chapter six,
the new mare

📺🥧🦔

THE whole family sits at the dining table as Daddy eats donuts. We all stare at him, confused and disgusted looks on our faces.

"Ok, what is goin' on here? Why are y'all starin' at me?" Daddy asks.

"You look like Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born." Bailey tells him. Daddy chuckles and wipes away the powder from his face, but we keep staring at him.

"What?" Daddy asks again.

"Beau, I am so sorry you have to replace your wife's horse, Melody. It must bring up such a painful mem – what?" Bailey asks Cassidy.

"We didn't want him to know why we were worried about him!" Cassidy reminds her.

"Beau, no one's worried about you." Bailey says.

"Will y'all relax? I'm fine. Melody can no longer reproduce, so we bring in a mare that can. That's how we do it. That's how we make a living. Everything's good. Real good. Real, real good." Daddy says.

"See? I told you Daddy was fine." Dylan reassures us. Daddy gets up and goes to the kitchen, leaving us alone. "He's devastated."

"Daddy, for two years you told me I had to deal with my feelings. Don't you think it's time –" Cassidy gets cut off.

"Its just a horse, honey. Daddy is happier than a cat in the sun." Daddy says.

"And is that cat stuck in concrete or under the wheel of a car?" I ask.

"Thank you, Melissa." Daddy says making me smile.

"You're welcome Daddy." I say as I stand up and put my dishes in the sink. "Now, did anyone come up with a name for our new mare yet?"

"I still can't believe Melody's gettin' replaced 'cause she can't make babies anymore." Bailey says.

"That's too long, Bailey." Daddy says.

"Hey, how 'bout My Girl?" Tuck asks.

"You don't have enough girls, you gotta claim this one too?" Brody asks.

"Fine. What do you wanna name her?" Tuck asks.

"How 'bout My Girl?" Brody asks.

"You realize thats the same –" Tuck starts.

"I do." Brody nods.

"Cheer up, Brody. Jo's comin' back from France today." Cassidy says.

"Who's Jo?" Bailey asks.

"She's our next door neighbor." I say.

"Jo's a girl?" Bailey asks.

"Jo's not a girl girl. She's my girl bro. And, may I say, a better bro than Tuck. At least she doesn't steal girls from me." Brody says.

"Anyone is a better bro than Tuck." I state.

"Brody, if it makes you feel any better, I'm over that girl from the wedding." Tuck says.

"Oh dear God, not your wedding?" I ask. A horn beeps outside.

"And there's the reason why. My new girl, Lorraine!" Tuck says as he points out the door.

"He's got skills." Chloe says.

"Wow, Lorraine is even hotter than wedding girl." Dylan says as he looks out the window.

Brody starts to clap. "Yay for Tuck."

"I'm gonna just run out there and tell her that you'll be a minute and I love her." Dylan says before leaving.

"Don't be jealous, honey. What kind of desperate girl drives all the way here to pick up a boy for a date?" Bailey asks.

"The kind of girl who's goin' out with a guy who can't get his drivers license for another six months because of that time he ran out to help you and got stopped by the cops, remember?" Tuck asks.

"Nope. So, when's the new mare comin'?" Bailey asks Daddy.

"Can we stop talkin' about the mare?" Daddy asks.

"Of course. Boss, how about a new delicious donut?" Bailey asks.

"Why are these donuts here? Bailey, I told you I don't want the kids eatin' all this sugar for breakfast!" Daddy says as he goes to leave.

"Chloe bought 'em!" Bailey says quickly as Daddy walks into the kitchen with me.

"Let's go Tuck. We don't wanna keep Lorraine waitin'." Dylan says as he walks in.

"What's this we?" Tuck asks.

"My sweet Lorraine offered to take me to my song writers meeting." Dylan says.

"I thought that was tomorrow." Bailey says.

"It just got moved." Dylan says before leaving the house.

"Are you gonna be ok Daddy?" Tuck asks.

"I'm fine, son. You just go have a good time with Melody." Daddy says.

"I think he means Lorraine." Bailey whispers.

"That's what I said." Daddy says.

"Chloe, don't correct your father." Bailey says. There's a knock on the door and I smile and rush over to it.

I open the door to see Tim standing there. "Tim!" I smile.

"Is that Tim?" Daddy asks. He walks up to the door and smiles at Tim. "Hey Tim."

"Hi, Mr Haywood." Tim smiles. "Uh, I hope you don't mind, I'm gonna take Mel out to the ranch. We got a new horse and I wanted to show her."

"Sure." Daddy says.

"What?" I ask.

"What?" Bailey asks.

"What?" Daddy asks. "You wanna go out with Tim? Go out with Tim." Daddy says.

"Really?" I ask making him nod.

"Do you wanna check out the horse or not?" Tim asks making me nod.

"I do, but I'm confused why Daddy's sayin' yes." I say making Tim chuckle.

"I have her home soon." Tim says making Daddy nod. I leave the house with Tim and we walk down the road to Tim's ranch.

"Ok, so we named the horse Princess." He says making me nod.

"She's beautiful." I say as we walk up to the horse. "We're gettin' a new mare today."

"You're givin' up Melody?" Tim asks making me nod.

"Yeah." I nod. "Daddy's not feelin' great about it, I mean, it was Mama's horse."

"You gonna be ok?" Tim asks making me nod.

"I'll be ok." I smile. "Uh, thanks for inviting me to see the new horse."

"I wanted you to meet her." Tim smiles. "Y'know, I really like you."

I feel my cheeks burn red. "Really?" I ask making him nod.

"Yeah. I do. I really like you." He says.

"Well, maybe we could go out again? Like, on a date?" I ask.

"I would like that." Tim smiles.

📺🥧🦔

AS I walk into the house I see all my siblings standing in the kitchen with Bailey. "Bro, I didn't know you had a thing for Jo." Tuck says.

"Brody likes Jo?" Dylan and I ask.

"Loves." Tuck corrects. "Ain't no way I'm goin' out with her now. Bros before Jos."

"So, are we ok, Brody? I mean, Tuck seems to be backing off, everything's good now, problem solved." Bailey says.

"What's solved? Nothing's solved!" Brody says as he sits down.

"I'll go talk to Jo." Tuck says as I sit down at the other end of the table.

"No. I do not need your pity." Brody says.

"Take his pity." Cassidy, Chloe, Dylan and I say.

"Even if I do, his deciding not to date Jo isn't gonna make her like me." Brody says.

"Sure it will! She'll be so hurt from losing Tuck, she'll come runnin' to you on the rebound." Cassidy says making me raise my eyebrows.

"Well, that's not how I want her." Brody says before turning to Bailey. "You think it'd work?"

"Works on the Bachelor." Chloe says.

"Why are you watchin' the Bachelor?" I ask making the tiny child shrug.

"Not that I wanna influence anyone's decisions, but if you fellas resolve this, I might be able to keep my job." Bailey says.

"Just say the word, bro." Tuck says.

Brody sighs. "Word, bro."

"Did you have fun at Tim's house?" Cassidy asks.

"When did you go to Tim's house?" Tuck asks.

"Earlier today. He showed me his new horse. They named her Princess and he told me he likes me." I say.

"He likes you?" All my brothers ask making me nod.

"Yeah." I smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go call Izzy and tell her the good news."

I get up from my chair and I go upstairs to my bedroom and flop down on my bed.

But when I open my phone, I see Tim calling me. So, I smile and answer it.

"Hi." I smile.

"Hi." He says.

📺🥧🦔

I sit at the dining table with my whole family as we eat dinner. "Can someone please pass me the gravy?" Tuck asks.

Just as Dylan goes to pass it to him, Brody picks it up and pours majority of the gravy onto his plate. "Ya done?" Tuck asks.

"Just about." Brody says before licking some of the gravy out of the gravy boat. "Now I'm done."

"Yes, you are. Do you know how long you two have been in this ridiculous dogfight over Jo?" Daddy asks.

"I'll tell you how long. I started shavin' my legs." Cassidy smiles proudly.

"I got a boyfriend." I say.

"I started growin' a mustache." Dylan says.

"So did I." Bailey agrees.

"Its been almost two months. I've had it." Daddy says.

"Daddy, Jo kissed me, I didn't kiss Jo." Tuck says.

"Really? 'Cause it looked like you were kissin' harder." I point out.

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just snap my fingers and be ugly." Tuck says.

Then, someone's phone goes off. "How many times have I told y'all no phones at the dinner table?" Daddy asks.

Then someone's phone beeps again. "All phones. Come on. The middle of the table, now!" Daddy says.

Complaints fly around the table as I reach into my pocket and pull my phone out.

I put it in the middle of the table and then, it goes off, prompting Daddy to pick it up.

"You can't read that! That's my phone!" I tell him.

"And yet, each month, the bill comes to me." Daddy says.

"Sugar, you cannot read your daughters texts." Summer says as she takes the phone from Daddy and hands it to me.

"Thank you, Summer." I say.

"I got you girl." Summer says.

"Yeah, and I got girls phone." Daddy says.

"C'mon, Daddy, you can't read Mel's texts." Cassidy says.

"Want me to read yours too?" Daddy asks.

"No sir." Cassidy shakes her head and continues to eat.

"Thanks Cass, thanks a lot." I whisper.

"Mel, what're these texts to Tim?" Daddy asks making me roll my eyes. "Oh my – you're fourteen!"

"And yet, Tuck lost his virginity when he was thirteen!" I exclaim making Tuck's eyes widen.

"Melissa!" Tuck exclaims.

"Karma's a bitch." I state.

"Melissa Rhylin Haywood you watch your mouth." Daddy orders making me roll my eyes. "You go up to your room, you're grounded."

-

^outfit at Tim's house^

^dinner^