Page 9 of Memories of the Past

“Doc won’t let me ride anymore, Aaron. Too many back and neck injuries. So, unfortunately, it appears that I’ve ridden my last ride.”

Aaron knew all about injuries. He himself had been injured bad a few years back and had to quit as well. “I’m sorry, Thomas. I know how much you love it. So, what are you going to do?”

I leaned against the fence and looked across the fields that surrounded the ranch. It was a scene I had grown to love over the years. There was something so peaceful about it. “I’m not sure yet. Apparently, my father left his ranch to me. So, I’m going to head back, see what shape it’s in, and figure it out from there.”

Aaron looked to the ground, saddened by what I had told him. “Well, Thomas, please know that you always have a place here, if things don’t work out for you. In the meantime, I guess I’ll need to start looking for someone to replace you. At least temporarily.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that. It feels good knowing that I have somewhere to go if things don’t work out.”

“Of course, you are always welcome here. Now, I’m sure Amanda has breakfast just about ready. When do you plan on heading out?”

“Later tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.”

“All right, well, let’s head up to the house and eat shall we.”

“Sounds good.”

As I walked beside Aaron, away from the barn, I realized this would be one of the last times I would made this walk. I looked out across the fields, took a deep breath of the fresh air, and realized that I’d really miss this place.

“Breakfast is ready,” Amanda called from the back door, a smile on her face as she watched the two of us approach the house.

Aaron had been lucky to find Amanda, and for the first time in years, I thought about what life would have been like if I’d of stayed in Willow Valley. I wondered what would have happened between Trinity and me. Would we have gotten married and had children? Would we be running Jenkins Ranch now, or would we have gone on and made a life of our own? Though as quickly as those questions entered my mind, I swept those thoughts away.

CHAPTER 4

Trinity

Dark storm clouds hung low in the sky. I sat on the edge of my bed, looking out the window. They said it was going to storm today. I stretched, let out a yawn, and slid my feet into my fuzzy slippers. I wasn’t ready to get up yet and wished that it was Sunday, my day off. I grabbed my robe and threw it over my shoulders and looked at my bedside clock. It was only a little after six. I had a little over an hour to get ready for the day and get the store opened.

I opened my bedroom door, expecting to see Aunt Vi in the kitchen cooking up some bacon and eggs, but the apartment was still dark, and her bedroom was closed. I frowned. For as long as I could remember, Aunt Vi was always up before me. Though I’d noticed over the last couple of months that she seemed to be slowing down. Normally, she’d always open the store, but for the last little while I’d been the one to open the shop. Some days she didn’t even set foot inside the bookstore, but she always greeted me in the morning.

I listened at her door for a minute. It was quiet, so I went into the kitchen and opened the blinds above the sink. The sun was trying to peek through the clouds to no avail. The kitchen went dark again. I flipped the light on over the sink and turned the kettle on, scooping three teaspoons of coffee grounds into the French press. I went to grab the cream out of the fridge when I felt Luna, my cat, rub up against my legs with a loud purr. I bent down and picked up the tortoiseshell-colored cat and kissed her head. “I guess you want some breakfast, hmmm.”

Her loud meow confirmed what I’d asked, and I placed her down on the floor and opened the fridge, pulling out the can of food, and scooped the remainder into her bowl. I placed the bowl onto the floor and watched as she attacked it. I smiled to myself, then turned my attention back to the coffee. Once the two mugs had been filled and were on the small dining room table, I walked over to Aunt Vi’s bedroom door and gently knocked.

“Come in, Pet,” I heard her soft voice call.

I smiled and opened the door to see Aunt Vi sitting in her favorite recliner, the needlepoint she’d been working on for the past month resting on her lap as she looked over the instructions. “Morning, Aunt Vi. I’m just making some coffee and was about to get breakfast going. Are you hungry?”

“Oh that sounds wonderful, dear. Let me just try and finish up this section. It’s giving me some trouble, and I will be right out.” She smiled before focusing back on her needlepoint.

I stood in her doorway for a moment. She still wore her favorite pink terrycloth robe over her light-blue pajamas, and her hair was still wild from sleep. Normally, the second she was up, she’d have her hair brushed and tied back and she’d get dressed. I watched her studying her directions, and I suddenly began to worry that she may not be feeling all that well. She looked smaller, a little pale, and I had noticed that lately she was complaining more of aches and pains than ever before.

“Is something wrong, dear?” she asked, not looking up.

“No, it’s nothing. I’ll go get breakfast,” I muttered and pulled her door shut, heading into my bedroom to get dressed.

I’d just cracked two eggs into the frypan when I heard Aunt Vi behind me. “No eggs for me, dear. I think I’ll just have my apple cinnamon oatmeal this morning.”

“Oh,” I said, wiping my hands on the towel that sat beside the stove. “Okay, let me grab a pot.” I opened the drawer and grabbed the small pot and placed it on the burner, reaching for the bag of quick oats.

“No, you just concentrate on you. I’ll get to it a little later. I’ll just have my coffee first,” she said, using her cane to make her way over to the dinner table where she sat down and took a sip of her coffee.

I flipped my eggs over and then looked at Aunt Vi. She looked tired. Too tired for only having been up for an hour or so. “Are you feeling okay today?” I questioned.

“Oh, I’m just a little achy this morning, Pet. Just the normal. I can certainly tell that fall is on its way.”

I nodded. “Are you going to come down and help me open the bookstore this morning?”

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