Page 20 of Pitch for You

We began walking towards the truck, steps slow and hesitant.

“Today was really fun,” I admitted, eyes lingering on Brett for a moment before looking away. The more time we spent together, the harder it would become to keep my heart guarded.

“It was,” Brett agreed, his hand brushing against mine ever so lightly, a fleeting touch.

We reached the truck. As I buckled Max in, part of me thought that Brett was showing me how much he cared for us already. Things like tonight - he didn’t have to take us here, but he wanted to. He had always been a great person - but he had become an even better man.

“Thank you for everything today.”

“Of course,” he replied.

Maybe one day I’d have my happily ever after, but right now the ranch and Max were my priority.

12

Sofia

I sprinted towards the commotion, fear gripping me with each step, skidding to a halt upon reaching the scene.

“Tom! Diane!” I shouted, trying to catch the attention of the ranch hands who were desperately attempting to contain the situation. “Get them back into the pen! We can't lose them!”

Tom, a burly middle-aged man, nodded, sweat dripping down his forehead as he charged after the fleeing animals. Jess, a young woman with fiery red hair, followed suit.

Dammit. I clenched my fists as I surveyed the damage inflicted on my beloved ranch. Anger coursed through my veins, mind racing with questions.Who would do this? Why would they target my family's land?

As I stood there, rooted in place by shock and fury, a small voice called out from behind. “Mommy?”

My heart clenched at the sound of Max’s frightened voice. I turned to see him standing there, tears streaming down his face from the smoke and fear. In that moment, I had to be strong for him, even if it felt like my world was crumbling around.

“Come here, sweetie,” I whispered, as I fought back my own tears. “Everything will be okay, I promise.”

“Who did this?”

“I don't know, honey, but I won't let them win. We're going to fix this, somehow.”

As I held him close, there was this gnawing feeling that whoever was behind this attack was watching me, reveling in my pain. I looked around, searching the darkness for a hint of the culprit. But all I saw were shadows, and the chaos they had wrought on my life.

The first light of dawn bled into the sky, showcasing the wreckage that had become of the ranch. As I stood there, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the task ahead.

“Alright, everyone,” I called out, voice unwavering as it cut through the chill morning air. “We need to get this place back up and running as soon as possible. Let's start by rounding up the rest of the livestock.”

I set Max down, brushing a stray lock of hair from his tear-streaked face. “You can help too, sweetie. I need you to make sure the chickens are all accounted for, okay?”

“Okay,” he sniffled, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand before scampering off to the chicken coop.

“Let's split up and cover more ground,” suggested one of the ranch hands, an older man named Hank. He scratched at his graying beard, concern etched into the lines of his weathered face. “I’ll take the west side, someone else go east. We need to find those horses and cows before they get too far.”

“Right,” I agreed, scanning the horizon for any sign of the missing animals. “I’ll head north and check the other barns for damage. We need to know what we're dealing with here.”

As we dispersed, each taking a different direction, I trudged forward, boots crunching in the ash-coated grass beneath my feet.

Surveying the damaged barns, my heart caught in my throat. The once-sturdy wooden structures now stood as mereskeletons, blackened and twisted by the flames. The smell of burnt wood and smoke still lingered in the air.

How could one person cause so much destruction?

“Mommy? I found all the chickens, but some of their eggs are broken.”

“We can clean that up later. For now, just make sure they have food and water.”

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