CountryCore Series: Her Lady of the Lake (WLW)

An Odd Occurrence

Trinity sat on her back porch with her freshly barbecued food in her hands and a serene, solemn expression. The kid hadn't shown up for several days and if she was going to get him off her land, she needed to try camping out on her back porch. He would eventually make his way to her crops and with her flashlight closeby, she would catch him and call in the sheriff. She'd done enough walking on eggshells.

If her encounter with her neighbors several days prior had taught her anything, it was that she needed to be more assertive when it came to protecting her serenity and her own property. The land was hers. The crops were hers. Soon enough, she would claim them in blissful solitude all over again and have no more interruptions to her unwinding silence.

Lord knew she needed to get this all taken care of so she could return to normal and...

Loud music blared from the neighboring property and Trinity literally growled under her breath. At twenty-five, she felt more like an old lady trapped in a young woman's body and wanted nothing more than to scold her neighbors just like one. This was the third night in a row they'd blared music in the evening time and she wasn't a fan.

It wasn't music. It was some archaic sounding junk that sent her muscles into attention and tickled the back of her neck as the fine hairs there rose in that off-putting way. She nibbled on her thumbnail as she glanced over at the property every now and again and the music hit new heights. Trinity liked folk music. Sometimes even a little country, but this new age bull was terrible and sounded like a darn reckoning.

Digital rebellion for the ages...

It didn't matter if the music was pleasing to others or not. It was irritating and took away from the peace Trinity held onto, or tried to hold onto, with both hands so desperately. She stood and put down her food, then grabbed her binoculars and turned toward the property. Something new and exhilarating came over her and she felt she was about to do something so uncharacteristic it made her blood boil. That's what those darn neighbors were doing to her, and what an eerie disturbance they were.

Why couldn't they be like Belle? Calm and quiet. What were their names again? Ruth and...

Trinity couldn't remember the other woman's name, the redhead. The one with the sunglasses and sing-song voice who kept creeping into her thoughts. So irritating!

In fact, she only remembered Ruth's name because she made a lasting impression as someone who wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. That was also annoying, since Trinity hadn't ever been able to do that with anyone, save her grandfather. Whatever.

Trinity turned further toward the house and spotted more than two people inside. There was now a whole mob of people and she grumbled under her breath. That was it! Random music playing into the early morning hours and now a rambunctious party? Over her dead body!

* * *

Leah snuck out of the rather loud house and into the garden on the edge of her property. It had quickly become her favorite place to be in their first week spent in Athens and she needed a break from her family's love of techno. The garden and the swing on the porch were just so unwinding, so inviting, which were two things she wholeheartedly needed at the end of the day.

She actually really loved it here. Getting to know Belle better, seeing her and Ruth immediately hit it off just as she predicted and being able to take evening strolls while the gentle scents of the garden wafted through her nose. It was all so peaceful. So soothing. Serene.

However, tonight was a different story. Ruth had invited some of their friends from Austin for a weekend long party, despite her claim to keep their celebration short and simple. However, there was no doubt that it would last beyond just one evening with how hyper everyone was now that they were reunited. It wouldn't usually bother her, but someone she hadn't wanted to see appeared to have tagged along. She loved the fact that as soon as Ruth saw Dex, she tried to throw him out, yet Leah wanted to remain as civil as possible. No reason to be rude about things in the past. She believed in letting go and moving--