Love Finds You: A Helena's Grove Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

again noticing the dirt and mud surrounding her, thought it best to stay where she was.
    “Hey!” Annie said cheerfully when she got close enough. “I never imagined I’d see you here!” Her southern accent seemed stronger today.
    “I was tricked into coming,” Jen said loud enough for Zack to hear who was now in the back of the truck pulling things out of the bed.
    “Oh.” Annie looked at her brother; he stopped for a moment and looked at them but didn’t comment.
    “Well,” Annie said, returning to her cheerful disposition, “I’m glad you’re here. Have you ever done branding before?”
    Jen knew that Annie knew the answer to that que stion but decided to oblige her. “Actually, I’ve never even touched a cow and I honestly have no idea what branding is.”
    Annie’s face clearly displayed surprise. “You’ve never touched a cow?” she asked, not believing.
    “Not once.”
    “Well, I’m happy that I get to b e the person to introduce you!” she giggled. “This is gonna be so much fun!”
    Jen nodded but didn’t feel her enthusiasm.
    Annie’s laugh died as she looked over Jen’s outfit. “I don’t think you should’ve worn those shoes,” she said shaking her head.
    Jen noticed Annie was wearing jeans and a blue plaid shirt. Her short brown hair was pulled into two pigtails and she wore a brown cowboy hat speckled with a few jewels around the rim. She couldn’t have looked more country if she tried. Ironically, even though Jen herself would never dress that way, she thought Annie looked quite cute, if you overlooked the spots of mud on her knees.
    Zack walked by just then. “I told her those shoes weren’t a good choice.” He gave Jen an ‘I told you so’ look. She glared back at him.
    Annie didn’t seem to notice. “That’s alright, I can’t imagine you’ll be doing any branding today seeings as it’s your first time. I’ll send some clothes over before next Saturday for you to use. You’re a little thinner than I am but I think I have some things that’ll do,” she said smiling.
    “What’s next Saturday?” Jen asked
    “Oh we’re gonna keep branding and tagging the cattle. There are so many it usually takes us a few Saturdays to do it all.”
    “Who owns all these cows?” Jen asked. There had to be at least a thousand of them.
    “Mr. Hansen does,” Annie said, pointing to a man sitting on a horse a few yards away. He was rugged-looking, seemed to be in his mid-f ifties, and sported blue jeans, a plaid shirt, boots and a hat. Surprise, surprise, Jen thought.
    “Well, come on with me .” Annie motioned and started toward the fence. “It’s time you touched a cow!”
    Jen swallowed hard. She looked at her shoes, then at the mud, and then back at her shoes. She wasn’t from a small town but she did know that expensive yellow shoes and mud do not mix. Annie plopped on through the wetness like she was walking down the sidewalk. It didn’t even faze her. She turned back to look at Jen. “Ya comin? It’s not too bad if ya stay on the dryer spots.”
    Jen looked over at Aunt Gabby. She was talking to Mr. Hansen who had climbed off his horse. Zack was standing a few feet from them and she suddenly noticed he was watching her. Completely annoyed, she lifted her head and stood a little straighter. She could do this, she could do anything, she wasn’t afraid. She took one step, then two. She walked strategically through the mud, trying to find the driest places to step. She was doing it! She got half way to where Annie was standing when out of nowhere, her foot sank. She looked down and gasped; her ankle was surrounded by dark sludge. Reflexively, she pulled her foot up. It came up, but her shoe stayed where it was. She cried out dramatically as she stooped over to try to pull her shoe from the mud. It was completely engulfed. Bent over, pulling on her shoe she heard something behind her. She looked to see Zack, laughing hysterically. She shot him a look that made him