by Ally Prince
Author Notes
I would personally like to thank all those who helped get this novella off the ground. It really does take a small town to get your ideas into the hands of others. Special shout out to the beta readers who were valuable- Eva, Ava, and Kelly.
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The Cowboy
Four years ago…
Penny
I knew better.
I think everyone’s had that moment where they knew they shouldn’t be doing what they were about to, but they did it anyway. Consequences be damned.
I stared at the screen of my cell, kind of hoping he wouldn’t answer and kind of hoping he would. Okay, I was totally hoping he was busy.
It’s not like he was waiting around expecting my call. He was a man and he had a life, one that no doubt included women. If I thought about those women I wanted to throw up, my throat burned. What if he was with Logan? Jesus, Logan would kill me for even calling him, bothering him.
I should have thought…
“Hey, Pen.” That deep rumbling voice caught me off guard, and the cell slid from my hand landing on the hay at my feet. I was hiding out. I figured a conversation like this needed a stealthy place to hide, far away from prying ears. The empty beer bottles at my feet could have been my liquid courage too. This was such a fuck up, and I hadn’t even said a word. I managed to grab my cell and sat it back on my knee. I stared at the screen.
“Pen?”
Why did that name send shivers down my spine?
“Hi,” I squeaked liked a toddler. Even though I was alone my face heated and I fisted my hands in frustration at my own stupidity.
There was some noise on his end. “You okay? Do you need me?”
I needed him, I wanted him and that was the fucking problem.
Mason Mansfield was my brother’s best friend.
Mason Mansfield was also about eleven years older than me.
Mason Mansfield, a hot cowboy, who I desperately wanted to pop my cherry before I headed off to college next week.
Ugh, I had a timeline. Sweat gathered on my forehead.
“I’m fine.” My body betrayed me and I hiccupped.
Mason, honest to God, growled down the line. “You been drinking again, Pen? I thought we talked about this shit.” He sounded like my brother. And by talk, he meant that he chewed me out for getting drunk at a party he happened to drive by and see me almost being mauled by a horny teen. I sighed heavily, staring up at the rafters of the stables I was hiding out in.
Just eighteen months ago my father walked under these beams. He mucked this very stall where he laughed and he smiled. Now he was gone. Mom too. Life wasn’t fair, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what the hell I’d done to have my parents taken from me in such a slow and tragic way. I wiped at my cheek, tears often felt unnoticed.
“I’m fine, Mason,” I snapped a little harsher than I meant.
Why the hell did I do this?
“You wanna chat? Talk. You want me to come get you? Then tell me where you are?”
That sounded simple, right?
“Ugh. It’s stupid.”
“Probably. Tell me anyhow. Let me be the judge.”
Yup, he thought I was stupid. Just a little girl.
“Well, I have a situation.” I braced my chin on my hand. My elbow on my knee. My eyes on the screen of my cell where Mason’s face lit up the glass—a picture not video chat, thank God. There was no way I could say this to his face. But, I would have to see his face, and he’d see me naked. I really had not thought this through.
“Go on,” he drawled.
“I go to college next week.” I’d be leaving my family home of eighteen years. Leaving my brother, Logan, to run the family business and keep the house from the bank. Leaving all my so-called friends who no longer knew how to talk to me. Leaving all those looks of pity behind, where I would walk down the street and not a single fucking person would know me. Yeah, that was a nice feeling.
“I know, Pen. Logan’s stressed as fuck about it, too. You’ll be fine, though. Don’t you even think about backing out, darlin’.” The way darlin’ rolled out of his mouth made me smile. He said it often when we were alone, but I had actually wondered if it was just his way of greeting girls. I wondered how many babes he’d had? No. No, I didn’t, that was not a positive thought.
“I wasn’t. I just. Well, I kind of want… was hoping you’d help me with something?” I babbled, my foot digging a little hole in the straw. This was damn awkward.
“What’s up?”
The poor guy had no idea what I was about to ask him. I guess it was easier to just say it, put it out there and see what happened. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my racing heart. Here goes…
“I want to have sex with you.”
Then I clicked the red circle on my cell so fast.
I lifted it from my knee and hurled it across the stables then picked up a half-empty beer and decided I best stay here and drown my sorrows. There was no way I was ever going to be able to face that man again.
- Coming 26th of September 2018
