by S. E. Kloos
Xander picked his head up to see his girl standing the there with an amused look on her face. Blinking at her, he asked, “Whatcha still doin here, Little Darlin’? I figured ya went home hours ago, when ya brought Rocky back.”
Shaking her head, Elizabeth smiled at him, “Been here the whole time. After I gave you back your keys, I came to say bye to your mom. She asked if I would give her a hand doing prep work for the party tomorrow, and since I didn’t have anything else to do, I stayed.” Then she giggled again, “Either y'all a bunch of pigs, or she invited the whole town. And just so you know, if you want ANYTHIN’ that is made with potatoes anytime in the next year, you’re peelin’ them your damn self. You are just gonna have to deal with the flesh on an apple, because I ain’t peelin’ them either.” Hearing her name called from the kitchen, she smiled at Xander again, “Better eat so you can get to bed. You up before the cock tomorrow.”
Xander watched as she trotted back into the kitchen, giving his head a small shake before digging into the piled high plate of beef and taters.
His girl wasn’t wrong, either. His mama was in his room shaking him awake just before dawn. He was getting out of the freezing cold shower, to help wake him up, when he heard his girl’s voice downstairs with his mama and Daddy, her Aunt and Uncle’s voices mixed in. Groaning in his throat, he wondered to himself how the fuck she was so bright eyed and bushy tailed at the moment, knowing she got less sleep than he did.
After pulling on a pair of jeans and socks, he just grabbed his shirt, tossing it over his shoulder before picking up his boots to head downstairs. Walking into the room, he didn’t attempt to pretend to be more awake than he was as he flopped down into a chair across from his dad.
Mr. Steele smirked behind his paper as Elizabeth put a cup of coffee on the table for his son, then nodded to her when she asked if he wanted a refill. After finishing his article, he put the paper down and crossed his arms, not bothering to wipe the smirk off his face, “Mornin’ Son.”
Xander looked at him over the brim of the cup at his lips, unable to hide the annoyance in his eyes. “Yeah, mornin’, Pa.” After drinking half the coffee in one go, despite the burn it caused, he grunted. “What am I doin’ this mornin’?”
Jim rubbed his chin with a hum. “Welp... ya mama told folks to be here ‘round noon, so the first thing that gonna need be done, is gettin’ the cow and pig ya mama got over the spit by the lake. Come here in awhile, ya brother should be back from the run for tables and the like. Them gonna need set up. Marshal got a bed full of wood that gonna need to be unloaded.” Taking a pause to thank Elizabeth when she gave him his breakfast, Jim thought for a moment longer before picking up his fork, “That be ‘bout it, I reckon.”
Oh goodie, sounds like a light mornin’ load. Nodding to his Pa, he answered, “Alright,” then smiled at his girl when she gave him a plate and refilled his coffee. “Thanks, Little Darlin’.”
Smiling back, Elizabeth looked embarrassed, “I just hope you like it. I haven’t made biscuits and gravy in a while. Um, I made the biscuits last night, but the gravy was after I woke up.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Sugar.”
There was a snort from across the table. “Fine ain’t gonna cut it. Don’t tell ya mama, but this is better than hers.”
Starting at that, Elizabeth beamed at Mr. Steele, kissed Xander’s cheek, and then went back into the kitchen so she could help turn all the prep from the night before into actual dishes.
After eating and drinking the equivalent of a pot of coffee, Xander pulled on his boots, donned his hat, and got Marshal’s truck keys so he could unload the wood in the bed out by the lake. By the time he was done with that and back at the house to change trucks, Kyle had gotten back. Telling him he would meet him out at the lake, he hitched up the smoker to his truck, and then loaded the meat for the barbeque in the bed. After catching the bottle of water that was tossed to him by his girl, headed back to the lake.
Mark showed up at the lake to help out about halfway through the setup, taking it upon himself to get the meat in the smoker before helping the brothers with the tables and chairs.
Around 11, Elizabeth and Val pulled up with decorations and stuff to be put up, since this was a combination with Xander’s birthday. While the girls did that, the guys headed back to the house, to begin loading the rest of the food and drinks into the trucks and change into their swim trunks.
By the time they were cleaned up and back at the lake with the food, people had already begun to show up. Elizabeth and Val unloaded the food while the boys took care of the coolers that held everything from bottled water to hard liquor. Xander actually snickered to himself as his girl’s words from the night before surfaced in his mind.
Either y'all a bunch of pigs or your mom invited the whole town.
What his little darlin’ didn’t know was that his family was infamous for their parties, and he wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if the whole town did show up.
By one the party was in full swing. More than a few of the younger people were already drunk due to never having white lightning before, and not knowing to pace yourself with that shit. There was music playing, and people dancing as well as swimming. Others were snacking while the meat finished smoking. It was a damn fine time for everyone present.
After dinner was done and eaten, Elizabeth slipped away unseen by Xander. She went to the truck that she and Val originally came in to get the box out of the backseat before giving it to Mrs. Steele, who smiled at her while taking it. Setting it on the table, she opened the lid, nodding at the cake inside. It was white frosted with an edible picture of Xander on Rocky’s back as the horse reared up on his hind legs, placed dead-center on the top. Over the picture but not covering Xander or Rocky, red gel spelled out, ‘Happy birthday Xander’. Below it, black gel spelled out, ‘Good luck, Steele’. Taking the pack of candles from Elizabeth, she put the 2 and 6 on the cake, and then lit them before picking the cake up.
Before Mrs. Steele turned around, Elizabeth stood on a chair. Putting her pinkies in her mouth, she blew a high pitched and loud whistle, catching everyone’s attention.
Xander, not quite as sober as he should have been in front of his mama, turned to see what the hell that was about, only to snort as a goofy looking grin came to his face when he saw his mama holding a birthday cake in her hands. He hadn’t actually been home for his birthday since he was twenty, because if memory serves, he spent his 21st in Vegas. He was only still in town this time because he broke his ankle.
The others present started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ as Xander made his way through the crowd, blowing out the candles when the song was over, which kicked up a hoot and holler from them again. Smiling at his mom, Xander kissed her cheek. “Thank ya, Mama.”
She just shook her head. “Ya thank that lady of yours, Sugar. I was just gonna bake ya an apple pie.”
Turning those emerald eyes of his eyes on the smug looking little lady next to his mama, “Thank ya kindly, Little Darlin’.”
Elizabeth just smirked with a shrug. “It’s just a cake, Xander.” Then her eyes lit up, “Wait till ya see what I actually got ya for your birthday.” She turned her head, cupping her hands around her mouth, “Hey Kyle.”
Kyle looked over at her, nodding before he jogged over to one of the trucks parked farther away. With precision driving, Kyle backed the truck up to the crowd before hopping out and moving to the bed, yanking the tarp off it to reveal a bed full of bags and boxes.
Elizabeth went to the bed to grab a bag out of it, smacking Kyle’s hands when he went to open the gate. She shook her head, whispering for him to wait a second before he revealed the big thing she got. Taking the bag to Xander, she handed it him with a smile. “This is only part of it.”
Giving her a smile, he set the bag down to dig through the tissue paper until he found what was buried inside. Cocking a brow at her, he pulled out soft material that was a pair of black chaps with fringe on the sides, which match
ed the older, beat to fuck and well broken-in pair that he normally wore in competition.
While he had been preoccupied with the bag, Elizabeth let Kyle put down the gate. When Xander looked up to thank her, he froze at what he saw.
Front and center, right behind the gate was a brand new, black leather saddle with onyx black steel stirrups. Throughout the leather were decals done in red stitching. The horn was made of black jasper with red swirling around in the stone, AJS -his initials- carved into the top. Across the back of the skirt, dead-center behind the Cheyenne roll, ‘Steele’ was stitched onto the leather in crimson.
There was a round of appreciative whistles when the others got a look at it, but Xander was now looking at his girl, loving the small smile on her face. She bit her bottom lip before looking in his eyes. “Told ya you look better in black.”
He was gobsmacked at that, knowing just how expensive a custom saddle like that costs.
When he didn’t say anything for a minute, self-doubt and a spark of fear entered her eyes. Looking at the saddle for a second, she gazed back at Xander, tripping over her tongue a few times before she got the words out, “If you don’t like it, I can probably have it...”
Snapping out of his shock over the present, he cut her off by swinging her up in his arms and twirling her in a circle. Once she was on her feet again, he grinned at her. “Like don’t even cover it, Sugar Britches. I love it.”
A beaming smile lit her face. She met him halfway when he dipped his head down, his lips capturing hers, much to the enjoyment of the drunken crowd around them.
Pulling back and giving her a wink, Xander pulled his now blushing lady to his chest before getting a better look at his new saddle. Eyes meeting Elizabeth’s, his curiosity got the better of him. “When did you have the time to have this made?”
She gave him a small smile in reply. “I had it commissioned about a week and a half ago and Kyle picked it up this morning.”
Xander cocked a brow at her, “Was that why you was at the house so early?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I had to give Kyle the final payment and paperwork for it before he went to pick up the tables and chairs. He dropped it off with Mark on his way back so you wouldn’t see it.”
Knowing her as well as he did, his brow slid higher. “What ain’t ya tellin’ me?”
Looking everywhere but him, “I might -or might not- have used the fact that you told me you wouldn’t do anythin’ without your mama’s say so to my advantage. I also might -or might not- have put a whisper in her ear about having it made, and using a birthday party for you to keep you in town long enough for it to get done.”
Smirking wide at her, he chuckled, “Ya might have done that, huh?”
Giving him the most innocent look she could muster, Elizabeth hummed, “Or might not… don’t forget the might not.”
There was a titter next to them, drawing their attention to Mrs. Steele as she smiled at them. “Hush it up, Boy. Had I not gone on with the poor girl, you would have jumped off the minute that boot came off. Puttin’ off leavin’ for a few more days ain’t nothin’ horrid now. ‘Sides, ya should commend the girl for usin’ all her advantages.” Then she turned to Elizabeth, smiling. “Came out just like you described, Sugar. It’s beautiful.”
Giving her a small grin, Elizabeth replied, “Thank you, Mrs. Steele, for all your help.”
She scuffed, flapping a hand a bit, “Nu-uh, Child. Mrs. Steele is that horrible woman I call my mother-in-law. You g’on call me Mama, Darlin’. That’ll be just fine.”
Smiling even wider, even as Xander sighed while dropping his face in his hand, Elizabeth nodded, “Of course, Mama Steele.”
She tsked, rolling her eyes, “That’ll do I suspect. Y'all two have fun now... and Xander, Sugar? You give her a hard time, and I’ll hurt ya, ya hear?”
Grinning at her, he nodded. “I hear ya, Mama.” Once she was out of hearing distance, he gave his lady a grin. “So, what else you been up to that I should know about?”
Returning that same sly grin, she backed out of his arms, then kept backing up. “Well, you know how you been busy lately?” Xander nodded with a cocked brow, making the grin on Elizabeth’s face grow. “You also remember that boyfriend I...” She never got to finish that sentence before whirling around with a shriek of laughter, darting away when Xander made a lunge for her.
Chapter 23
Elizabeth was walking down the dirt parking area with Val, giggling at her when she would crack on the poor bastards that were trying to untrailer different horses. It was just after dawn when the girls got to the the arena in Dallas. This was Xander’s first rodeo back, yet there were already people in the public parking area to get into the rodeo that day. From what she had been able to gather back at the hotel the night before, Xander was something of a legend in Texas and New Mexico. He would draw bulls and broncs, then ‘get the buzz’, when others were lucky to to be able to walk -or run- away.
She would be lying if she didn’t have a rock forming in her stomach after overhearing a couple of other riders, who were staying at the same hotel they were, talking about some of Xander's past 'lucky rides'. The only thing that put her slightly at ease was that over the few days before they left, she had watched him actually ride Rocky as he broke in his new saddle, softening the stiff leather so it moved as it should.
She didn’t see him before he and Kyle left the hotel that morning, to get to the arena in time for check in.
Being pulled back to the present by an elbow to the ribs, she turned to look at Val. “Yeah?”
Val snickered at her, “Ya thinkin’ too much ‘bout it, Dolly. You gonna have a panic attack if ya don’t settle down some. Unlike most of the other riders you gonna see today, Xander learns from his mistakes. He ain’t gonna showboat to the crowd if the bull still loose.”
Sighing, Elizabeth crossed her arms and looked at the ground, shaking her head. “That ain’t what I’m worried about, Val. I can’t get some of the stories I heard last night about him getting thrown off out of my head. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
Val snorted hard with a shake of her head. “Then you with the wrong guy, Dolly. Blood, broken bones... injuries of all matter are all part of this kind of life, Sugar Pie. He gonna get hurt, that a fact. Sometimes it gonna be worse than others, but it gonna happen, no two ways ‘bout it.”
A quiet whimper escaped Elizabeth’s throat at the very blunt statement. That was actually one of the reasons she liked Val so much. She didn’t beat around any kind of bush, telling her exactly how it was. Didn’t mean she liked what was said, though.
Looking at her, there was a pleading look in her eyes. “But he always bounces back though, right? I mean, Kyle told me about last year when he got really hurt, and he came back from that.”
Val sighed, biting the corner of her lip as that memory surfaced. That was a nasty chunk which Xander damn near didn’t bounce back from. Making a noise as she clicked her tongue, Val shook her head. “I ain’t givin’ that kinda assurance, Dolly, ‘cause I ain’t gonna be the one to say he will, then somethin’ happens that he don’t. Xander is a hella good rider, but accidents and injuries happen to the best, too.”
The girls fell into silence after that; Elizabeth returning to her thoughts, and Val snickering every time there was a scream of pain from some moron that don’t know how to get a horse off a trailer.
When they got the very last one, Elizabeth saw that it was Xander and Kyle. Xander was leaning on the side of the pickup, his foot kicked up on the wheel, arms resting back on the side of the bed, hands dangling down the sides, a bottle of water in one hand and a set of papers in the other. He was wearing a pair of Wrangler jeans that looked like they were made just for him under the black fringed chaps she got him for his birthday, a black t-shirt, a crimson handkerchief tied loosely around his neck, with his black Stetson on his head. His just-shy-of-chin-length dirty blonde hair still looked damp from his shower.
Elizabeth was worried abo
ut drool on her chin. She also sent a silent ‘thank you’ out to whoever it was that created chaps.
Xander had turned to say something to his brother, only to see his little darlin’ and Val heading their way. He let his eyes run her form, gulping a bit. She was wearing painted-on blue jeans tucked into her black boots, and a clinging little white tank that stopped just above her belly button. Her long hair was hanging down her back with his white and black hat on top her head, his color for the competition tied around it with the excess ribbon draping down the back. She looked like she had just taken a step out of the dream he had last night.
Grinning a bit, he nodded to the girls. “Mornin’, ladies. How y'all feelin’?”
Val just shrugged as Elizabeth looked off to the side, tsking. There was no way she wanted him to know that she woke up still drunk this morning.
Val didn’t care.
“Just fine, Sug, but this little tart here was still drunker than a skunk when I got her up.”
Head whipping back around, Elizabeth stared at Val in wide-eyed horror for beat before admonishing, “Jesus, Val.”
Val just cocked a brow at her. “What? Ya were. Dolly, there ain’t no shame in still bein’ drunk after a night of moonshine. ‘Sides, you were drinkin’ with a bunch of cowboys. Had you been sober when I got to your room, I would be questionin’ what exactly you got goin’ on between them legs.”
Still staring in horror, Elizabeth shook her head. “I am gonna kick the shit out of you.”
Val chuckled while shrugging. “Oh, lighten up, Dolly. I’m just foolin’, so don’t be gettin’ them feathers ruffled now.”
Xander just snorted as he took a drink of his water, then shook his head. “Y'all knock it off.” Setting the bottle in his hand on the side of the truck bed, he rolled the rules and regulations paper up, sliding it into his back pocket before heading to the truck cab. Reaching in through the window, he grabbed something off the front seat and turned back, “Hey, come here, Little Darlin’. I got somethin’ for ya.”
