prissy for them.
“Don’t worry,” Jack told her. “My parents will love you.”
And Jack had been right. The moment Libbie walked into the farmhouse, she was welcomed with a warm hug from Bev. Then Jack took her out to the shop and introduced her to his father. Norman Prentice looked a lot like Jack, but there were smile lines that crinkled around his eyes and strands of gray running through his dark hair.
“It’s nice to meet you, Libbie,” Norm said as he shook her hand. “I can see now why Jack took off work every chance he could get.”
Jack’s face reddened, and Libbie thought it was cute that he was embarrassed.
She looked around the workshop, amazed at all of the beautifully crafted cabinets. “You made all of these yourself?” she asked Norm.
Norm nodded. “Mostly. Jack helps with the finishing work and staining. I’ve been letting Ray help a little, too, but he’s still young.”
Libbie walked over to a table by the wall that held small wooden boxes with lids decorated with carved flowers or hearts. They were painted and stained in a variety of colors. “These are lovely,” she said, picking one up and opening it. Inside, on the bottom, was a piece of fine velvet.
“They’re jewelry boxes,” Jack said, coming to stand beside her. “Dad makes them and my mom sells them at the craft fair by the lake every year. She’ll be there in a couple of weeks.”
“They’re beautiful,” Libbie said.
Jack and Libbie left the shop and walked out to the barn. In the corral was a white mare with brown spots. The horse chewed on grass and stared at them.
“She’s pretty,” Libbie said. “Do you have others?”
“Nope. Just her. My mother used to ride, but now we kids ride her most of the time. She’s getting old, but she’s still a good mount.”
“What’s her name?” Libbie asked.
“Sprite.”
“That’s so cute.”
Jack walked into the corral and retrieved Sprite. He led her by her halter over to Libbie. “Ready to ride?”
“Aren’t you going to saddle her?”
Jack shook his head. “We always ride bareback. It’s not the most comfortable way to ride, but it’s easy.”
Libbie hesitated. “Won’t we fall off?”
Jack laughed. “Don’t worry, Libbie. I won’t let you fall.” He pulled himself up onto Sprite’s back and then told Libbie to climb on the fence rail so she could get on the horse. With his help, she slipped up behind him. “Hang on to me, okay?”
“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist and held on tight. When she saw him take ahold of Sprite’s mane, she asked, “Don’t you need a bridle and reins?”
“Nah, we never use them. I always ride like this.”
They headed off down a trail that led to the back of the property. The day was warm, but there was a nice breeze, which helped to keep the bugs away. Libbie watched as Jack maneuvered Sprite by gently pulling her mane one way or the other. She’d never seen anyone ride bareback before, and it amazed her how he could control the horse so easily.
“I’ll take you to the back forty where the lake is that we fish in,” he told her.
Libbie held on to Jack tightly, and soon she got used to the rhythm of Sprite’s walk. The path turned into a line of trampled-down grass among the foot-tall grass blowing in the breeze. Trees sat here and there, but for the most part, it was all open field. In the distance, Libbie saw a line of trees. She pointed them out to Jack. “Is that where the lake is?”
Jack nodded. “Yep. It isn’t far.”
“Do your parents own all this land?” Libbie asked. It seemed like so much open space to her.
“Most of what you see we own. It goes back to where the lake is. Everything you see from left to right is ours, too.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. What do they do with it all?”
Jack chuckled. “Not a whole lot. My great-grandparents owned this land and they used to raise cattle and horses on it, but my dad only uses a portion of the acreage to raise
“Don’t worry,” Jack told her. “My parents will love you.”
And Jack had been right. The moment Libbie walked into the farmhouse, she was welcomed with a warm hug from Bev. Then Jack took her out to the shop and introduced her to his father. Norman Prentice looked a lot like Jack, but there were smile lines that crinkled around his eyes and strands of gray running through his dark hair.
“It’s nice to meet you, Libbie,” Norm said as he shook her hand. “I can see now why Jack took off work every chance he could get.”
Jack’s face reddened, and Libbie thought it was cute that he was embarrassed.
She looked around the workshop, amazed at all of the beautifully crafted cabinets. “You made all of these yourself?” she asked Norm.
Norm nodded. “Mostly. Jack helps with the finishing work and staining. I’ve been letting Ray help a little, too, but he’s still young.”
Libbie walked over to a table by the wall that held small wooden boxes with lids decorated with carved flowers or hearts. They were painted and stained in a variety of colors. “These are lovely,” she said, picking one up and opening it. Inside, on the bottom, was a piece of fine velvet.
“They’re jewelry boxes,” Jack said, coming to stand beside her. “Dad makes them and my mom sells them at the craft fair by the lake every year. She’ll be there in a couple of weeks.”
“They’re beautiful,” Libbie said.
Jack and Libbie left the shop and walked out to the barn. In the corral was a white mare with brown spots. The horse chewed on grass and stared at them.
“She’s pretty,” Libbie said. “Do you have others?”
“Nope. Just her. My mother used to ride, but now we kids ride her most of the time. She’s getting old, but she’s still a good mount.”
“What’s her name?” Libbie asked.
“Sprite.”
“That’s so cute.”
Jack walked into the corral and retrieved Sprite. He led her by her halter over to Libbie. “Ready to ride?”
“Aren’t you going to saddle her?”
Jack shook his head. “We always ride bareback. It’s not the most comfortable way to ride, but it’s easy.”
Libbie hesitated. “Won’t we fall off?”
Jack laughed. “Don’t worry, Libbie. I won’t let you fall.” He pulled himself up onto Sprite’s back and then told Libbie to climb on the fence rail so she could get on the horse. With his help, she slipped up behind him. “Hang on to me, okay?”
“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist and held on tight. When she saw him take ahold of Sprite’s mane, she asked, “Don’t you need a bridle and reins?”
“Nah, we never use them. I always ride like this.”
They headed off down a trail that led to the back of the property. The day was warm, but there was a nice breeze, which helped to keep the bugs away. Libbie watched as Jack maneuvered Sprite by gently pulling her mane one way or the other. She’d never seen anyone ride bareback before, and it amazed her how he could control the horse so easily.
“I’ll take you to the back forty where the lake is that we fish in,” he told her.
Libbie held on to Jack tightly, and soon she got used to the rhythm of Sprite’s walk. The path turned into a line of trampled-down grass among the foot-tall grass blowing in the breeze. Trees sat here and there, but for the most part, it was all open field. In the distance, Libbie saw a line of trees. She pointed them out to Jack. “Is that where the lake is?”
Jack nodded. “Yep. It isn’t far.”
“Do your parents own all this land?” Libbie asked. It seemed like so much open space to her.
“Most of what you see we own. It goes back to where the lake is. Everything you see from left to right is ours, too.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. What do they do with it all?”
Jack chuckled. “Not a whole lot. My great-grandparents owned this land and they used to raise cattle and horses on it, but my dad only uses a portion of the acreage to raise
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