“Dad’s,” he whispered as he ran his fingers against the engraving on the back of the watch.
“Yeah, he was getting it polished before he died; my mom finally went to get it after his funeral but couldn’t bring herself to give it to you,” said Michelle.
Jackson looked up at Michelle as a smile graced his face. He took her hand and pulled her into a hug.
“It’s yours now Jackson,” Michelle said into his chest as she felt the emotion going through him. He pulled her away to place a kiss on her lips. The two smiled at each other unable to get over the happiness that they were experiencing finally coming to terms with their feelings. Jackson brought Michelle back to his chest as they looked at the watch that wrapped so perfectly around his wrist.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better present.”
THE END
Bonus Story 14 of 25
Riding To The North
There aren't many things better than hard liquor and pleasant company in the old, withered west. Especially if you're a cowboy returning from a two-month cattle drive. Jack, however, was never too much into saloons, or fast acquaintances with happy and always underpaid women. He preferred the open plains and big skies to towns, but this weekend he had to visit one to resupply, if he wanted to continue his trip south.
So, when Jack saw the first signs of the town as he approached on horseback, he was almost obliged to lower his hat. The less I see about this town, the better it will be for me, he thought. He reined his horse in and was now looking for the least shady-looking saloon. I have to take a long sleep before looking for a supplier around here.
Jack's hands were lying relaxed while he was holding the reins. A sudden burst of laughter almost made him jump off the saddle. He was able to hold his cool demeanor though, and simply turned his head looking for where the laughter had come from; it was one of the town's saloons; a recently painted building, with a big, rectangular sign hanging above the small, swinging doors.
He reined in front of the saloon and dismounted. In front of the entrance, there was a wooden post to tie the horses to. Pulling his horse closer to the post, Jack was caressing the strong animal.
“You did well once again old buddy. Now, let's rest for the next couple days.” Lad was the name of his horse, and they had been together for the past five years. This returning trip was their fifth, since every year Jack went on the cattle drive as a full-fledged cowboy. After all, it paid well and it was a means to an end.
A creak on the wooden floor made Jack stop giving attention to Lad. Jack turned, and saw an old guy, white-haired and mustached, totter away from the saloon. Giving off an intense smell of liquor, and murmuring incomprehensible things about some cards, he bumped into Jack and shuffled off, without even apologizing.
“Watch out old man. If you can't handle it, then don't start it,” Jack said. He spoke loudly enough to catch the man's attention, making him seemingly turn, looking annoyed.
“Who are you? I've never seen your sorry ass around here... son,” he complimented his sentence with a hiccup.
“I'm just a passerby, looking for his apology from an old geezer like you.” Before Jack completed his sentence, the white-haired man had pulled his gun out and was aiming at Jack's head. With his big hat still lowered, and his hands on Lad's back, Jack didn't seem any bit concerned about the drunken man's unsteady hand.
“If you say another word, this will be the last town you’re passing from,” he said, and hiccupped again. “Did you hear me?” he shouted. But at the exact moment, Jack quickly snatched the man's wrist and, like a snake attacking its prey, twisted the wrist until a loud crack was heard.
The drunk was now lying on the ground, holding his wrist, screaming his butt out. “You're crazy. You're fucking crazy!” He continued screaming well after someone passed right next to him and helped him up. That is why I don't like places like this. You just ask for an apology and you get treated like a criminal.
Straightening the edge of his hat, he started walking towards the entrance. The closer he got to the saloon, the louder the laughter was. He was now able to hear uplifting music, and women singing from the other side of the door. Remember Jack, it is only for a couple of nights. After that, you're out of here.
After taking a deep breath, he pushed the saloon doors once. They were pretty old and they were squeaked loudly, unwittingly alarming everyone inside the hazy room. A new customer had arrived. It was more than that though. Everyone went silent. The musician stopped playing, the dancers stopped dancing and the attendants simultaneously turned their heads and watched him walk towards the bar.
His back was now itching from all the prying eyes stabbing him. Wait until they learn about their friend whose arm I broke, Jack considered, wanting to smile but cleverly refraining from doing so. He got his hat off and placed it to a stand next to him.
“What can I get you?” said the barman, an old man.
“Something strong.” He needed to calm his nerves and relax his saddle-sore butt. After riding for the last five days, from morning to night, his whole body was sore, but his butt exceptionally so.
“Whiskey it is,” the barman said with a hoarse voice. He grabbed a bottle from the upper shelves behind his bar, and slowly read the tag on it. He nodded twice and then stretched his hands below. Now, he was filling the glass, Jack and thought that this was the perfect time to ask him about a spare room. But, the barman was faster.
“You're not from around here. Are you returning from the cattle drive?” he said, but he was eloquently hiding something between his words.
“Yeah. I just got paid and I'm going back to the south.”
“Something interesting there? Family? Wife?” He gave the glass to Jack and already grabbed another one. He was carelessly wiping it, even though it was crystal clear.
“No, it's just me and my horse. I'm looking for a job there to pass my time while the winter strikes in.” Jack took a sip of it, smelling the heavy aroma and tasting every kind of flavor; it was a long time since he had whiskey.
“We have some cowboys around here as well, but we seldom see outsiders.” Aha, Jack thought, now he starts to show his true colors.
“I'm just a passerby, wanting to resupply. Do you have any spare room?” Jack took another sip, but his mind was starting to get blurry.
“Yeah, I'm sure there is something we can do for you. You're going to have to put up with the girls though. They stay up until early in the morning, if you know what I mean,” he winked with a naughty smile on his face.
Jack glanced at the man, making him sense his displeasure. He put the glass back behind the bar and moved away from him. What a nosy bunch of people, Jack thought, even though the alcohol was starting to kick in and everything felt cozier. Maybe I should not drink it as fast, he noticed. But, as everything in the room had turned back to normal, the dancers had begun seducing the tenants once again.
Their dresses were long, but they were feeling generous and often raised them to show their laced underwear. All of them granted wide smiles to everyone, but especially to some men who were playing cards on the dark corner of the room. His eyes were searching for something interesting, a habit he had developed after so many months traveling between places.
Today, however, nothing was feeling right for him, even if there were some girls in there who seemed more than experienced. Another night between me and my sore palms, he sighed to himself. It was difficult spending his time between a group of men every day, and the long cattle drive was truly a trial of will. He had to spent his days fantasizing how it would feel to touch a girl, or even see her naked.
Disappointed, he turned his head towards the big mirror on the other side of the bar. His hair was dark brown, with some parts turning to silver-white. His eyes were blue and lonely, and his body was thin but full of muscles. He hadn’t shaved for a while. Now that he was looking at himself in the mirror, he was thinking that maybe the time to shave that hairy mess had arrived, but it was an idea
that didn't last long.
Feeling his head heavy, he was ready to move out of the saloon and tend to some business before getting to his room. It was right then that he sensed a woman standing really close to him. Jack was able to smell her perfume, and almost feel her smooth skin.
“Hello,” she said with a shy look on her face.
Between his confusion and her brown eyes, Jack was left speechless. She wasn't here before, he thought. Her light, blonde hair was curly and caught in a rough bun, leaving only a tuft falling on her face. Her smile was small, but had a sincere feeling.
“Hi,” Jack replied in a monotonous sense.
“Are you new around here?” she asked with the greatest of interest.
“No, just a passerby. Are you...dancing here?” Jack was feeling his face reddening, while his grip was getting stronger on the poor glass.
“Yes, I am, although today I was late because I had a rough night. But don't tell anyone about it because I might get in trouble,” she said while smiling in a playful way. “Would you want me to get into trouble?” she accompanied her question with a wink.
He was observing every small detail on her face that almost didn't hear her question. “No, of course not,” he said. “Excuse me but I have to go and stable my horse, Lad, and then attend to some business. So, if you can excuse me.”
Jack grabbed his hat quickly and headed towards the swinging doors. The girl was now standing against the bar and was waving goodbye, calling at the same time, “Are you coming back later honey?”
Jack was feeling too ashamed to even answer. He turned his back and shrugged. However, he really wanted to reply to her, to stay another minute and watch her eyes. But, what was this familiar thing I felt watching her, he thought after getting fresh hay for his horse.
“Maybe you know better than me, Lad. I'm rusty as hell around women,” he said, talking to himself. It didn't take him long to sober up, especially after smelling the manure in the stable. “Someone really has to clean this place up.”
After grooming Lad, and unsaddling him, his boots were full of dirt, and his jeans torn. After all, he hadn't had the chance to change his clothes all that much during the cattle drive, so now it was a good time to go and take a bath, and maybe mend his jeans.
Although he had a lot of business to attend to, buying supplies for the next leg of his journey, he wasn't able to get her face out of his mind. She is the first woman I wouldn't mind paying to have, just for a night, he found himself thinking. But, he was ready to punch himself after that. He was against winning a lady's affection in that manner, even if selling her body was indeed her occupation. I have to find the strength to resist, no matter how much I want her.
Having paid for his supplies, he was ready to return to the saloon. The sun was starting to dive behind the never ending, gold sand of the old, withered west. It was the first time, however, that Jack was feeling good about returning to a warm, hazy place, full of smoke and booze. At least, if I have to put up with it, I'd rather enjoy it, he thought.
Not able to hold back a smile, he was now feeling eager to return. His hands had unconsciously moved above his crotch, and he was using his thumbs to rest them in the edge of his jeans. Confident and ready, he pushed the swinging doors once again. She was there, but she was on the lap of another man.
***
Jack was holding five cards in his hand. Beside him, the dancer from earlier was laughing out loud with a joke that someone else told to her. The room had a pleasant warmness, and the fires from the lamps were flickering, making the shadows around them dance.
“Your turn new guy. Take them or leave them. Your choice,” a white man said to him, with a deeply lined face and a big, brown mustache. The hair was starting to fall from various places on his head, but he was still holding on strong.
“Don't frighten the boy Ron. He just learned the game.” This man had a kind voice and was sitting in a chair opposite Jack. His hair was black and his face jovial, but his eyes had a sly shine. Every time Jack caught a glimpse of it, it sent shivers down on his spine.
“Boys, too much talk, too little gain. Go, go,” said another gray-haired man. He was the bluntest of them all, but he meant well. Acting like a corner stone between those two sleazy weasels, his eyes were harsh and his mouth was in a constant scowl, but he was the only one being actually patient with Jack, who just learned this weird game.
“Okay, I think I'm in. Do I need to show my cards now?” Jack asked in a low-toned, exhausted way, sounding older than the three of them together.
The three men looked at him with an amused expression and started silently laughing. “For the last time, you have to wait for all of us to bet, and then you can show your cards. Ron? It's your turn,” the scowling man said to the deep-lined one. But Jack didn't care about them; he only cared for her, the dancer with the brown eyes. Why doesn't she talk to me? It's like she is openly rejecting me.
Abruptly, one of his fellow players knocked his hand on the table, giving Jack a start. However, he was really good at hiding his feelings and didn't make a fool of himself in front of them—and especially in front of her.
“Come on Kris. Stop cheating,” the black-haired man cried out loud. But it was he who had been cheating and everyone knew it, including Jack.
“You can't be serious Gary. You're the one who is always on the move, not me. So, are you in or out?” Kris replied to him while waving his hands at him.
“I'm in. So, everyone ready? We now have to show our hands,” he whispered, to add suspense in his words. Jack saw that ominous shine in his glare and started to wonder for the first time that night what he was doing there with them.
I was supposed to stay here and rest, not spent my whole evening gambling with fools. He reluctantly showed his share of the cards and heard Gary bursting into a thunderous laugh. “Ha ha ha. I won again. You fuckers, you can't win against me,” he yelled. “Pay up boys. Who's in for another round?” Gary said while Ron was already shuffling the cards.
“I'm sorry guys, but I have to get some sleep. I have all kinds of work tomorrow and I can barely stay awake. It was nice playing with you all though.” Jack saw a glimpse of regret from the winning guy. Somehow he blamed himself for spoiling the fun to the others by always winning and started apologizing.
“I'm sorry man, but luck is with me tonight. Maybe next time.” His glare was trying to challenge him, but right now the only thing inside Jack's mind was the glass of whiskey he was going to order and the dancer's distinct laugh, flirting with another man.
“No worries Gary. I'm just jinxed it seems. See you another time,” Jack waved his hand with his back turned. Assholes, he thought after moving towards the bar.
Surprisingly, the barman seemed like he had taken a long nap and just now waked up just to serve him. His clothes were spotless and freshly ironed. “What can I get you Jack?” the old man asked with the same rough voice as before.
“The usual. And make it double. I want it to knock me out of my socks.” Jack was done feeling wistful about her. She seems interested in someone else. Somehow this thought didn't make him feel better though. What if I'm just too old for her? What if I'm just too old for all of these?
“Here you are son. Your room is ready. It's the second door to the left, as soon as you get to the top of the staircase.” After he stopped talking, Jack took another quick look towards her, now watching her be even more intimate with that man. Jack took a long, deep, sip and if it hadn’t been for the barman's hand to stop him, he would have left the whole glass empty. “What are you doing?” Jack whined at him.
“I don't want to drag your sorry ass upstairs lad. If you want her, I can arrange for you to get her...for the right price of course.” Jack jerkily turned his head and was now glancing straight at the old man's eyes. His hands were weak and his eyes half-closed, but he was still able to think sanely.
“How much?” What are you doing you fool? You're going to regret it, a voice echoed inside his mind.
Strangely, it felt like it wasn't his own, but it sounded hauntingly familiar.
For a moment, after giving the man his money—not exactly sure how much, but even in his drunken haziness it seemed too much—he felt the blood pumping inside his body rising faster than ever. The man was now counting the cash, and after he seemed content with his deal, he raised his hand and called for her. Jack was looking at him like a fool, hypnotized by the thought of touching her soft skin in his hand.
She was still wearing the same clothes as earlier, but now her hair was loose. The lamps were to blame for the auburn aura coming off of her body, but the fact that she had also lowered the neckline of her dress helped a lot. “Did you ask for me Benny?”
After getting close enough, she secretly smiled at Jack and silently put her finger before her mouth and shushed at him. She still wants me to keep that secret. That means she remembers me. A surge of hot blood was now running through his body. His balls were ready to burst and he immediately wanted alleviation. The dancer nodded twice at the old barman and then looked at Jack's eyes. Her glare was full of understanding and lust, while at the same time promising many untold wonders. Behind the deep fire that her eyes were lighting, there was regret—a regret that only drunken Jack was able to discern.
“So, you came back, honey. I knew you would,” she murmured after sitting next to him.
Jack wasn't able to talk, but he rather nodded. His eyelids were feeling heavy and his mouth numb. Only his hand was able to move, and it went straight for the woman's breast. She generously warded it off, giving a joyful smile. “So, you're a man of actions, and not of words. Lead me to your room, cowboy.”
Jack wasn't a man of extravagant behaviors when concerning his mates, but he had already broken his rule about prostitutes after paying for a night with her. Although staggering for the whole way to his room, she started talking with awe. “The old man surely have taken a liking at you. He never books this room to anyone, especially to us,” she giggled, sounding a little bit intoxicated too.
Alpha Vampire Romance: Vampire’s Mate (Paranormal Shapeshifter Alpha Demon Vampire Romance) (Coming of Age Werewolf BBW Shifter Women’s Fiction Short Stories) Page 48
