Hometown Chapter Sixteen
Talli's POV
I headed to work after school. I did not get the chance to tell Tex yet. I was kind of embarrassed to tell him. I don't even know if Grandpa and Grandma know. Oh well, who cares if they don't.
I pulled up the hardware store. I walked in and threw my backpack behind the counter.
"Hey Grandpa," I said.
"Hey sweetheart, did ya have a good day?" He asked info smiling.
"Surfing was great this morning!" I smiled and then remember the wipeouts. "Well, except when I fell."
"It comes with the sport." He reminded me.
"I know. What first today?" I asked as I yawned.
"Hmm, I guess you could sweep and mop." He said. "My back is hurting today. I'm sorry!"
"Oh Grandpa! That's alright." I said. "I don't mind and you are paying me to work!"
"That's right." He said.
I put my avental on and went to the back to grab a broom. Then, I went back to the front of the store and started sweeping por the door.
I eventually finished sweeping and mopping the whole store. It took a while but the floor looked really good. It obviously needed it.
"Hey Grandpa, I'm finished everything for today. Is there anything else you want done?" I asked as I hoped there wasn't.
"Nah, you can go on home." He said.
"Well, I was wondering if I could head to where Tex works." I signed nervously.
When I am nervous, my voice sounds worse than it actually is.
"Go right ahead!" He said smiling from ear to ear.
"Thanks!" I signed.
I grabbed my backpack and threw it in the passenger side floorboard.
I arrived at the farm and parked my truck seguinte to Tex's.
I walked in the celeiro and was looking around Tex. I finally saw him appear from one of the stalls.
"Hey Tex!" I signed smiling.
"Hey." He said as he went in for a hug.
"How's work?" I asked curiously.
"It's work." He signed laughed.
"Right! Need any help?" I asked.
"Sure, you can clean this stall." He said as he handed me the pitchfork.
"Okay!" I said happily.
He leaned up against the stall door and watched as I cleaned it.
"Okay, that's fine for now." Tex said as he made me stop.
"But it's not completely clean." I stated.
"I know but I can finish it later." He smiled. "How was work for you?"
"It was okay. Not much to be done today. I just swept and mopped the floors." I said.
"Ahh okay." He said.
I could see some girls from school looking at us. They were in there English riding clothes. I guess they were talking about us too. I stared too long and Tex looked behind him.
"Not to be too cocky, but they're jealous." He signed laughing.
"Uhh sure." I said. "Why don't we finish this stall and then we can go ride or something."
"Sounds like a good plan." He said as he took the pitchfork from my hand.
This time I got to watch him work. He finished pretty quick but he knew how to do his job very well.
"Alright, it's break time." He smiled.
He closed the stall door and reached for my hand. I happily clasped his hand. I started getting borboletas in my stomach. I took a deep breath and my stomach felt a little bit. We went over to a fence were most of the horse were in.
He let go of my hand so I could sign. I felt nervous all the sudden. Like I could throw up. Oh man! I hope I don't throw up in front of him!!
"So... Who was that guy at school?" He asked as he became serious.
"His name is Trace." I signed as I took several deep breaths. "We met over a ano ago. I lived on his reservation for about 4 months."
"Okay so were you two together or something? Is he not over you?" Tex asked curiously and then looked at the horse.
I tapped his arm.
"No, not at all. He was not nice to me and I had to defend myself." I signed as I watch him carefully.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked concerned.
"Well, not as much as I hurt him." I said.
"What?" He asked confused.
"Well, not as much as I hurt him." I signed. "I have to tell you the whole truth. He harassed me and wouldn't stop. So, when I finally defended myself I couldn't stop..."
I was ashamed to tell Tex this. I looked down at the ground as my eye filled with tears. I wiped away the tears that fell and sniffed a few times.
"I don't care about anything. You defended yourself!" Tex signed as I looked up to him.
"You don't understand!" I said as I backed up a little by. "I am a horrible person. I couldn't stop. I just kept hitting him."
I started having flash back of those few minutos that felt eternity.
I felt Tex try and hug me. I stepped away not really meaning too. I wanted the big but he doesn't deserve me.
"You're okay!" He said as he stroked my arm.
"I put him in the hospital and did 3 and 1/2 months of probation." I signed.
"You have a history, so what." He signed. "You defended yourself from him! I won't let him get near you if I can help it!"
"Thank you!" I said as I wiped the tears away.
"I like a girl that can hit." He said as he made me laugh.
"Well, I can alright." I said kinda serious.
"I have a few mais things to do but it won't take long. Would you want to go get something to eat and do some homework together?" He asked as he took his hat off and ran his through his hair.
"I would like that." I said smiling. "I'll have to check with Grandma though." That's not a problem. You can stay out here while I finding up." Tex said.
"Okay." I signed. I turned back to look at the horses. They were so pretty and all very different.
I texted Grandma and let her know I would be hanging out with Tex. Or was this a date? I had no idea but I was excited and hungry either way!
Talli's POV
I headed to work after school. I did not get the chance to tell Tex yet. I was kind of embarrassed to tell him. I don't even know if Grandpa and Grandma know. Oh well, who cares if they don't.
I pulled up the hardware store. I walked in and threw my backpack behind the counter.
"Hey Grandpa," I said.
"Hey sweetheart, did ya have a good day?" He asked info smiling.
"Surfing was great this morning!" I smiled and then remember the wipeouts. "Well, except when I fell."
"It comes with the sport." He reminded me.
"I know. What first today?" I asked as I yawned.
"Hmm, I guess you could sweep and mop." He said. "My back is hurting today. I'm sorry!"
"Oh Grandpa! That's alright." I said. "I don't mind and you are paying me to work!"
"That's right." He said.
I put my avental on and went to the back to grab a broom. Then, I went back to the front of the store and started sweeping por the door.
I eventually finished sweeping and mopping the whole store. It took a while but the floor looked really good. It obviously needed it.
"Hey Grandpa, I'm finished everything for today. Is there anything else you want done?" I asked as I hoped there wasn't.
"Nah, you can go on home." He said.
"Well, I was wondering if I could head to where Tex works." I signed nervously.
When I am nervous, my voice sounds worse than it actually is.
"Go right ahead!" He said smiling from ear to ear.
"Thanks!" I signed.
I grabbed my backpack and threw it in the passenger side floorboard.
I arrived at the farm and parked my truck seguinte to Tex's.
I walked in the celeiro and was looking around Tex. I finally saw him appear from one of the stalls.
"Hey Tex!" I signed smiling.
"Hey." He said as he went in for a hug.
"How's work?" I asked curiously.
"It's work." He signed laughed.
"Right! Need any help?" I asked.
"Sure, you can clean this stall." He said as he handed me the pitchfork.
"Okay!" I said happily.
He leaned up against the stall door and watched as I cleaned it.
"Okay, that's fine for now." Tex said as he made me stop.
"But it's not completely clean." I stated.
"I know but I can finish it later." He smiled. "How was work for you?"
"It was okay. Not much to be done today. I just swept and mopped the floors." I said.
"Ahh okay." He said.
I could see some girls from school looking at us. They were in there English riding clothes. I guess they were talking about us too. I stared too long and Tex looked behind him.
"Not to be too cocky, but they're jealous." He signed laughing.
"Uhh sure." I said. "Why don't we finish this stall and then we can go ride or something."
"Sounds like a good plan." He said as he took the pitchfork from my hand.
This time I got to watch him work. He finished pretty quick but he knew how to do his job very well.
"Alright, it's break time." He smiled.
He closed the stall door and reached for my hand. I happily clasped his hand. I started getting borboletas in my stomach. I took a deep breath and my stomach felt a little bit. We went over to a fence were most of the horse were in.
He let go of my hand so I could sign. I felt nervous all the sudden. Like I could throw up. Oh man! I hope I don't throw up in front of him!!
"So... Who was that guy at school?" He asked as he became serious.
"His name is Trace." I signed as I took several deep breaths. "We met over a ano ago. I lived on his reservation for about 4 months."
"Okay so were you two together or something? Is he not over you?" Tex asked curiously and then looked at the horse.
I tapped his arm.
"No, not at all. He was not nice to me and I had to defend myself." I signed as I watch him carefully.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked concerned.
"Well, not as much as I hurt him." I said.
"What?" He asked confused.
"Well, not as much as I hurt him." I signed. "I have to tell you the whole truth. He harassed me and wouldn't stop. So, when I finally defended myself I couldn't stop..."
I was ashamed to tell Tex this. I looked down at the ground as my eye filled with tears. I wiped away the tears that fell and sniffed a few times.
"I don't care about anything. You defended yourself!" Tex signed as I looked up to him.
"You don't understand!" I said as I backed up a little by. "I am a horrible person. I couldn't stop. I just kept hitting him."
I started having flash back of those few minutos that felt eternity.
I felt Tex try and hug me. I stepped away not really meaning too. I wanted the big but he doesn't deserve me.
"You're okay!" He said as he stroked my arm.
"I put him in the hospital and did 3 and 1/2 months of probation." I signed.
"You have a history, so what." He signed. "You defended yourself from him! I won't let him get near you if I can help it!"
"Thank you!" I said as I wiped the tears away.
"I like a girl that can hit." He said as he made me laugh.
"Well, I can alright." I said kinda serious.
"I have a few mais things to do but it won't take long. Would you want to go get something to eat and do some homework together?" He asked as he took his hat off and ran his through his hair.
"I would like that." I said smiling. "I'll have to check with Grandma though." That's not a problem. You can stay out here while I finding up." Tex said.
"Okay." I signed. I turned back to look at the horses. They were so pretty and all very different.
I texted Grandma and let her know I would be hanging out with Tex. Or was this a date? I had no idea but I was excited and hungry either way!