Page 6 of Embers of You (Amity #1)

Jameson

I’m exhausted at the end of my shift, but I need to go to the grocery store and do some stuff around my parent’s property before I’m going to get a chance to sleep.

The first thing I do when I walk in the store is grab an energy drink out of the small fridge before I grab the few items I need for myself and others for my parents.

I push the cart through the aisles, gulping down the energy drink as I go. I turn down another aisle, and that’s when I see her holding a basket in the crook of her arm. She’s chewing at her thumb while staring at the shelves in front of her.

Smiling, I watch her for a beat before approaching. I just saw her yesterday but seeing her again so soon has an unfamiliar feeling bubbling up.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this,” I joke.

Sutton jumps slightly before turning toward me, a smile she tries to suppress on her lips. “Stalker, much?”

I chuckle and turn to pretend like I’m interested in the wall of canned vegetables she was staring at before. “In a town this small, you don’t really need to stalk anyone.”

She quietly hums in agreement before grabbing two cans of corn, then turning to walk away.

“Sutton?” She turns back to look at me.

“Since this is the third random encounter we’ve had, I think it’s time I get your number.”

She smirks. “Pretty sure it’s only the second since yesterday doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

She just smiles. “Goodbye, Jameson.”

I finish up my shopping without running into her again, and I have a feeling that’s because she didn’t want me to. I’m too tired to dwell too much on it as the caffeine from the drink I consumed isn’t waking me up like I was hoping.

“Ma?” I call out as I balance all the shopping bags on my arms.

“In here,” she calls back without any other clue.

My mother greets me with a wide smile that’s quickly replaced by a disapproving glare as she eyes the bags I set on the counter.

“We can shop for ourselves, you know?” She folds her arms across her chest.

“And I like helping, which you know,” I tell her as I start putting the items away.

“And I like being independent, which you know.” The look she gives me makes me feel like she wants to burn a hole in my brain. I just shake my head as I continue to put the groceries away, despite her effort to help me. “Jameson, I can see how tired you are, go get some rest.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re always fine. Listen to your mother for once.”

I chuckle, reaching around her to grab the last of the items off the counter, kissing her cheek as I turn back to the fridge. “I always listen to you, Ma.”

“Your sweet talking gets you nowhere with me, and you know it,” she scolds.

I finish putting the groceries away, then glance around the kitchen to see if she might need help with anything else. When my eyes land on hers again, she’s playfully glaring at me.

“Do any of the animals need to be fed?” I ask.

“No.”

“Any cleaning in the barn?’

“No.”

“Lawn needing?—”

“No.”

“Anything—”

“No.”

“Ma—”

“No.”

I can’t help the laugh I let out at her insistence. I know there are things that need to be done around the property. Dad can’t do them all, and despite how Ma tries to help, I know it wears her out. She can’t do as much as she would like me to believe she does.

Holding my hands up in surrender, I tell her, “Fine, I’ll go rest for a little.”

She nods her approval before I reluctantly leave to go to my own small house.

As I’m walking the short distance, I see Dad out on one of the riding mowers, but he’s just sitting on it without actually moving.

He looks like he’s staring out at something in the distance, but when I try to figure out what he could be looking at all I see is the vast landscape of the property. Nothing in particular, just the land.

I wonder what he could be thinking about. What’s going through his mind that made him stop and just…stare. I watch him for a few moments, wondering if I should make my way out there to see if he’s okay. Maybe offer him some help if he’s stuck or ask if the mower broke down on him.

Just as I’m about to walk over to check on him he seems to come out of his trance, starting up the mower without a problem and continuing with what he was doing. I debate meeting up with him at the barn to ask what that was about but decide to put off the potential fight for another day.

Plus, I really am exhausted. As soon as my head hits my pillow, I’m asleep.

When I wake up it’s dark out, and I know I’ve slept longer than I meant to and now my whole schedule is thrown off. This isn’t the first time this has happened and won’t be the last. I stretch out my stiff limbs as I get out of bed.

I get dressed, readying myself for what has become routine tending to the property, just as I always do. It’s the perfect time because Ma isn’t around to yell at me to stop helping, and Dad isn’t around to fight with me about anything else.

Since Amity is so close to the ocean, it’s always on the colder side, especially at night, no matter what time of year it is.

So, I throw on my jacket once I’m dressed and head out to the barn.

It’s around midnight, and the only light outside is from the moon and the stars.

I’ve walked this entire property so many times over my life I can do it with my eyes closed.

The barn illuminates with the motion sensored lights, and a couple of the horses shuffle around in their stalls.

Ma used to give horseback riding lessons to children before she got sick.

Growing up, I would help out, but my real passion was barrel racing.

I spent my time training and working with other riders whenever they wanted to learn.

We still have all the horses because she couldn’t part with them and swears they have therapeutic powers for her, even though she doesn’t ride anymore.

I approach Sandy, Ma’s main horse for her lessons.

She was born here when I was young, and we raised her.

She’s twenty-eight now, and her age is starting to show, or maybe Ma is right, and they just have some special connection.

She’s always said that about her and Sandy.

She said she could feel when Sandy was sick, and maybe it’s the same the other way around.

The Palomino mare huffs as I approach. She already knows about the peppermints I’ve got stashed in my pocket because I give her one every time I come out here.

“Hey girl,” I say with my hand outstretched toward her.

She takes the offered peppermint from my hand before I rub her nose as she chews on it. “I’m back to help out. I want to help take care of you all.”

She huffs again like she understands, and I’d like to think she’s thankful I’m here.

I give the other horses treats as I make my way down to the biggest stall on the end where my old barrel horse stays.

Juniper, my Appaloosa, nods her head at me as soon as I’m in view and I chuckle, handing over a peppermint, rubbing her nose as she chews.

I’ve missed riding horses, either leisurely around the property or from the pure rush of adrenaline that comes with a barrel race.

It’s been too long since I’ve felt that, too long since I’ve let myself sink into the familiar comfort of the saddle.

One day soon, I’m going to have to get back on a horse again.

Running my hand through the fluffy fur that’s starting to shed off Juniper I get an idea to try and spend more time with Sutton.

We’ll just have to see if she’ll go for it.