The Return Home

[Gaias_child]

Sitting behind the wheel of her 2010 fire engine red Mustang,Gabriella looked at the sprawling ranch in front of her. It had seen better days,it had fallen into disrepair when her father grew ill years before. After his passing she was shocked to discover she had inherited the whole spread ,all 250,000 acres of it. She had left home when she turned 18 and went to live in Miami Florida. She had went to school and got her degree in fashion photography,working her way up the business ladder to be ranked the 4th in the buiness in Florida. Her sky blue eyes,her waist length black hair framed her petite 5 foot frame. She sat there in her car,looking over the place,feeling like she had stepped from a glamour magazine right back into the early issues of the Washington Post.

She slowly turned her car off and slid from the car,the heat and dust hit her body as soon as she got out. Her eyes squinted even behind the sunglasses on her face tried to block the glare of the Arizona sun. SHe moved aorund the front of the car and looked at the run down porch,the steps looking worse than they appeared. She turned her head when a voice called out to her from the barn. She turned to see a middle aged man walking towards her,smacking the dust from his jeans. His hands were covered in a tan pair of gloves,his hair touched his neck from under the brim of his cowboy hat. His shirt hugged a muscular chest,one earned from many years farmhanding.He stopped in front of her and pulled his hat free,his deep brown eyes made her take in a deep breath. They were your proverbial bedroom eyes.

"Miss Garrison,the lawyers said ya would be around soon."the man said in a thick drawl as he pulled off a glove and held a hand out to her. Gabriella looked at the offered hand then shook it quickly. The man watched her reaction to hs handshake and then shrugged.

"I'm Gabriella. My lawyers didn't tell me anyone was living here."She said as she looked aorund them,looking everywhere but directly at him. "I was planning on fixing the place up,then selling it."She added quickly as she felt his gaze sharpen on her. She looked up at his 6 foot plus frame and saw the anger sizzling just under the surface.

"I don't have any plans to move out here so no reason to keep it."She added as she turned and walked across the way,stepping carefully on the porch steps. She heard the creaking but they held up as she walked up and into the house. She heard the farmhand behind her as she looked around the old place,many memories came back and most of them not good ones.

"Miss Garrison,I am Derek Hyatt. I have lived and worked here since the suummer after you went away. So I guess that puts it going on 10 years I have lived here,worked here. I even buried a wife here. "he said in an aggravated tone as he leaned against the door jamb. "I feel like this is part of my life too. Ill let you know right now,I dont take kindly to you huffing up in here,then announcing your going to sell the place."he growled out softly as he stared at her.

Gabriella looked at him..her eyes wide form his tone with her. Noone hadn't spoken to her in that tone since college. She was always the one in control and this didn't sit well with her. "Well then you can just pack up,or whatever it is you cowboys do and go."She said in a low voice watching him. His grin made her seeth silently as he pushed away from the door,placing his hat back on his head. "Cain't do that,sweetheart."he said way to sugary as he headed to the door. "See your father made a stipulation in the will. I come with the house...I can't be fired."He grinned back at her as the door slammed shut at his retreating figure.

Gabriella hurried over to the door,watching him vanish back into the barn from where he had come from. She let out a frustrated cry and slammed the big oak inner door shut.



****Thread has been cast****
((Looking for one male rper to play Derek..it will be spoiled city girl meets rugged cowboy. They will butt heads,hate each other and eventually will actually begin to care for each other. Eventually falling in love and her keeping the ranch..I would like it to be lots of story the sex scenes will be strong and sometimes forceful since they are both hard-headed. Send me a IM with an intro and we will see if it is what I am looking for))

 

[fr33ks33k]

He was literally boiling with anger as he returned to tossing the hay bales into order in the barn. How could she just come in here, all high and mighty and just declare she was going to sell the place. Derek had spent too much time and energy, poured too many buckets of blood, sweat, and tears into maintaining the farm and the land, for it to just go to the highest bidder.

He hadn't had much interaction with Miss Garrison, but on her occasional visits, he'd gotten the feeling that she got everything she wanted handed to her on a platter with a side of fries, or whatever the hell rich and prissy city-girls ate. He didn't like people who acted entitled like that. They needed to learn how to make a living through the work of their hands, the rounding of their shoulders, and the blisters of hard labor. Sitting behind a computer was just not a way of life Derek could envision for himself. He didn't know anything else but what he did, and if that spoiled brat in the house was going to sell the house, he didn't know anywhere close that he could make a living.

But he had a trump card; the old man had left him a lifeline in his last wishes. Derek had legal right to work the land and live in the house, so long as a member of the family was the owner. Derek had hoped the old man's daughter had grown more amiable of the years, but from her instant sour reaction to him, he supposed she'd grown quite the opposite. She was supposed to stay a few days out here to get a lay of the land and Derek hoped that maybe being here in this place would give her a new perspective.

Fat chance...he thought as he tossed another bale onto the pile.

 

[Gaias_child]

Gabriella moved around the old home,her memories flooding her. Most were not what she wanted to recall,some were good though. She went to her old room and tossed her purse ont he bed,her one suitcase sitting by it. She dropped down on the bed and coughed as dust billowed up around her. "Damnit,is there dust everywhere here?"She said outloud and almost jumped when her voice seemed to echo back at her. it was way too quiet for her.She slid from the bed and pulled the dusty bedspreadoff and was satisfied when her check of the blankets under it seemed clean enough.

She pulled off her outfit,leaving only bra and panties on as she slid under the blankets,sighing as her tired body relaxed. She lay there even though it was still daytime,her mind wanting to speed things forward,sbut her body telling her it was resting. Soon sleep flowed over her and she slept deeply. More deeply than she had in a long time. No sounds of the city,no horns blaring,neighbors yelling. No screams of the police or fire sirens,no sounds of gunshots ringing out around the darkest corners.

She slept soundly for several hours before stirring,slowly sliding from the bed. She stretched and moved into the bathroom,showering quickly. She dressed in a pair of jeans,white tank top,letting her hair hang loose she walked out onto the porch. The sun was beginning to set,the air didnt feel so hot and heavy now. She leaned on the porch railing,her elbows resting easily on it. Her eyes scanned over the land,recalling how it used to look. Now it was dry in some spots,the barn looked bad in places. The small ranch house that rested next to it looked like the newest thing there. She realised that must be where Derek lived.

She felt herself getting irritated as she recalled his last words to her. He couldnt be fired..She shook her head,telling herself not to get mad. She wasnt about to let some little will legality stop here from selling the place when it got repaired. She would not stay here that was all there was too it.

 

[fr33ks33k]

It took only a couple more hours for Derek to complete the work on the hay, and afterward he'd taken a small break on the porch of the small ranch house that he'd laid claim to since back before the old man had taken ill. The heat of the day was dissipating thankfully, and it wasn't long before Derek was up and fixing things along one side of the dilapidated barn. It was hard to keep the place from falling apart, but Derek would be damned if he didn't try. Hammering nails and ripping out old warped boards of wood had a therapeutic effect on his mood as well. By the time evening was approaching his shirt and brow were dripping sweat profusely.

With not much light left to work under, Derek called it enough for the day and went inside the ranch house to take a nice cold shower. His brown hair was still wet at the edges as he slipped on a fresh t-shirt and jeans. Stepping into his weathered boots he moved back out onto the porch, a tall glass of ice water in his hand. Before he had a chance to sit down, he saw a figure standing on the porch of the main house. Since no one else was out here, it had to be Miss Garrison. He grumbled and set his glass back inside, taking the steps of his porch slowly and walking equally slow toward her.

I wonder if she's still gonna be stubborn about the house? She hasn't even been here a full day...he thought as he eyed her from afar. She'd chosen clothes that were more his speed, but she seemed out of her element leaning on the banister of the porch.

"Well, I see you decided to wear normal clothes. You find everything in the house without any trouble?" The last bit was said with a bite of sarcasm, as if he expected her to be totally lost out here away from her fancy computers and skyscrapers and shit. He smiled, and it too was infected with the snark.

 

[Gaias_child]

Gabriella stiffened at his words,he was talking to her as if she was a child. She turned her head and looked at him. She gave him the sweetest smile she could as she turned her whole body his way. "Of course I did...I may have been gona for awhile,but things dont change much on a farm like this.She said as she pushed off from the railing and brushed hard past him.

She stepped down off the porch and then stopped. "Dont think Im going to change my mind..the farm will be sold.She aid as she walked away towards the barn. Once inside she let out the held breath,the smells of her childhood racing back to her. Sure she had loved this place once,but it wasnt who she was now. She walked across the hay covered floor,her hand touching rusted tools from days gone.

A small sound caught her ear,a small whimper coming from one of the stalls. Her eyes went wide as she spied the new foal,maybe a day old. The mother nuzzling the small frail looking thing. Gabriella forgot her anger as she slid the latch up on the gate. Her hand going out to stroke the mommas nose softly. She smiled as the mother horse nuzzled her hand briefly,before going back to cleaning her babe.

Gabriella knelt down and slowly slid her hand along the glossy coat of the foal. It was softer then anything she had felt. The small foal struggled to its feet,shook for a second or two the moved off across the stall. Gabriella giggled at the antics as it tried to imitate the mare. She forgot for a few minutes why she was here,relaxing her guard and being the small time farm girl she used to be.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Derek almost laughed when she started talking about things not changing on a farm like this. She was actually right, but he wouldn't let her know that. He smirked at her as she moved past him, bumping into him unnecessarily roughly. His solid frame didn't move, but he felt the jolt of the contact.

Turning on his heels, he watched as she moved off to the barn. He heard the noises typical of a newborn foal, whinnying and bristling as it worked its way off the hay. Derek started toward the barn to make sure everything was alright, but as he got to the doorway he saw Miss Garrison kneeling down by the foal, petting its side and smiling.

It was an odd feeling he got from this picture. She didn't seem like the hard socialite on a mission that she'd presented herself as. She could have been any other farm girl, smiling and giggling and actually enjoying one of life's little joys. He cleared his throat loud enough that she'd hear him and smiled smugly at her when she looked up.

"I wouldn't figure you for one who likes horses neither. You come over here to see if there was anything worth sellin', or were you tryin' to get away from me? 'Cause there ain't nowhere on this farm I don't know 'bout. I still can't believe you'd sell a place like this, so full of life and history."

 

[Gaias_child]

Gabriella looked up quickly as Derek spoke,she could feel the flush in her cheeks as he watched her. She stood up and brushed the hay from her jeans,then looked at him. " I adore the horses, even learned how to ride after I left here."She said evenly as she left the stall and locked it behind her.

"I would never seperate a baby from its mother."She added as she moved past him. "Unlike my father..."She said those last words as she left the barn,heading back across the dirt. She felt her heart stop in her chest as she realized she had let a dark family secret . Taking a deep breath she continued on towards the house.

She entered the house and stood in the living room for several seconds before going over to drop down on the couch. She tried to shake the images of her father telling her mother to leave the farm. That she wasnt going to take Gabbriella with her. She had cheated,become pregnant,now she wanted a divorce. Her father told her fine,but he would keep custody of Gabriella. The secret came out then the woman gabriella had always thought was her mother was not. She was from a relationship her father had earlier. Gabriella had become the withdrawn ,combative child after that.

 

[fr33ks33k]

When she blushed, Derek thought she almost looked....attractive. He shook his head to clear that startling thought, but was met with another as she locked up the stall and moved back toward the house.

She'd said something about fathers separating children from their mothers, but as far as Derek knew, Old Man Garrison had only ever had one wife, Miss Garrison's mother. Maybe there was more to the old man than he'd thought...certainly Miss Garrison's tone made that a possibility.

He watched her walk sullenly back to the main house and saw her sink down onto one of the couches through the large living room window, where the curtains were only partially drawn. "None of my business...I just gotta find a way to get her to keep the damn farm..." He muttered to himself as he walked over to give the foal and mare a proper checkup. After making sure everything was in order with them, Derek went about organizing some of the old tools and then heading back to his digs in the ranch house.

He sat on the porch and ran through several plans on how to get Gabriella to see the light. He shot each plan down almost as quickly as he came up with them. Letting out a heavy sigh he reclined in his chair and watched the sun sink lower on the horizon, putting his hands behind his head.

 

[Gaias_child]

Gabriella finally gave up and walked into her bedroom,sliding into a soft floor length yellow gown. Silky looking but not sheer,she let it drop around her body before turning to sit at the small vanity. She lifted the brush and began to bruush through her hair,her thoughts flashing back to her childhood and how much diifferent it could have been.

It could have been more enjoyable in her teen years,but when she found out her mother wasnt really her mother things changed. Her father had gotten another pregnant with her,the woman wanted no kids and gave her to him. The woman she had thought was her mother had tried to accept it but finally she couldnt anymore. She had let it all blurt out during one of the many fights Gabriella had witnessed then her world changed.

Her father began to treat her as if she had caused the whole thing,holding it over her head as she grew up. Telling her she would not matter for much,the farm was her only means to a good life. He had threatened to take it all from her if she left. She thought he had. When she left he swore he would never talk to her again,but as he grew sicker he had begged her for visits. Visits she made because she still loved her father but not what he had done or said all those years. She had been there when he died,but missed the funeral. So when the attorney had arrived in Florida and told her she was the heir to his ranch she was stunned.

She had swore she would never go back to that life..would never feel as if she didnt matter again. Now here she was,the memories making her smile and cry at the same time. The image of Derek suddenly floated across her mind. He had given his support to her father when most had left him,including herself. But he didnt know the whole story. She knew he had had a wife who had died during childbirth a few years back. the child had also perished. She felt his strength to hold onto the only thing he knew..the ranch. She was torn between selling it or keeping it.

She set the brush down and stood walking over to the sliding door,pushing it open she stepped out onto the small patio that had been built onto her room. She leaned on the railing and looked up at the rising moon. The wind blew aorund her causing her hair to dance around her body as the gown billowed out.

 

[fr33ks33k]

The moon was bright and full in the sky as Derek woke up in his chair. He hadn't even realized he was asleep until after the fact. He stood suddenly and stretched, his position in the chair leaving his muscles sore and creaky. Over at the house, Derek spotted Gabriella on the small deck attached to one of the bedrooms. A breeze had taken hold of her hair and her nightdress, and the fluid motion of them made him smile despite himself.

Seeing her in this position, looking vulnerable and innocent, was almost reminiscent of the nights when his wife had done that very same thing on the back porch of the ranch house he lived in now. He got his smile under control, though the corners of his mouth were still slightly upturned, and decided to go see what had Miss Garrison up so late. And begrudgingly, he had to admit that he wanted a better look at her in her long flowing gown.

He set off toward the main house as a leisurely pace, boot steps echoing into the night as a light breeze came and went.