PROLOGUE
ARI
10 Years Old
I couldn’t believe my parents were taking me away from all my friends. I’ll never forgive them for this…. . ever! I’m never going to talk to them again. They totally ruined my life.
I’m just going to sit here and keep sighing.
“Arianna, you’ll make new friends, sweetheart. I know you will. ” my mom said.
I rolled my eyes in the backseat because I knew my mom couldn’t see me.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Arianna!”
What? How does she do that?
“This is so not fair! You’re the worst mother ever! Why would you take me away from all my friends?”
My mother turned around and looked at me.
Oh, I think I went too far that time.
“First off, young lady, I’m not the one who is moving us to Austin for a new job. That would be your father sitting right here next to me. ” Mom looked over at Daddy who was smiling.
“Second, if you ever talk to me like that again, you’ll be very sorry because I… I. . . ”
Daddy looked over at Mom and waited for her to tell me what torture she would put me through. It seemed like he was enjoying all of this.
“To quote the great Katharine Hepburn, ‘I could peel you like a pear, and God Himself would see the justice in it. ’ I’ll do it, too, young lady, if you keep pushing me!”
Daddy laughed, and I just stared at her.
What does that even mean? Why is she always quoting Katharine Hepburn? Oh no!
She was going to make me watch another one of her movies. Just great! Why can’t I learn to keep my mouth shut?
“I will never meet another friend like Katy, Mom. Never!” I closed my eyes and fought to keep the tears from falling. I will not cry!
Turning off the main road, we started to drive through our new neighborhood. It was cute, really cute. There were all kinds of houses in different sizes. Thank God! I hated our old neighborhood. All the girls were into English riding, and they teased me because I liked to barrel race. Ugh, and all the stupid tea parties I had to go to! Yuck!
As we drove by one simple looking house, with nothing extra special about it, I noticed a girl who looked to be around my age playing with an older boy out front. I sat up to get a better look. Oh, he’s cute!
“Mom, are we close to our house?” I asked.
I looked out the back window, watching the boy chase the girl around the yard. God, I hope that’s her brother.
“We’re a few blocks away sweetheart. We have twenty acres, so we’re at the end of the road. ”
I turned back around and smiled. Perfect. I could ride my bike by their house. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad here after all. As I continued to think about that boy, I wondered about what I should wear for my first bike ride through the new neighborhood.
CHAPTER ONE
ARI
Jeff stood at the door of the hunter’s cabin, I could tell he’d been crying, and my heart broke at the sight of him. I couldn’t believe it, I just stood there and stared at him.
He came for me.