Hey, can I come by and see my baby?
Colter
Yeah, she’s waitingfor you.
While I type, another one from Caroline comes through, just two words, “I bet.” And if they aren’t damn true. It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman, since before Indie left. I’m just not a casual hook up kind of guy. I’ve never dreamed of waking up next to a woman before but this morning, before I opened my eyes, I saw her green eyes looking back at me, sleep tousled hair a mess from me running my fingers through it.
It was a very imaginative morning.
“Dolly, Hank. Truck.” They run out the door ahead of me and sit by the passenger side door, waiting for me to open it. Once we are all in, I set off down the road. I’ve got a few hours before I have to open the bar and it’s been too long since I’ve been to see Lola.
The comfort I find pulling up next to Cash’s truck at the old farmhouse is immeasurable. This place has always felt like home. I see him bounding down the steps, dogs hot on his heels.
“Why the fuck do you look so happy?” I joke as I grab him around the neck, knocking his hat off and rubbing his head. The dogs start wrestling in the dirt too.
Pulling himself free, he swipes his hat from the ground and throws a loose punch.
“Gotta be quicker than that, old man,” he says as his soft hit lands true on my chest. “Just being an amazing rodeo champion, you know. Plus, the girl of my dreams.”
He sets off at a jog toward the barn. I follow behind with a trail of dogs barking and shuffling behind me.
The inside of the six-stall barn is clean and smells like fresh hay and musky horse. It’s comforting in the way home is after a long vacation.
Walking down to stall number four, with its hand painted sign bearing ‘Lola,’ I whistle low, and she pops her head out.
She stretches her neck to reach me, and I move closer, unlatching her stall. During my drive over, Cash must havesaddled her for me. Her white hair and long gray mane are shiny and clean. Her red leather saddle,Dukeengraved on the side, is slung over a soft fleece blanket. Grabbing her rope, I lead her from the barn.
Sitting in the saddle, I wait for Cash to join me on Daisy before we set off.
“She just shows up last week, coffee and pastries in hand, like the freaking angel she is.” Cash just chats about Callie, not a care in the world. I don’t listen too closely; he just wants to talk.
“She sounds pretty perfect, Cash. What’s the catch?” I think back to my own girl. I haven’t gotten to spend enough time with her to know if there is a catch yet, but the tension and heat between us is boiling up, quickly.
“Couldn’t tell you. I haven’t seen anything yet. She’s got some sort of past she’s working through but otherwise…” He shrugs.
“You serious about this girl? Like actually serious?” I ask him, surprised. He hasn’t ever been serious about someone so it’s a pretty abrupt change.
“Yeah, Duke. It’s new and I don’t know what will happen, but it feels different this time.”
“Bout damn time.”
Rubbing down the bartop again, despite the bar being almost completely empty, I get lost in my thoughts. I’m completely lost in thoughts of a beautiful blonde, in my lap, grinding on me, her arms around me, her vanilla strawberry smell all over me. Swiping my rag over the wet wood, I zone out.
Swipe.
Her sad eyes as she tears up, her pain eating her up.
Swipe.
Her joyful smile as she pointed out all the animals on our drive. Her excitement over the fish she had on her line.
Swipe.
“Grumpy, what’s a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?”
I jump at the sound of her voice and she laughs, loudly, drawing the attention of the couple of men in the bar. Her eyes dance with mirth at my embarrassment and I narrow my eyes.
“Good evening to you too, Caroline. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
