Brooke looks at the clock on the wall in the hair salon and sighs. Anxiety has been creeping in at her all day and the more hours that pass the more she feels like a jumpy rabbit. "Hey, Kristen do you think I could cut it a bit short for today?"

Kristen scrunches her eyebrows together. "Cut it short? That's not like you, what's up?"

Brooke sighs and plops into her empty swivel chair. "I have a date to the summer festival. What! No, not a date just someone to go with."

Dropping the last of her dirty combs in the cleaning solution Kristen finds a stool and sits on it in front of Brooke. "Are you sure it's not a date? I mean I have seen you texting on your phone quite a bit, so maybe it is a date. Do you want it to be a date?"

Brooke covers her face with her hands and growls. "I don't know, I don't know and more I don't knows!"

"Here's my two pieces of advice for you: one, be honest with him and two, be yourself. That means the you that is blunt." Kristen smiles at Brooke and nods. "You take off whenever you need to."

Brooke gives her boss a hug. "Thank you, Kristen, your the best!"

Two hair cuts, and a style later Brooke is heading out the door to Jaelyn's pickup that she insisted Brooke barrow until she has her own set of wheels back. She climbs in and brings the engine to a rumble with a nervous smile.

As soon as she walks in the door of her house Brooke dials her best friend's number in panic.

"Hello?"

Brooke sighs in relief. "Thank goodness you answered! Do you know what today is? I have a couple of hours to get ready and I have no idea what to wear!"

"Whoa wait hold on. Remind me again what today is. And what are you getting ready for?"

Franticly Brooke flings her closet door open and rolls her eyes. "Oh my, the baby has gotten to your brain. I wasn't prepared for that for another couple of months. Anyway! Today is the summer festival. For me, that is known as the day that I go with your brother to the festival, but I don't know if he wants it to be a date or-"

Jaelyn interjects before she can finish her statement, "Hold on just a minute! My brother, as in Gary Maxwell, is taking you to the summer festival? Well, that plan turned out better than first thought! Girl, I will be right over to help you get all dolled up."
***

Gary lopes a four-year-old dappled grey mare around the arena while two students ride their horses around there as well. Both handicap free making it easy to watch them and do other things. When he hears his sister's whistle he slows the mare to a slow trot and makes his way to the gate. "Yes ma'am?"

"You got the rest of the afternoon, right? I'm heading over to hang out with Brooke for a bit."

He tries not to let his smile show at the mention of the pretty girl's name. "Yeah I think I can handle everyone that is suppose to come in."

"Great! See you later."

He nods and smiles. "See you later."

With a beaming smile and suddenly high spirits he turns back into the arena and begins to trot the grey in small formed circles. Only a couple hours more and the prettiest girl his eyes have ever laid on will be beside him for the evening. To say the least, it is a moment he has been looking forward to for a couple of weeks now. Specifically since they have begun to text and occasionally talk on the phone.

Before long the hour the two students had until they left is over and five-year-old Oliver is ready for his time with Bob the bay gelding. "You ready to get up there?" Gary asks as he is squatted in front of the red headed boy.

Oliver only nods, but has a big smile on his face. In the recent years of his life, Oliver has been diagnosed with a bad case of social anxiety. However, with the help of Bob Oliver now spends a couple hours at Free Reins therapy ranch while his mom spends some time by herself. It took months to get Oliver to allow Jaelyn to help him on the horse, let alone for him mom to leave the facility. 

Gary lifts the little boy into the saddle and helps him get his feet in the stirrups before leading gentle Bob forward. A giggle escapes the red head when his hand brushes up against Bob's mane. Gary smiles brightly and gives a thumbs up.

This pattern continues for about thirty minutes before Gary helps Oliver off. As soon as Gary has Bob unsaddled Oliver begins to run the Dandy brush over the bay coat. Gary finds himself sitting atop a stool watching in the pair. It isn't until his phone dings that he takes his attention away from them.

How's Oliver doing?

The text from his sister goes unread as he reads the time at the top of his phone. Thirty minutes until Oliver's mom picks him up. Forty-ish minutes until Gary should be leaving to pick Brooke up. "Hey, bud, why don't we put Bob in with his water and food and you come help me pick out some clothes?"

Almost immediately Oliver's face lights up and he begins to nod vigorously. Gary is surprised, but definitely pleasantly. He lets the little boy lead the big bay into the open stall and take his halter off before they start towards the house hand in hand. The eagerness in Oliver's steps puzzles Gary. Not many elementary aged boys he knows enjoy picking out clothes.

Gary offers Oliver a coke, which he readily excepts, before they head back to Gary's room. As soon as they enter the room Oliver hops on the bed and tosses and expectant look at Gary. Gary can't help the chuckle that escapes him as he steps to the clothes hanging in the closet.

He pulls out a bright red shirt with black paisleys on it, a light green with white stripes, and a solid purple shirt. Along with one starched pair of Wrangler jeans. "Alright, bud, what shirt should I wear?"

For the first time since he got to the ranch Oliver speaks, "Well the purple compliments your eyes, but it is a bit too much for the summer festival. The red one would look nice with your black hat."

Gary is shocked at the amount of words the boy spoke as well as how knowledgeable he is in the fashion area. "You know what? I think you are right!"

Oliver beams before scrunching up his nose. "You might want to comb your hair though."

Throwing his head back good naturedly Gary laughs. "You good right here while I change?"

Oliver simply nods and watches him step behind the closed door of the bathroom.
***

Brooke straps the light brown sandals on her feet. "You ready?" She calls as she turns the knob on the bathroom door. An hour and a half of trying on different dresses with different shoes is exhausting.

"Have been for the last twenty years!" Jaelyn calls back.

Turning the knob and pushing the door open Brooke steps out into her friends line of sight. "Here is it, and if this is not the one I'm not going."

Jaelyn laughs and stands to walk all the way around her friend. "Girl, it looks perfect! I have no idea what my brother is wearing, but if it doesn't match he has to go back and change." This makes them both laugh as Jaelyn looks at the time on her phone. "Speaking of him, where is he?"

Brooke watches as Jaelyn holds up a finger before walking to the living room. Faintly she can hear a her friend talking in a matter-of-fact tone. It makes her crack a smile and breath a sigh of contentment. She steps back into the bathroom and glances in the mirror at the loose curls hanging down her back.

Just then Jaelyn growls behind her. "My brother has a brain problem."

Amused, Brooke shakes her head. "You know how I feel about comments like that. Regardless of which one of you it comes from."

"I know, I know." She grins. "Anyway! Your beau will be arriving in a few short minutes. I will be playing the role of the older sister that stalls him at the door so that you can get all your thoughts in some sort of order."

"Jae! Seriously, you are too much for me to handle!"

Jaelyn grins before stepping out the door and calling over her shoulder as she strolls down the hall, "You know you love! You know you care, so shout forever and I'll be there."

Just then there is a knock at the door making Brooke's heart jump to her throat and begin to pound widely. She checks herself in the mirror one last time before grabbing her small gray purse and taking a deep breath. This is it Brooke!

Still looking at her feet she takes a step forward, but instead of moving out the door she runs smack dab into none other then her big brother. "Just where do you think you are going all dressed up?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Out. Now your room is on the other end of the house. See you!" She calls as she pushes past him and scurries down the hall. Franticly she stops at the end of it to collect her thoughts before stepping into Gary's view.

Gary rolls his eyes at his sister's remark and shakes his head. Even since he was a boy his dad told him that he would spend his life constantly waiting on a woman. Up until now he didn't think it would be when he was picking one up for a date. Just as that thought runs through his head though Jaelyn punches him in the side making him looks up at the most beautiful sight his eyes have seen in a very long time.

A small nervous, but gorgeous smile rests on Brooke's light pink lips. Loose curls frame her face and hang down onto the baby blue cotton fabric of the maxi dress. The flowy material drapes around her tanned feet with red nail polish on the carefully cared for toe-nails.

It is only when Jaelyn punches him, once again, that Gary realizes just how long he has been staring at the perfectly beautiful Brooke. "Uh, umm, you look nice this afternoon."

"Brooke! I need you in here, now!" Jeremiah declares from his room before Brooke can form words out of her own mouth.

Jaelyn waves her off. "You go on and see what he needs. I need to have a chat with my own brother." Once Brooke is out of ear shot Jaelyn punches her big brother for the third time in the last fifteen minutes.

"Would you stop that mess already?" He growls taking a step away from.

Amusingly Jaelyn shakes her head and takes a step towards him. "No, I won't. What kind of idiot are you? 'Oh hey you look nice.' Who says that to their date? The poor girl just spent three agonizing hours trying to find the perfect thing to wear and that's all she gets?"

He grimaces and shakes his head. "I've never been good with women and you know that."

"Maybe it's time you start! Now when she comes back in here you best give her way more of a compliment than that, because I know you mean it. I can see it in your eyes."

Shakenly he watches her take two steps and turn the knob to the front door. "Woah, wait. Where are you goin?"

She grins. "I have a date myself."

A/N

Who's up for a new character in the near future??