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CH2 | Awkward Introduction — Description

"I'll write you the check in the office," I said, hurrying past Hunter who seemed eager to follow. As we entered the office and I began writing the check, the silence and sound of pen scratching were broken by Hunter's voice.

"You're Cadence, right?" he asked, causing me to freeze. "Yes, why?" I looked up from the desk at him.

"Did you, by any chance, date my brother, Jaxen, in the past?" he inquired. His question sent my heart sinking into my stomach; I thought I had left all of that behind.

"Uh, yes, I did," I hesitated in my response. "I thought you looked familiar. I'm glad you're doing well," he said, surprising me with a honeyed smile. "Oh, thank you, I appreciate it," I awkwardly replied as I finished writing the check.

"What brings you to selling such a nice warmblood out here?" I continued the small talk. "Oh, I'm selling my family's barn. It has become too difficult for me to maintain everything," Hunter explained, puzzling me as I remembered his family's strong involvement with horses up north. "I'm sorry to hear that," I responded quietly.

"You know, the station is always hiring if you need a change in scenery," I suggested to him, but he quickly declined my offer. "Thank you, but I think the horse business is not for me anymore."

"Alright, if you ever need a change of scenery, just give us a call," I smiled at him, and he returned the gesture before leaving the office building. As soon as the door closed behind him, I sank into the chair behind me and let out a relieved sigh. I sat in the office for a while, reminiscing about the time I first met Hunter and his brother, realizing how naïve I was back then. Despite everything his brother had done, Hunter had always been kind to me. It was nice seeing him again.

Summer in Dundull and Redwood is always busy and hot, with up to a thousand visitors coming in mainly from Jorvik City. Many people's first experience with horses is a group trail around Dundull, which usually falls under my responsibility, much to my dismay as I dislike talking.
Fortunately, today I was off trail riding duties and could focus on training a new horse that was going to be sold to us as a potential ranger horse for the station. I've prepared a stall for it with fresh bedding, water, and a salt lick just in time for the new horse to come in.
"Cadence, they're here!" Rowan, the head ranger of Redwood, called out to me. We headed together towards the fancy trailer where the horse owner awaits us.
Upon seeing the man's face, I vaguely recognize him and his deep brown wavy hair, hazel eyes and just barely freckled face. “Hunter Greenwright, correct?” Rowan greeted Hunter with a firm handshake. “Yes it is, I appreciate you for taking Phantom off my hands,” Hunter replied with a honeyed smile.
I hung back, watching as Hunter and Rowan unloaded the black overo Warmblood named Phantom from the trailer. The last name of Hunter's echoed through my head repeatedly, I knew his family when I was younger, it's strange seeing him now. Still polite and quiet as I remembered him being.
The gelding stared wide-eyed, cautious of his surroundings as Hunter walked him out and onto the pine needle-covered dirt. “I can take him to the barn for you,” Rowan offered, leading the anxious gelding past me into the stable, leaving me with Hunter.

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