planned to enjoy her birthday; she already knew the routine but never tired of it. After school she would come home and be shooed off to enjoy herself while her Aunt Naomi made her a special meal and a three layered German chocolate birthday cake. She would then open her presents and spend the night playing checkers with her dad, an activity he seldom got still enough to participate in.
“Happy birthday, Pest,” Trent seated himself across from his sister after giving her head an affectionate pat.
“You could be nice seeing as how it’s my birthday,” Amanda suggested. A grin was all the response she received from her brother.
Amanda was growing impatient, a month had passed and her father still refused to take her to test for her permit. She’d just about had enough of his stall tactics. Taking deep satisfaction in the resounding bang that followed, she shoved the screen door open and loped off the porch and across the field to the corrals. Big Boy trotted along beside her, his tail wagging and tongue lolling. He was a large collie mix that her father had found abandoned at the feed store a few years earlier and brought him home. He was now as much a part of the ranch as the hands were.
“Mornin’ Mandy,” Jason greeted, from where he was climbing onto one of the tractors.
“Good morning, Jason,” Amanda returned.
Amanda called to the horses and reached into her pockets for the sugar cubes she’d tucked inside. It didn’t take the horses long to consume her supply of the treat and Amanda again found herself restless. Her father and brother had left for town that morning for supplies; Amanda had pointed out it would be a perfect time to get her permit to no avail. Amanda didn’t even have the satisfaction of trailing her brother and aggravating him. All the men seemed to be out in the pastures so she couldn’t even chat with them. Amanda sighed in boredom.
“You look like you just lost your best friend,” the voice behind Amanda made her jump. She turned and watched as Cade approached and propped one booted foot on the bottom rail. She had gotten to know Cade a little better in the weeks he had been there but she was still a little wary of the man.
“I’m stuck here, not getting my permit, while Daddy and Trent gallop around town,” Amanda glanced at him and then turned her attention back to the horses. She heard Cade chuckle and glanced at him again. He had turned to lean against the fence, his elbows on the top rail as he studied her.
“You are a skinny as a boy aren’t you?”
Cade’s stating of the obvious only annoyed Amanda and she lifted her chin as she decided to ignore him.
“Manny; there’s a nick name for you.”
Amada’s gaze snapped to Cade, he was grinning at her as though he had gotten exactly the result he wanted.
“Don’t you have work my father is paying you to do.”
Her Aunt Naomi would have been proud of the cool superior tone she pulled off. Her aunt was always reminding her that it was important to maintain a proper distance from the hired hands; an edict Amanda ignored at will.
“You really are a pest aren’t you, Manny?”
Amanda resolutely ignored him, though she was aware that he continued to watch her.
“Come on, Manny,” Cade offered her a hand.
Amanda frowned at his hand and then him.
“You want to learn to drive? I can teach you.”
“You don’t have a vehicle.” Amanda pointed out and then nearly bit her tongue; she was supposed to be annoyed at him.
“The farm truck is sitting right there with the keys in it. If you can drive that old thing; you can drive anything,” Cade nodded to where the battered old pick up sat.
Amanda eyed it with longing.
“I don’t have a permit,” Amanda was watching him with interest now.
“We’ll never leave the farm,” Cade promised her.
Amanda hesitated and then climbed down off the fence. Cade opened the door to the driver’s side and made a gesture with his hand for Amanda to climb in. Amanda’s limbs were shaking as she climbed onto the high seat and grasped the wheel with suddenly damp palms. Amanda jumped when the passenger door opened and she shot Cade a nervous glance.
“You ready?” Cade was watching her expectantly. Amanda nodded in determination. “Okay, press in the brake and the clutch and turn the key,” he instructed.
“Okay,” Amanda licked her suddenly dry lips and did