Let’s write a story – Chapter Two
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CHAPTER TWO
ZACH
The clatter of Sierra’s table falling drew immediate attention. Reginald had knocked it over, sending skeins of colorful alpaca fiber scattering across the ground. Zach jumped over the crates separating their booths and lunged for Reg’s half-attached harness.
“Settle down, fella.” Reg pulled away, surprisingly strong, nearly jerking Zach off his feet.
“It’s okay, Reggie. You’re okay.” Aunt Jenny’s soothing tone floated past Zach, settling over the alpaca until the animal stopped straining. She moved to the other side, wrapping her arms around the animal’s thick body while Zach fumbled to secure the harness.
“What happened?” Sierra rushed into the mess, Noah plowing into her legs from behind. She absently placed a hand on the boy’s head, steadying him.
“I’m so sorry, Sierra, I don’t know how he got out. I only turned my back for a second.” Aunt Jenny squeezed the animal tighter, a silent promise to not let it happen again.
Zach took a moment to check the halter. It was in perfect working order, as if it had simply been unhooked on one side. He studied Reg’s dark, intelligent eyes. Could he have unlatched himself? He stroked the animal’s long neck and met Sierra’s concerned glance. “I think he’s settled now.”
“Reg, you bad boy.” Zach bit back a smile at Noah’s innocent scolding as Sierra took the lead.
“I’ve got him now. Thank you.”
He gave the velvety animal a final pat, his fingers tingling. A stray tuft of fleece was snagged on the harness buckle; Zach plucked it and tucked it into his pocket, a germ of inspiration sprouting in the back of his mind.
Aunt Jenny gathered the fallen yarn while Zach righted the table. Noah helped, alternating between handing skeins directly to Zach and stacking them for Aunt Jenny, who dusted them off before arranging them back into their display boxes.
When order was restored, Zach found himself watching Sierra. She was whispering to the alpaca, checking the tension of the harness with a focused intensity. Then she caught him staring. Her grateful smile warmed Zach from head to toe—a heat not unlike the furnace glare he faced when he worked.
“Bibi!” Noah called out, spotting a woman approaching the booth.
Sierra gave a hard tug on the harness and stepped forward, her posture stiffening. “Mom? What are you doing here?”
The warmth left her face. Despite a sharp impulse to restore it, Zach forced himself to turn away. The last thing he needed was to trade his own family drama for someone else’s.
In her booth, Aunt Jenny was on her phone. “He’s right here,” she said, then held the device out to him. “Zach, you’ve got a call.”
SIERRA
“What am I doing here? You invited me, remember?” Her mother stood with hands on hips, her eyes narrowed—a stark contrast to Noah, who was bouncing from one foot to the other beside her.
“I know, but you declined.” Sierra looked around, her heart hitching as she spotted Zach striding away. She forced her attention back to her mother. “How did you get here?”
“Well, I would have driven myself if you hadn’t taken the keys.”
Her mother’s petulant frown had no impact. “You are not allowed to drive,” Sierra said, a reminder her mother hardly needed given the negligence that left her license suspended a year ago.
“I got a ride from Denise. You can bring me home. Why is Reginald here?”
“He got out again, so we had to bring him with us, right Aunt See?” Noah stroked Reg, who closed his eyes and hummed. Sierra glared at the beast.
“If you can’t handle the herd, you shouldn’t be in the business.” Her mother made a show of scrutinizing a skein of brown yarn.
Sierra gritted her teeth. “I can handle the herd. Reg is just an exception.”
“Maybe things would be easier,” her mother said, “without the weight of the farm on your shoulders.”
Sierra laid her hand over her mother’s. “I love the farm. The alpacas… it’s our home. Yours, too.”
Her mother recoiled, burying her hand into her sweater pocket. “You’re just like your grandparents. The farm will be the death of you, too.”
“It’s about more than me,” Sierra countered, her voice tightening. “Noah needs roots. At least here he has stability, instead of being dragged wherever the wind takes Sylvia.”
“Like I dragged you? Is that it? I was such a horrible mother?”
“I didn’t say that—”
Her mother met her eyes, her gaze cold and weary. “It doesn’t matter. If you’d bothered to check your messages, you’d know your sister is coming to take him back.”
Okay readers, what happens next? And what is Zach’s phone call about? Comment below.
24 Comments
BN
call from a brother
Loraine
Interesting. What does he have to say, I wonder? Thanks for the input, BN. 🙂
Danielle Hammelef
It’s a call from a social worker about a family member.
Loraine
Oh, trouble is on the horizon! Thanks for the input, Danielle. 🙂
Susan Atkins
The phone call is from Zacks mother , telling him she is coming to get him to take him home , only he does not want to go home .
Loraine
Hmm, very interesting. Thanks for the input, Susan. 🙂
MICHAEL LAW
This looks like really good. Thanks for sharing.
Loraine
I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far, Michael. 🙂
Gail Hollingsworth
Fun to read and speculate.
Loraine
Thanks for checking out Chapter 2, Gail. 🙂
Linda Moffitt
I am not sure I did not read chapter 1 is it somewhere that I can read it?
Sierra is probably getting ready to defend her nephew? To try and keep her sister from taking him
Loraine
Here’s the link to our main story page which will have all the chapters as they go live: Let’s write a story!
Great input on what should happen next, Linda. Thanks! 🙂
Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds
The phone call is about his brother who has been arrested.
Loraine
Oh my, I was not expecting that one, Lucy. Great input! 🙂
Shelia Hall
Phone call is about a job he applied for but doesn’t want to take now
Loraine
Oh that is very interesting, Shelia. Thanks for the input. 🙂
Perrianne Askew
The phone call is about a special glassblowing art project. It’s big enough to have a potentially generous payout that might just be a way to help him pay on his aunt’s mortgage.
Sierra is stunned by the fact that Noah’s mother suddenly wants him back. She is well aware that she is not capable of maintaining a nurturing and stable home for a young child.
Loraine
The plot thickens! 🙂 Thanks for the great input Perrianne.
Deana Dick
Zach’s phone call is from a detective. There are rumors that something is going on with Sierra’s mother. She isn’t able to drive yet someone saw her speeding away from a hit and run last night. How will he tell Sierra? Sierra’s mother is desperate for money and needs a fast getaway. She has gotten in with the wrong crowd and now fears she will be arrested.
Loraine
Ooo very suspenseful. Thanks for the input, Deana. 🙂
Paty Hinojosa
The call is about his uncle who just died and left him an inheritance.
Loraine
Very interesting. Thanks for the input, Paty. 🙂
Michelle Miller
The call is from Zach’s brother Adam. He’s calling to say that he needs Zach’s help to help save himself from financial ruin.
Loraine
Great input, Michelle. Thanks! 🙂