by Fox Brison
Another black mark.
Yes that was mean spirited, but after resigning myself to the fact I wasn’t meant to have a happily ever after Haley had turned up, and what I thought was an impossible dream, suddenly became a doable reality.
Kind of.
Except she was on vacation.
I stomped across the stall and picked up another pitchfork full of straw to spread, more for an excuse to ignore her than any real need. I sighed and leant against the wooden partition. I heard Jezzie whicker and smiled. She had given up her daughter early the previous evening and the youngster was precisely the filly I’d bred for.
Haley’s footsteps neared and my body tightened, both through arousal and a little fear; fear of how she was twisting my take on the world. Normally a vacation romance was exactly the kind of fleeting relationship I favoured, but I didn’t want to get in any deeper with Haley. Gramps always said when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. What the hell is wrong with me? One smile and hearing her sexy soft tones and I reached for the shovel again.
“Dani? Your Mum sent me to find you. She says she’s got the coffee on. Oh wow,” I heard a reverential whisper and I ducked my head from the stall to see what had caught Haley’s eye.
Jezzie and her foal.
“She’s gorgeous,” Haley murmured. “Look at those eyes. And she’s strong. Or she’s going to be. What was the stallion?”
I stayed hidden in the end stall, answering her questions. It gave me a bit of a thrill that she was so interested in my babies. “He was a barrel racer out of Billings. An old friend of mine from the circuit owns him. Stud fees are normally high, but, you know, friend of a friend sort of thing.”
“You made a good partnership, Dani. I assume you want her for the rodeo? Or are you keeping her on the ranch?”
“I’m keeping her.”
“Jack said something about a breeding program? I gather she is the start of it. And what a start.”
I stepped out of the dark shadows at the end of the stables and brushed past her, a jolt of electricity arcing, achingly, through my body. I stiffened but ignored it, sure it was only on my part. I heard Haley huff as she followed me into the morning sunshine. I grinned again when she mumbled, “Hi Haley, how are you? I’m fine you awkward, stubborn, hard arsed fool.”
Then I schooled my features into a cold neutrality.
***
“Dani, why don’t you show Haley the ranch this afternoon?”
“Got things to do, Mom,” I was sharp. Haley’s mere presence was doing things to my body, wonderful things, but I couldn’t give into them if I wanted to maintain my sanity.
“Perfect, you can show Haley whilst you do them,” Mom insisted. And she called me mule?
“Fine.” I conceded and stood. “I mean, it’s not like I have a ranch to run and I’m a man down or anything.” I didn’t wait to see if Haley followed me. Yes I was being a bitch but I didn’t like how I was feeling. I was uncertain, questioning my existence, how I lived. I wasn’t a natural pessimist, but then again I wasn’t exactly little Miss Sunshine 2017. No. I was a go with the flow type of gal. Right now the flow was going up Gannet Peak.
And there was only one person to blame.
***
“These are wonderful,” Haley stepped out of the last of our purpose built cabins. “They’re extremely authentic. Although I am a sucker for anywhere with an open fire. Or in this case a stove.”
“Yeah we were going for realism but folks nowadays like their home comforts.”
Haley laughed. “Oh yes, I get that. My ex refused to stay at a resort once because their Wi-Fi wasn’t fast enough. Though I’d imagine people booking this type of experience would want to rough it a bit.”
“Yes and no. We’re going to have our guests fill out a survey before they arrive. We’re expecting some will want the full ride, the herd and branding experiences, others will probably want a more relaxed approach, maybe ride the trails, camp out, fishing, that sort of thing.”
“Dani,” Haley said softly. “Are we alright? I know this isn’t easy on you, especially with your Mum forcing me on you.”
“I’m gonna be honest, Haley, if it were up to me I’d be putting you on the next flight to San Francisco, but my momma has different ideas. I still can’t get my head around why you did what you did and my impression remains that you’re one step up from a rattlesnake.” I allowed my frustration to seep through and I saw a sheen in Haley’s eyes.
Shit had I made her cry?
I shook myself, trying to ignore the sudden overwhelming urge to rush over to her and comfort her. I stuck my hands in my pockets and rocked on my heels. I forced myself to haul the humiliation I felt when she first told me she lied back into my mind. Yup, you should be crying, you nearly caused… she walked back towards the truck
And I’d never felt worse in my life.
***
Dinner was a quiet affair. The storm from two nights ago did little to replenish the creeks and streams that crisscrossed the property, so Colin and his sidekick Shorty, who were usually around at this time of day, were out helping to move the herd towards a more secure water supply.
“Dani,” Colin came into the kitchen as we were finishing up.
“Everything okay?” I was surprised to see him.
“Yup. Shorty called. There’s a couple of calves wandering and I need to go help him round ‘em up. Will the fencing wait till I get back?”
“It’s fine, Col, Mom can help me with the fencing it’s only replacing some wire and a couple of posts.” Colin nodded and headed out.
“I could help,” Haley said. “Make myself useful, especially after how generous you and your Mum have been.”
Generous? I was being a complete asshole. I wished she’d stop being so darned nice. She was making it impossible to stay mad at her. And if I wasn’t mad at her that opened a whole new world of confusing emotions. “I don’t-”
“Oh Haley, you’re a life saver,” Mom interrupted. I could see the lightbulbs flashing, it was as if there was a Hollywood movie star was in the room and the paparazzi were out in full force. “My knees having been giving me trouble the last few days.”
“Mom-” I tried again.
“It’s no problem, I’d love to help. Please,” Haley whispered the last word.
And how could I refuse such a polite offer? Well I could, but my Mom was standing next to the knife block and she had a surprisingly accurate throwing arm.
She could give Tom Brady a run for his money, that’s for sure.
***
“Last one,” I wiped the sweat from my brow with a bandana I had in my pocket. The other one around my neck was saturated too. I handed over a bottle of water to Haley and she glugged it down gratefully. She really was a trooper. I sure was aching and my shoulder was leading the revolt, the rest of my body eagerly following its charge. It was time to down tools because the strain on Haley’s face suggested she was aching twice as much.
“It’s been years since I did anything so physically demanding,” she admitted. She too had an extra bandana that she used to wipe the sweat. “It’s no wonder you’re so fit.” She coloured and I fleetingly wondered what was going through her mind. I stood like an idiot staring at her. She wiped her face, managing to smear even more dust everywhere. Grrr. She was so goddamned cute it wasn’t fair.
We hadn’t talked much, partly because fencing was demanding and we needed every ounce of energy to work rather than shoot the bull. Plus I didn’t want to get to know her, to like her.
Problem was I reckon that horse had already bolted.
“Hold it straight,” I said gruffly.
“Try not to miss the post and hit my head.”
“Don’t tempt me,” I teased back.
“Life in prison for murder might be worth it. Your mum might stop trying to fix you up if you were banged up.” She stopped and thought for a second. “Actually having met your mum she would see it as an opportunity. She’d suggest a
s you’re already shacking up you might as well make it official and call for the preacher.”
I didn’t want to but I laughed. I’d forgotten how funny she was. “The thing is according to my Mom there’s no such thing as strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. She’d have the whole prison population on bended knee by the end of my first day!”
Yes I knew was opening myself up to a world of hurt but the thing is I felt powerless to do anything to stop it.
Chapter 20
Haley
God I was sore.
After working like a navvy on the ranch, I ached in places I didn’t know could ache. Like my eyebrows. I think it was from squinting in the sun. The first thing I’m going to do today is buy myself a hat. But it was a good ache; it was a satisfying ache. By the end I was sure Dani was beginning to warm to me. We still hadn’t addressed the rather large herd of elephants stampeding over the range, but we’d taken a step, a tottering first baby one at least, forward.
Hearts and minds. I knew I had to win the latter to be forgiven for hurting the former.
Nora invited me back to the ranch, but I figured Dani deserved some time to let the idea of our one night (the confusion and the attraction that was undeniably still there) percolate. I’d had time to come to terms with it all and I needed to give her the grace to do the same.
Even if all I wanted was to jump her bones…
Down girl, down. No. I couldn’t think along those lines, it was all too soon. I’d only just split with Dawn a month before. Besides, this was about Jen, not me. I couldn’t fuck this up for her.
***
Physical work and fresh air had returned a hunger that I’d sorely missed, even though my trimmer waistline had thanked me for the brief respite from my voracious appetite. Thus, after another long soak in the bath and then a huge breakfast, I was ready to go exploring and get a sense of the place Jen was about to call home. The local geography fascinated me and I reminded myself to buy a guidebook. I preferred real guidebooks to eBooks, they just felt right for some reason. I was determined to see as much as I could of Cody and its environs; thus far my sightseeing since arriving in America involved an old fort, a bridge and the inside of a lesbian club.
And let’s not forget a bedroom in the Palace hotel. It’s going to take something extremely special to top what I experienced in there! I moaned. I had to stop reliving that night because all it did was ramp up my arousal and make it uncomfortable to be around Dani because I wanted her to relieve my throbbing ache.
Cody was split into two parts, sort of, and I started in the old town. I clicked away with both my phone and camera. My Dad was going to love it here, it was the perfect mix of western and modern. Heavy on the cowboy influence, which was utterly appropriate and tastefully done for the most part, the wide main street was bordered by small buildings, only a couple of wannabe skyscrapers in the distance rudely interrupting the impression of small town sensibilities. The architecture was in keeping with the town’s heritage and housed an eclectic mix of businesses; everything from traditional cowboy clothing stores, to a native American jewellery shop and all the expected high street fair in between. It was such a friendly and warm town; the shopkeepers couldn’t have been more obliging and the few people I asked for directions were utterly engaging.
It seems everything I’d heard about American hospitality was true.
I loved the space afforded here. It was so different to Brighton. If I’d wanted space at home I would have had to walk the beach in a storm or gone out to the South Downs for a ride.
At the top of the street, rather like an exclamation mark, were the hills… or mountains. I reminded myself to ask Nora what they were called. The bright blue, cloudless sky seemed to highlight the craggy monolith. Everything was so big… streets, sky, hills. It made me question my place in the world.
And I wasn’t sure I liked the answer I came up with.
Before leaving the hotel, the receptionist pointed me towards the Centre of the West, a museum in town. The information leaflet she gave me whet my appetite, and I couldn’t wait to spend a few hours losing myself in its exhibits. Westerns were a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, my Grandad’s fault, even though most of them were as predictable as rain in April. The men were the strong silent type, rough heroes and gunmen who always got the girl. And the women? They generally fell into one of two categories. The first type was the tart with a heart, the saloon girl who shacked up with the outlaw but was in love with the hero and ended up saving him whilst suffering death by six shooter. The other type was the good girl, either a school teacher or the rancher’s daughter and the one who always got her man in the end.
Personally I loved the rarest cowgirl of all; Calamity Jane and her ilk.
“Hi, there, can I help you?” The soft voice belonged to an attractive woman dressed in jeans and a white cotton shirt. A picture of Buffalo Bill was embroidered on the pocket. It was an image that seemed to be scattered liberally throughout Cody.
Naturally.
“I’m Madison Perkins, the assistant curator here.” She smiled warmly at me.
“Hello, Haley Jones, and I’m good thanks. Your museum is great, such a variety of exhibits,” I said as I walked with her towards the next display.
“You’ve come at a good time, the tourist season hasn’t begun in earnest yet. How about I give you a guided tour? Actually, you’d be doing me a service, I’d really appreciate getting your thoughts on how we might improve the facilities.” She was still smiling and I automatically gave her one back, even though inside…
Oh hello. Ping, ping, ping… yep, my super Spidey sense is tingling. I chuckled to myself. Super bloody Spidey sense. You might as well have said your gaydar was pinging!
“That’s extremely kind of you,” I responded with another polite, and nowhere near encouraging, smile. Which worked about as effectively as sun block made from butter.
“You sound like you’re from outta town,” she persisted amiably.
“Yes, I’m from England.”
“England? We don’t get many visitors from your neck of the woods, are you here for long?”
“A couple of days, maybe longer. My sister just married Jack Worthington. Do you know him?”
“I sure do. Well hell, he kept that quiet.” Her bark of laughter echoed through the museum. “I didn’t even know he was courting!”
“It was a whirlwind romance.”
“Jack’s a real sweetheart. If I wasn’t otherwise inclined, he’d be my first pick.”
Rightio then no gaydar needed, she’d proudly nailed her colours to the mast and her flag was a bright and vibrant rainbow one.
***
Madison Perkins certainly knew her stuff that was for sure. “So this is The Plains Indians Museum and it features stories and objects from the Plains Indian people, their cultures, traditions, values and histories, as well as from their lives today.”
“Plains Indians?”
“Yeah. I reckon you might have heard of some of the tribes. Crow, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and Arapaho maybe?”
“Yes, but I’m ashamed most of my knowledge comes from Rawhide and Gunsmoke.”
“You’re not the first visitor to say that. Maybe the youngest,” she eyed me curiously.
“Blame my grandmother, those shows were on a continuous loop round at her house whenever I’d stay over. My Mum said my first words were move ‘em up!”
“Mine too!” she exclaimed. “Well the grandma thing, not the words. There’s a rich culture and history that’s often forgotten when Hollywood gets involved. You should ask Dani about it. She knows more than I do.”
That surprised me, but with her looks I could imagine she was a descendent of one of the tribes. Plus she had that whole being at one with nature vibe going on. I coloured.
I was getting as bad as Jen with the shameless stereotyping.
The exhibit was atmospheric, dark shadows. “I love this one,” I said in the Land of Many Gifts Gallery.
“You don’t realise from films or tv shows how integral women were to their society as a whole. And the art work. It’s so different to anything I’ve ever seen, yet like with every painting or sculpture it tells a story.” I stopped for breath. “I also loved the lullabies. It’s all so … evocative.” I explained, not sure if that was the right word, but it was closest to how I felt.
“I’m glad it’s made an impact on you.”
“It’s certainly a learning experience. Once my sister is settled I must bring my parents over from England to see it.”
And then I lost myself once more in the past.
***
“Would you look at the time?” Madison said as we left the Whitney Western Art exhibit. The paintings on show of Yellowstone were awe inspiring and I made a point to go and visit the national park as soon as I could. “We’re closing in five minutes.”
I might have to stay longer if I want to fit everything in, I muttered internally. “I hope I haven’t held you up?”
“Not at all. I’ve had fun. It’s great when someone shows a genuine interest. Look, I hope you don’t think I’m being forward, but would you like to have supper with me tonight? I could tell you more about the area and the museum.”
“Oh… oh I… well that’s very kind of you.” She was uber friendly, not in a creepy I want to get in your pants kind of way either, and I didn’t particularly feel like eating alone. So I thought what the hell, it would certainly save me ordering room service. “You know what, that sounds great. Thanks. I would love to know more about this place.”
“It would be my pleasure. My partner will join us when she finishes work. It’s something of a Friday night ritual.”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” I said quickly.
“You’re not, honestly. There’s a little place slightly outside of town, Smackwater Joe’s.” Madison locked the museum door. “They do fantastic ribs. You do like barbeque?”
