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November Rain
*used with permission from jamie*
Chapter 1
The meadow was dew-misted, and the morning had the chill of November breeze to give it life. I tossed my long brown hair back and laughed with joy. The sound startled the chestnutt horse I was riding and he began to dance over the damp ground.
"Easy, boy." I said soothingly, as I ran my over his mane.
He calmed, reacting to the familiar caress. Sundance (named after the Sundance Kid) had been mine since he was a colt, a present from Mark on my sixteenth birthday. Sundance was a mature 5-years-old now, but some of his coltish behaviors stayed with him. He was easily startled and high-strung just like me. I was so excited as a studied the long horizon under the pink and amber colors of dawn. It was so good to be home again. The exclusive girls schoo had polished my manners and given me the poise of a model, but it had done nothing to damper my passion for Blueoaks. Despite the fact that the Calloways' Texas farm was my home by adoption, not by birth, I loved everything about it, just as if I were a Calloway myself. A flash of color caught my attention, and I turned Sundance as Glenn came tearing across the meadow towrd me on a thoroughbred Arabian with a coat like black leather. If Mark ever caught him riding one of his prize breeding stallions like that it would mean disaster. But lucky for Glenn Mark was in Europe on business. Brenda might indulge her youngest, but Mark indulged no one.
"Hi!" Glenn called.
He stopped just in front of me and tossed back his hair with one hand. His eyes twinkled with mischeif as they swept over my slender figure in the riding outfit. But the mischeif went out of them when he noticed her bare head.
"No helmet?" Glenn said.
I pouted at him with my lips.
"Don't yell. It was just a little ride, and I hate wearing ahard hat all the time." "One fall and you'd be done for," Glenn stated.
"You sound like Mark!" He smiled a me
"Too ad he missed your homecoming. Oh, well, he'd be ack at the end of he week-just in time for the Pattersons' party."
"Mark hates parties," I reminded him.
MY eyes lowed o the eather of my saddle.
"And he hates me too, most of the time."
"He doesn't" Glenn returned.
"It's just tha you set off his temper, you rebellious little witch. I can remember a time when you all but worshipped my big brother."
"Did I?" I laughed. "He was kind to me once, when my mother died."
"He cares about you. We all do." I smiled at him warmly and reached out a hand to touch his sleeve.
"I'm ungrateful, and I don't mean to be. You and your mother have been wonderful to me. Taking me in, putting me through school, how could I be ungrateful?"
"Mark had a little to do with it."
I tossed my hair back.
"I suppose."
"Finishing school was his idea." "And I hated it! I wanted to go to the university and take political science courses."
"Mark likes to entertain buyers. Political science doesn't teach you how to be a good hostess." I shrugged. "Well, I'm no going to be here forever, despite the fact that you and Mark are my cousins. I'll get married someday. I know I owe your family a lot, but I'm not going to spend my whole life playing hostess for Mark. He can get married and let his wife do it. IF he can fin anyone brave enough."
"You've got to be kidding, because they follow him around like ants on a sugar trail. Mark could have his pick when it comes to women and you know it."
"It must be his money becaue it sure isn't his cheerful personality that draws them."
"You're just sore 'cause he wouldn't let you go away with Hunter Helmsley for the weekend."
"I didn't know Hunter had planned for us to be alone at the cottage. I thought his parents were going to be there."
"I'd like to forget."
"I'll bet you would. You've been staring daggers at Mark since. You don't bother him, do you?"
"Nothing bothers Mark. He just stands there and lets me yell until he'd had enough, then he turns that cold voice and walks away. He'll be glad whe I'm gone."
"You're not going anywhere, are you?" he asked suddenly.
I gave him my mischievious smile.
"I had thought about going the police acadamy. Do you think I could get my ap accepted before the weekend?" He laughed
"In time to escape Mark? You know you've missed him."
"I have?" "Six months is a long time. He's calmed down."
"Mark never forgets."
"Don't work yourself into a nervous breakdown. Come on, race you back to he house and we'll have breakfast."
"All right."
TBC
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