Everyone knows that moment. That point in your life when you know that everything's going to be different, right? Like with the flip of a switch you realize everything has changed and nothing you knew would ever be the same. You wouldn't be the same. I wish I could say that I recognized that moment when it hit me, but I didn't. Instead it came and went as quick as the slamming door on a rusty beat up Chevy truck. Leaving me so completely oblivious to the fact that it had even happened that I couldn't have possibly prepared myself. It was the summer before I left for college. Everything was about to change. I was about to change.

My dad cleared his throat and glanced at me across the cab of the truck. "So are you going to say anything besides that half-assed 'Hi' back at the airport?"

I sighed and turned my eyes back out the window. I couldn't believe I was here. I'd left my friends and everything I knew back in Seattle and traded it in for miles and miles of nothing in hickville Montana and a father I barely knew. My mother guilt-tripped me into it, saying I should come visit him before I headed off to college in the fall. It didn't mean I was excited about being here.

"Alright I guess I'll talk," he started. "I know you aren't happy about being here but your mother thought it'd be good for you. Maybe you could at least get a tan and enjoy the nice weather huh?" He laughed.

I closed my eyes and pulled my hair up off my neck. Charlie's truck was old as shit. It didn't even have air conditioning. It must have been ninety degrees outside and I was sweating up a storm.

He pulled off on a dirt road and we passed under a large sign welcoming us to "Ranch Swan." That's my dad. Charlie Swan. After my mom kicked him out thirteen years ago, he moved out here and took over the ranch from his father. I guess it wasn't quite what it used to be. I think they had some horses and a few patches of crops that probably barely got tended to. It'd been awhile since they'd had much else. I'd visited a few times, but only when I was little. I didn't really remember anything.

A half a mile down the road a few large buildings came into view. One I figured was the house and the others must be for his ranching and maybe workers' quarters. I knew he had some help who worked here year round. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to spend 365 days a year on this hunk of land. I hadn't even seen any sign of life for the last half hour except for a bird eating roadkill.

He parked the truck in front of the house and grabbed my suitcase out of the back for me. I got out of the truck and held my phone up in front of my face. No bars. Fucking great.

The sun was starting to set behind the house, creating an orange glow all around me. I wasn't necessarily a priss or anything, I just wasn't used to all this….nature around me. I guess it would take some time to get used to. Or just tolerate until I could get the hell out of here.

"Did you see the way it threw him off?"

I turned my head and saw two guys walking around the side of the house, talking and laughing with one another. They looked fairly young, one blonde and one burly. Definitely closer to my age than Charlie's.

"Maybe it'll knock some sense into him," the blonde one said.

"I doubt it."

"Boys!" Charlie called. "Come here a minute would ya?" He waved them over. They smiled at me, both of them producing a pair of dimples. "This is my daughter Isabella. She'll be staying with us for the summer."

"Howdy miss." The blonde one held out his hand to me. "I'm Jasper."

"Nice to meet you." I tried my best to form a smile. It wasn't their fault I was here, and besides they were kind of cute.

"Emmett," the other one said. I shook his hand and nodded.

"Where's Edward?" Charlie asked.

"Working with Lightning," Emmett laughed.

"Bucked him off twice," Jasper added.

"I swear it's a lost cause." Charlie sighed and shook his head.

"Edward or Lightning?" Jasper asked.

Charlie laughed a little under his breath. "Both. That boy doesn't listen. I told him to just leave him alone. He's just too wild. We might as well just set him loose and send him back where we found him."

"Wait what?" I asked.

"Wild horses. Sometimes you'll find them out there. Most of them can be tamed but there's always a few that are always meant to run wild." He shrugged and started into the house. "I guess you'll meet Edward later."

"I'll see ya." I waved a little and followed Charlie into the house. He went up the stairs and opened one of the doors. He set by bag down and put his hands on his hips, waiting for me to catch up.

"Look familiar?" He smiled. "This is where you always used to stay."

I glanced around the room. I didn't recognize a thing and I almost considered lying so I didn't hurt his feelings.

"Not really." I shrugged. "Sorry."

He nodded sadly and started towards the door. "Well I guess I'll leave you to it. This room has a great view out the window, especially at sunset. Should just about be getting there. If you're hungry help yourself to anything in the kitchen. We usually eat dinner together but it's a little late. They've probably already eaten something. And feel free to roam around the ranch, but I'd avoid the boy's house. It's probably a damn mess." He laughed a little and left.

I cursed under my breath and started unpacking. When I was finished I walked across every inch of my room, trying to find a spot where I actually had service. I smiled when I found one and immediately called Jessica.

"Bella?"

"I'm stuck in the middle of fucking cowboy country," I said.

"Where are you again?"

"Montana."

"As in Hannah?" She asked. "I miss you already. It's so lame here without you. I can't believe I don't get to see you before I leave for Florida in the fall."

"I know it's stupid. Maybe you could come out here and visit sometime." I stared out the window and smiled. Charlie was right. It was a really beautiful view.

"Maybe. Hey listen I've got to go. Eric's having his graduation party tonight." She sounded distracted and I wasn't surprised. She was actually going to have a life this summer.

"Okay have fun." She hung up before I could even finish my sentence. I sighed and threw my phone down on the bed. I needed a cigarette.

I opened the top drawer of my nightstand and pulled out my pack. There was only a few left and I had a feeling if I was this on edge about being here the whole time they were going to go pretty fast.

A/N: Those who have followed my stories in the past know that I recently announced my (at least) temporary retirement from writing fic because I'm working on an original novel. HOWEVER, I am coming back for one last hurrah. After I finished The Roommate, I was completely content with every drabble of thoughts that never really matriculated into a story…except for one. This one. It was way too developed in my head and it started yelling at me the moment I told it I wasn't going to finish it. So here it is.

It is kind of going to be in a mini fic format. Chapters will be anywhere from 500 to 2000 words-ish. I am trucking along really well with the chapters and can't imagine it will take me more than a week or two to complete what I have left to write. I've decided to upload this first chapter for you here. Once I'm done with the story, the other chapters will post fairly close together (at least 1 a day) until it's completed. I've done this with a couple of my other mini-fics and it's my favorite way to post by far. We both experience a lot less anxiety in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I am not expert on Montana or horses, so please forgive any mistakes as far as those subjects go. I'm creating my own Montana in this story, so just go with it : )

I have created a genre for this story and it's called "Country Fried Fairytale". It's overly romantic and fairly fluffy so if you're looking for angst, go read Love Like Winter or something. Because this isn't it.

Find me on Twitter: MandyLeigh010

On Facebook: MandyLeigh Fanfic

I'll include a youtube link to a "trailer" for this story on my profile (give it some time to show up)…and I think that's it. Apologies for the long A/N, my first ones are always long to get everything in. If I've forgotten anything or you have any questions, please feel free to PM me or leave it in your review, I always try to answer questions : )