Authors: Jenni James

Mansfield Ranch (19 page)

“So when is the big day?” Sean asked.

Gregory shrugged. “We haven’t set a date yet. We’re thinking late summer, though.”

“How fun!” I looked back and forth between the two of them and just smiled like an idiot.

Gregory waggled his brows. “So, uh, when are you two planning your wedding date?” His eyes knowingly took in Sean’s close stance.

I laughed and blushed. He was joking—he knew I was only sixteen.

“Give us a few more months at least. I’ve just got this girl convinced we’d make an awesome couple—don’t scare her away just yet.”

“Scare me away?” I gasped.

Sean covered that gasp with a kiss—probably to hush my protests, but I didn’t care.

“Wait, what?”

We pulled apart and met a shocked Julia. Oops. She must have just come in.

“Were you two kissing?” She looked completely freaked out.

I glanced around the room at the stares we’d attracted.

Sean simply nodded. “Yep. We were.”

“Seriously?” She looked ticked. The most angry I’ve ever seen her, actually. “You’re actually kissing your foster sister in the middle of the room where your dad is spending his last few hours of life?”

I raised my brows.

Sean tilted his head. “I’m sorry—what did you say?”

“I said your dad is dying and you’re acting like a fool!”

The room tittered and a few people left.

“Who says I’m dying?” came a slurred reply from the bed. “I’m not dying.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Well, I hate to say it, but you are.”

I had never felt such a strong urge to smack someone in all my life.

A few more people left, and Harrison walked into the room.

“Julia,” Sean responded much calmer than I could’ve at that moment. “Please continue speaking. Every word helps me understand why I couldn’t love you and guarantees that I won’t feel guilty about it.”

Her jaw dropped, and hurt flashed over her features. “That was low.”

“And announcing to my father that he’s on his deathbed wasn’t?” There was a definite trace of steel to his words.

Alexis walked in the silent room and immediately hugged Harrison. “There you are!” She laughed, not realizing we were in the midst of something serious. “Why haven’t you answered my text? Are we going to hang out again tonight or what?”

“Again?” I asked, my eyes narrowing as they took in the cozy pair. Harrison blanched.

But Alexis had no shame. “What, didn’t you know we’re a couple now?” She grinned as if she were a prom queen accepting her crown.

I wasn’t surprised in the least. “For how long?” I asked.

“We don’t have to discuss this stuff. We’re here to see Mr. Benally,” Harrison interrupted.

Alexis looked at him funny and then smiled. “He asked me on New Year’s. It was so romantic—the fireworks, the music, the laughter . . . us making out.” She giggled and pushed against him.

I thought I was going to be sick. Not because I cared, but because I’d almost fallen for his lies in February. The loser! “Nice.” I looked him right in the eye. “It would seem we’re all perfectly matched, then.”

“So you’re a couple now?” Julia shook her head. “Really, Sean? All this time you’ve been dating me, and now all at once, you’re going with Lilly?”

He smiled and held me closer. “Yes, and I’ve never been happier.”

Julia stormed out of the room. Her parting shot rang down the hall. “Perfect! Just awesome. I hope your father
does
die—it’ll serve you right!”

Harrison and Alexis stood awkwardly in the area a moment longer before beating a hasty retreat after Julia.

“Ahem.” Mr. Benally cleared his throat. “Well, Sean, Julia seems like a good, steady girl.” His sarcasm was evident, despite the speech impediment. Then he said, more seriously, “I’m so glad you decided to walk out of that one.”

Sean chuckled. “I’m sorry you had to hear her, Dad. But yeah, she’s kind of not what she seems. I don’t think either sibling is.”

Mr. Benally nodded and slurred out, “Doesn’t matter, though, does it? Looks like you’ve already found the right one.”

Sean looked at me and grinned. “I know I have.”

I stepped into his arms and that’s where I remained the rest of the evening until it was time to go. We stood and chatted with Mr. Benally until he began to show signs of fatigue. Then with a good-bye, we headed out the door just as Mrs. Benally walked in to take over for the night shift. She embraced me, saying how she’d missed me helping her, and then hurried in to see her husband.

***

Later that night, after my suitcases were back in my room and dessert had been eaten, as well as chattering a bit with a forlorn Lauren, Sean pulled me out to the stables. It’d be so long since I’d seen Princess Buttercup that I didn’t think my heart could take it. We laughed and nuzzled and cuddled each other until I’d completely taken on the smell of horse. I promised her a long good ride the next day and gave her more carrots than the greedy thing could handle.

Sean laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you loved her more than you love me.”

“Of course I do!”

He looked surprised.

“I know she won’t do anything stupid.”

He accepted the hit. “I deserved that, didn’t I?”

“Oh, you so did!” I chuckled and put my head on her shoulder, but continued to watch him.

His eyes searched mine. “I’ve missed you. I missed how well you’re able to put me in my place, too.”

“I just missed talking to you. I miss all the time we spent together—all of it.”

“Even when I was being stupid?”

“Especially then.” I grinned.

“Come here, you.” He pulled me into his arms, all horsey and all, and I nestled up against him, his neck smelling deliciously magnificent and completely male.

“I forgot how good you smell.”

“We won’t talk about your smell at the moment. But yes, usually the feeling is mutual.”

I chuckled and held on tighter. “Brat,” I whispered.

“Brat,” he whispered back.

And then I sighed. I was home, most definitely and perfectly home.

It’s funny how my whole life, I never felt like I belonged anywhere, and it took another guy seeing me—even if he did turn out to be a jerk—and me meeting the family I never knew I had to finally feel as though I belonged. I mattered in this world. And I didn’t just matter to me—I mattered to several people. That was the best feeling ever. Coming home wasn’t necessarily coming back to a place I’d missed, but more about learning I was needed and appreciated just where I was.

The End

About the Author:

Jenni James is a bestselling author with fourteen published books, including The Jane Austen Diaries (
Pride & Popularity, Northanger Alibi, Emmalee
, and
Persuaded
) as well as The Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection (
Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Frog Prince
, and many more, including her recent release through Trifecta Books,
Andy & Annie: A Ghost Story
, illustrated by BC Sterrett.

Jenni has wowed fans around the world with her unique voice in children and teen literature today, always keeping her books clean and wildly addicting. When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing her seven rambunctious kids around the house. She lives with her family in sunny New Mexico and secretly dreams of becoming a ninja or pirate one day.

You can learn more about Jenni at her website,
www.authorjennijames.com
.

Dedication:

I would like to dedicate this book to Trenity—she is Lilly in every way. I love you. :)

Acknowledgments:

I'd like to thank my Heavenly Father for believing in me and allowing these stories to keep coming. And to all my fans who make this series so much more fun for me! I love you all.

Also, there will be four more books added to the series. I've decided to include Jane's lesser works too:

Sensible & Sensational

Sand & Sun

The Wilsons

Queen Sidney

Enjoy!

Mansfield Ranch

Jenni James

Kindle Edition

ALSO BY JENNI JAMES

Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection:

Beauty and the Beast

Rumplestiltskin

Cinderella

Snow White

Sleeping Beauty

Hansel and Gretel

Jack and the Beanstalk

The Frog Prince

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The Jane Austen Diaries:

Pride & Popularity

Northanger Alibi

Persuaded

Emmalee

Mansfield Ranch

Sensible & Sensational

Eternal Realm Series:

Eternity

Andy & Annie:

A Ghost Story

Prince Tennyson

Kindle Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to kindle.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Summary:

Does true love really prevail?

All Lilly Price has ever known is living in the shadow of her widely successful foster family. But when a twist of fate deals Lilly the hand of Harrison Crawford, the most popular guy in Bloomfield, NM, everything flips upside down.

Sean Benally is a hard worker, he’s funny, he’s generous, and he’s kind. He’s also the most amazing guy Lilly has ever known. And she's totally fallen in love with him. But he’s her foster brother...

Now she must choose between the unavailable love of her life—or the guy who promises to be available forever.

Pride & Popularity (The Jane Austen Diaries)

"This book was unputdownable. I highly recommend it to any fan of Jane Austen, young or old. Impatiently awaiting the rest of the series."

—Jenny Ellis, Librarian and Jane Austen Society of North America

"Having read several other young adult retellings of
Pride and Prejudice
, I must admit that
Pride and Popularity
by Jenni James is my top choice and receives my highest recommendation! In my opinion, it is the most plausible, accessible, and well-crafted YA version of
Pride and Prejudice
I have read! I can hardly wait to read the [next] installment in this series!"

—Meredith, Austenesque Reviews

"I started reading
Pride and Popularity
and couldn't put it down! I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to finish. I've never been happier to lose sleep. I was still happy this morning. You can't help but be happy when reading this feel-good book. Thank you, Jenni, for the fun night!"

—Clean Teen Fiction

Northanger Alibi (The Jane Austen Diaries)

"
Twilight
-obsessed teens (and their moms) will relate to Claire's longing for the fantastical, but will be surprised when they find the hero is even better than a vampire or werewolf. Hilarious, fun, and romantic!"

—TwilightMOMS.com

“Stephenie Meyer meets Jane Austen in this humorous, romantic tale of a girl on a mission to find her very own Edward Cullen. I didn't want it to end!"

—Mandy Hubbard, author of Prada & Prejudice

"We often speak of Jane Austen's satiric wit, her social commentary, her invention of the domestic novel. But Jenni James, in this delicious retelling of
Northanger Abbey
, casts new light on Austen's genius in portraying relationships and the foibles of human nature—in this case, the projection of our literary fantasies onto our daily experience."

—M.M. Bennetts, author of May 1812

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Surprises!

Chapter Two: Forfeit

Chapter Three: I Hate Sean Benally

Chapter Four: Lesson Learned

Chapter Five: Hide & Seek

Chapter Six: New Beginning

Chapter Seven: Wasted Breath

Chapter Eight: Dream On

Chapter Nine: Popularity Blues

Chapter Ten: Girl on a Mission