by Marie , J
“It slipped, huh?” I narrow my eyes at her, a hint of playfulness behind them.
“It did.” She says, nodding emphatically.
“Well, then I think you should apologize…” I give her my biggest shit splittin’ grin.
The most sarcastic apology comes from those dark pink lips. “I’m so sorry…”
“Now why is it that I don’t really think you’re the slightest bit sorry?”
“Probably because I’m not?” She shrugged and turned away again to keep working on washing down Koko.
Hell, no. We weren’t done here.
“Well then, if you aren’t sorry, I guess payback is in order.” She turned around looking nervous. What she didn’t take into account before turning from me was that she’d laid down the hose. Within my reach.
She noticed the hose hanging from my hand after I picked it up. “Wha…..what are you gonna do… with… with that?”
“Well, Cass, I think it’s only fair that you get a little bit soaked too…” I said with a smirk and she put her hands up in defense.
“Don’t you dare, Beau Montgomery. Don’t you even…”
She didn’t get the words ‘think about it,’ out before I blasted her with the hose. I didn’t blast her face, but everywhere else was fair game. Shielding her face, she shot curse words at me and threatened me with every single thing she could think of, I’m sure. Thing is, most of the words she actually said were too muffled by the water that I couldn’t hear her idle threats.
When I finally stopped spraying, she was soaked neck to toe and fuming. I could see the smoke coming out of her ears. I knew I was going to get it and at the moment I would willingly accept whatever she dished my way.
“Beau Montgomery!!!!” She yelled. She came running at me, wailing on my chest with her tiny little female hands and I couldn’t help my laugh.
“You hit like a girl, Cassidy Mae.”
“Yeah, well I am a girl.” She laughed good and long at me. I could clearly see that she was a girl. I could also tell that she was into this flirting thing we were doing. Her nipples peaked against her black tank top and I couldn’t help but admire them. I pulled her in close to me so she would stop hitting me. She cringed at first, but settled into me.
“You’re a very beautiful woman, Cass,” I whispered in her ear. Those six words brought my carefree girl back to the woman I didn’t know. She pushed away from me and stared at the ground.
“Don’t say things like that, Beau.”
“And just why can’t I say things like that? You are beautiful. Been beautiful since the first day I saw you hanging out with Reagan and not a thing has changed since then. Other than you turning into a breathtaking woman from the beautiful girl you were.”
She shook her head but didn’t say anything else. I could tell she didn’t believe me. Obviously, that hell of an ex had convinced her that she wasn’t good enough and that she wasn’t pretty. Well, challenge accepted. My new goal in life was to make my girl know that she was pretty.
We stood face to face, so close that I could reach out and kiss those pink lips like I’ve always wanted to. The look in her eye was practically begging me to do it, but there was also a fear clouding the desire. I pulled away.
“I, well, I’ll let ya get back to it. Sorry for interrupting.”
I slowly turned and started to walk away when my name fell from her lips. “Hey, Beau?”
“Yeah, Cass?”
“Thanks for that. I haven’t laughed like that in a long while. It was nice. Minus the whole soaked clothes thing,” she said pulling the wet clothes from her body.
“Anytime, darlin’.” It was the first time I’d used an affectionate phrase for her and she didn’t cringe. I was calling it a win. She shook her head again and went back to Koko.
I was glad at that moment that it was Koko she’d been washing. Any other horse and it may have been a lot worse, but Koko had been around the block a time or two. They called her a bombproof horse. She’d been Reagan’s mare for years and she was actually the horse Faith now used for kid’s lessons.
I needed to get my head back on straight. I couldn’t go around flirting and pretending that Cassidy Mae was my girl. Even though she’d gotten better around everyone, it still concerned me that she was so jumpy. I hated it. I wanted her to feel safe here. With us. With me. But I didn’t know what I could do to make her feel better other than using the things I used with Zeus.
I’d have to earn her trust and desensitize her to me. To prove to her that I wasn’t Andrew. That being with me wouldn’t cause pain and negativity. That she would only be treated with love and given the chance to trust.
If I could get a young, abused horse to trust me then maybe I can use some of the same tools with getting my girl.
But first, I needed to shower.
There was so much work to be done around the stables and my day was far from over. Elle and Titan needed work and I wanted to take Apache on a walk of the fences to make sure we were still secure.
The upcoming county fair had been the only thing on anyone’s lips for a while now. It was the biggest event to roll around at the end of every summer. Only a month and a half away. I knew it well, and had competed in the barrel races every year when I was younger. Some years winning. Others years just enjoying the good times.
The fair provided families with a week-long list of activities. The Saturday before the fair opened up was always for horse shows. Everyone would bring in their show ponies and compete all afternoon and into the night.
The following Friday would start off with the livestock showing and the opening event for the carnival rides. Each 4H kid in the area brought their prized animal that they’ve been taking care of for months. This would lead to the barrel races and would run throughout the week.
Of course, we’d all try our luck at Karaoke in the evenings, knowing we were all shit singers but not caring because by that time we were alive on the sounds and fun of summer around us. Sunday Morning they’d have a service for those church-going folks. They called it Cowboy Church which always seemed really appropriate.
Throughout the week we’d go watch the tractor pulls, barrel racing, trick riding, or the bull and bronc riding. Of course, there were little kiddo events during the week, but we weren’t really interested in those at all. Then everyone would bring out their lawn chairs and beer cozies for the country concert on Friday night. This year, they’d managed to get Chris Lane to headline which had everyone talking.
There wasn’t anything about a county fair I didn’t love—fair food smells, horse whinnies, carnival rides buzzing, crowds cheering, kids laughing, and people enjoying the community feel a fair brought to us.
The lunch table the next day was filled with talk of who would be competing this year and in what category. Jameson and Rhett were talking about bronc riding, while Remington shook his head. “Either of you knuckleheads ever been on a bronc? It’s not like riding Jet or Remy. These horses get damn determined that you ain’t to be on their backs. They’re likely to throw you off faster than you can blink.”
“Aww, Rhett. Looks like he’s worried about us. I feel touched, how ‘bout you?”
“Yeah, Jame, warming the cockles of my tiny little heart over here.”
“Don’t be an ass, Remington, I don’t think they should do it any more than you do. I wouldn’t let you go out there and get hurt either.” Faith spoke and all eyes turned to her.
Remy rolled his eyes. “Uh oh, Faith. Am I detecting emotion? Feelings? I don’t know if it’s the weird sensation that makes me almost, almost feel like you care…”
Faith sighed and looked away from Remington’s dark gaze. “Never said I didn’t, Rem,” was whispered softly from her lips.
Remington tried to act unaffected by Faith’s response. It was clear these two had a history and somewhere down the road life had thrown ‘em a big ass curveball.
Instead, he turned back to Rhett and Jameson, “Fine, go out and get yourselv
es hurt. Can’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
Reagan cleared her throat, “How ‘bout you, Cassidy Mae? I bet the towns aching to see you running some barrels. We ain’t seen that in forever. Whatcha say?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t been on the back of a horse in ages and as much as I figured it’d be like riding a bike, I didn’t want any part of embarrassing myself.
“Don’t think so, Rea. Thanks for thinking of me though.”
She stared me down point-blank. “And just why not, Cassidy Mae?”
I drummed my fingers on the table in front of me. “Well, I don’t exactly have a barrel horse and I haven’t been on the back of a horse in years. I’d just embarrass myself.”
“Way I see it’s this… you got a little over a couple of months to get ready. Oakley’s a little rusty but she’s a damn fine barrel pony. She’s carried many a ride to victory in the fair since you left us. You can ride her if you want.”
“I appreciate that, Rea. I do. When do I even have time to train with all my chores?”
“Good news, I can help with those. So, any more excuses?” She quirked an eyebrow at me.
All sets of eyes around the table were focused on me too. Like they were waiting for my response.
My eyes scanned everyone seated with us. “Wait, y’all think I should ride?”
A chorus of “yes” lit up the table and I felt honored that they all felt I was good enough to still compete after all these years. The thing about a small town is… Everyone knows everyone, so I’m sure they’d seen me ride a time or two.
I looked over to find Beau smirking at me.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Oh, nothing, Cassidy Mae. Never seen you wuss out over a little bit of barrel racin’? Where’d that fearless girl go that used to run those barrels so fast I couldn’t see straight?”
I looked away from the eyes that seemed to see straight through me these days. “That fearless girl is gone, Beau.”
He lifted my chin to look at him. “Nah, she’s still in there somewhere. You just gotta find her.”
“You really think I got a shot at winning the barrel races?”
“I ever give you an indication otherwise, darlin’.” This man and his sweet talk.
A quick glance around the time and I knew I’d been had. Smiles lit up their faces. A smile quirked the creases of my own lips after a minute or two.
It’d been years since I’d barrel raced and even the thought excited me. It brought me back to the best of times. Dust covered arenas and my best friend Reagan.
Now, I’d get to re-train and ride Oakley in just a short time. My excitement faded slightly as I thought about the potential risk that also came with running barrels. I wasn’t going to spend all my time living in fear. I’d live while I could. Andrew, wasn’t going to dull my light. Not this time.
The sun crashed through the blinds in colanders of light as I started to rise. I knew it was early, but if I was truly going to do this, I still had chores to do before I trained. I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and threw them on. I was out in the barn before the sun even parted from the earth. Horses started rustling around as I filled the buckets with grain to get the morning going. Several neighs went up and I patted Elle and Tucker when I passed their stalls. Graining was done in no time and I started on the hay. One flake for each horse since it was summer turnout time.
“Damn, girl. You’re at it early.” I looked up to find Reagan with a sleepy grin on her face.
“Just tryin’ to get a jump on the day. I wanna start training with Oakley today and I needed to get chores out of the way first.”
“Cassidy Mae, I told you I would help with your chores. I meant what I said.”
I drug my feet along the dusty barn floor. “I know, but I’m living here now. I can’t just disregard my chores because I would rather do something else. How else am I gonna pay for the room you’re lettin’ me use?”
She cocked her hip as she spoke to me. “Hey, that room is yours for however long you want it. I’ll help you with chores from now on. I told you I would and I intend to do it. No ifs, ands, or buts, Cassidy Mae. You let me help you, ya hear?”
Knowing Reagan, she wouldn’t let up on this at all, so I relented.
“Ok, Rea. I’ll try to let you help, but I gotta do this for myself. I need to prove that I can do it on my own. I don’t need to use you or Beau as a crutch.”
“Well, I certainly don’t mind. We’ve been friends for years now, Cass. I don’t know when you think that would’ve changed. And, Beau, on the other hand… definitely wouldn’t mind being used for his crotch…”
I’m sure my eyes bugged out of my face as Reagan just laughed it off and walked away. We got started on our other chores for the day and before long I was finished and ready to start working with Oakley.
I wanted to start her out slow. So, for today, I was simply using a halter rope, saddle, and lunge line. As we strode out to the arena, I caught a glimpse of Beau. Out in the field, shirtless atop a bright red tractor mowing the field. Ripped muscles everywhere you looked. I need a cold soak of water because was it me, or was the man hotter than a desert in the middle of summer?
I shook away the thoughts and proceeded to the arena. She hadn’t been sitting in a stall without being ridden for months so I didn’t need to go back to basics with the hotwalker. I saddled her up. We started out slow at a walk gradually turning up the heat to a trot. I trotted her for five minutes total in both directions for the first day.
By the end of the week, we had reached ten minutes with intermittent directional changes. She was doing well.
Beau started coming around to watch us train over the weekend and I’d finally relented and agreed to let him help me train Oakley.
Cassidy Mae said I could help with getting Oakley back in shape for barrels. I was over the moon. Helping her train meant I could be close to her and get to know her all over again. Hopefully, I could get her to trust me and lean on me for support. Over the time she’s been here, she’s slowly gotten less jumpy and more open and cheerful.
We’d never heard anything about what happened to her bastard. I refused to call him her husband. It left a bad taste in my mouth. In fact, if it was up to me, I wouldn’t even grace him with a name but I realized that even though I hated him, things were still up in the air on account of the jackass.
I’d just successfully put the saddle on Zeus and now he was bucking around the ring. Trying to figure out if he could rid this odd contraption from his back. What he didn’t know is that it wouldn’t come off. I’d cinched the girth just enough to make sure the saddle stayed on, but not as tight as I would have, had I been ridin’ him. I just wanted him to be able to move in it and get the gist of this new thing I was asking him to do. We’d finally made it the whole way around the ring without one single buck and now he was trotting along. That’s when I saw her.
My girl.
Leading Oakley out to the arena to train for the day.
I’d gotten used to the daily tank tops and jean shorts she’d been sporting around the barn. But nothing could prepare me for the sight of Cassidy Mae in Levis that hugged every curve of her backside. I was jealous of the blue jeans she was wearing. They were holding her so tightly and damn I wanted that to be my job. The combination with the skin-tight tank top left nothing to the imagination and I had to stop myself from droolin’ right down my face. Turning back to Zeus, I thought about all the ground we’d covered today. He’d willingly let me put a saddle on his back and only spent a minute or two bucking before finally accepting it.
Progress.
Now, to go work my charm on the woman of my dreams. She was the entire compass of everything I was looking for in a woman. Smart, sexy, caring, and loving. Cassidy Mae had been the popular girl growing up, the homecoming queen a time or two. I remember those days. Boys would fawn over her when she walked down the hall, but the difference between Cassidy Mae and other girls was the fact that she noti
ced people. She noticed me, a scrawny timid geek. She was royalty, the queen of the school, but she still made time for the jesters. A heart of gold wrapped up in beauty and laced with kindness. She never wanted the crown but she wore it well. There was just always something about her that called to me. Something so completely different than any other girl I ever thought about dating.
By the time I’d gotten Zeus unsaddled and cooled down, Cassidy Mae was walking Oakley around the arena. Walking in straight lines and larger circles to get her warmed up like we’d been taught when warming up a barrel horse after some time off.
“She’s lookin’ good today,” I said when I got to the outside fence of the arena.
“She feels good. It’s been a while since I got a horse ready for barrel racing again.”
“Seems like you’re in your element for sure.”
“Yeah, feels good being up here again. I was going to take her out and walk around the property. Wanna saddle up Apache and come with?”
“Sure, be back in a jiffy.” I left her walking the arena to go saddle up Apache for a ride. I hadn’t ridden him in a couple of days and I felt guilty about it. He’s my go-to horse, but with all these new horses to train and my time with Zeus, I know he’d been feeling neglected.
As soon as my boot landed inside the barn door Apache stuck his head out of his stall and started hollerin’ at me. Making sure I knew he was still there and he was definitely offended.
“I hear ya boy. How ‘bout we go for a walk with Oakley and Cassidy Mae? Whaddya say?” He obviously wasn’t going to respond but when I grabbed his halter and lead, he nodded his head in agreement.
It took less than ten minutes to get him saddled and ready to go. We walked out to the arena and I mounted up.
“Alright, Cassidy Mae. Where you thinkin’?”
“How ‘bout a walk out to the springs? I haven’t been there in a while.”
“Sounds right blissful to me. Let’s get to it.”
We rode for a little while in silence. I sat and watched Cassidy Mae look at her surroundings. She seemed at peace. A small smile crept across her lips as she watched a couple of squirrels dart out in front of us and up a tree across the way. That right there is why I loved this land. It was so damn peaceful.
