"Brooke can you take a walk in right now?" Kristen hollers to the back where Brooke is throwing hairy towels into the washer.

Looking down at her watch she calculates how long till her next appointment is suppose to come in. "Umm, yeah I should be able to. Just a cut?"

Kristen steps around so they aren't hollering anymore. "Yes it is a guys hair so simple."

They both laugh at that. "Yeah I can do it," she offers with a smile.

"Awesome! His name is Gary, so whenever you are ready." Just she is about to walk away Kristen turns around and in a low voice adds, "Watch out he's pretty handsome."

"Oh, Kristen, stop that already!" Gary? That's interesting. She brushes it off as nothing as she slips the black apron over her head and ties it around her waist. Stepping out to her little nook she straightens up the scattered clips, scissors, and combs laying on the counter. The click of the plug-in in the electrical socket and the hum of the clippers tell her she is all set to take on this client. "Gary!" she calls without really looking up. That is until the sound of heavy footsteps come closer and closer. She turns around and has to look up, a lot. Darn, he's tall.

The overly tall, broad built gentleman has something about him that looks oddly familiar and his voice only adds to the thought that she should know him from somewhere. "Brooke, right?"

She smiles and nods, but not before cutting a narrow gaze at at Kristen. "Yes sir."

Now it is his turn to look up at her as he is now sitting in the short chair. "I'm not that old."

His quirky grin makes her giggle as she begins to oil the clippers. Oh Brooke! Get it together before you gorge his head! She scolds herself. As she begins to run the clippers over the dark brown, almost black, hair she notices that he is watching her in the mirror in front of them. If she wasn't taking quick glances at him too she would have found it a bit odd. When they make eye contact through the mirror she feels a blush begin to rise up her cheeks. The deep chuckle that can be heard only makes her blush deepen.

"I guess asking you if you work here would be a stupid question. At least I hope you work here considering you have clippers in your hand and my hair under neither them," he jokes sending a wink her direction.

Seriously, Brooke, keep the blushing under control! Blinking she tries to keep her nervous babbling, but falls short when she hears herself say, "Yes, I work here. I try not to gorge too many people a day." Oh, boy! What have you done now?

The roaring laughter that comes from his throat causes customers to look at them with curious gazes. "Well, that is good to know. I just hope I'm not the start of a new trend."

In the silence that follows Brooke focuses on the top of his head and Gary's gaze steadily resting on her reflection in the mirror. He can't help but to watch the facial expressions that cross her sun-kissed face.

"So where do you work?" Brooke asks trying to remove the awkward silence that hangs in the air.

Gary sighs and looks at the black cape resting over his chest. "I'm helping my sister at her therapeutic riding center."

She feels bad for striking a sensitive chord and only nods in response. Way to go Brooke! The finishing touches for the buzz hair cut can't be done fast enough. In effort to lighten the mood she says what's running through her mind alongside the other thoughts, "Do you mean Jaelyn's riding center?"

He raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, how did you know that?"

"Well there aren't just dozens of riding centers specializing in therapy. Besides, she's been my best friend for a long time now."

"Wait, so you're Brooke? Good to know. She talks about you quite often; specifically when she's trying to prove her point."

Brooke can't help but grin as she plugs in the hair dryer. She turns it on the lowest setting and waves it over the fresh cut hair. Tiny, almost invisable, pieces of hair fly in every direction. "All done," she announces as she takes the cape off of him.

"Thank you." He smiles a very small smile and nods before shoving his black felt hat on his head.

Staring after him as he strolls out the door Brooke can't help, but to feel horrible. Obviously the mention of his job was like a copper taste in his mouth and one that would likely stay there for the rest of her day. And it was all her fault. She shakes her head trying to remove the thoughts before she begins to sweep the sprigs of hair from the concrete floor.
***
Gary jumps in his pickup and takes his hat off as he looks in the mirror. "Maybe that will make Little Lynn happy," he mutters with a smile. He runs his ringers over the tiny springs and shakes his head to get some stray hairs off of the top of his head.

His mind still runs with thoughts about what the handsome filly that cut his hair had asked. Now that he looks back on his reaction he feels bad about the stiffness in his voice that obviously she noticed with the way she hurried with the rest of her job. Great job, Gary, great job! Now all you have left yourself with is confusion, guilt, a hint of stary eyes and more confusion. He shakes his head and turns his pickup back out of town towards the crazy nook he is now calling home.

His deep voice passionately sings along with the Hill Song band as the gravel flies underneath him. His walk with Christ is nothing small to him and he doesn't shy away from making that known.

As he pulls up by the barn he spots his sister sitting on her red roan, but what really catches his attention is that she seems to setting gates for some big task. He chuckles to himself, but not without rolling his eyes. Clumsily he pushes his door open and begins to casually stroll her way. "Oh Little Lynn! Just what do you think you are you doing?"

She looks over her shoulder at him as he now leans on the fence behind her. "You are home early. I thought you would be a while longer."

"I can see that," he says gesturing to the gate she rests her hand.

She sighs. "I can't do anything with you eagles watching over me so closely and I am going crazy!"

He nods with a solid understanding expression on his face. "I am aware of that, however, you need to relax a bit. That's what you brought me here for! So that you can get some rest and things can still carry on around here."

"Trust me! I am fully aware why everyone thought it would be the most wonderful time for you to venture out into the dessert with me."

He throws his head back with a laugh as he steps through the gate and to her side. Lifting his hat he says, "Well you should be happy with your new found dessert partner."

Running her hand over the little bristles she smiles. "Ah, this feels so good! Tyson never cuts his hair that short. Not that I mind he wouldn't look as good as you and dad do with it."

"I think I will take that as a compliment. Now then, slide down off of that pretty boy and come inside with me."

Once they are inside and she has settled herself in the black leather recliner she turns to stare at him intently. "How was my big brother's trip to town?"

"Well, I grabbed me a cup of coffee with the old men and heard about what everyone's water supply will do. Then I went to the store and grabbed myself a paper, that I happened to leave in the pickup. Finally I went to the barber shop and got my hair chopped off," he fills her in watching her roll her eyes when he mentioned the old men.

She nods at his report and turns her head sideways in thought. "Who cut your hair?"

He shrugs carelessly. "A girl named Brooke, why?" 

Suddenly she springs out of the chair, as fast as her growing baby bump will allow her to, and is standing in front of him. "What! Brooke cut your hair and you didn't even tell me? How is she? Has she called that guy that wants her to take pictures of his family? Gee, we need to have a girls day and catch up. I haven't talked to her since she was over here almost a month ago."

He pushes his head into the back of the couch as not to be so close to her as she rants in his face. "Wait a second, you know the girl that cut my hair? What kind of mess did I just get myself into?"

Now she looks over her shoulder as she walks to the fridge. "Yeah, Brooke is my best friend and has been for the past five years or so. Why else do you think I told you to go there to get your very long hair cut there?"

He shakes his head and throws his hands in the air. "Well this just got confusing!"
***

Gary tosses the kid saddle on the back of a tall sorrel gelding. As much as the craziness of kids makes him want to pull out his hair helping the little guys ride hasn't been so bad. In the past two weeks since his arrival he has learned most of the kids name's along with which horse they ride and if they are disabled what is wrong with them. The smiles on their bright little faces make him too smile. Not to mention the sweet curious questions that spill from their lips.

"Gary, is Hopper ready for me to get on?" Alissa, a thirteen-year-old girl with a spinal cord injury, asks from her seat in her bright red wheel chair.

He smiles at her and nods to the sorrel in front of him. "Just about, all I have left is to put his bridal on."

"Oh, that's okay Miss Jaelyn taught me how to put his on last week," Alissa tells him, excitement dripping from her voice.

Slightly surprised he turns to look at her smiling face. "Well great! That saves me from putting up with the old man." They both laugh and he hands her the lead rope attached to the geldings halter. "So do you take him to the mounting block?"

"Of course, silly!" A giggle sounds after her remark as she begins to wheel towards the gate leading to the arena with Hopper in tow.

Gary holds his hands up in defense as he steps in front of them to open the gate. "My bad, I'm still learning the ropes around here. You got to take it easy on me kid."

She only grins at him and hands him the lead rope while she rolls herself up the ramp and onto the wooden platform of the mounting block. Cautiously she leans forward and takes the bridal from his hands. Unbuckling the lime green halter she slides it back on his neck before buckling it back. Then she maneuvers her wheel chair around so that Hopper's head is resting in her lap. "Good boy, Hopper," she coos as she slides the cool metal bit between his slightly parted teeth. Happily she rubs his forehead before slipping the leather headstall over his ears.

Once the bridle is securely on the sorrel head Gary beams a smile and turns to high five Alissa. "You made that look easy! I can tell you definitely learned that from Miss Jaelyn."

Alissa cocks her head side ways. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, when Miss Jaelyn and I were growing up with our three brothers if you couldn't find Little Lynn you just went and looked with the horses. She was always doing something with them and ninety-nine percent of the time it was gentle and patient just like you were with hopper," he tells her with a smile remembering back when they were kids.

Alissa has a smile on her face too. She likes hearing about her teacher and best friend when she was her age. "Is Little Lynn what you call her? I've heard you say it before."

"Yes ma'am! All of us brothers call her that."

"Could you tell me more stories about Miss Jaelyn when she was younger?" She asks hopefulness in her voice and eyes.

Gary smiles. "Maybe, but right now we need to get you going before Hopper here decides he's done tuckered out."

***

Brooke looks across the table in the ice cream shop at her best friend. She misses this, just hanging out together. Since Jaelyn has gotten married and started her business she has been quite the busy woman, but to Brooke's delight the pregnancy has freed up a little of her friends time. "How've you been? I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"I know!" Jaelyn sighs. "I'll be honest, I haven't been so great. I feel like a penguin waddling around and I am convinced this baby is just like its daddy and constantly moving."

Brooke bursts out in laughter and raises her eyebrows. "Like its daddy, huh? You sure that trait didn't come from Momma?"

Teasingly Jaelyn swats the air. "Me? A busy body? Never! Anyway, how have you been?"

"Ah, you know, same old thing. I have a couple photo sessions booked later next week, but that's as exciting as it gets." Brooke tries to shrug it off as if it is nothing even though deep down it hurts that her life is so boring.

"So you wouldn't mind going baby shopping with me?"

Brooke slaps her hand down on the table, a little harder than expected, with excitement. "Jae! Are you kidding me? I would love to! And speaking of baby stuff, when do y'all find out what it is?"

With a mischievous glint in her eyes Jaelyn places her hands on her belly. "Well, Brooke, obviously it is a baby."

Brooke huffs. "Obviously."

They both laugh and gather their things from the tiny table. Brooke settles into her little green bug car while Jaelyn climbs in her pickup. Brooke follows the white Chevy down the familiar roads until they arrive in front of the three bedroom house she enjoys spending time at. As she climbs out of her car she notices dust floating from the covered arena. "Who's out there?"

"Oh, that's my last rider for today. Gary's been taking the late afternoon evening ones since that's one of the hardest times of the day for the little one and I," Jaelyn says nodding towards the barn and beginning to walk that way.

Brooke falls into step beside her friend and breathes in the clean air of the country. At the pipe fence of the arena she leans up against it and watches as the tall horse moves at an easy pace with his head held high like he knows the precious cargo he holds. "Hey, that's hopper isn't it?"

Jaelyn's soft smile turns into a beaming one. "Yeah, he sure has mellowed in his prime. I'm really happy with how well he does with the kids."

Brooke nods and watches as the gelding eases to a walk and finds his way to the mounting block where a broad built man sits relaxed and seeming to enjoy himself. The longer she stares at the figure she sees the same broad shaped hat as she had seen in the hair salon just a week or so ago. A thought pops into her head, but she quickly shakes it away.

She watches intently as the man stands and moves to the horse's side. Looking up at the girl that sits on the tall horse he says something that makes her smile brightly and nod her head vigorously. Brooke's gaze follows him as he strolls out of the arena for a brief moment, before re-entering leading a stocky grey mare. He slips a halter on the girl's horse and takes the lead rope in his hand as he gets on the mare. Then getting on the grey he begins to lead Hopper around the arena in small circles.

Brooke can't help the smile that appears on her face when she hears the mystery Gary call, "I got Hopper just sick your arms out."

One arm and then the other sticks out like wings on either side of Hopper and giggles fill the air as they slowly pick up speed. After couple of minutes the girl bring her arms back to the reins and Gary wraps the halter rope around the saddle horn. "I'm ready!" the girl shouts.

Brooke watches Gary nod and urge the mare into a fast trot with Hopper following closely behind. In a few minutes both horses are loping smoothly around the arena and both riders have wide grins on their faces. As the riders and horses pass by where she and Jaelyn are standing she catches the mystery Gary staring at her.

"Miss Jaelyn, I'm loping all by myself!"

Brooke looks over at her friend to see a proud smile. "I see that, Alissa. Good Job!" Jaelyn calls back.

"I'd say you have some good afternoon help," Brooke says nudging Jaelyn gently.

Jaelyn looks over at her and smiles. "I think I might have just lost my job. He is so darn good with kids it blows my mind."

"That's sweet, a brother that is great with kids. It's almost as great as a husband that's great with them." She adds a wink to make she her friend knows she is only teasing.

Jaelyn only rolls her eyes god naturedly and starts to walk to the enterance of the barn. "Come on, I need to introduce you two."

Brooke is glad her friend's back is to her because her cheeks suddenly become red. Finally getting to meet the mystery Gary!

***

Gary smiles at his new found buddy. "You are doing really great Alissa! Won't be long and you will be just as good as Amberly Snyder."

She giggles. "I don't know about that. She's the best."

Before he can answer his sister's short figure appears in the gateway leading into the barn. "Gary!" She hollers, "I have someone I want you to meet!"

He looks over at Alissa with one edge of his lips curled up. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I must obey the boss."

She giggles and they both ride towards the woman they both admire. Gary may not admit it, but he does admire his sister.

"Gary, and Alissa, this is my best friend Brooke Kendall. Brooke, this is my oldest brother Gary and my other best friend Alissa."

Gary smiles brightly and tips his hat in Brooke's direction. Swiftly in one smooth motion he swings his leg over the back of the saddle and onto the soft dirt of the arena. "How are you, Miss Kendall?"

A deep blush immediately takes place on Brooke's cheeks. He's handsome, athletic, and just tipped his hat at her. How many more tricks does his have up his sleeve? "Good, you, Mister Maxwell?"

"Wonderful," he says with a wink in her direction.

A/N

Okay, so this is a long one too, but I want these things to happen and the action still pretty soon too. :/ Oh the struggles of a writer! ;)

What thoughts do y'all have?