by Anne Jolin
Kid you not, seen Aurora doin’ that last night.
Standin’ up, I held on to my side and looked down at Branson.
“Don’t,” he barked.
Hell if I didn’t double over again on the spot. “White jeans. Funniest shit I heard all week, Tucker.”
The rich bastard chucked the empty beer he’d been drinkin’ at my head, and I ducked. “Just about as funny as you getting turned down by a woman you thought was a man.”
My face hardened for a split second before I lost it again. “White fuckin’ jeans.”
Jumpin’ down from the truck bed, I slammed the tailgate shut.
“Go on and help me with the damn chairs,” he growled.
Branson had a temper. Didn’t take much to get that man riled up and it was entertainin’ as all hell when he did. Especially when London got him goin’. He’d move mountains for her. Didn’t mean she didn’t get under his skin, though.
The chairs didn’t take much in the way of settin’ up, and by the time we were done, guests had started arrivin’ and Dad had the barbeque runnin’ hot.
“Well, look what the cat done gone and dragged home from the rodeo.”
Lookin’ up from the cooler, I saw Reed Hennessy and her brother Mackenzie, otherwise known as Mack, comin’ my way. “Dragged me home kickin’ and screamin’ maybe.”
She laughed. “Hell of a liar you’ve grown up to be.”
“Owen.” Mack adjusted the baseball cap on his head. Never been much in the way with words, that guy.
The Hennessy siblings owned the Sundance, the local bar in town. Reed was the brains. Mack was the muscle.
I slapped him on the back. “Been awhile, Mack.”
He nodded.
“Happy to be home?” Reed asked and popped the top on her beer.
Leanin’ down, I kissed the top of her red head. “No place I’d rather be. How’s the bar been?”
“Same old.” She smiled. “Ain’t exactly dull servin’ drunks seven nights a week.”
I laughed. Reed might be the brain, but that don’t mean she didn’t know her way around bustin’ a guy’s balls for speakin’ out on her.
“Where’re the girls?” she asked.
Tippin’ my head, I nodded toward the house. “Don’t know what the hell they’re doin’ in there. Sniffin’ melted chocolate in diapers, looks disgustin’ to me.”
Reed beamed. “Sounds like fun.”
I didn’t have time to see Mack’s face get twisted at the idea of women stickin’ their faces in brown diapers because I recognized the woman comin’ up my drive.
“Excuse me a minute,” I told ‘em.
Her head was down, fingers movin’ across the screen of her phone, and I leaned against the hood of Donahue’s car to watch her.
“Of all the driveways, in all the towns, you had to walk up mine.” I whistled low under my breath and shook my head.
Rayne’s head snapped up and then pretty hazel eyes went wider than hell at seein’ me.
“This is a baby shower,” she blurted, walkin’ right past me.
Pushin’ off the car, I fell into step beside her. “His and Hers baby shower,” I corrected.
Never been happier ‘bout bein’ dragged to a girl’s party in my damn life.
“Oh.”
The woman had the wildest hair, all dark and curly. It blew around her face in the wind and hell if my jeans weren’t strained as all get out watchin’ it. Made a man think sinful things, that hair.
“Owen!” Aurora was shoutin’ from the porch as we got closer.
“Yah?” I hollered back.
“Dad needs help finishing off the ribs.” She looked between me, and Rayne, a smirk formin’ on her face. “Hey, Ray.”
“Hey.” Rayne smiled, taking the opportunity to walk away from me and up the stairs.
“Everybody’s inside.” Aurora gestured through the screen door.
Liftin’ a gift bag in the air, Rayne paused. “And the gift table?”
“I can take it,” Aurora offered, lettin’ Rayne sneak inside.
Certain she was out of earshot, I scowled at my baby sister. “You ain’t seen me talkin’?”
I took the stairs two at a time up to her.
“Just saving your inflated ego from another rejection.” She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek.
“And they call you the saint of the family. What a crock of shit.”
Slappin’ me on the shoulder, she shakes her head. “Watch your mouth. We have company.”
My sisters have spent a lifetime motherin’ me. Good thing for them, I don’t mind it so much. Showed they cared and there wasn’t no way to get mad at a woman who cared about you.
“Sure thing, killer.” I jostled her hair and left to help Dad.
I found him mannin’ the barbeque around the corner on the porch. “Needin’ help, old man?” When I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, he laughed.
Real men weren’t afraid of showin’ people they cared. Huggin’ my dad wasn’t somethin’ I’d ever stop doin’, no matter how old I got.
“Those ribs”—he pointed to the second barbeque—“they need charring on the other side.”
Opening the lid, I grabbed the tongs and caught a glimpse of Rayne through the window. She was laughin’ at somethin’ Reed was sayin’.
Dad must’ve caught my gaze. “She’s a pretty woman, that one,” he said from next to me. “Inside and out.”
“Sure is.”
I was fixin’ to know a lot more about what made her tick.
“Had that horse here nearly six months and nobody comes down to see it.” He frowned.
Lookin’ away from the window, I watched him. “What?”
“Her horse.” He nodded toward the window. “He’s on full board and she pays your sisters to exercise him. Never been down again since she dropped him off.”
“Seen her with Lady. She’s good with horses,” I told him, liftin’ the lid on the barbeque.
He shrugged. “It’s not my business to pry. She pays her board on time, and the girls don’t mind the extra work.”
Watchin’ her through the window again, I was thinkin’ I wouldn’t mind if it was my business.
Everybody ate like they’d been starved, but we’d still be eatin’ leftovers for a week. Afterwards, we watched London and Branson open their gifts. Or well, everybody else was, I was watchin’ her.
She was leanin’ against the doorway in the living room, standin’ alone, which was perfect for me.
I leaned into the wall beside her. “Afternoon’ Rayne.”
“Owen.” She sighed half-heartedly and her eyes took their sweet time findin’ mine. No doubt that was on purpose.
She was bein’ short with me, but the red on her cheeks gave her away. She liked me.
“Didn’t know you were gonna be here.”
Her fingers tugged on the skirt of the pretty blue summer dress she was wearin’. “Your sisters invited me.”
I liked watchin’ her, made her nervous. Like she was waitin’ on my every word. Don’t know why it made me feel good to see her like that, but didn’t change that it did.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, not wantin’ the rest of the guests hearin’ us, I gathered.
Aw, hell. That wouldn’t do.
“Seems you spend a lot of time apologizin’ for no reason, darlin’.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled again.
Reachin’ out, I grabbed the hand still playin’ with her dress and squeezed it ‘til those long fingers quit fightin’ me. “You done somethin’ bad that needs sayin’ sorry for so damn much?” I asked her.
“No,” she quipped.
“Best you quit sayin’ it then.”
She stood up straighter and took her hand away from me. “I’m going to get something to drink.”
Then I watched her walk away from me again. Turns out, I wasn’t real fond of her walkin’ away from me so much either.
“Hey.” Donahue obstruct
ed my view of her.
He was a fancy lookin’ kid, pressed pants and that boy band lookin’ hair. Didn’t mind him much as a person, so long as we didn’t have to talk much. But didn’t like him much as the guy puttin’ his hands on my sister. Wells had a reputation that wasn’t a whole lot different than mine.
“Yah?” I growled at him.
“Aurora says you were running out of ice,” he said.
“So?” I barked.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “She needs one of us to get the ice and the other washing plates so we can use them for cake.”
“I’ll go get the ice.”
Brushing past him, I opened the screen door and looked for her once last time but came up empty. She’d disappeared into the rest of the guests somehow.
Sure hoped she wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout duckin’ out before I got back.
Lucky for me, gas station wasn’t more than ten minutes up the road, and I was back, ice in hand, before the gifts even finished bein’ opened.
“You got the ice?” Aurora asked as I stepped into the kitchen.
Pullin’ her into my side, I kissed the top of her head. “You girls need to quit stressin’ and enjoy yourselves, but yah, it’s in the cooler.”
“Thank you.” She smiled.
Noddin’, I looked around the kitchen. “Where’s the pretty boy?”
“Don’t call him that.” She glared and then her eyes softened. “Please try to be nice.”
I had weak spots for my sisters.
Givin’ her one more squeeze, I laughed. “I’m always nice.”
“That’s a lie.” London shook her head, sliding up to the other side of me. “Thank you for the crib, it’s beautiful.”
I’d spent months handmakin’ ‘em a wooden crib. Was glad she liked it so much.
“Welcome, Sis.”
Huggin’ her, I see that mess of hair I’m lovin’ so much headed for the door.
“I’ll be right back to help clean up,” I told them and jogged through the house. “Hey, Rayne!”
Her head turned and my pride noticed the wince when she seen it was me.
“Owen.” She nodded. “I’m just heading home.”
She fidgeted with the phone in her hand, constantly adjustin’ the way she was holdin’ it like it might jump up and rescue her from talkin’ to me.
I was a man ready for a lot of things life was sure to dish out, but what I wasn’t ready for was for her to be leavin’ just yet.
“Would you mind takin’ a look at Lady before you go?” I asked.
That pretty face of hers scrunched in concern. “What’s wrong?”
“She ain’t been doin’ so good since I brought her back. Not eatin’ or nothin’.”
Checking the time on her phone, she nodded. “I’ll take a look, but it could just be her settling into a different environment again.”
Holdin’ open the door, I watched her shiver a bit as her bare arms hit the night air.
“Cold?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Reachin’ inside, I snagged a flannel off the coat rack. “Here.”
I held it open for her as she slid her arms through. “Thanks.”
“Sure thing, darlin’.”
We didn’t say much walkin’ down the drive, and I didn’t mind. Was nice just bein’ with her without her tryin’ to run away.
“Is that the same barn that had the fire?” she asked.
Lookin’ up, I nodded as we passed the larger of our two barns. “Yah.”
Tucker had the barn rebuilt to look like the original, the loft apartment and all. Only difference was it had thirty stalls now, instead of twenty. Otherwise, even the green paint on the doors was the same.
“Oh,” she said and started to turn toward the barn.
“Lady is in the smaller barn.”
That might have been the grace of God himself because that meant at least another five minutes of walkin’ next to her.
We passed the outdoor ridin’ ring and the turnout pastures, still neither of us sayin’ much. She reminded me a wild foal in that she spooked easy.
Leadin’ her into the smaller barn, I opened the door to Lady’s stall. I made a cluckin’ sound with my tongue, and she lifted her head up. “There’s my girl.”
“Want to let me have a look at you, sweetheart?” Rayne’s voice dropped real low, and she slid in the stall.
Left me wonderin’ why she ain’t vistin’ her own horse when she’s awfully nice to mine.
“Her grain bucket is empty and all her hay is gone.” Rayne scowled at me. “She’s fine.”
The jig was up.
“Fancy that. Musta just gotten better today knowin’ you were comin’ ‘round.” I laughed.
She stepped out, pulled the latch on the stall door, lockin’ it up tight, and walked right past me, hittin’ my shoulder with hers on the way. Well, as close as she could get, seein’ as she was about a foot shorter than me.
“Wait a minute,” I hollered after her.
“You tricked me.” Her boots stomped down the hall of the small barn.
Joggin’ a bit to reach her, I slid an arm around her waist and spun her to face me. “I know.”
She scoffed.
“Tell me how else I was gonna get you to come spend some time with me. You been walkin’ away from me all afternoon soon as I try to say somethin’.”
“I told you, I don’t date cowboys.”
I grinned. “Tell me, Rayne, I asked you out yet today?”
Her face went red and she fidgeted in my arms. Lord, I thought it was cute as hell that I made her so nervous.
“No,” she said defeated, giving in to me.
I let her go and tugged a little on the ends of her hair. “How ‘bout you quit givin’ me sucha hard time for sayin’ hi then?”
Her body relaxed and she nodded. “Okay.”
“Didn’t kill ya, did it?” She picked up on my smilin’ and smiled back.
“I suppose not,” she said with a sigh. “You have a lovely family, but I really do need to be going. It’s late.”
Adjustin’ the flannel on her shoulders, I realized that I loved how my clothes seemed to swallow up her tiny frame. “Well then, let’s get you on home then.”
I turned to walk with her, but she stopped. “I can walk back alone.”
“Darlin’, might be my farm, might be the safest place in town, but it’s still dark, and you’re still a lady. I’ll be walkin’ you to the car.”
There she was blushin’ again.
“Okay.”
We walked, and even in the moonlight, I could see the freckles on that fresh face of hers. Looked to me like she didn’t spend a whole lotta time bein’ a high maintenance woman, and I liked that. Wasn’t sure I’d ever been attracted to a woman like her before, and that made it all the more excitin’.
Reachin’ her car, I opened the door. “Goodnight, Rayne.”
“Goodnight, Owen.” She smiled.
“Oh, and Rayne?” I asked.
“Yes?” she said, looking back at me expectantly.
“Would you go out with me sometime?”
Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head, a cute little scowl forming over her pretty eyes. “No, Owen. I don’t date cowboys.”
“I’m gonna ask you everyday ‘til you say yes,” I declared.
She ignored me and climbed into her car, shuttin’ the door.
I watched her taillights ‘til they disappeared into the tree line.
I’d ask her out every day, damn Scout’s honour on that.
THE OVERHEAD BELL TO THE office chimed as I leaned into my office chair and stared at the bill on my desk.
Five thousand, four hundred and twenty-two dollars was the total estimate.
In life, there were a lot of things that could keep a twenty-eight-year-old woman up at night. The wrinkles on your forehead that weren’t there before and whether you should get Botox to fix them. The ongoing battle of, Did I
choose the right career or am I doomed for mid-thirties career failure? The four grey hairs you found at the crown of your head after a shower. There were endless possibilities, and one of them was not being able to afford to replace the roof on your home before an Alberta winter hit.
There were only seventeen days left in September, which meant I had less than seventeen days to come up with five thousand, four hundred and twenty-two dollars or be sidestepping buckets in my little house for the remainder of the year. Of course, this all hinged on me being lucky because, as is stands, the likelihood of this warm weather lasting until October was slim at best. Most years we had snow by now.
“Ray,” Nora called from reception.
Sighing, I picked up the bill and dropped it in my purse. It was only Monday. I had the rest of the week left to worry about my finances and to create money from thin air.
“I’ll be right out,” I hollered and picked up the coffee mug Nora had bought for me.
It was white, dipped in red glitter, and in frilly script it said Hot Mama on the side. While the gesture was kind, I wasn’t sure I was the type of woman who fit in the hot category of life.
On a good day (today was not a good day), I was lucky to have applied mascara along with my moisturizer, and on a bad day, I could be covered in animal vomit. Yes, my career was not among the coveted of glamorous jobs. I was a small town vet in a small town I didn’t know well, with a flat chest and a bony ass that spent too many hours at work.
There were days I washed my hair twice in the shower because I’d either been too tired or too distracted to remember if I’d already done it.
Hot, I was not.
Placing a pen in the chest pocket of my light grey scrubs, I carried me and my coffee into reception.
“I’m just not sure I’m going to be able to afford to replace the roof before winter,” I told Nora as I approached her desk. “Which wouldn’t be so bad except it’s already been leaking with the little bit of summer rain we’ve had. I don’t know what…” My voice trailed off at the strange expression on her face. “What?” I asked.
She flicked her eyes to the waiting area, and mine followed.
Standing there, in the middle of my reception area, was a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Owen. “What are y-y-you doing here?” I sputtered, spitting some of the coffee in my mouth down my chin.
