As Sunday rolled around, the Walter's Ranch was eerily quiet. This is what had Zela confused when she woke up around nine am, since everyone usually woke up rather early.

Glancing over at Jackie's bed, that was perfectly made and no sign of her younger sister, Zela quickly got out of bed and changed into her clothes for the day.

"Good morning!"

Jackie said, as she walked down the stairs with Alex and Cole following after, and Zela looked around for anyone else, and it looked deserted.

Following them, she looked around as she saw George sitting down and drinking coffee at the kitchen table, and he motioned with his newspaper towards the coffee cup that sat on the counter.

As Zela walked over towards the steaming cup, she realized someone had made her a fresh cup of tea.

"Alex insisted he make you some."

George told her, as he sipped on his morning coffee, and Zela smiled at the gesture as she turned to where Alex was standing and he waved awkwardly.

"Thank you, Alex."

She gracefully said, and Alex grinned as he shrugged, "I see you making some during the night. I even added a dash of honey like you do..."

He strayed off before his eyes widened, and he stammered quickly.

"Not that I watch you or anything."

He said quickly, and Zela chuckled shaking her head as she walked outside, and sat along the railing on the porch, her tea in hand as she sipped on it.

"Jackie and Cole are going somewhere, they didn't spare the details."

Alex said, as he walked outside, and leaned against the railing beside Zela.

"That's a bit eerie, Cole could just dump her body off and leave her for the wolves."

Zela joked, and Alex laughed as he hit the railing looking at Zela.

"Hey."

He said softly, and Zela glanced over at him, as the steam of the tea warmed her face up from the slighty cold morning air.

"Do you want to go riding with me?"

Alex asked, and Zela looked towards the stable where the horses were at, and she shrugged at him.

"I haven't rode a horse since I was younger."

She told him truthfully, and Alex tilted his head listening.

"Did you take classes like Jackie?"

He questioned, and Zela shook her head, and set her tea down beside her on the railing.

"No, that was only Jackie. I knew how to ride then. My biological parents had gotten me a horse when I was younger, her name was Helia, she was an Arabian. She was beautiful, I would ride her all the time, then my parents got offered a job working with Jackie's father. So we up and left Kansas. Obviously I was too young at the time to realize a horse couldn't really move from Kansas to New York."

She explained, and Alex listened intently, nodding along to her story.

"She's still with my biological cousin, but they want nothing to do with me, but at least I know where she is."

Zela said, and sighed looking away and into the field, "I was four when we left, so I don't really remember anything from Kansas. Only the stories my biological parents would tell me."

She said, and looked at Alex who was already looking at her.

"You had to lose two families, I can only imagine how hard that must have been."

Alex finally said, breaking the silence, and Zela nodded looking down at her legs that were covered in tights.

"Yeah, but you learn from it too."

She muttered, and Alex placed his hand on hers hesitantly, and Zela looked over to him and gently smiled, as he smiled back at her.

"If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm always available."

He told her, and Zela nodded before she looked away once more.

—

"Apple."

Hearing his voice, Zela turned around only to be greeted by Jackie and Cole laughing together, and Alex looked at the two, and got up from the railing where the two were sitting.

"I'm gonna go inside."

He told Zela, who nodded her head, and Jackie soon followed Alex inside.

"Good morning, Apple."

Cole said, grinning, and Zela raised an eyebrow at him, as she looked down at her phone as it was now one in the afternoon.

"It's the afternoon, Cole."

She told him, and Cole grabbed his phone and hummed nodding.

"I guess it is."

He said, and Zela rolled her eyes as she got off the railing, and started to walk towards the stables to go see the horses.

Cole noticing where she was going, followed after her.

"Want to ride?"

He asked, and Zela looked over at him once she finally got to see the horses up close, and she was instantly drawn towards the tan horse.

"Custard."

Cole said, and Zela smiled at Custard, not even questioning the name as it fit him perfectly.

"He seems to like you."

As Cole spoke, he walked up to Custard, and grabbed Zela's hand, moving her out of the way as he opened the door to Custard's stable.

"Cole?"

Zela questioned, and Cole glanced over his shoulder at her, as he grabbed his saddle and reigns, setting everything up to go riding.

"Cole, I don't have pants on. I'll be rubbed raw."

She said, and Cole grinned at her, as he grabbed a pair of pants that were obviously his.

"I promise, they aren't dirty, they're kept out here for emergencies."

He told her, handing her the folded pair of jeans, and Zela grabbed them giving him a confused look.

"Emergencies?"

She asked, and Cole chuckled, as he motioned for her to go into the shed to change, following her once he had tied Custard to the fence.

Closing the door behind her, Cole leaned against the door, watching Custard.

"When I was younger, I was riding Custard for the first time, and I pissed myself. Ever since then, I've always kept pants out here."

He said, loud enough for Zela to hear, and Zela couldn't help but smile at the thought, and shook her head. Once she put the pants on, she folded her skirt, placing it on a shelf.

Walking out, Cole realized how much bigger they were on her, and easily took his belt off, and put it through the loops of the pants Zela was wearing, and the proximity caused Zela to look away, as his hand would occasionally brush against her exposed midriff.

"There."

He said, chuckling, as they were extremely baggy and laid perfectly on her black boots.

"Are you not riding?"

She asked, and Cole smirked, as he quickly picked Zela up with ease, and set her atop Custard. Untying his reigns, Cole swiftly hopped onto the back of Custard, and reached around the front of Zela, his arms wrapping around her waist as he held onto the reigns.

"I am."

He said softly, as he started guiding Custard towards an open area, and from the porch stood Alex, riding gear on, and his cowboy hat on his head. A great big smile on his face, as he also held a pair of new clothes for Zela to wear, so he could take her riding.

Once he took notice of Zela and Cole riding custard, his smile slowly fell, and he shook his head knowing Cole would have swooped in.