A/N: This story was originally a fan fiction, but I decided to change it to a non-fan fiction, so I could post it here on . It means that I’ve changed quite a few names and places, but if you’re into golf you’ll probably be able to figure out who the male lead character is. I’ll do my best to disguise it, though.

Anyway, enjoy reading and please do me the favour of telling me what you think by reviewing at the end. It’s a big help, so…thank you!

The Definition.

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Chapter 1

I stretched my arms lazily and took off my sunglasses. The reflection of the sun on the pool water was so strong that I put them on again. I laid down my book and took a sip of the drink beside my deck chair. I quickly put it down again, though. It had gone all lukewarm and disgusting in the heat.

I got up and went into the pool. There was no one there so I had the whole pool to myself.

It was a Wednesday in late August, and it wasn’t noon yet, so it wasn’t a big surprise that no one was here. I had come with my dad to the country club, since he was going to play a round of golf with a friend of his, and as I didn’t feel like getting bored by watching them play golf, I thought I’d stay by the pool and do a little reading. Lisa, my sister, had promised to stop by later on her way home from her boyfriend’s place, but that would probably still take ages.

I took a few strokes in the water before turning over to float on my back. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sun warming my front while the water cooled my back.

Like all of a sudden I heard a big splash and then another one and felt drops of water all over me. I tipped over by the surprise, but I managed to keep my head above the water.

“What are you doing?!” I almost screamed, though I couldn’t see to whom. The sun was blinding me.

“Sorry, miss!” A man’s voice said and when I turned around I saw two young men in the water not far from me. One of them looked really good with his dark hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He was quite tall and wore a real Colgate smile, and when he spoke his voice was a little deeper than the one I had just heard.

“Yeah, forgive us, miss. We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“We didn’t?” The other one asked with an innocent smile. He was a little lower than his friend and his blond hair was in a mess – and not just from being in the water. It was stiff from hair wax. His eyes were dark in the good way, and he was quite muscular. I couldn’t decide which one of them looked best.

“Of course we didn’t.” The tall one stated and threw a ball at the one with the messy hair, which resulted in them throwing the ball quite hard at each other. It was so typical for guys. It didn’t surprise me when the ball ‘accidentally’ hit me, when I was on my way up from the pool. I took it and threw it back at them, which made them both try to catch it first. The one with the messy hair caught it and sent me a big smile to say thank you.

I’m a girl, so of course I pretended to think they were really stupid. Don’t know if I hid my smile properly, though.

“Hey sis!” Lisa said and sat down on the deck chair next to mine. She looked good as always. I had always envied her the style that she had. She was wearing grey trousers, a white top, and a black shirt with thin grey stripes in the fabric. She had obviously come right from the hair dresser’s, because her usual long, brown hair was now short and black with a touch of purple. Like everything else it looked really great on her.

“New hair cut, huh?” I said not expecting an answer.

“Do you like it?”

“It looks really good!” I said and considered cutting off my own hair.

“Thanks. I hope Ben will like it too.”

“He hasn’t seen it yet?”

“Do I look like I’ve been out of the hair dresser’s for long?” She said sarcastically, though still smiling.

“Have you had lunch yet?” I asked instead of replying.

“No, I thought we could have it here.”

“Fine, ‘cause I’m getting quite hungry.”

“Then why are you still wearing your bikini?” She asked teasingly.

“’Cause I want as deep a tan as I can get, and since you were not here yet I could as well stay in the sun. Besides, it’s so hot I can hardly bare the thought of putting on more clothes.”

“Well, you’ll get quite a lot of attention if you go to lunch like that.”

“They wouldn’t even let me in, if I did.”

“Well, let’s go to the change rooms then, shall we?”

And to the change rooms we went.

“Bren, don’t look, but there’s a really hot guy behind you!” Lisa whispered when we were almost done eating.

I turned around pretending to look for something completely different. I didn’t see one, but two hot guys behind me. They were the ones from the pool, and I couldn’t help feeling a little excited.

“Which one do you mean?” I whispered back.

“The tall one, of course. The other one is just…average!”

“Okay. Yeah, he’s okay.”

“Okay? Is that all? Bren, he’s gorgeous!”

“If you say so.” I said to keep her quiet. They were coming our way.

“There’s Dad!” Lisa then said. I had my back to the entrance, so I couldn’t see who came and who left.

I turned around and saw Dad and his friend, Paul, coming towards us. The two guys had stopped just in front of us and turned around. They seemed to be waiting for Dad and Paul.

“Hi girls!” Dad said giving a big smile. “Paul, you know my girls. Nick and Jason, have you met my daughters?”

So the two guys were Nick and Jason, whoever they were.

“We’ve met you!” The tall one said reaching out his hand to me. “I’m Nick.”

“Brenda.” I said and shook hands with him. Lisa shook hands with the other one, who had to be Jason, then. Then I shook hands with him as well with a “Nice to meet you.” from both of us. He didn’t look much at me, though. He seemed a lot shyer than he had done in the pool earlier.

“I tell you girls, these two lads are going to get really far with their golf. They beat both of us with several points!” I knew Dad was good, so they had to be really good.

“Well, what about lunch?” Paul then said. “It’s on me. And you girls? What do you want? If that’s lunch you’ve just had?”

“It is.” Lisa said. “Thanks, but I’d better be going. Are you coming with me, Bren, or are you staying?”

“I’m coming with you.” I replied. “But thanks anyway, Paul!”

“Dad, will you…” Lisa began.

“I’ll take care of the bill.” Dad stopped her. “You just go.”

“Thanks.” Lisa said with a kiss on his cheek. “Come on, Bren!”

“Nice meeting you.” I said to Nick and Jason and gave Dad a kiss on the cheek. It was custom. We always did.

“You too.” They both replied. I couldn’t agree with Lisa, now that we had been introduced. Jason was a least as cute as Nick!

We got into Lisa’s 21st birthday present from our parents. It was a silver BMW, one of the big, fancy ones. I’m not sure, but I think it had cost over 120.000 £. I must admit I was a little excited since my 18th birthday was drawing nearer. I knew I wouldn’t get a car (Dad simply didn’t want to buy an expensive car to someone who hadn’t even got a driving licence yet. I would get mine, hopefully, in one and a half month’s time.), but it was probably going to be something big. I mean, one didn’t turn 18 every day, right?! So though I had everything I could wish for, I couldn’t help feeling excited.

“Have you sent out invitations for the party yet?” Lisa interrupted my thoughts.

“Mum and I did on Friday. We sat all evening handwriting the envelopes. Didn’t you notice?”

“Hello! I wasn’t home on Friday. I was with Ben.”

“You really think I’m able to keep track of when you’re home and when you’re not?” I replied wondering about the smile on Lisa’s face. “Lisa? What’re you hiding from me?”

“Nothing.” She said and turned the wheel, which made me notice something on her finger. She was wearing a ring!

“Are you engaged?”” I almost screamed, making Lisa laugh out loud.

“Yes, we are.” She said when she had stopped laughing. “Ben asked me to marry him last night, and…I said yes!”

“Wow! Congrats, sis! I’m really happy for you!”

“Thanks. I just hope Mum and Dad will be as well.”

“Of course they will. They love Ben almost as much as you do. And I’m pretty sure Mum will love telling all her friends that she set you up with the wealthiest, young guy around!”

“Probably.” Lisa said laughing a bit. No doubt she was happy, and I was happy for her, though it did make me feel a bit like a failure. I hadn’t had a boyfriend for ages, and I knew Mum and Dad would like me to get attached soon. I just didn’t feel the same way. I wasn’t even 18 yet!

Mum cried with happiness when she heard about the engagement. Dad was obviously affected by it too. He didn’t cry, though. He hugged Lisa and shook Ben’s hand. He was there as well, when they told Mum and Dad. Somehow Lisa had been able to hide the ring (or Mum and Dad had been very blind) until Ben came over later that day. When they first knew, Dad found a bottle of really expensive champagne and thereafter invited us to dinner. It had to be celebrated.

We had dinner in Cambridge, which was the nearest town with tolerable restaurants according to Mum and Dad. They didn’t like it, but I sometimes went to the small, cosy cafés nearer our home, and I didn’t mind being seen there. Lisa was like Mum and Dad. She told me to get a life whenever she found out I had been to “one of those places”. I think I wanted so much to be like her that I actually stopped going there for a while. I had been born into the family, and our family was respected and well-known all over the country, and with that came certain obligations. At least that was what Lisa always said. I suspected that she had it from a film or something, but so far I hadn’t been able to find out which one.

“Bren?” Lisa said and brought me back to the present.

“Huh?”

“Brenda, what will you have?” Dad asked and made clear that they were only waiting for me to decide.

“Uh…I think I’ll take the roast veal.” I said and Dad then told the waiter.

“Red wine?” He then asked me.

“Yes, please.” I replied and wished I could have a beverage instead.

“Brenda, will you please remove your elbows!” Mum said in a whisper looking around to make sure no one had heard.

I took my elbows off the table immediately. It was so typical! Lisa and Ben looked as if they had taken lessons in sitting nicely. I never could. I always put my elbows on the table or spoke with food in my mouth or something. I would always embarrass them all. I’d have to pull myself together from now on.

When we were almost through the dinner Dad suddenly changed subjects. He obviously wanted to say something important, so we all kept quiet and listened.

“Well, Ben…” He began. “Since you’re now officially going to be part of the family, I want to welcome you by offering you a job. The chair man in the Scottish department of the company has resigned, which means there’s a spare chair for you there. What do you say?”

“But Dad!” Lisa said. “We don’t want to move to Scotland.”

“No. No, of course you don’t. And there’ll be no need for that. You would only have to go to Scotland once or twice a week, Ben, and the rest can be done from home. From your own home, wherever it will be. Now, what do you think?”

“I’m…I’m really honoured, sir! I…Thank you!”

“Oh, you’re welcome! You are, after all, going to be our son soon!”

Dad’s face was gleaming with pride, and Mum had a tear in her eye. Lisa and Ben held each other’s hands tightly and looked very happy. I smiled the best that I could and wondered if my future husband would be offered a similar job.

“Dad…” I changed the subject afraid it’d get really awkward in a few seconds. “Who were the guys from the country club?”

“Oh…them? They’re just a couple of guys who’re trying to make a living on playing golf. Nick Leeson’s probably going to get far, but the other one…He’s a nobody!”

“A nobody?” I said rather offended. Don’t ask me why! “How come? You said they were both much better than yourself and Paul!”

“Yes, when it comes to golf, perhaps. But Jason Daniels hasn’t got the class. Did you, for instance, see his hair? No one would seriously dress their hair like that if they intended to be let in anywhere!”

“Which reminds me…” I couldn’t help it! “How do you like Lisa’s new hair cut?”

Neither Mum nor Dad had commented on it at all, and I knew they hated it.

“Brenda, don’t…” Lisa said.

“Well, Lisa’s a girl and she can dress her hair in whatever style she wants!” Dad replied and ended our discussion. Mum didn’t say anything. She was still too focused on the fact that her oldest daughter was going to get married.

The rest of the dinner went well, according to the others. I was bored and thought of nothing but going home and get to sleep. There was just one more thing I had to do before I went to bed.

“Where’re you going at this hour?” Lisa asked when she saw me putting on my jacket when we got home. I hadn’t been wearing a jacket to the restaurant, as it was very mild outside.

“Just gonna say goodnight to Silver.” I replied. Silver was my horse. Yes, I know. Silver’s not the most original name for a horse, but I named him when I was ten years old. Back then I loved the name. And now I loved the horse. He had been mine ever since the day I named him, and he and I had come quite far in show jumping. I was the only one in the family, however, who was so fond of horses.

“Why don’t you just let Mike do it?” Lisa asked rolling her eyes.

Mike was the stable guy and my coach. He trained Silver when I couldn’t, and he trained us both when I could, which was often. I wasn’t exactly doing much else.

“Because Silver’s my horse and I wanna say goodnight to him!” I replied and went outside.

It was still rather warm, but for some reason I felt cold. It was getting dark and the bats had begun to fly. I’d never liked them, and I knew Silver would be terrified if he knew they were here. Maybe that was why I had never liked them. He once threw me off when spotting one high above us.

“Still up?” I heard someone say when I entered the stables. Silver gave a sound that told me he was glad to see me. It warmed me a bit.

“Yeah, we just got home.” I answered Mike who was feeding Silver a carrot. “Lisa and Ben got engaged.”

“Congratulations! Your parents must be thrilled!”

“Tell me about it!” I sighed and padded Silver on the forehead. “It’s all they can think of.”

“Well, to take your mind off the subject… I sent in your papers for the Manchester Cup in three weeks’ time. They wrote back today and you’re in!”

“Thanks, Mike. What would I do without you? When I turn 18 I promise I’ll take care of it myself.”

“Which is soon. Got a wishing list yet?”

“No, not really. I’ve got almost everything. I really don’t know what to wish for!”

“Well, I’ll have to buy you something for Silver, then.”

“Yeah, do that. He’d love it.”

I padded my horse a little more and gave him a kiss on the muzzle.

“’Night Silver!”

“Goodnight, Brenda. See ya tomorrow.” Mike said.

“Yes, goodnight, Mike.”

The next days and weeks Mum and Lisa were busy planning the wedding. For some reason Lisa and Ben wanted a Christmas wedding, which stressed Mum far more than the fact that my birthday was drawing near. But my birthday had been planned for months, so it probably wasn’t so strange, after all.

One day right before my birthday I had gone to the club with Silver. We had our own training facilities at home, but I thought he (as well as I) could use a little practice on a new course, so Mike and I drove to the club with him. We could use all their facilities as much as we wanted to, since Dad paid for the family membership, and that included our coaches as well as our guests. He paid for Mum’s tennis coach as well.

Anyway, Mike and I took Silver to the club where I saddled him and warmed him up. Dad was there as well watching the training. He didn’t do it often, but once in a while he enjoyed just watching us. He didn’t say it, but I think he was kind of proud. I mean, Lisa was the perfect daughter with the perfect husband-to-be, the perfect planned future and the perfect everything, but I was the one with a little success in sports.

“You’re letting go a little too late!” Mike said when I had finished another round. Silver had done his best today, but still something wasn’t perfect, and the Manchester Cup was in one and a half week’s time.

“But I do exactly what I use to!” I complained. I was getting tired and I felt more like taking Silver on a trip to the country.

“You’d better stop for today. Take him to the woods or something. When was the last time you rode him off course?”

“It was far too long ago.” I answered and felt sorry for Silver. I had probably focused too much on the competition. I wanted so much to do well. To make Mum and Dad proud of me.

I patted Silver’s neck and rode over to Dad. Immediately my heart began beating faster. Dad hadn’t noticed yet, but Nick Leeson and Jason Daniels were on their way towards him. I hadn’t seen any of them since the day Lisa and I had had lunch in the club restaurant, but now they were here.

“Hello Mr. Townsend!” Jason said and shook hands with Dad who had turned around when he heard them. Dad was polite and said hello back at them, but I could tell from his movements that he didn’t like the interruption.

“Hello Miss Townsend!” Nick said with a nod at me. Jason said hello as well.

I nodded back and got off of Silver. I was suddenly aware of the clothes I was wearing. I was glad I had chosen to wear something presentable today, which I had done only for Dad’s sake. I knew he’d be embarrassed if I went to the club in my old stable clothes.

“Nice horse.” Jason said and stretched out his hand to Silver, who touched it with his muzzle. Since he found no food there Silver turned his head away again and nudged my back.

“Cut it out, Silver!” I said and smiled at him. I didn’t know where else to look than at him.

“Silver?” Jason asked. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

I couldn’t help smiling. He obviously didn’t know anything about horses.

“He’s a boy. Or…he used to be.”

Jason smiled and came a little closer.

“Can I touch him on the side? Or won’t he like that?”

“Put your hand here.” I said and showed him where Silver liked to be patted. Jason looked uncomfortable.

“It’s okay. He won’t do anything.”

Jason patted Silver on the back and on the neck and he seemed to think it was fun. So did I. I had never met anyone who had never touched a horse before.

“He’s sweet.” Jason said and kept patting him. “Why don’t I have one of these?”

I gave a laugh and looked at him. His eyes were kind of cute. “Because they rarely come as sweet as this one!” I replied and was proud that Silver was mine.

“Do you want to try sit on him with me leading him around the course?” I then asked. I don’t know what came over me.

“Uh…no. No thank you. No.” Jason replied and moved a little away. “I think I’ll stick to golf!” He glanced at Nick, who was in a conversation with Dad. They seemed to be discussing golf.

“Nick,” Jason interrupted them, “Are we on for golf today or not?” He had changed from interested in Silver to not caring at all like all of a sudden.

“Sure, Jason.” Nick replied. “I’m almost done persuading Mr Townsend to play a round with us.”

“Is that okay, Brenda?” Dad asked with a look at me. “I can’t watch if you go for a ride in the country anyway.”

“Sure it’s okay.” I said and moved Silver a little away. Mike helped me get up again, though I was perfectly capable of getting up myself.

“See ya some other time.” I said with a wave at Nick and Jason, and they both agreed with me.

“Be careful!” Dad shouted when I was on my way out. He rarely shouted.

“I will!” I replied and rode off. My mind was busy with something else, though, and it wasn’t show jumping either.