Under the Open Sky

Chapter Three


“You will go to college this fall, Trenton, and that is final! Furthermore you will not see Angela again; is that clear?” Sterling’s raised voice floated to Amanda from the floor below; Amanda sighed. The fighting had started a week earlier when school had ended for the year and Trent had graduated.

“I don’t want to go to college, Dad; I want to stay here and help you run the ranch and I don’t need a degree to do it.”

“If you want to help me run this ranch you will go to college.”

“It isn’t your future to plan, Dad; this is my decision and I don’t want to go to college and I will see Angela if I want to. I’m eighteen next week; I’m not a child anymore.”

Amanda jumped up from her bed and pushed her screen out of her window to climb onto the porch roof. It was a beautiful night; a refreshing breeze stirred the trees making them sigh and the night insects sang their familiar tune. Amanda loved late spring evenings.

She carefully scaled the length of the roof and swung her long legs down around the porch post to scoot to the ground below. It was a trick she had learned to use in avoiding her aunt. Tonight she didn’t want to cross the battleground of the main floor of the house. Knowing she would find refuge from the yelling, she quickly set her path for the barn. She could see lights on in the men’s bunk house and Benjamin’s truck. He must have come back earlier this evening when she wasn’t paying attention. Benjamin was her father’s foreman and had been out of town for several weeks helping his recently widowed mother move. She would look forward to seeing him the next day.

Amanda entered the barn and climbed into the loft to scoot the edge of the double doors that were used to raise hay into the loft. The large two story clapboard she called home looked like something from a picture, its windows lit in the night’s darkness. As peaceful as the house looked, tonight peace did not reside in its walls. She hated it when her brother and father fought. Fortunately it was seldom enough despite the two of them being just alike.

Amanda observed a truck moving down the farm lane and recognized it as the clunker Cade had recently bought. When he parked under a tree near the barn, Amanda watched with interest as he led a young woman into the shadows of the barn and crawled to the edge of the loft to peer down on the interior. She recognized the girl from around school. A recent graduate and classmate of Cade’s, Miranda was known more for what she was willing to do than her brains.

Figures, Amanda mused in irritation. Now what? No matter how she left the barn she was going to have to interrupt the pair who were busy kissing and groping each other. Amanda sighed; was that all men ever thought about? Unless she wanted a show it was time to get out here, she decided as she stood and hopped onto the beam opposite her perch.

“Forgive me for interrupting but could I get out of here please? It’s getting a little hot for me,” Amanda had swung to the floor by the time she finished her sentence. She heard Miranda gasp and watched as the two jumped apart.

“What are you doing out here at this time of night?” Cade demanded.

“I was trying to enjoy a peaceful moon lit evening but that looks unlikely,” Amanda shared as she sauntered in their directions.

“You should probably take me home, my parents are going to be wondering about me,” Miranda edged around Cade and out of the barn. Cade was standing arms crossed as he stared at Amanda in irritation and she stopped to match his pose.

“A word of advice, Cade, my father doesn’t cotton to the men bringing women to the ranch to mess around with, his having an impressionable young daughter and all so I would tread lightly if I were you.”

“Is that a warning, Manny?”

“I have no intention of telling if that is what you’re asking but Daddy has been known to check on the animals before bed.”

“Look, Manny, Miranda and I were just…”

“It’s Mandy, and I am fifteen, not five and I know exactly what you and Miranda were just up to,” Amanda rolled her eyes in disgust at his attempt to play down his actions. “All I’m saying is if my dad catches you, you will lose your job.” Amanda started around Cade; he stopped her by grabbing her arm lightly.

“You won’t tell?” his gaze probed hers.

“I know you think I’m a brat but I’m not mean spirited, Cade; I know you need this job and I have nothing against you. If you like bimbos knock yourself out, but I suggest you do so somewhere where my dad isn’t likely to walk in on you.”

Amanda turned and left the barn; she noted Miranda who stood, her arms crossed as she leaned against Cade’s truck and glared at Amanda. Amanda was fairly sure she had heard her every comment. Amanda saluted the older girl as she passed and continued to the house at an unhurried pace. She wasn’t particularly anxious to return the turmoil inside.

Amanda watched her father place a worn cap on his head as he readied to go to town, her brother dragging his feet as he prepared to go along.

“You comin’ along?” Sterling inquired of his daughter.

Amanda shook her head; her father was still in a crappy mood and she had no intention of being stuck between him and her brother all the way to and from town. Nuh uh, she was not crazy. Given her father’s mood there was no chance of getting her permit either.

“Suit yourself,” her father shrugged. The pleading gaze her brother shot her direction almost changed her mind…almost. She walked to the truck, closed the gate after Big Boy had hopped in, and waved them on their way before meandering her way to the barn to see how one of the new colts was faring. She waved to several of the men, all mounted to ride out and stepped through the barn doors. The interior of the barn was dark after the brilliant afternoon sunshine and Amanda had to blink before she could see where she was going, though she could make the trip in the dark if she had to. In the last stall, she found the growing colt tossing and shaking his shiny head. He was going to be temperamental, she could already tell, but he was a beauty with his deep chocolate coat.

“Pretty isn’t he?” Cade asked as he entered with a bag of feed on his shoulder.

“He is; temperamental too.”

“Nah, he’s just high spirited, with the proper training he’ll make someone a good mount,” Cade predicted.

“That’s what Dad said too,” she acknowledged; she still maintained that he was temperamental.

“I figured you would head to town with your dad and brother and pester them for your permit,” Cade teased, his blue eyes bright.

“I know better than to put myself between them when they’re having a round,” Amanda was shaking her head.

“Still into it over Trent’s schooling?”

“That’s what drove me out here last night,” she admitted as she turned, put her back to the stall, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Thanks for not getting me in trouble, Manny.”

“I don’t know why you thought I would and it’s Mandy,” Amanda pushed off the stall and strolled toward the open double doors of the barn.

“You want another driving lesson?” Cade called after her.

Amanda stopped and turned to face him, “You don’t have to buy me off, Cade; I’m not a tattle tell.”

“I wasn’t trying to buy you off but suit yourself,” Cade shrugged and turned to lift a bale of hay.

“Alright,” Amanda agreed.

Cade set the bale back down and turned to Amanda, his gaze meeting and holding hers as if he was waiting for her to say more.

Unwilling to admit how much she wanted to get behind the wheel of the truck again, Amanda raised her chin high. She watched a crooked smile lift one side of Cade’s mouth as he shook his head.

“You and that colt are a pair, Manny; come on.” Cade led the way out of the barn. Several minutes later Amanda was managing one of the field roads quite nicely.

“Increase your speed a little and see how you handle it,” Cade instructed.

Amanda nodded and pressed the accelerator gently and then more firmly.

“You’re doing good.”

“Thanks,” Amanda didn’t dare take her eyes off the dirt road in front of her. Slowly she felt herself relaxing; becoming more comfortable with how the truck handled. Amanda shifted into the highest gear and increased her speed until they were bumping along at a fast clip.

“Slow down a little,” Cade cautioned.

“I’m not having any trouble,” Amanda protested.

“No, but this road wasn’t made for speed,” Cade stated the obvious. Before Amanda could reduce her speed, they bounced through a large pothole. Amanda laughed as Cade braced himself.

“This is fun,” she announced.

“Please slow down.”

“I kind of like this,” she protested.

“Manny!”

Amanda spotted the heifer in front of them and quickly slammed on the brakes and cut the wheel. The truck slid to a stop and turned sideways across the road. Amanda threw back her head and laughed so hard it hurt. Beside her Cade still clutched the door handle and had one hand on the dash. Amanda clamped her mouth shut and waited for him to yell at her as her brother would have. A deep chuckle sounded beside her and then Cade was laughing.

“Kid, your aunt is right; you are growing up wild,” he accused a moment later. “Do you think you can get us back to the barn in one piece?”

“Sure,” she grinned. Amanda restarted the engine and drove back to the barn at a reasonable speed. “Thanks, Cade.”

“Sure, now you just have to wait for the right opportunity to reveal to your dad that you can drive,” he offered her a smile.

“Right,” Amanda nodded. “I should go and let you get back to work,” Amanda turned and started for the house at a sprint. She slowed as she neared the house and spotted her aunt frowning at her. She knew that Naomi couldn’t have seen her driving so she was at a loss as to why she was in trouble.

“Were you talking with that new boy?” Naomi demanded.

“Cade? Yeah, I was talking to him; why?” Amanda stopped and crossed her arms over her chest to frown at her aunt.

“Mandy, he is not the kind of person you should be hanging out with. Why your father continues to hire roughians when he has a daughter your age I will never know,” Naomi looked ready to start a tirade and Amanda was in no mood to hear it.

“Maybe because he wants to help people,” Amanda responded and then hurried into the house before her aunt could respond. She took the stairs two at a time, closed herself in her room, and threw herself across her bed. Amanda pulled a pillow close and propped her chin on it. Her dad and brother should be home before too long; she just hoped they had made some sort of peace while they were gone.

She was going to miss her brother when he left for college in the fall, she admitted to herself. Amanda rolled onto her back and let her head hang off her bed to stare upside down at the window. A fly flung it’s self against the screen, its buzz sounding like a spitting engine.

Amanda knew for all of their fighting that she and Trent were closer than many siblings. She had wondered more than once if they would have been so close if their mother had lived. It seemed to her that in their mother’s absence they had clung to one another in many ways, often just in defiance of Naomi’s latest plans for them. Naomi always meant well of course, but the woman was more old fashioned than the Amish, Amanda had read about. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but not by much, Amanda mused. Amanda heard her dad’s truck coming down the drive, Big Boy barking as though announcing he was back, and she jumped up to meet them.

“Hey Pest, just waiting to aggravate me?” Trent smiled as he climbed out of the truck. Amanda felt some of her tension drain away at her brother’s relaxed bantering; apparently he and her father had called a truce.

“I have to make up for lost time,” Amanda grinned in return.

“Make yourself useful and grab some of these things your aunt asked for,” Sterling instructed his daughter.

“Yes, sir,” Amanda grabbed two bags and carried them into the house, her brother and father on her heels.

“Trent, can you put these on the top shelf for me?” Naomi handed Trent several large containers. Amanda returned to the truck and grabbed another load.

“I’m going to go see how things are coming with Cade and the tractor, would you have your brother pull the truck out there when you’re through unloading the house things here?” Sterling requested.

“Sure thing, Daddy,” Amanda gave him her sweetest smile.

“Thanks, Cupcake.”

Sterling turned toward the barn and Amanda grabbed another load, hurrying to empty the truck before her aunt was through with her brother.

“I’m going to the barn to catch up with Daddy,” Amanda announced after she placed the last load on the counter.

“Wait and I’ll drive you,” her brother called. Amanda ignored him and hurried to the truck, climbed onto the seat and adjusted it. Amanda took a deep breath and started the truck.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Trent demanded.

Amanda put the truck in gear and started forward; her brother scrambled to jump into the bed of the truck.

“Dad’s gonna kill you,” Trent predicted through the cab’s sliding windows.

Amanda ignored his comment and pulled the truck up the barn, reversed it and positioned it for unloading before cutting power to the engine and hopping down from the cab. She found her father watching her, hands on hips.

“Since when can you drive?” her father demanded.

Greg and Tracey came forward for supplies; they ignored the interplay.

“Since I’ve been practicing,” Amanda announced her chin tilted up in determination; her father was going to hear her out today. She saw Cade grin behind her father before he buried his head in the tractor motor he was working on.

“And who taught you?” Sterling’s gaze was steady and expectant.

Amanda met his gaze and remained silent.

“You know anything about this, Trent?” Sterling shifted his gaze to his son.

“No, Sir. You know anything about this, Cade?” Trent turned to his friend.

“She can drive a tractor, what’s so different about a truck?” Cade dodged the question.

“So you just taught yourself to drive?” Trent was eyeing her like he didn’t buy it.

Amanda crossed her arms and ignored her brother.

“I can drive, Daddy. I promise I’ll be a really good driver and obey all the laws and everything,” Amanda bargained.

“Driving on the farm and driving in town are two very different things,” Sterling informed his daughter.

“Yes, sir, it is, but I know you can teach me real well, Daddy,” Amanda gave him a coaxing smile and held her breath.

Sterling nodded. “I guess I can at that. Alright, I’ll take you Monday but don’t say anything to your aunt until it’s a done deal, okay?”

Amanda rushed to her father and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek; then laid her cheek against his shoulder.

“If you manage to hurt someone, or especially yourself, your aunt will never let me live it down,” Sterling informed her.

“I won’t though, Daddy. I didn’t damage the farm or kill any of your cows did I?” Amanda countered. She thought she heard a snort from under the tractor but didn’t dare look in Cade’s direction.

“I suppose not, not that I’ve found anyway.”

“You won’t regret it, Daddy; I promise.”

“I hope not, now go on; I’ve got work to do.” Sterling kissed his daughter’s forehead and turned to enter the barn. Trent eyed Amanda suspiciously and then followed their father.

Amanda finally allowed herself to look in Cade’s direction. Cade was smiling at her and offered a wink. Amanda grinned in return and then quickly wiped her smile away when she caught her brother watching her. Amanda, her smile firmly back in place, turned to dash to the house.