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“Woo,” I force it out, because inside I feel gutted. This is not the prom experience I thought I was going to be having.
I wanted this special night with Riggs.
But instead, I have it with Pacey.
What a bitch I am for feeling disappointed when Pacey has stepped in to be my date at the last minute instead of being with anyone else.
Determination floods me to make this a good night for me and for Pacey. I push thoughts of Riggs away once we’re pulled up at Lovelock High and I focus on enjoying my night with Pacey, Harlow and Austin.
CHAPTEREIGHT
RIGGS
Iam wrecked. I slept like shit last night and my eyes were still pinned to the ceiling when my alarm went off. Slamming my hand down on the alarm clock I groan, swinging my legs around and I sit on the edge of the bed, reaching up then clicking my neck from side to side. Scrubbing my face with my hand, the roughness of my beard scratches my palm as I run my hand back and forth across my chin. It didn’t matter what I did, I couldn’t get Aspen off my mind.
Sighing, I push up and drag my heavy body to the bathroom. I spent far too long in the shower and by the time I look at the clock it’s already past five a.m.Shit.
Grabbing my hat from the back of the door, I place it on my head and trudge downstairs. Everyone else is still asleep, and I am grateful. I’m in no mood to put up with anyone’s shit today because all it’ll take is one wrong word and I’ll bite their heads off like a damn grizzly bear.
Turning the coffee pot on, the buzzing from the refrigerator is humming low, the sound of the coffee machine kicking up, the gurgling of the water filling through the tubes. Every little noise was pushing me that little closer to erupting like a dormant volcano, lava bubbling at the tip of the surface.
Grabbing a mug off the mug tree on the countertop, I shove it under the teat of the machine and watch as it begins to trickle out with the dark, glorious liquid.
Why is everything taking so long?
A headache teases, throbbing at my temples and radiating across the front of my head. Rubbing my fingers over my forehead back and forth, I will for some of the tension to leave. I feel bunched up, everything is wound tight and I don’t even know how to unwind myself.
Grabbing my now full mug, I add some creamer and thump out to the bunkhouse. Time to get my day started.
Barging in, the guys are all up and ready for their day. I give them their jobs then turn and get lost in my never ending list. I like the winter months though, everything is more relaxed and I find myself having time to actually get the shit done that I have been putting off for the last however many weeks. My mind wanders to Aspen and her shitty plastic car, I wonder if she has had it fixed yet or whether it’s still sitting in the garage.
Why do you care?
Who even has a car like that. My head shakes softly, trying to clear my thoughts of Aspen.
The hours rush by as I steadily make my way through tasks. Once lunch is over, I walk towards the stalls as the other guys move the cows from the front pasture to the back and near the creek.
Leading the last horse out into the paddock, I turn them out and let them roam whilst the others are working.
Mucking out stalls is not usually my job, but we’re two cowboys down so I decided to throw the two yard-hands, Billy and James out with the cowboys. I had a couple of guys apply for the job, and one woman, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted the aggravation that came with having a lady in the bunkhouse with filthy mouthed and rowdy cowboys.
I am deep in thought when I hear the sound of footsteps closing in on me. Poking my head over the top of the stall door, I see Aspen walking towards me. She looks a million miles away and it’s not till she stops, she realizes where she is.
“Shit,” I groan, slipping back and out of her view.
“Riggs?” she calls out and I close my eyes for a moment, my heart thrashing in my chest like a wild horse and I suck in a breath before I respond.
“Yeah,” my voice is gruff and low and I finally—after what feels like hours—step out of the stall with the fork in my hand. She seems a little hesitant, playing with the small bit of hair that is loose from her braid. The air knocks out of my lungs with a heavy blow, my bad mood teetering on turning good. I would be lying if I said I didn’t find her beautiful.
She wasbeautiful, stunning, exquisite even. She looked so much better in her old gear than she did the tight dress and high heels that she showed up in.
“Hey,” she grins at me and her kindness fills me with dread. She hasn’t sought me out once, and now here she is trying to make conversation.
“Hey,” I pinch my brows and they dig into the center of my forehead, creasing. A low growl vibrates in my throat at the thought of her on her little date yesterday.
“Sorry for just walking in…” she pauses for a moment and looks over her shoulder back to where she just wandered in from. “I was just walking, lost in my own thoughts and well, for some reason I ended up here.”
That’s because you know this route like the back of your hand. Your body went into autopilot and took you to the one place you feel most safe.
