AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cassidy furrowed his brows. “You’re going down?”
I nodded stiffly.
“As in, you’re going to town for something other than chicken feed,” he said again in befuddlement.
I once more confirmed his statement with a nod. Then a slow, mischievous grin spread across his face as everyone slowly began making their way out of the trailer. “So, something good happened when you went to meet Tenley?”
I sighed and chuckled. “Not sure.”
Doc joined Cassidy and I before Cassidy was able to pry and weasel for more information. “I’ll call Carly on the way to the clinic, see if she’s still up to give us an extra hand. She closed the clinic today, so I’m hoping that she hasn’t gone to bed yet, despite it being late in the evening,” he said and gave me a tight smile.
I grunted an agreement. “Hop in, I’ll drop you at your truck and follow you down.”
Doc looked surprised, raising his brows between Cassidy and me. “You’re coming?” Doc asked, pointing at me.
“Seriously, why is that so surprising?” I demanded, exasperated.
“Because you’re going to town!” they both exclaimed at the same time. I tipped my head down and stared at the ground. Their surprise shouldn’t have been such a shock; I never offered to go to town for nearly anything that wasn’t by myself, once a month, to the feed store. Plus, no one knew that I’d been down to pick up Tenley once before besides Tenley herself.
Honestly, it had become a habit. I didn’t avoid going to town because of my insecurities as I’d once done. No, I couldn’t care less what others thought about me. Those rumors I truly found funny. But it had been so long since I’d gone into town under any circumstance, I couldn’t blame them for being so shocked.
“Look, the longer you two stand here, acting shocked, the more likely Eugene is to die,” I stated, ignoring the stares from not just Doc and Cassidy now, but the few other hands that had paused around us.
They continued to remain frozen solid.
“Seriously, you two!” I snapped again, finding it slightly funny that my offer had truly surprised them this much.
“He offered….” Cassidy mumbled at Doc, his eyes never leaving my face. Doc slowly nodded, his gaze as wide and apparent as ever. I chuckled to myself and then turned away, heading towards the front of the truck.
Jumping into the driver's seat, I turned the engine over as Doc hoisted himself in. It was a short drive to his truck where he exited without a word, leaving me with just my thoughts.
Thoughts that tumbled through my mind, jumbled and distorted. So many of Tenley and what might have come from the much needed conversation, while the rest were of what was happening now. Who was doing this? How did they know I was gone? What did they try to poison my cattle with? And why the sudden escalation from locoweed to whatever this was?
It was a lot yet, no matter how intense this cattle situation was, everything with Tenley seemed to tug harder and harder. Gaining more of my attention than it should. I prayed that having to leave hadn’t ruined the possibility of sharing something with her.
I prayed even harder that somehow, her father would come around.
Chapter 25
**TENLEY**
Istared across the room at my parents, feeling anything but okay. It wasn’t regret I was feeling from texting Weston and the fact that he had shown up, it was sadness that I had to do so behind my parents’ backs. I may not have rebelled much growing up, but I was now, except it didn’t feel exciting or good. Weston had held me in his arms, unplanned, in a way that had been long overdue. Even though he’d left tonight and I was desperately wishing I could’ve gone with him, I understood why.
Not just because I wasn’t necessarily needed as Doc could handle the situation, but also because of my parents. If I’d disappeared they would’ve become suspicious. Plus there was Trixie, and I was doing everything in my power to not be that horribly selfish friend that was just a drag at this party.
The bounding figure of a very happy girl came my way, her curls flowing down her shoulders like the majestic queen she was. “Where’d your tall, dark, delicious, and mysterious cowboy go?” Trixie asked with a wink.
“Back home for an emergency,” I replied with a shake of my head. Although, I was secretly happy that she thought the same thing about Weston as I did. He was just that, and I’d been a fool to take so long to recognize how much I truly desired him.
“So, go after him,” she replied and brushed some hair over her shoulder.
“I’m sorry?”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “I may not know why you don’t want to show him off to the world, but I can recognize the look he gave you.”
“I’m not hiding him, it’s just complicated,” I answered a little sharper than intended, and my eyes drifted once more towards my parents. Trixie followed my gaze and sighed.
“So, it’s a parents thing. Why do they not approve?” she asked. Of course she knew without me having to say anything at all. She always knew.
