Cowgirl Strong

by Jenny Hammerle

  “Yes, sir.” Rachael answered.

  “I’ll talk to you next week.” He hung up.

  Rachael turned her phone off and set it on the counter. She walked over and slouched on the couch.

  “Are you sure you want to turn it off?”

  “I don’t think I can handle any more calls today. I’m done.”

  Travis came over and crouched in front of her. He held her hands.

  “It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”

  “No. It’s not okay. I can understand if you were like grabbing my butt and stuff. If you were all over me and wouldn’t take no for an answer, but you’ve really done nothing wrong. For him to threaten boarding school, that’s just crap!” Rachael shot upward. “I’m tired of it. Your mom means well, but she’s gone and caused me all this grief. You asked to change your purity pledge, so what? They said no and you were good with that. It doesn’t need to be some all-out council meeting about us not doing it! We’re not doing it!” Rachael paced and yelled out to no one. “We’re not. I hope y’all are happy. Maybe we should take out an ad.”

  “We can still date. We can still hang out together. I survived, you did too. It’s okay.”

  “No it’s not, because on the surface they’re preaching trust, but behind the scenes they don’t truly trust us. Not truly.” The words stung.

  “That’s partly my fault. I’m the one who wanted a renegotiation. If I’d kept my mouth shut it never would’ve come up.” Travis sat on the couch. “All I can say is I’m sorry.”

  “If you feel a certain way or have concerns, talk to me. I’m the one the concern involves, I’m the one it’s about. I can help you through it. I’m glad you think I’m sexy. It may surprise you Travis, but I’m not scared of you in that way. I can’t wait until we’re married and we can be together. I really, truly can’t wait!”

  He looked confused.

  “What I meant to say is I can wait to do it, but I’m so excited about it. Not that I literally couldn’t wait.”

  “I’ve got it. And I won’t talk to anyone about it anymore.” He stood up. She rushed over and kissed him.

  Rachael grabbed his hand and asked him to walk out to the barn with her.

  “So what part of your pledge were you renegotiating anyhow?” She asked.

  “I can’t tell you. I gave your father my word I wouldn’t discuss it with you again until we were engaged- or married.”

  “That’s a pity. You had piqued my interest.”

  “I hope not too much.” He squeezed her hand. In the barn, he glanced around. “It’s too quiet out here without Taffy and ole’ lonesome George.” He glanced in the stalls where they were completely shoveled out. “Let’s get you a horse of your own.”

  “A horse of my own? Are you kidding?”

  “Nope. A horse of your own.”

  Rachael jumped up and wrapped her entire body around him, almost knocking him down.

  “If I’d known I’d have gotten this response, I’d have gotten you a horse long before now.” He pried her off of him and led her from the barn.

  They walked around the front of the house where Rachael saw the horse trailer hooked up behind Travis’ truck. It was Maysie’s long sleek show trailer, not the typical stock trailer they used to haul their horses when they went to work cows.

  “I was so upset earlier I didn’t even notice the trailer.” She skipped out to the rear doors.

  Standing with her nose peeking out was a gorgeous mare. She was a buckskin. Black socks, mane, and tail. She wasn’t very tall but was perfect for Rachael.

  Rachael patted her nose gently and kissed it. The young mare nuzzled her back.

  “She’s sweet.”

  “That’s why we chose her. She’s been at Tristan’s for a few weeks. He was working with her for you. I needed the right time to give her to you, seems like today was right.”

  “She’s perfect. I think I’ll call her Grace.”

  Rachael opened the gate and grabbed the lead rope. She stepped back so that Grace could climb out. Rachael ran her hand down her sides.

  “Does she kick?”

  “Would I give you a horse that kicks?”

  Rachael walked around behind her running her hand along her back quarters and down her tail.

  “She’s so well groomed, so clean. I didn’t think you washed horses.”

  “I don’t. That’s what girls are for. Maysie did it. She’s been spoiling her rotten.”

  Rachael worked her way up to her mane. There was a tiny braid there and some purple feathers.

  “Maysie.” He said, shaking his head.

  “The purple halter and lead rope? And don’t tell me Maysie, I know you picked the last one for Taffy.”

  “I’ll admit to that part.” He put his arms round her waist and pulled her to him. “Purple is your favorite color.”

  “I love her.” Rachael leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed his nose. “Let’s take her to the barn.”

  She stopped long enough to knock on Michael’s bedroom window. He opened his blinds and gave her a thumbs up. It didn’t take him long to come out and join them in the barn. Within minutes he was armed with a brush and comb, setting to work grooming Grace a bit more. Rachael filled her water and gave her fresh feed and hay.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Homecoming week was finally here. It’d been a great football season and the homecoming game was oddly the last game. Rachael knew the week would be a busy one. She’d been picking Michael up after float decorating every afternoon. A few weeks earlier, Riley started carpooling with them. She’d needed transportation or she couldn’t have remained on the dance team.

  Michael, of course, volunteered his sister and four weeks later here they were. Today Rachael figured something was up. When they pulled up to Riley’s house Michael jumped up and walked her to the door. Rachael craned her neck to see around the corner of her front walkway. He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.

  He sauntered back up to the car, a new hitch in his step.

  “Is Riley your girlfriend?”

  “Maybe she is.”

  “Has she been your girlfriend this whole time?”

  “Since the third week of school.” He confessed.

  “You little turd! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “She’s my girlfriend. We’re not getting married or anything.”

  “Is there anything you want to talk about?” She assumed a more motherly tone.

  “Gross. No.”

  Rachael decided to aggravate him further. “Okay, but if you need to talk- I’m here for you.”

  “I’m getting all my advice from Travis.”

  “Travis knows, and he didn’t tell me?”

  “Brother knows how to keep a secret.”

  “I can keep a secret.”

  Rachael pouted the rest of the way home. Her cell phone kept vibrating in her purse.

  “Someone’s blowing up your phone.”

  “I know. Check it.” She pointed to her purse on the floor of her car.

  “No. Who knows what it is! I don’t want to see that.” He held his hands up like her purse may jump up and bite him.

  “Get it out. My texts aren’t that exciting, and yours better not be either.” She shook her finger at him.

  “Stop.” He chided and reached in to pull out her phone. He looked at it and covered his eyes. “My eyes! My eyes! I think I might go blind.”

  “What is it?”

  “Shannah in a dress.” He teased.

  “Shut up.”

  “No really, it’s Shannah in a dress and she looks good actually.” He handed the phone over to Rachael. Sure enough it was Shannah, in a dress, several dresses. “She’s going with that long haired dude, Romeo, to Homecoming?”

  “I guess so. And it’s Romero.”

  “Either way, he’s a pretty boy. I always see him in the locker room after he’s been jogging or whatever, blowing his hair dry and styling it.”

  “He’s nice,
I think.” Rachael felt a need to defend her friend’s friend…or whatever he was.

  Shannah and Romero had been hanging out since the beginning of the school year. She was really into him, but their relationship never seemed to progress past go.

  “He’s crazy if he doesn’t date Shannah.” Michael looked at the dress selections. “The blue one has my vote.”

  “Mine, too. Text her that.”

  Michael texted Shannah their choice. When they pulled into their gate, Maysie’s car sat there waiting.

  “She doesn’t know the combination.” Rachael acknowledged.

  Rachael jumped out and opened the gate for them. Maysie raced through. She sped up to the house like she was competing in the Daytona 500. Rachael followed and parked behind her. Michael grabbed his bag and disappeared inside the house.

  “What’s going on?” Rachael greeted Maysie.

  “Let’s go out to the barn.”

  Maysie power walked in the direction of the barn. Rachael had to sprint to keep up the pace.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Maysie stood in the barn with her hands on her hips. She looked like she might kill someone. “Romero! He’s a total loser.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He’s got a bet on Shannah.”

  “A bet?”

  “That he’ll do it with her on Homecoming night!”

  “What?”

  “Travis told me! Just this afternoon.”

  That’s two things he’s kept from me recently. “Who else is in on this bet?”

  “Gabe!”

  “Are you serious? Gabe?”

  “Yeah, and they think it’s so funny. Gabe told Romero how Shannah is hot and all, but that he dated her for like, forever, and she wouldn’t put out. They’re friends the two of them!”

  “And Travis knew all this and didn’t tell me?”

  “He just heard. You’d already left. He told Gabe it was super stupid and uncool, but guys are guys and they only want one thing.”

  “Some of them.” Rachael amended.

  “Oh no, don’t fool yourself, they all want it. The difference is that some are willing to wait for it and others are not.”

  “Okay, I agree with you there. What do we do?”

  “We have to tell her.” Maysie determined.

  “Obviously, but how?”

  “We need to go to her house, now. Get your brother.”

  Rachael went in and called for Michael. He was dressed in workout clothes and sneakers.

  “You’ve got to come with us, we need to do something.”

  “Is this about the bet Romero has that he’s going to score a homerun on Homecoming night?” Michael made hinged quotation marks in the air around the word score.

  “What happened to my innocent little brother who knew nothing?”

  “What can I say? But you’ll be glad to hear I didn’t place a wager either way.”

  Rachael grabbed his arm towing him from the house. They piled into Maysie’s backseat and drove toward the gate. Maysie glanced at the empty passenger seat.

  “Who’s that for?”

  “Levi. He’s jogging here.”

  Rachael saw him coming up the road. They pulled over and told him to jump in. They sped away in the direction of Shannah’s house. When they got there, there was no sign of her training in her pole barn. Her jeep was parked out front though, and the girls knew she must be inside.

  Rachael’s hands shook. How did you tell your good friend she was about to go to the dance with a sleaze bag? He was a tool, plain and simple. Levi and Michael climbed out of the car and walked up to the door.

  “Ladies, allow us to handle this. This is a man’s job.” Levi strode on to the porch.

  “Definitely not.” Rachael interceded. “If he’s here, there’ll be no fighting.”

  Rachael heard a clamorous banging from inside followed by the riotous noise of something getting knocked over. A loud thud of another something hitting the trailer floor.

  “She must have heard.” Maysie surmised. “She’s tearing apart her room.”

  Rachael, Levi, and Michael put their heads to the door and listened.

  “Sounds like she’s dragging a huge trash bag up the hallway.”

  The door opened inwards and the three of them fell to the floor. They looked up and saw Shannah standing over top of them.

  “I’m glad y’all are here. Help me with him.” She pointed to Romero lying face down on the ground.

  “You killed him!” Maysie exclaimed.

  “No, merely tasered his butt.” Shannah spoke.

  “Really?” Michael sounded impressed.

  “No. Not really. I kicked him and he hit his head on the bookshelf.”

  Romero’s eyes flipped open and he came to. He lifted himself onto his elbows.

  “Look. We want no trouble from you, pretty boy.” Michael did his best to make his biceps look big by putting his hands under them on either side of his ribcage.

  Shannah’s dad pulled into the driveway and stepped up onto the porch.

  “Is this the creep?” He directed his question to Shannah.

  “It’s him.”

  Shannah’s father gave Romero the once over. He had what appeared to be the starts of a black eye and a concussion.

  “I’ll run him home.” Her father showed an amazing amount of restraint. He looked like he wanted to kill this kid, but since Shannah had seemingly already handled it herself he just needed to get the guy home.

  “Why are y’all here anyway?” She asked.

  “We were going to tell you about the bet and rescue you.” Maysie grinned.

  “What bet?” Shannah asked.

  “If you didn’t know about the bet, why did you beat Romero up?”

  “He got a little too friendly.” She narrowed her eyes. “What bet?”

  Rachael looked to where Shannah’s father had loaded Romero in his truck and was safely pulling down the driveway. She nodded to Michael and Levi.

  “You guys can go for your jog. Stay around here though. We’ll be ready to go in an hour.”

  The boys trotted off, heading down the driveway toward the main road.

  “Romero had a bet he could sleep with you. And the worst part is Gabe was in on it.”

  “Gabe!” Shannah fumed. “I’m glad I didn’t know that part or I may have really tasered his butt.”

  “Well, you didn’t, and that’s a good thing.” Maysie chimed.

  “Maybe if we drive really fast we can catch my father.”

  “Not a good idea.” Rachael surmised.

  “I can’t go to the dance now. I’ll be a joke.”

  “Not if you have the best looking date there.” Rachael walked inside prompting the others to follow. “Sit.”

  She opened the fridge and got each of them a diet cola. Between sips of soda Shannah spewed a continuous stream of expletives. Maysie looked up to the heavens and uttered a silent prayer.

  Rachael stood in the kitchen, hands braced on the edge of the counter.

  “I’ve got it.”

  “Can’t wait to hear this.” Shannah sighed.

  “Travis’ super, hot cousin.”

  “Yippee. Now we’re thinking.” Maysie clapped.

  “Think again, girls. I never even got to meet him. Of course that was my fault. I didn’t want to because of the jerk. I didn’t want to mislead him. Let’s be realistic girls. The dance is on Saturday. Today is Thursday.”

  “We know what day it is. We’re not goobers.” Maysie griped.

  “Don’t push me, Mays. I’m still not happy about that little walking episode earlier this year.”

  “Stop, both of you.” Rachael picked up her cell phone. She called Travis and explained everything. When she hung up she said. “Okay. He said he thinks he’ll do it.”

  “Okay- so I’ve got a date, but how do I get back at him for the bet?”

  “I’ve got just the plan.” Maysie winked. “Tristan’s got this friend who che
ated on his wife. She used peppers, as in habanero peppers.”

  “In her cooking? I’m not about to drop off some enchiladas later.” Shannah sounded a bit testy.

  “We’re not going to cook with them, Shannah.”

  A knowing look crossed Shannah’s face. “Oh. I’ve got it.”

  Rachael was stumped. “Got what? What are we doing with the peppers?”

  “But how do we get the pants?” Shannah asked.

  “Are y’all speaking in like some redneck girl code or what? What pants?”

  “His pants.”

  “For what?”

  “The peppers.”

  “We’re going to pepper his pants?” Rachael asked.

  “His tux pants.”

  “Isn’t that illegal?” Rachael asked.

  “It’s not going to kill him or burn him, really. More annoying than anything.” Maysie advised.

  “Maybe Rachael’s right, no putting habanero in the crotch of his tux pants. Prison isn’t on my to-do list.”

  “Back to the drawing board.” Maysie looked longingly. “Okay. I’ve another pants idea.”

  “Great.” Rachael rolled her eyes.

  “We loosen the button on his pants.”

  “That’s better. No one gets hurt, no singed male parts, and all that. I could get behind that.” Shannah grabbed a bowl of grapes from the fridge.

  “He’ll only be embarrassed. No harm done.”

  “Unless he’s like the cowboys and doesn’t wear drawers.” Rachael said the words and regretted them as soon as they passed her lips.

  “TMI.” Shannah commented.

  “No. She’s innocent here. Poor Rachael found out when Travis was in the hospital. He’s been forced into boxer servitude since and he’s not pleased.” Maysie clarified.

  “Okay, no pants.” Shannah added. “Anything involving pants is off limits.”

  The front door opened. Michael and Levi walked in. They’d been eavesdropping on the front porch, both of them completely free of sweat.

  “Why don’t y’all leave it to us? We’ll take care of it and I promise you it doesn’t involve any fighting.” Levi suggested.

  The girls nodded their heads.

  “But make it good. Don’t let me down.” Shannah jumped up and gave them each a high five. “A little redneck retribution is always a good thing, as long as it’s legal.”