Free Blue Haven (Sunshine & Shadow Book 1) by Alie Williamson Page A

freaking out.”
    “How many?”
    “Three.”
    “Three!?”
    Caleb nodded and
took a long drink of Miller. “Like I said, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.”
     
    The next morning
dawned bright and early. From her bedroom window April could see Caleb and Hailey
feeding the horses with the other ranch hand, Adam. Adam was the youngest, the
newest addition to the Blue Haven team. He was still learning.
    She pulled on her
jeans and rushed downstairs. They had to be quick; the guests were arriving at
8:00 am.
    April’s mom and
dad sat at the large, mahogany dining table, drinking coffee. They seemed to
have recovered from their argument and were smiling again. April grabbed a mug,
filled it with coffee and rushed outside to get the stalls cleaned and the
grain scooped before breakfast.
    Inside the barn
she was immediately greeted by morning nickers and whinnies. She loved the
sound and smell of the horses. Inhaling, she went about her chores. Once every
horse was turned out and every stall was cleaned, April rounded up the others
and headed back to the dining room.
    “Good morning!”
Kip was poking his head out of the kitchen door, adorned in a flattened chef’s
hat that belonged in a Halloween costume bargain bin. April smiled and sat at
one end of the long table.
    “So, how’d
everyone sleep?” her dad asked.
    Hailey immediately
began describing one of her dreams. April didn’t mind listening to Hailey’s
stories. At least no-one was asking her to step into the spotlight and describe
one of her dreams, even if it was a little boring to hear for the
hundredth time Hailey’s detailed account of the high school dance that she
missed, but wished she hadn’t missed, but felt like she was meant to miss.
    Soon though, the
conversation turned to April and she was forced to snap back to reality.
    “So April, did you
have a chance to look at the Master’s Degree brochures that I put on your
desk?” her dad asked. The look on his face indicated he already knew what her
answer would be.
    “No.”
    “Don’t you think
you should?”
    “Dad, I’m busy.”
    “With the horses?”
    “Yes.”
    “The horses are
not your future.”
    April grimaced.
    “You’ve only got
your Bachelors’ Degree.”
    “There’s no rush,
dad. I’m taking a gap year.”
    April’s dad
slammed his fist onto the table hard enough to make the cutlery jump. “Dammit,
April, we’ve talked about this. You’re going back to school in September and
registration is a month away. You have to pick your classes.”
    “That’s enough,
Jack.” April’s mom set a pile of paperwork on the table beside her husband,
ultimately ending the argument and earning a glance of gratitude from April.
    Her dad sighed and
began peering through the papers. His shoulders seemed to tighten slightly.
    At that moment,
Kip brought out scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and toast in big metal trays
and set them on the table. Everybody dug in, glad to have a distraction from
the obvious tension.
    April’s dad
cleared his throat. “Right, well as you all know it’s the first day of the
season and we’ve got guests arriving in about an hour.” He checked his watch.
“Make that half an hour.”
    “Who are they?”
Caleb asked with his mouth full of egg.
    “Well, that’s the
thing, Caleb. This week is going to go a little differently. One of the guests
is um...different.”
    “Are we doing the
Make-A-Wish Foundation thing again?” Hailey asked.
    April’s dad shook
his head. “No...No, nothing like that.”
    “What’s going on,
dad?” April asked.
    “Well, he’s...I mean
he’s not...quite...” her dad struggled with his words.
    “He’s a
celebrity,” her mom said.
    “A celebrity?”
Hailey was immediately interested.
    April’s mom
nodded. “We’ve known for a while, but we weren’t allowed to say anything.”
    Hailey and Adam
were discussing the situation as Kip was finally sitting down.
    “What’s everyone
so excited about?” he asked.
    “A