by Parker, Ali
The thundering of hooves suddenly got louder, and it was then that I realized Dylan was at my side, matching Dixie’s speed as he rode beside us on the palomino. Before I knew what was happening, I heard the sound of rope lashing out and suddenly Dixie slowed down, first to a trot, then she stopped completely.
It had all happened so fast that I didn’t realize exactly what was going on. It was only until I looked over at Dylan and saw the rope in his hand that I realized what had happened. He had expertly roped Dixie around the neck and gently pulled her to a stop while he was riding next to us. I didn’t know how he did it without also roping me along with her. I felt like I was practically hugging her neck. “Easy girl. Whoa now, that’s it. Slow down,” he had said, in a deep commanding voice. Once she was completely stopped, he’d looked at me.
“Helen! Damn! You alright?” He spoke as he quickly dismounted and was at my side. He still had the rope in his hands and was pulling on it to keep Dixie in her place. At the same time, he reached his arms up toward me. He pulled me off the saddle so easily and quickly that I felt like I was flying until my feet hit the ground. It was only then that I realized I was shaken up.
“You’re trembling,” he said, as he pulled me against his chest. “It’s alright. Shh—it’s alright. I got you now. I ain’t gonna let anything happen to you.”
I rested against his body and felt good and safe in his arms. I didn’t realize just how scared I’d been being on Dixie while she bolted. I had seen her bolt before, but never when she had a rider on her. Typically, I saw it happen while she was grazing in the pasture.
“I thought I had her,” I said. I was shocked to hear my own voice, it was quivering. Was I really that scared?
“It’s all right. You did. You had a good hold on her, the way she was bucking and riling, you should have fallen off,” he said.
“She was bucking? Kicking?”
“Hell yeah, she was. You didn’t feel that? You’re more of a cowgirl than you think, Helen,” he said, pulling away from me just an inch. He looked down at me with his sparkling light blue eyes. There was a look of concern on his face. The boyish grin was gone, and it was just pure concern for my well-being. Looking up at him, my mouth instinctively opened. Before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine.
His kiss felt so good. To be kissed at all, was extraordinary. It had been so long. His hands on my body felt strong and warm. His mouth opened on top of mine and his tongue slowly explored my mouth. I heard a soft moan and became aware that it was coming from me.
I kissed him back and my hands pressed against his strong six-pack abs. I could feel them underneath his snug shirt. But it didn’t last long, this euphoria. My senses came back to me. I couldn’t be doing this, and I especially couldn’t be doing it out in the open like this. Instead of using my hands to feel his strong toned stomach muscles, I used them to push off of him.
“Don’t. Please. Don’t do that,” I said.
“I’m sorry. It just—”
“No. Don’t do that again ever. You don’t understand. You don’t know what I have to deal with. We need to get back,” I said, stepping back from him.
“Yeah fine,” he said, with a bit of anger in his voice. Then he started to unsnap the buttons down his shirt. My eyes grew wide.
“What in the lord’s name are you doing, Dylan Dawson?”
“Can’t leave Dixie like this,” he said, as he pulled his shirt completely off. Now he was shirtless and there was a small amount of beading sweat on his tight and toned skin, tanned by the sun. He had obviously broken a sweat trying to get to me, to rescue me.
I didn’t know what he was doing. Then he took his shirt and wrapped it around Dixie’s head, covering both of her eyes, then tying it with the arms. I understood what he was doing now, and it was actually a really good tip. She was much less likely to bolt if there was another strong gust of wind, if she couldn’t see and didn’t feel it in her face.
“You grab my horse. I’ll lead Dixie in,” he said. But he wasn’t smiling. He was pissed and irritated. I could tell because his jaw was clenching. He still waited though. He waited for me to grab the reins and start to walk the palomino back towards the stable. He walked a good way behind us with Dixie. But I knew that he was keeping an eye on me.
I felt like a jerk. Obviously, I had been mean to him, and yet he was still looking out for me. A part of that felt really good, having someone care for me like that. To put me first, it felt good. Like I was being taken care of. But he didn’t know why I’d been so mean about the kiss. How could he?
But I couldn’t be seen out in the pasture making out with a young ranch hand. I lived in a small town after all. I couldn’t have people wagging their tongues and talking about the widow that brought different young attractive ranch hands to stay with her—to play with her. I had a reputation to think about and that reputation was tied to the success of my business. If people started talking negatively about my business, it would eventually get to the customers. We wouldn’t have guests if they thought I was just a promiscuous woman having fun with a different ranch hand every month. No, he wasn’t thinking about that. He was a man and that would never cross his mind. Only a woman had to worry about these things, so I had to think about it for both of us. I couldn’t let him kiss me like that ever again. But why did that thought make me feel like I had a hole in my stomach?
11
Dylan
Helen didn’t speak to me for the rest of the night. She had downright avoided me, and I couldn’t blame her. I couldn’t help myself and I’d kissed her—just caught up in the moment. She looked so fragile and scared, and I wanted to keep her safe and make her feel secure. In that moment my feelings for her overtook all sense of logic and I kissed her. It felt damn good to kiss her, too. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The way she was shaken and frightened made me want to console and protect her. I wanted to take away her fears and make sure that she was safe. That horse had really done a number on her. Seeing it from my point of view, I was scared it was going to buck her off and she would get really hurt. I knew that I had to get to her and as soon as the horse bolted, I took off after her. Since we’d been rounding up the horses, I had a good amount of lasso with me just in case I needed it. I was so glad I did. It was then that my roping days came into good use as I roped that runaway horse and stopped it. Relief came over me when she was off the horse and safe in my arms with nothing to fear anymore. That, combined with her trembling fear and the adrenaline of the moment, lit up my passion and I went in for a kiss.
But now, I had other things occupying my mind, and I was glad for it since the woman wasn’t even talking to me now.
The weekend staff had arrived, and it was time to prepare for the guests that would be coming after 3 that afternoon. It felt good to do some work. I wasn’t good with sitting by and being idle. Being a cowboy was everything to me, it was where I got my passion and energy for life. So as I rounded up the horses and put them in the corral I was feeling good. This was an act of staging. We would take the horses out of the stables and put them in the corral so that when the guests drove up, they saw these horses prancing around. It was definitely just like staging a home in real estate, but we were staging a ranch instead.
“I’m real happy that you’re staying on to help. Helen does need it,” Marshall said, as we worked together side-by-side corralling the horses and closing the fence.
“I am happy, too. It’s my pleasure to help out a friend. Anything that you need, sir. I am here to help you. I do know the ropes a little from working here years ago, but I’m a little rusty so don’t hesitate to tell me if I’m missing something. I don’t know what activities have been added for the guests since I used to be here, but I could always improvise and take them to pick eggs, take them on a trail ride, and show them how to saddle a horse and whatnot. Basic cowboy stuff. But if there’s anything in particular that you need you just let me know, sir,” I said.
“Actually, there is one t
hing that the guests want sometimes, especially the young ones, and we’ve never been able to provide it. It might actually put us up there with the Saddle Ranch Complex,” he said.
“And what is that?”
“The young adults, not the little kids, I’m talking about the 20-somethings, they want someone to drive them into town and show them the dance hall. You know, Mickey’s. They want the cowboy nightlife experience along with the daytime experience. All of us working the ranch these days are old men, we ain’t going to do that. Helen is not going to do that. But you, you seem like the right man for that job. All you got to do is be the designated driver. Dance with some of the female guests, show them the Cotton Eye Joe and the Two-Step. Things like that. I think that would get people talking about their experience here at the Larson Dude Ranch. It is always requested, but we never drive them in. Some of them have gone on their own, but it makes Helen nervous to have the liability that they might be driving home drunk. There ain’t no taxi companies out here you know.”
“I hear you, Marshall. I do enjoy the dance halls myself. I hadn’t thought about that. Next time there are guests of that age, I’ll talk to Helen about it.”
“Well, turns out there are guests of that age today. Some girls coming from New York City. Did you not know that?”
“No, I thought there was just one family coming today. Parents with kids, and that kind of thing.”
“Oh, maybe you missed the message. Helen told us earlier this morning. It was a last-minute decision as these girls were at a festival in Austin. Then they looked us up and are driving out today. They should be here a little later, those are the kinds that would want to go to the dance hall and have a good time. Just letting you know,” he said.
“All right, I’ll see what Helen says if they do request it. I am open to doing anything that will help the ranch and all. The guests need to have fun and leave with a good impression of this place.”
“You are a good man and a good friend,” he said.
I smiled at his validation. I was trying to be a good friend. So why did I take advantage of Helen and kiss her in her vulnerable moment of being in fear? That was wrong of me. But when her horse took off, racing across the pasture something inside of me kicked in. I knew that I needed to help her no matter what. I would put my own life on the line to save her and realizing that fact had made me realize just how much this woman had grown on me in just the few days that I had been around her. I didn’t know if love at first sight existed, but I had been crushing on this woman since I was a teenager. Saving her yesterday had only made that feeling stronger.
A few hours later, the guests were arriving. Marshall and I were at the corral, waiting for them to get out of their vehicles. We knew that the corral would be the first place they went. The horses were always a main attraction, so we were set up ready to field questions and greet them.
“And these are two of our ranch hands, Marshall and Dylan,” Helen said, leading the arrivals over to us. Marshall and I both tipped our hats. One group was a husband and wife with two kids, a boy and a girl looking to be about 11 and 13 years old. That would be easy. It was the little ones that were harder. The other group appeared to be 3 girls in their early twenties, just like Marshall had said. They were currently looking at me, giggling and whispering among themselves.
“Feel free to stay here and look over the horses if you like, or those that want to be shown to their bungalow follow me. There are also refreshments set up right back here in the lighted picnic area. Your luggage is already being taken to your own bungalows.”
“Mommy, I want to see the ponies,” one of the kids said.
“Alight, you stay here with me and we’ll look at the horses. Daddy is going to go get the keys to our bungalow,” the mother said nodding to her husband. He followed Helen while the kids stayed with their mother, clearly excited about the horses. The three women also stayed and were making themselves comfortable on the fence railing.
“What was your name again, cowboy?” the girl with blond hair asked me.
“Dylan ma’am. My name is Dylan Dawson,” I tipped my hat at her.
She giggled and looked at her two friends. “He said ma’am. What a gentleman.”
“My name is Riley, this is Jessica, and that is Nicole.”
“It is nice to meet y’all. It is good to have you out here at the Larson Dude Ranch. Anything you need you can just ask me. Y’all know how to ride?” I said, gesturing towards the horses.
“I know how to straddle,” Riley said quietly, but enough for me and her friends to hear. They laughed at her.
Awkward. I cleared my throat. I hadn’t expected to deal with these flirty women. I would keep it as professional as I could.
I ignored her sexual innuendo and continued with my talk. “That is what riding is. You just hop on to the saddle, straddle it, hold on and then these horses will lead you down the trail. They are real good horses,” I said.
“Oh, I would love to ride. I can’t wait to do it,” Jessica said.
“Me too. Let’s check into our bungalow and then I guess—could we get a tour?” Nicole asked, looking at me for that last bit.
“Yes ma’am, I’d be happy to give you a tour. Dinner will be served in about an hour, too, so there is plenty of time to do it before then,” I said.
“Oh, but Riley—remember what we talked about?” Jessica said to her friend.
“Yes,” Riley came closer to me. She put her hand on my arm. “Say cowboy. We want to go to the dance hall tonight. Will you take us?” she asked.
“Well, that is not part of the official activities here—”
“Oh, come on. You could drive us. We want to go out and dance, and meet some more nice country boys like you,” she said.
“Oh, I don’t know if the Larson Dude Ranch does that—” I started to say.
“Does what?” Helen interrupted, coming to my side with a big smile.
“We would love it if this ranch hand of yours would take us to the local dance hall later. We need a designated driver and want the full country experience,” Riley said.
“Well, that’s not something we officially do at this ranch—” Helen said. The girls frowned and I could feel Helen tense up. I knew that she was thinking about having positive reviews of her business.
“But I guess we can make an exception—that is if Dylan here is alright with it,” Helen looked at me. She was putting me on the spot.
“Sure, I guess that would be alright as long as it’s okay with you,” I said.
“Yay!” the girls cheered.
“Would you ladies like to see your bungalow? I have the keys for you right here,” Helen said, offering to walk them to their bungalow.
“Yes, we would,” they said starting to follow her. “And don’t forget, Dylan, you are giving us a tour. Give us about twenty minutes,” Riley said.
I tipped my hat in acknowledgment of their request. Helen glanced back at me, and the smile on her face looked fake.
After the tour, in which the women continued to flirt as I showed them around, everyone sat down to a cowboy dinner. One in which Helen avoided me every chance she got.
Then it was time to take the women to the dance hall.
For the first time in a long time, I actually didn’t care about going to the honky-tonk, which was new to me. But I felt that I needed to do it for Helen and the Larson Dude Ranch business. I wanted to help her and the ranch in any way I could, especially since I’d screwed things up with her by kissing her in the pasture after her horse spooked and ran.
We pulled into the gravel lot of Mickey’s, the local dance hall.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Jessica said, from the back seat of my double cab truck. “Didn’t I tell you there would be cute cowboys out here, Riley?” She nudged Riley’s arm, who sat in the passenger seat.
“Yeah, and you were not wrong. Even our driver is gorgeous,” Riley looked over at me with a smile.
“I can’t wait
to dance,” Nicole said from the back. “Will you dance with us cowboy? Show us how to three-step.”
I laughed. “It’s two-step, and sure I’ll show ya. But there’s gonna be plenty of cowboys asking to dance with each of you, I’m sure of that,” I said, as I put the truck in park and turned off the engine. The girls poured out of the truck chatting and giggling among themselves.
Mickey’s reminded me of the dance hall back home only this one was a lot bigger. It was a massive complex and I had been here before when I was working here, after I turned eighteen of course. I was excited to see the inside again.
“This is gonna be so fun,” the girls said as we walked inside. The band was blaring on stage. The crowd was thick and the energy was wild. A big smile came across my face at the couples dancing, parading in the traditional circular route on the dance floor.
“Let’s get beers,” Jessica said.
“What do you drink around here,” Riley said looking at me.
“Lone Star beer. I’ll get ya’ll your first round. Find a table,” I said, gesturing toward the aisles of picnic tables and banquet style tables.
“Thank you, cowboy,” they giggled and headed toward an empty table.
I ordered three Lone Stars for them and a club soda for myself. I was the designated driver and I was working. Setting the beers down in front of the girls they each took a drink and wrinkled their noses. I laughed at this, too.
“Not exactly gourmet beer is it,” Nicole muttered.
“Nope. And I like it that way,” I grinned.
“I’m first. Show me this two-step?” Jessica asked with pleading eyes.
“Alright. My pleasure.” I stood up and put my hand out to her. Taking my hand, she blushed and looked at the other women.
I gave her a short lesson before taking her out on the floor and joining the herd. She picked up quick and smiled, enjoying herself. It was a bit of a heady feeling to be out with three attractive city women, but as I held her in my arms I thought about Helen. What would it be like to hold her in my arms and dance? What would it be like to make her smile by twirling her around? I understood in that moment that I might never experience it. The woman downright hated me at the moment.
