On Sunday Jennifer spent a big part of the day sorting out her apartment and discovering her local neighborhood, buying groceries for the next few days so she could focus on settling in at her new job.
Molly and Jake went for a long ride on Bullet and Maximus, bringing Sunny and Comet with them to stretch their legs as well and make it easier for Duncan and Beth to clean out the stables and buff up the saddles.
"I wish we could do this every day," Molly said with a sigh, looking around her at the landscape, as they stopped to let the horses breathe for a few minutes.
"I know, me too," her boyfriend nodded, turning to look at her. She'd understandably been a little quiet today, but even so she'd also clearly been enjoying their ride; she'd definitely come a long way from the city girl who'd moved here in April. "We should probably head back soon though," Jake said eventually, feeling as disappointed as she looked.
"Yeah… sure," she nodded, turning Bullet around. "I'm sorry for bein' so quiet," she told him now, knowing it couldn't be easy for him to be around her right now, even if he did sometimes think she chatted too much.
"Don't even mention it, baby," he set her straight, pulling Maximus up alongside her to reach out and cup her face. His girlfriend gave a small smile, her hand resting on his. "I love ye, Molls," he said softly, and it felt as good as it had the first time.
Her green eyes smiled at him, looking prettier than she ever had. "I love ye too Jake," she responded, her heart fluttering excitedly in her chest; she could scarcely believe she'd found the most amazing guy and this fantastic life in this little small-town USA, but here she was feeling like a million bucks.
That evening Molly spoke to her sister on the phone as Jake cooked for the both of them. So far, Jennifer was really enjoying Houston and she liked having her own space to sort out. After all, the two sisters had lived together for the large majority of their lives. It was nice to know that she could stay in this apartment as long as she needed, so there was no major rush to find somewhere else, though of course she would start looking as soon as she felt settled at work.
"I'm glad yer settlin' well. What time do ye need to be in work tomorrow?" the younger sister asked, hoping her first day would go well.
"Nine, so I don't need to leave until 08.30. It's gonna make such a difference compared to what I was doing in Pleasanton," Jennifer told her, not wanting to rub in how much better this move was already playing out for her.
"Hm I bet," Molly responded, trying not to take it that way.
"Kayleigh's gonna come visit in two weeks as well, before you come over for Christmas," the older Matthews said now.
"Oh, that's great!" her sister exclaimed now, happy that she would be able to keep that friendship despite moving.
"Yeah… Molls," Jennifer started to respond, sounding a little nervous.
"Baby, supper's ready," Jake interrupted carefully.
"Oh sorry, Jen, I'm gonna hafta go. We'll talk on Wednesday when ye've done a few days okay?" Molly stopped her sister short. "Love you, bye!" she finished as soon as she heard her say "yeah, okay".
"Bye," Jennifer sighed, and they ended the call.
"She gettin' on okay then?" Jake asked as his girlfriend joined him at the dining table, getting a nod in response.
"This looks amazin', Jake. Thank ye for cookin'," she said gratefully and leaned over to give him a quick kiss.
"Anytime," he smiled, sounding like he was promising so much more. She returned the smile, and they both started tucking in. They ate in silence for a few minutes, both lost in their own little world as they considered where their life was headed at the moment.