Chapter 5

"So how long will you be staying here for?"

I switched the bag in my left hand to the other, giving Tracy another grateful smile for helping me out with my other bag.

She was kind enough to give me a tour of the town and I was pretty much convinced that I was going to like it here.

What was there not to like?

"I'm thinking permanently," I told her, our legs moving in rhythm.

"You'll need a long term residence then." I bobbed my head and she grinned, her brown eyes sparkling. "That's wonderful! There's a lease up at my place, wanna check it out?"

"I would love that, thank you!"

She winked at me and we continued walking. "So what's a posh person like you doing down here?"

I gave her a look and she burst into laughter.

"What? You have that whole city girl look written all over your face."

"I don't think so."

"It's really obvious, darling," she said, bumping her shoulder against mine. "And that god awful hat is doing nothing to hide it."

"Some pretty nice people gave it to me on the bus."

"I'm sure they were nice people," she said with an eye roll and I chuckled under my breath.

Tracy was a breath of fresh air, I didn't think I had anyone that I was this free with since high school.

Ever since I got into college, it was the endless pressure to make my dad proud of his only child and my mother trying to keep me away from what she described as 'the evil of the world'.

I wasn't allowed to stay in the dormitories, instead my personal driver took me from home to school and back.

So my friend circle was very limited and I had zero to nothing experience of the wild school life.

That didn't stop me from being sneaky when I wanted to. It was how I hooked up with my ex on multiple occasions.

"We're here, New York," I turned to her, blinking and she smiled.

"What?"

She gestured to the large double gates in front of me, I could see the expanse of field and the modest building inside.

It gave off a ranch home kind of vibe and I had to admit, it was definitely my vibe.

"This is Suzie's home, where I live and you now. If she likes you."

She reached forward to push one of the gates open, slipping inside.

"Wait, what do you mean if she likes me?"

Tracy shrugged, a mischievous look on her face. "Suzie has really strict rules about who she lets out her place too. You'll be allowed if she likes you, don't worry, it's not much of a big deal."

I seriously doubted that but I allowed her to lead me into the house. The building was shaped like a half dome, partially encircling an orange tree in the middle.

The scent of citrus and tangerine wafted in the air and when I listened closely, I could hear the sound of horses whinnying in the distance.

"Are those horses?" I turned towards Tracy, unable to contain my excitement. "Like real horses?"

"This is Elko, New York," she said with a stifled laugh. "Of course, those are horses. We could go look at them later if you want."

"Sure, and Tracy?" She arched a brow in response, "I'm actually from Chicago, not New York."

She smirked again, "New York has a better tone to it."

I opened my mouth to refute when her eyes suddenly lit up and she rushed forward.

"Hey, Suzie! Guess who I brought with me?" She stepped aside and I walked forward, waving awkwardly.

"Good morning."

Suzie peered at me through her glasses, her dark eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who's this, Tracy?"

"This is Tara from New York-"

"Chicago," I corrected immediately and she waved me off.

"And she's looking for a place to stay."

"How long?" Tracy opened her mouth to answer but Suzie held a finger up. "Let the girl speak for herself, McCoy."

I forced a smile, straightening when she looked at me. "I'll be needing a long term stay. I promise I won't be of any trouble and I'll stick to your rules. You won't even know I'm here."

Suzie peered at me for an awful amount of time, I was nearly quaking in my shoes. I should've known Tracy was fibbing when she said it wasn't going to be hard getting past-

"Okay, you're in," her voice came in sharply, cutting off the rest of my thoughts. "We pay monthly and in cash only. I don't have the energy to go up the bank to sort out payments. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," I responded with zeal, trying to keep my excitement at bay.

Evan Tracy had an elated look on her face, giving me the thumbs up.

"Good. Tracy will get you acquainted with the house and the rest of the tenants." She made me walk away when she paused, looking over her shoulder.

"What did you say your name was again?"

"Tara Henry," I responded smoothly and she nodded.

"Welcome to Elko, Tara."

I watched her walk away like a mist in a dream and Tracy threw an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into her side.

"See! I said you didn't need to sweat about it."

"For a moment, I thought she was going to say no," I admitted, patting my racing chest and she chuckled, pulling me towards the main building.

"Come on, New York," she tugged gently. "Let's get you settled."

Tara was more than an angel, she showed me the ropes and helped me unpack the little I brought. I made sure she stayed away from the other bag containing the cash, I didn't want to scare her away.

When I asked about the others, she said they weren't in and it would be just the two of us until later in the day.

The apartment was huge but it was definitely what I needed. The only thing left was to get things to fill up the space and she was gracious enough to help me shop for home decor.

During the shopping process, I stepped out for fresh air, enjoying the crisp summer breeze that seemed to associate itself with this town.

I didn't realize, in my daze, that I'd stepped into the road. And it was only when I heard the cries of alarm, did my eyes finally snap open and I froze in shock.

A massive black stallion was heading towards me, its rider wasn't in sight and it looked like it was running in a frenzy.

For a moment, I was stuck, unable to move and I wondered if this was how my life would end.

I hadn't even gotten the chance to live my new life well enough and now it was about to be cut short.

"Oh, shit," were the only words I could mutter as the horse charged towards me.

Before it could turn me into roadside mush, however, someone dashed to pull me out of the road and into a broad chest that smelled faintly of pinewood and mint.

Hold on a minute- pinewood and mint! Why did that feel familiar?

My head snapped up and I gasped when our eyes locked.

Those deep blue pools!

Jason smirked and tugged me closer, his arm snaking around my waist.

"Well hello, stranger." I froze in his hold, my entire body turning to ice. "I guess fate has a lot more in store for us, hmm?"

This day couldn't get any worse.