“Do you want to pet Jackal?” Palmer asked, but Christopher was still hesitant. She stepped out of the stall and extended her hand for him to grab. When he did, she pulled him back inside, and they both sat down on the hay. The silence was deafening, but neither one of them could speak. They just looked at Jackal and Misty bond.“When I was in elementary school, and probably most of my middle school year, I was shy and alone. No one wanted to be my friend because they would say I was a nerd, with my nose stuck in a book all the time. I even had these big rimmed glasses, and they were always making fun of me,” she chuckled nervously. Christopher said nothing. Gunner was right; she was always friendless. “I was always looking for ways for the other kids to like me, but I wasn’t having any luck. Until Faith arrived at school, she had come from the city too, Chicago. As soon as she saw me, she wanted to be my friend, and at first, I was hesitant. As I got to know her, I realized she was t

Palmer pulled away from Christopher, seeing his face had turned much paler than before. She looked at him with her eyes wide open as she covered her mouth, realizing what she had just done. “Oops,” she said before looking at her quiet friends, but Faith had a smirk on her face. Her friend had been bold, and she couldn’t be any prouder.“Wow, you really have poor taste in boys, Palmer. You should have stuck with me. We would have been a good power couple at school,” Hunter said, shaking his head before he walked away with his friends, but not before murmuring something about Christopher. They all knew he was being childish. “Let’s go before any more drama unfolds,” Gunner said, taking Faith’s hand and walking out of the store as she laughed at Hunter. Palmer smiled shyly at Christopher as she headed to the truck with him following right behind. They got in and drove off, deciding to stop at the diner to get something to eat. Palmer and Christopher didn’t say a single word on the enti

“Sweetheart, come down and eat. Your breakfast is going to get cold!” Palmer heard her mom. She groaned, covering herself with her soft blanket, not in the mood for anything. Knowing her friends were in the hospital made her want to stay in bed, sulking all day. Palmer looked at the ceiling, thinking about them when she heard a knock on the door. “Come on, sweet pea. It’s time to come out of the room. You have to eat and then do chores before we go visit your friends,” James called. With a long sigh, she got out of bed. Dragging her feet to the bathroom, she took a warm shower before getting ready. Palmer put on some jeans, a red flannel shirt, and grabbed her sneakers. She walked down the stairs with only her socks on. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and her freckles were pronounced as she didn’t wear any makeup. Her eagerness to join her family for breakfast was more prominent than her sadness, especially knowing that she would see her friends. “So, how are they, Dad?” She as

“Chris, come on, honey! We have to get to the party!” Grace shouted from the bottom of the stairs as Christopher was nervously putting his clothes on. He was wearing faded jeans and black converse with a black flannel shirt, hoping he was presentable enough for his date.His first official date. It felt weird for him to talk about it when Palmer was just his friend. He ruffled his hair, letting some strands fall on his forehead, and put on some light perfume and deodorant. Christopher walked out and joined Grace at her car, getting in before they drove off. They arrived at the farm, and he was already feeling anxious. His hands were sweating, and a blush of pink crept up his cheeks. Grace took his hand, trying to get him to take deep breaths.“Calm down, sweetheart. It will be fun, and I’m sure Palmer will be cute to look at,” she said, smiling at him. Those last words made him even more nervous. He looked down at his outfit once more, taking a deep breath to calm himself.“Mom, plea

After the visit to the hospital, Palmer went back home. She was heading straight to the stables to check on Misty and Jackal. The smell of ammonia was something that beckoned her. Palmer loved the smell since she was a little girl. “Hello, precious,” she said as she walked inside the stall. Misty approached her and nuzzled her, tugging on her hair while tickling her neck.“Stop it! You’re tickling me!” Palmer laughed, kissing Misty’s forehead while rubbing her beautiful brown mane. She opened the stall and let them out to the pen where they galloped around until they got tired. Leaning against the fence, she let them have their fun as she observed them closely, especially Jackal since he needed to stretch his little legs. He was one active little creature.