“I want a horse, maybe it would help, me, think shit through.” Able announced, eyeing one of the horses that were grazing in the field to their left.
“Shut up, dude. Why in the hell would you get a horse? Horses scare the shit out of you. Do you not remember filming Brothers In Murder two? All you had to do, was ride the damn horse from point A to point B, and you couldn’t even do that. It sidestepped, and you lost your shit, and almost ended up having a full blown panic attack.” Cole scoffed, giving Aceton a look that said he was apologizing for his, pansy ass, best friend.
“Fuck you! That horse was huge and you didn’t see the way he was looking at me! He had, crazy, in his eyes. So sorry, I didn’t grow up in Texas, like you did. All you assholes out there are born on the back of a horse.” Able sassed, tossing his hands into the air.
“Damn right, hey did I ever tell you about the time, I won a bareback championship down in…,”
Aceton clearing his throat, had Cole stopping mid-sentence.
“Glad to have ya back with me, boys. Alright, so, here’s what you can do. You two, can wait here until she gets back. Please, feel free, be my guests. Then, you can tell her whatever it is, you came all this way here, to tell her. You can drudge up the past, try to take her back down, whatever road y'all came from. Or, you two could just let it be. You could see things for what they are, instead of what they might be. You can cut your losses, and leave her be to live out her days, here, with me. I can assure you, she seems to be liking it so far, just fine, but who am I to know, what's really going on in that beautiful woman’s head? Now, I ain't gonna judge ya, either way, ya wanna go with it. I won’t even try to stop ya. I don’t know either one of y'all, except for what I’ve been told, so, the way I see it is, this here situation, ain’t really, any of my business.”
At this point, both Able and Cole’s brows were narrowed, not believing the calm, laid back manner, in which Aceton was talking about the situation at hand. After all, the pair was here, trying to win back the man's wife. A punch to the face, they could accept, but this was something altogether different.
Seeing their baffled looks, Aceton took pity on them. After all, they were just a couple of city boys, far away from home, just trying to chase a dream. If anything, he felt bad for them.
“Look, all I want is for Olivia to be happy. If that means her, staying here with me, fantastic, if not, that’s okay too. She deserves to be happy, so I support anything that keeps her feeling that way. I just hope, you two, do as well.” Aceton finished, locking eyes with each of them, for a moment, before turning back towards the stairs of the porch. “Alright boys, well, I wish ya luck in whatever you decide. I gotta get moving on. This ranch ain’t gonna work itself, no matter how much I’d like it to. If ya'll want some more coffee, while ya wait, it's in the kitchen, straight back and to your right. Please, feel free to help yourselves. And, if you're headed out, I wish ya a safe journey." Aceton finished, with a curt nod, and a wise and gentle smile, before heading down the porches steps. “Oh, one last thing.” He stopped, turning for a moment, to eye the pair, once again. “If ya ask me, life’s just too damn short to be holding on to yesterday.”
His piece said, Aceton gave a nod, before turning and walking away, as if, he didn’t have a care in the world.
Both, Able and Cole watched him make his way across the large front yard, heading toward one of the horse barns, located further down on the property.
"I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. That, is the coolest motherfucker I've ever met." Able noted, in a bit of awe
at the classy, calmness that was Aceton Weston. "Like, I wanna be, him, when I grow up." Able admitted, feeling no shame in the statement, he had made. It was true. Aceton, handled himself with, two things, which most men don’t even seem to have these days. Class and grace.
Cole sucked his teeth, as he nodded his agreement, next to Able.
"Me too man, me too.” Cole agreed before sucking in a deep breath. “We don’t stand a damn chance against that guy. He's the real deal." Cole sighed, leaning up to rub his palms over his face just a little too hard.
"I don’t even think I would try, he's the guy, Cole. He's everything we couldn’t be. Neither one of us could give Penny up, even when her happiness, depended on it. You and me, we’re just a couple of selfish assholes.”
"Yeah, but he ain't. He’s willing to give her up, I saw it in his eyes, he would, if it’s what she wanted. That's real love, brother.” Cole said, letting out a heavy breath. “God damn it, I hate us both, right now.” Cole admitted, with the shake of his head, as he pushed off the swing.
"Yea, me too. Right about now, I’m feeling pretty fucking stupid. I'm sorry, dude." Able apologized, coming to stand next to Cole as they looked over the lush fields the ranch had to offer.
"I'm sorry too, we fucked this all up, and here we are, about to do it again." Cole noted with a heavy sigh.
The wind was out of their sails, the tension all but gone. The heated build up had been nothing but a huge letdown, yet, neither seemed to be as upset as you would assume, after everything that they had gone through. Here they stood, broken hearts in hands. Neither, was gonna get the girl in the end. They had, both, lost out miserably in their pursuits.
Something about meeting Aceton Weston though, had made the hit, seem just a little easier to take, for each of them. There was something about the way he held himself, about the way he spoke, and the light in his eyes, when he said Penny’s name, that led them to believe that he really was, the better man for her. Deep down, they truly believed that he only cared only about her happiness, something, neither of them, had really been able to do. They were both too selfish to stand on the high ground, Penny’s new man seemed to be standing firmly on. Having talked to him, having looked into his eyes, and listened to his words, the pair was able to see that, this, really wasn’t a tragedy. Penny, was finally happy.
"So, I guess the only question is, are we, gonna fuck it up again?" Able spoke up, just as they both caught sight of Penny. She was way too far away for them to be spotted up on the porch, but they could see her just fine.
“Damn.” Cole breathed out, watching as she road in from one of the lower fields. The sun was shining down on her, the warm wind, blowing back her long hair. Married life on the ranch, sure as shit, suited the girl. She was even, more beautiful than she ever had been before. "No, no were not. Let's get out of here, man. We gotta let her go, and for real this time." Cole announced, patting his friend on the back, before jerking his head toward the steps.
They made their way to the rental car, stealing glances back, her way. Before they opened the doors, they each stopped, taking one last, long look, in Penny’s direction. Seeing her like this, was a damn good way, of remembering her. Finally, happy.
Two deep breaths for the pair and a whispered ‘goodbye
Penny Lane, goodbye Livi’, had them both, nodding their heads as they climbed back into the car. They headed down the long drive, leading them back to where they had come from, and leaving Penny, in their rear view mirror, right where she belonged. Finally free of both of them to live out the rest of her days, with a good man, one who was truly worthy of a woman as good as she was and always had been.
Penny slowed as she rode her way up to the barn, just as Aceton was coming out to meet her, a wide smile on his strikingly handsome features.
"Well good mornin’, beautiful. How was your ride?" He greeted, watching her swing her long legs around, as she smoothly dismounted old Thunder.
"It’s better, now," she informed with a wink, giving him one of her ‘hit you in the heart’ smiles, as she placed a gentle kiss, on his lips.
"You best be careful, girl. I ain't gonna get no work done if you keep that up." Aceton informed with a smile as he squeezed her to his chest.
“Oh well, we can’t be having that now, can we.” She teased, leaning up to kiss his lips again.
“You, are such a perfect distraction,” Aceton smirked as she p
ulled back from their kiss.
“I try,” she gave a wink before her eyes darted to the driveway. “Hey, was there someone here? I thought I saw a car in the pulling out." She questioned, finding the lot empty.
"Oh, yep, ya did.” Aceton nodded.
“Anything important?”
“Oh no, not really. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, anyway.”
“Oh no?” She smiled, looking up into his truthful hazel’s. “Nope, that there, was just two ‘Ol boys, lookin’ for something that they lost, somewhere, along the way.”
“And did they find it, whatever it was they were looking for?” She questioned, enjoying the feel of Aceton’s beard under her fingertips as she rubbed them against his solid jawbone.
“Well, now, I don’t rightly know. I did my best, gave them a little direction, and sent them on their way.” Aceton mused, wrapping his arm around Penny’s shoulder as they headed back toward the house.
"That's good, I hope they find what they were looking for.” Penny noted, in a light tone.
“Now that they know, for sure, that it ain’t here, I have no doubt that they will.” Aceton offered, leaning over to kiss the side of Penny’s head as they walked along.
She smiled up at him before her eyes made their way to the long drive. In the far distance, she could still see the visitor’s car, making its way further and further away, until it was nothing more than a little speck on the horizon. A single blink and it was gone, never to be seen again.
THE END
NEWS REPORT
Brothers In Murder stars Cole Conners and Able Grace, are at it again! The long time friends were spotted…
Good or bad, please review on Amazon. Authors feed off reviews.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meet Hipsy Bohannon, an avid writer and user of deep smut. Hailing from the photography world of dark art, her fans have affectionately dubbed her 'Half-naked Hipsy covered in blood.' A professional recluse, Hipsy uses most of her free time loitering, stalking, and confusing the masses. Her creative writing roots grew from an awkward youth spent roaming the roads of the United States, Gypsy style. Solitary confinement in a car, heading from one place to the next, gave her ample opportunity to practice the art of crafting stories. She now calls the middle woods of Upstate N.Y. home sweet home. Solicitors and company are not welcome!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sean Patrick Flanery, for being “ninja hot” and reminding me that it doesn’t matter what other people think. “Fuck them.”
Norman Reedus, for being my constant Muse. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it hadn’t been for you.
My Drunk Midgets. Mackalaster and Bellareina, for leaving me alone long enough to write this story.
My Mother, for always loving me, even when I didn’t make it easy.
Franny Harmer, for being a phone call away, ten times a day.
Angie Hubler, for being the best handler ever.
Bill Rivers, for reminding me that there is still life out there.
Anson Mount, for being so freaking smart. I’ll explain it one day, I promise.
Fuckboys, for being assholes and making want to create my own versions of you, instead.
Good men, for reminding me that there are still some of you out there, ready and willing to play, Captain Save-a-hoe.
The Hipsy Heads, for following me. I have no idea where you people came from, or how you found me, but I’m glad you did!
The Muse Babes, for making me feel like it’s okay to stalk people.
* * *
[E1]Dissension means disagreement that leads to discord
[E2]repetition
[E3]If the dancing was a surprise there’s no way she would have brought HER slippers.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place Page 45
