Sent to the Ranch
781 Words
Chapter one: Sent away
The gymnasium erupted into cheers as graduation caps flew through the air, but Kylie Morgan barely flinched.
All around her, parents rushed down the bleachers with flowers, balloons, and tearful smiles. Cameras flashed nonstop while graduates laughed and hugged each other like life was finally beginning.
Kylie stood near the edge of the crowd, gripping her diploma tightly against her chest as she searched for only one person.
Her father.
It didn’t take long to find him.
Chris Morgan stood near the back exit with his usual cold expression, dressed in dark jeans and a pressed button-up like this was just another obligation on his schedule. One hand rested in his pocket while the other held his truck keys loosely between his fingers.
No smile.
No pride.
Just waiting.
The same way he always waited.
Kylie swallowed hard and looked away first.
She should’ve been used to it by now.
By the time she was seven, she’d already learned that Chris Morgan wasn’t the kind of father who hugged her after nightmares or clapped the loudest at school plays. He was the kind who forgot birthdays because work mattered more. The kind who believed emotions made people weak.
Especially after her mother left.
Or disappeared.
Kylie still didn’t know the full truth.
One day, when she was eight years old, her mother had simply been gone. No goodbye. No explanation. Every time Kylie asked about her afterward, Chris would shut down completely.
“She left,” was all he ever said.
Nothing more.
After that, the house became quieter. Colder.
Chris worked longer hours, and Kylie learned how to take care of herself faster than most kids should. By ten, she was making her own dinners. By twelve, she stopped asking her father to come to school events because he never showed up anyway.
At fourteen, she got caught sneaking out for the first time.
Chris grounded her for two months without even asking why she left.
At fifteen, she started fighting back.
Not physically. Just enough attitude to make their house feel like a war zone.
Every conversation turned into an argument.
Every argument turned into silence.
And silence was always worse.
By sixteen, Kylie had mastered the art of pretending she didn’t care. She skipped classes sometimes, stayed out too late, and surrounded herself with loud people so she wouldn’t have to think too much. Teachers called her “difficult.” Chris called her “reckless.”
Neither of them ever asked if she was hurting.
But tonight was supposed to be different.
Graduation was supposed to feel like freedom.
Instead, as Kylie stared across the crowded gym at her father’s emotionless face, she felt the same familiar heaviness settle in her chest.
Her best friend Bri slammed into her from behind, wrapping both arms around her shoulders. “You did it!” she squealed. “We’re officially out of this place!”
Kylie laughed softly despite herself. “Barely survived.”
“You’re still coming to the lake party tonight, right? Jason rented those giant speakers and—”
“Kylie.”
Her father’s voice cut through everything.
Sharp. Controlled.
The smile disappeared from her face instantly.
Chris walked toward her slowly, stopping just a few feet away. His eyes flickered down to the diploma in her hands before meeting hers again.
“We need to leave,” he said.
Kylie frowned. “Now?”
“Yes.”
Bri awkwardly glanced between them. “Uh… I’ll save you a spot at the party?”
Kylie didn’t answer right away.
Something felt wrong.
Chris only got that serious look when bad news was coming.
Her stomach tightened as Bri quietly slipped away into the crowd.
“What’s going on?” Kylie asked carefully.
Her father looked exhausted suddenly. Older than usual.
“You’re leaving tonight.”
She blinked. “Leaving?”
“For Montana.”
Kylie actually laughed once, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a ranch out there,” Chris said evenly. “You’ll be staying there for the summer.”
The noise in the gym faded into a dull blur around her.
“A ranch?” she repeated. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
She stared at him, waiting for him to explain.
He didn’t.
Anger sparked instantly in her chest. “You can’t just dump me somewhere because I graduated.”
“It’s already arranged.”
“With who?”
Chris hesitated for half a second too long.
“Nolan Hayes.”
Kylie crossed her arms tightly. “And who the hell is Nolan Hayes?”
Her father’s jaw tightened.
“A man I owe.”
- Writer
