Just as she was sitting down to a plate of eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast, orange juice and coffee, Mary burst into the kitchen. “Buck is gone, Ma! Did Dad or Roly ride out today?”
“No, dear.” Mary’s mom said. “They’re working up at the north pasture repairing fence. I saw them take the truck out.”
Then Mary and Martha shouted at the same time, “Hugh!”
Jenny followed them up the stairs, and through a door into a room that was two doors past her own room. Hugh was not there. Mary looked around the room, then told the other two, “Well, that stinker must have snuck out early this morning on one of his disappearances. His sleeping bag is gone, and the rest of his camping gear. And that is where he keeps his rifle,” Mary said, pointing to the far corner, which was empty of any rifle.
“Well, at least he took his Bible,” Martha said, noting the rectangle of dustless area on Hugh’s nightstand. “He’ll be alright. He just needs some time alone in the mountains.”
Mary saw Jenny’s confusion, and explained, “My brother doesn’t come home very often, maybe a couple of times a year, and sometimes he’s so frazzled he just takes off into the mountains to unwind. He always comes back a whole new person.”
Martha said, looking at Jenny, “I have a feeling that something’s happened recently.”
“You just wouldn’t believe what we have been through this past week,” she said.
“Would you care to talk about it?” Martha asked in a kind voice.
“It’s a long, long story, and would take a lot of time,” Jenny replied.
“How about we find something to do together, and then we can talk to while away the time,” Martha offered.
Then, Jenny turned to Mary, “What do you do with your days?” She was somewhat hoping for an invite to go to the stable, and possibly to ride one of their beautiful horses.
“I’m done with my morning chores, so I’ve got to hit the school books,” Mary answered.
“You’re a senior in high school, then?” Jenny asked.
“No, actually, I’m in my last semester of college, finishing up my degree in architectural design.”
Jenny was stunned by this revelation. She had never heard of such a thing—an 18-year-old graduating from college?
Mary saw the surprised look on Jenny’s face. “I was homeschooled all my life,” she explained. “And, you’ve probably noticed I’m a bit of a type A. I breezed through high school, taking quite a few dual-credit courses to get a jump on college, and I then started college officially when I was 16.”
“Wow!” was all Jenny could think to say. Then she asked, “What about Roly?”
“He’s had his law degree for a couple of years now,” Martha said.
“So he’s a lawyer?” Jenny asked, perplexed at the idea of him practicing law out on the cow pasture.
“No. He has decided to enter the medical field instead. Right now, he’s just earning enough to start at the medical college where he has been accepted.”
Then Jenny asked about Hugh.
“We went the traditional route with Hugh,” Martha said. “We didn’t wise up about how rotten the whole government school system was until it was time for Roly to start school.”
“I’ve got to get cracking,” Mary said. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Then she added as she went through the doorway, “By the way, Jenny, do you like horses? Have you ridden?”
Jenny was suddenly shy about answering because she knew enough about Mary by now to figure that she was probably an excellent horsewoman. “My uncle let me take lessons for a couple of years when I was younger,” she replied. “I’m probably still a beginner, compared to where you are at,” she said.
“We’ll see,” Mary said. “I’ll look you up this afternoon, and we can give it a go.”
Martha reminded Jenny that she hadn’t had a chance to finish her breakfast. So, they went downstairs. Martha puttered around the kitchen for a bit while Jenny finished her excellent breakfast. Jenny noted that even though there wasn’t any conversation between them, it was, nevertheless, a very comfortable silence. She was beginning to understand Hugh’s periods of silence.
After Jenny had taken her dishes to the sink, had rinsed them and had placed them in the dishwasher, Martha suggested giving Jenny a quick tour of the ranch. Jenny thought that was a great idea. She was dying to see it.
Martha led her out the back door to a pole barn, and gestured for Jenny to jump up into the driver’s seat of a Yamaha Rhino quad, while she climbed into the passenger seat. Noticing Jenny’s hesitation, she asked, “You do drive, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jenny replied, hoping this kind lady knew what she was doing.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Martha exclaimed, patting her toy. It was painted all pink, with a little bit of plum trim. “I had this custom paint job, because I love the colors, but also because the guys wouldn’t be caught dead riding in it. So, I get to keep it all to myself.”
Martha gave her a tour of the controls. Then Jenny hit the starter, and pulled out of the pole shed. She was relieved to discover that this neat little two-seater quad drove more or less like a car, and she quickly began to relax and enjoy herself.
Martha had her swing around the outside perimeter of the house while she pointed out plantings, the garden, and their above-ground pool. The pool was large, suitable for swimming laps. It had a raised redwood deck all around it, a place for barbecuing, and even a slide.
Martha saw her admiring it. “Do you swim?” she asked.
“I love to swim,” she replied. “It was one of the few things that I was good at.”
“Good, it will probably be warm enough by
