The Satterfield Sisters & Hard to Handle

             My most recent short story is Hard to Handle. I wanted to write a story about someone who grew up in a conservative community that was removed from the modern world. That's when Ruthie Satterfield jumped into my mind.

              Ruthie is sweet. She loves her life and her family, but she's curious about the world beyond her community. She wants to hook up with a bad boy and get out of town, but her destiny turns in another direction. 

Here's a sample: 

Now she watched him from her elevated seat on the rock wall. She saw him laughing with some of the other young men and shaking hands with the older ones. Then, to her horror, he turned in her direction and waved.

Ruthie nearly fell off the wall. Brandon was suddenly coming toward her and she had nowhere to turn. She could climb back down the tree into the graveyard and sprint home from there, but she was afraid he knew who she was and would follow her.

She could climb down the wall and into the parking lot in a very ladylike fashion and act like she had some reason to be where she was. She didn’t have time to decide before Brandon reached her. He then held out his arms and lifted her from the wall.

“Hello there,” he said.

She tilted her head to look at him. Did he know who she was? “Hello,” she said, noncommittally.

“Ruth Satterfield,” he said with a grin.

So he did know. “Yes,” she answered. “And you are?”

Brandon laughed. “You know who I am, and I know you because you were a true brat as a kid.”

“You were a bully,” she replied.

He looked hurt, and Ruthie momentarily felt a pang of guilt. Then Brandon said, “You still hate me? All these years later?”

She refused to answer him.

He didn’t seem angry, just curious. “I figured by now you would have realized you deserved that little spanking.”

She turned away. She was not willing to get into a conversation with him at all, but especially not over that. The fact that he was right was irrelevant.

“Have it your way,” he said, almost happily. “But you are going to talk to me soon, Ruth Satterfield. I am determined to get to know you.”

She looked up at him, defiance in her eyes. She wondered what he had been told about her. “Apparently I’m hard to handle.”

He laughed out loud. “So I hear. But I like a challenge.”

She looked down at his cowboy boot and noted its lack of a steel toe. Then she picked up one of her heavy shoes, the same ones old Mrs. Burke had been so nasty about, and slammed it down onto Brandon’s foot. He howled, and she turned and ran. 

Soon after Ruthie popped into my mind, the rest of the Satterfield family began to take shape. There's Ruthie's overprotective mom and her strict but loving dad. Then there's Douglas, Ruthie's steady brother, and Kim, her spicy little sister. Then there's young Mattie, whose personality is just about to burst out. Twins Colin and Justin round out the family. Look for all of them in future stories. You might also get to know Emily, Brandon's strong willed little sister. 

Buy Hard to Handle here.