and my eyes shifted over my tote beside it. It was open, and my big economics book, along with all the notes I’d stuck in it, was missing. Crap. I’d taken it out to study while grandma baked the cookies. Maybe it was still in her kitchen.
The bright blue light from the clock on the dashboard indicated it was past midnight. I was already close to town, but I had to go back. I would need my notes for my morning class. Great. What was supposed to be a twenty-minute drive had just turned into an hour-long one, if I counted going back to the ranch, then back to campus.
Cursing, I pulled over and turned around.
Thirteen minutes into my drive back, my cell phone rang, playing one of Tim McGraw’s best songs.
“I thought you would be sleeping by now,” I said.
“Hannah, where are you?” Eric asked. “I thought you were supposed to be on campus by now. I’m waiting for you to call me from your room, when you’re safe and sound in your bed, so I can go to sleep too.”
“Sorry, change of plans.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going back ‘cause I forgot my book and my notes at the ranch.” For a second or two, he said nothing. “Eric, are you there?”
“Baby, you shouldn’t worry about your book. It’s late and you’re probably tired. I would feel better if you didn’t drive back and forth so much.”
I smiled. He always cared so much about me. “Don’t worry. I’m sure grandma will convince me to sleep over and drive back in the morning. She suggested it earlier anyway.”
“Even so. You’ll be tired in the morning.”
He had a point, but it was too late now. “Eric, I’m almost there.”
“Baby—”
“Why don’t you tell me about your trip while I drive the last six miles?” I drove by the Thompson ranch. Not too far to go now. “It’ll help pass the time.”
“I already told you about it. We won.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure there’s more to it. Like, how was the other team? How was the hotel? Was the food good, and did Tomas fall off his horse this time?”
“It was all good. And no, Tomas didn’t fall. Though, Justin’s pony was limping by the end of the match. She’ll be checked out by the vet tomorrow.”
“Oh, I hope Irina is okay.”
“I do too. Justin is too attached to that damn horse. If she’s ill, he’ll have a breakdown.”
“And that’s not good,” I said. “Oh, speaking of not good, guess who showed up at the ranch this afternoon?”
He sighed. “No idea.”
“Mr. Nash. Damn, sometimes I want to punch him for grandma. When is he going to learn she won’t sell the ranch to him? Or to anyone? The man doesn’t get it. Worse, when grandma refused to keep discussing it, he started yelling and threatening her. It was creepy.”
“See? One more reason not to go there so much. What if this guy turns violent?”
“Ah, Eric. He’s like a dog. All bark, no bite.”
I turned left onto a smaller road and approached the ranch gates. Everything was supposed to be dark, except for a few lights around the stables and the house.
But the dark night was tinged by orange.
“Eric,” I whispered. “Something’s wrong.”
The road to grandma’s house and the stables was a long one, but it suddenly seemed infinite. And the orange on the horizon seemed far away.
“What is it?”
The phone fell from my hands as I slammed on the brakes at the end of the road, causing the car to skid.
The main stable was completely engulfed in fire.
- Writer
