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“I wasn’t even going to go all the way! You’re treating me like I don’t have any self-control or something! Like I’m still a child!”
And I snapped.
“I was fifteen once, Butch!” I roared, and he flinched. “I know exactly what you’re feeling, and no matter how in control you feel right now, things can change in an instant.”
Silence. Not even the horses continued to munch on hay as I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply. He was whining because he didn’t get his way, and I understood that. But all the same.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I returned my gaze to Butch, who looked like the small kid I remembered who used to make mud pies and throw them at his dad.
My shoulders sagged. “There is nothing wrong with what you’re feeling, but trust me. Putting yourself into a situation thinking you’ll stop before it goes too far is a recipe for disaster. Especially as a teenager.” I paused and ran a hand through my hair. Annoyed with myself. “Look at me, acting like your dad again,” I mumbled.
He simply stared at me, confusion and annoyance filling his face. Tenley’s fingers slipped into mine and she squeezed reassuringly.
“Why are you so… old?” Butch finally muttered.
“I’m not that old,” I grumbled, and the teenager shook his head.
“Again, you’re almost forty, and Tenley is the first girl I’ve ever seen you with.” He rolled his eyes. “So yeah, old.”
“You didn’t know me when I was growing up, Butch.” I sighed.
“Whatever.”
I shook my head, knowing that right now, there was no fixing what was going on. “Let me untack Darla and we will leave,” I whispered to Tenley. She nodded, and I quietly slumped away.
Butch was pissed and annoyed, obviously. I’d scared off his girl again. But that hadn’t been my intention. This was merely the second time he’d been heading to do exactly what I’d tried to remind him the last time wasn’t the smartest thing.
Grabbing the saddle off of Darla, I glanced at the now empty entrance to the stall barn. Butch was gone, probably chasing after Charlotte to try and do damage control, still pissed at me. Tenley gave me a soft smile, and I paused, watching her.
And realized that Butch was right. I was being a hypocrite, and he was acting like a typical fifteen-year-old.
“Man, I am getting old,” I grumbled, and she giggled.
“I don’t think you’re that old,” she teased.
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “I literally told Butch off for doing what teenagers always do.”
“Well, I mean, we were also doing exactly what teenagers were doing and he caught us. So…” She sheepishly pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“So that makes me not old?” I lifted a brow, walking to the right, and slowly wandered out into the chilly night air. Tenley followed, and our footsteps softly crunched over the snowy ground toward the trailer parked off near a fence railing.
“Exactly. We just need to be more careful. Set some boundaries,” she replied and I glanced over my shoulder. She wiggled her eyebrows, lightheartedly mocking me. So I played along in return.
“Okay. I get it. No touching at all. Polite hellos and goodbyes. That’s it.” I grinned, teasing, and grabbed the handle to the tack door.
“Weston.” She folded her arms over her chest as I spun out the saddle rack.
I chuckled. “Right right. Only hand holding, but no kissing?”
She pursed her lips.
“No hand holding, but we do get to kiss?” I winked slyly and returned the tack to its rightful place.
“Do I have to spell it out for you?” she hissed through her teeth, and I wiggled my brows. Grabbing her face, I tipped her head up and pressed my lips to hers.
“I mean, I’m pretty good at sneaking around. Though I double check whenever I’m creeping up on someone now to make sure no one has a medical bag to throw at me,” I said against her mouth.
“Good thing I’m the one sneaking around with you this time and not the one you're sneaking up on,” she replied with a grin, and I shook my head but brushed my lips across hers.
