The Devil's 5'5

Chapter 22 - Speak of the Devil

March 7th, 8:45 AM - Seven Oaks Ranch - Creede, Colorado Preston's POV

***********

He should have been able to get a full night's rest. He should be relaxing at his favourite place in the world.

He was home and yet; he woke up tired beyond comprehension as he trudged downstairs for breakfast.

Making sure to have a shirt on, he shuffled wearily into his kitchen and was relieved to only see his dad bustling around.

"Morning dad."

Looking over his shoulder, his father gave him a half-smile before returning his attention to the pan with sizzling eggs, fresh from their farm.

"Morning champ. How'd you sleep?"

He snorted as he plopped onto the bar stool. "Fine, I guess."

Flicking the knob to stop the gas stove, his father turned around to serve the eggs onto the plates. He looked up at him before back at the eggs. "Doesn't seem like it."

He inhaled deeply as he took a sip off his water before counting the number of plates set out.

"She's not joining us for breakfast?"

"Who are you talking about?"

Giving his father a bored look, who merely tried to suppress his smile, he rolled to his head side to side in attempt to stretch the taunt muscle.

"Azura, the guest who you had invited to stay with us and failed to mention to me."

Upon seeing Azura, Preston had been shocked. He almost tried to reach out and touch her to make sure she wasn't a figment of his imagination. Oddly enough after saying goodbye to her, before heading home for reading week, she had occupied his thoughts throughout the plane ride. It wasn't that he was missing her but more so that he was still working on figuring her out. Aside from that, he felt bad that she couldn't go back home.

Given the little information she had provided about her family, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy towards her broken family.

But this was all mere thoughts which disappeared as soon he touched down and got a deep breath of the fresh mountain range air.

So, when she had appeared at his doorstep bags in hand, he had no idea what to make of the situation. To make him even more bewildered, his father had greeted her warmly before claiming to have "hired" Azura to help with their local festival.

The story was a farce, Preston was sure of it. But he couldn't shake off how easily his father had accepted Azura into her their home having already prepped the guest room prior to her arrival.

How does he just forget to tell me that he had invited a woman to stay over? In our house.

"I don't remember teaching you to be rude to our guests." The disapproving look on his father's face as he placed his plate in front of him only managed to piss him off.

"I'm not being rude Dad. I just don't understand why she's here."

"I told you she's here to lend a hand for the –"

"Derby Race. Yeah so, you've said. Seriously Dad, I'm not an idiot. Why would Azura, a city girl with no connections to our town help with our annual festival? That story is a load of crap. If you can't tell me fine, whatever."

He quietly munched on the slices of apple as his father rounded to table to take a seat beside him. He let out a tired sigh as he took a sip of his coffee.