Kay woke up on her final day at the ranch with a twist in her stomach. Truthfully, she'd felt so at home at Kyle's place, she never wanted to leave. Sure, his family was borderline crazy, but they were so affectionate and familiar towards her, she couldn't help but love them.

Over the course of her stay, she'd learned a few things. Like that French music was beautiful. Or that the bigger and scarier the horse, the more beautiful it was. Or that Kyle unconsciously sang along to every song he knew, which was a lot. At first, she'd thought he was showing off, but after observing him, she realized he usually did it when focused on something else. His brain seemed to be an endless supply of song lyrics in a million languages. He even sang along to her work out music.

She'd miss that. She would also miss Sophie and Max fighting over Carcassone, Kyle and Max arguing about the history of modern music or history and politics in general, Sophie's home cooked meals and her tales from France... She'd even miss doing the course in the morning.

Trying to fight the doom and gloom surrounding her and to ignore the fact that Joey and Kelly could show up any minute to take her home, Kay got out of bed and started her day with her chin up. She'd slept in, once again a peaceful, dreamless sleep, so she was surprised to find Sophie in the kitchen, making omelet.

"Good morning," Sophie wished her cheerfully, and hurried to place a plate and cup for her on the table.

"Good morning, and thank you, but I don't think I should eat before my course," Kay answered, though her stomach rumbled.

Working out made her feel hungrier for one thing. Or maybe it was all the time spent avoiding food while she'd pathetically cried her eyes out at home.

"Balivernes," Sophie scoffed. "Kyle always eats before his workouts. You need energy to burn."

"Okay then." Kay didn't need more convincing so she sat down and started gobbling omelet.

Sophie sat acrpss from her, a mug in her hand, and watched her like a proud grandmother. Kay gave her a smile and focused on her food again.

"I hear you're leaving today," Sophie started conversationally.

"Yes, unfortunately. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't want to impose, but I had a really good time here."

"Then you should stay."

Kay dropped her fork and stared at this woman who was offering her a place in her home, in her family. And the possibility made her feel even worse about going home. There would be none of that there. Just pretending everything was fine and lamenting over Donnie's condition. No more kind Sophie, no more crazy Max and no more Kyle. Staying had never sounded more appealing.

"I can't," she said instead. "My parents are expecting me and I have to get ready for school. I'm very behind on homework."

Sophie scoffed again. "Kyle can help you with your homework. He is very smart, you know. Even if all these physical things he does might not make it seem so."

That was an understatement. "Yes, I know, and I would love to stay, but I really can't." And it almost made her cry. But it wasn't like she could move in. She had her own family.

Sophie nodded once as though accepting her argument, then looked inside her cup. "I will be leaving soon, too. I just want to be sure I leave Kyle in good hands." Kay just gawked, so she continued, "Max does an excellent job, but mon cheri needs a woman in his life too, and since my daughter is..." She frowned and looked away for a moment then turned back, her expression once again serene. "He just needs a good woman by his side."

Kay choked on the mouthful of coffee she'd just sipped. "Oh, Kyle and I are just friends," she said between tears as the drink made its way down the wrong path. "He already has a girlfriend."

"You're the first girl he's ever brought here," Sophie said bluntly. "The first one he's introduced to me. Kyle told me you just came out of a bad relationship." She hesitated, tapping her hand on her chin. "Would you like a makeover?"

Kay shook her head and did a double take. "A makeover?"

"Yes. I love your hair, and I think I know the haircut for it. I also know how to make some fabulous highlights using nothing but natural ingredients. It will fade after a few washes--"

"Yes." The word was out before Kay could properly process her acceptance. But once Sophie said it, she definitely wanted a makeover.

The older woman grinned and it reminded Kay of Kyle. "Parfait!"

It took Sophie precisely a half an hour to do Kay's hair, and when she looked in the mirror, she could hardly believe it. She'd always had long hair, split down the middle. Sophie had given her layers and bangs and subtle caramel highlights which made the natural gold ones in her hair stand out.

"It's amazing," she breathed, unable to draw her eyes away from the mirror.

"I feel this looks more like you," Sophie said with a satisfied nod. "I know what matters is the inside, but sometimes, liking our outside helps us love ourselves more. And you deserve to love yourself more."

Kay turned and caught Sophie in a hug. "Thank you!"

"It was my pleasure."

They headed back to the kitchen, and Kay grabbed her coffee mug, trying not to check herself out in every reflective surface. Sophie sat too, with her own cup in hand, and surveyed her.

"You look much happier."

"I am! And it's all thanks to you. And Max, and Kyle."

"I think Kyle can make things much better. He has that gift. Let him help you." She hesitated a moment. "Look after each other."

It had sounded like a plea, and when Kay nodded, she felt like she'd actually made a sacred oath. Sophie's shoulders visibility relaxed after this and she spent the following minutes telling her an amusing tale about a French bakery.

Kay listened and interjected in all the right places, but her mind was on what Sophie said. This woman who she'd only known for two days had entrusted her grandson, whom she obviously adored, to her. Why? Her parents wouldn't even let her keep a pet. What had Sophie seen in her?

As soon as she finished her coffee, Sophie grabbed the mug and washed it, ignoring Kay's plea to let her do it.

"No, no. You go outside. I bet Kyle is waiting for you."

Kyle was not waiting for her. She found Max at the course, armed with a stopwatch, but fortunately no gun.

"Ah, Maman finally got her hands on you," he said with a grin. "Looks good on you, kiddo."

"Thanks," she replied, unable to keep in a grin. "Is Kyle coming?".

Max waved the stopwatch as an answer. "Let's see how well your new hairdo fairs under pressure."

Even if a little disappointed, she pulled herself together and ran the course with him. He didn't scream at her, which was also a blessing.

"Where's Kyle?" she asked, drawing deep breaths once she'd finished.

Max grinned. "I'll show you. By the way, you've got a lot of potential. As long as you keep practicing, you'll get far."

"But that would mean me being over all the time," Kay said, running to catch up with him as he'd already started off towards the stables.

"Exactly," he replied and led her to the paddock. He leaned his elbows on the wooden fence and glanced to the other side where Kyle was riding his black horse, Storm, at a leisurely pace. "He loves riding, I just don't let him much. He tires my horses."

Kay watched Kyle too as he sped up, bringing the horse to a canter. "And what's wrong with that?" He looked so at home riding, his body moving in perfect sync with Storm's.

"I'm actually afraid he'll fall and break his neck. A horse is not a car. It's not predictable. And he has a thing for big, wild ones. Storm doesn't let anyone else ride him, not even me. I'd have sold him a thousand times over if Kyle hadn't begged me to keep him."

Kay turned from the horse to Max, her eyebrows raised. This was a weirdly specific worry he had. "You're afraid he'll fall off a horse and hurt himself, yet you shoot rubber bullets at him and don't even bat an eyelash when he falls from terrifying heights."

Max laughed. "He only fell because you were there."

"Why are you really doing this? What are you training him for?"

Max's laughter stopped abruptly, and he turned to her frowning, as if considering if he should answer or take out his gun and shoot her. "Kyle likes you," he finally said.

"We're friends, there's nothing--"

"Yes, I know you're friends. He keeps saying it, you keep saying it..."

"Then maybe you should believe us."

"The thing is," he cut her off. "You're friends. Just friends. He met you like, what? Two months ago? You're not his girlfriend, but even if you were... This is way beyond you and what you can understand."

Kay glared at him, but he only gave her an annoying smirk.

"You're cute when you get huffy. I can see why he likes you. I can also apparently see more than both of you, but the only person I would actually consider burdening with this would be his future wife. Which, as you so deftly keep reminding me, you are not."

The curiosity was eating her from the inside. Max's cryptic answers only made her want to know more. "What do you mean burdening?"

He paused again, his baby blues resting on Kyle. There was a shadow of emotion on his face, one that looked a lot like pity or regret. "I've done my best to give him a happy childhood. You probably know by now about his family. Most people would say that it's wrong, but I've given him freedom and everything he ever wanted. Because, at some point, it's going to stop. Skeletons have a bad habit of coming out of closets, and I'm scared for him when they do."

Kay's brain seemed to have jammed. The way Max was looking at Kyle, as if he were about to lose him, the pain in his voice as he spoke, it was the scariest thing she'd ever experienced. "What do you mean?"

Max sighed and turned to her, a bitter smile on his face. "I mean the kid has a though life ahead. And the only reason I'm telling you this is because I think you actually care."

"Of course I care, of course..." She swallowed heavily. "Does he know?"

"That things will get much worse? No, and I'm not going to tell him. I won't be the one to ruin his happiness. I just did my best to prepare him." He pushed himself off the fence and gave her one more look over. "You're wasting time, both of you."

"Um, time we could be spending doing what exactly?"

"Being happy. Good thing I actually like you." And with another annoying smirk, he walked away.

Kay leaned her forearms on the fence and watched Kyle absently. He'd asked her if she wanted to learn how to ride a horse, but she'd refused. She agreed with Max, they were too unpredictable and all of them were large and scary. But as she watched Kyle soar happily over the field, she changed her mind. Nothing was predictable in life.

Could Max be right? Was Kyle really in some secret danger or was he being crazy and dramatic just to mess with her? Things he'd only tell Kyle's future wife... She huffed, but her heart ached. She'd thought of herself as Donnie's future wife and look where that had gotten her. She was no one's future wife until someone actually proposed to her and she said yes.

Look at me being all hardass and independent. You'll be so proud of me.

As if reading her mind, Kyle headed towards her and stopped the horse next to the paddock fence.

"I had to come and check it out," he said, climbing out of the saddle. "Your hair looks great!"

His words warmed her up and she caught herself taking a lock between her fingers just to feel it. "Your grandma is really good at this."

"Yeah, she kept bugging me to suggest a make over."

The idea made her grin. "So why didn't you?"

The smile slipped off his face for some reason and his gaze darkened. "It's not my place to decide how you should look. How you do your hair, your makeup... That's entirely your call."

Yep, she could see his point. Apparently the conversation about makeup on their double date had bothered him as much as it had her.

He smiled again, and the tension eased. "Besides, you're beautiful no matter what."

Her cheeks warmed with pleasure. "So are you."

"I know, I'm fabulous," he said, flipping imaginary hair over his shoulder. "Wanna ride?"

Nerves returned as she glanced around for another horse, but Storm was alone, pawing the ground and watching them as if he could understand their conversation.

"Umm..."

"I meant with me."

"Oh, hell yeah."

He got back on the horse, then pulled her up, practically settling her in his arms. It felt safe and amazing, even if she'd just climbed a huge animal. But Kyle took it slow and the ride was actually pleasant.

She gazed up at him, enjoying how happy and at peace he looked. But the more she watched him, the more fear grabbed on to her. What if Max was right and something did happen to him?

🧩🧩🧩

And so end the transition chapters. We're going back to school and to some drama in the next chapter.

I actually loved writing this chapter. Sophie is a character I've written before, but Max is a new monster. So, how do you feel about Sophie and Max? Do you think Max is really screwing with Kay or is he on to something?

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to vote and comment!