3. Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Billy
I ’m not sure that I believe her, but I’m dead on my feet, and too goddamn tired to probe her any further. “Fine. Let me pay you for what you’ve done here tonight.” I say as I lift my wallet out of my back pocket.
She raises a hand. “No, that’s fine, Mr. Barnes. If you want to keep the townspeople happy, it’s best if you pay me properly, biweekly, with a paycheck.”
“Well, that sounds like a real pain in the ass to me, but if that’s what you want.”
“I thought you said that you cared what people thought about you. Don’t you think that when word gets around, that they’ll question how you’re paying me?”
The girl has a point. “Alright. Fine. You put your details into the computer and pay yourself accordingly then. I’m dead tired and I’ve got to be up at the crack of dawn for the damn builders.”
“Do you mind if I keep working? I’d like to get this table settled if it’s all the same to you.”
“Sure. Hell, I don’t care. If y’all hear Mazy whinnying, y’all come wake me up.” I wave, walking away from her.
“Mazy?”
“My mare. In the barn. She’s about to go into calf. I’ve got Dr. Collins on call if there are any complications.”
Her mouth twitches into a smile. “Your horse is ready to give birth? And you know what to do?”
“I own a ranch, Miss Charlton. I should hope I know how to breed horses.” Her expression drops some and I feel like a shit. “You wanna see her?”
“I wasn’t joking when I said that I love horses, sir.” She answers, face wide with a smile.
“You ever ridden one?”
She shakes her head no. “Never, sir, but I’ve always wanted to.”
I can’t help the words. “Well, then, tonight’s your night.”
“Oh, I couldn’t, sir. I thought you said that she’s about to have a baby, and you said that you’re dead tired. I...I couldn’t impose.”
“If you’re going to work here, Miss Charlton, you’re going to need to know a thing or two about horses. The sooner the better. Come on. Come with me.”
Her face lights up like a goddamn Christmas tree. I want to grumble and grimace so badly, but I can’t help but feel the excitement. And, truth be told, it sounds like she hasn’t had a whole lot to smile about recently. Neither have I, frankly, but at least my folks didn’t just die, and I’m certainly not living out of my vehicle. I think I hear her squeal a little, too, and I chuckle. “I’ve never even been up close to a horse before.” She says excitedly.
“Well, you’re going to love Mazy. She’s the most docile horse there is. I’m going to have her for riding lessons, and her offspring, too.”
“How many babies is she going to have?”
“Oh, just the one, for now.” I tell her as we turn the corner to go to the barn.
Mazy is standing in her stall, chomping on some hay happily. She releases a happy exhale when she sees me. “Hello, girl. How are y’all doing?” I ask softly, patting her snout. “This is Miss Charlton.”
“Piper.” She corrects. “My name is Piper. And it’s nice to meet you.”
Mazy lowers her head so that she can reach her better. “Oh, she likes you. That’s what she does when she wants to be pet more.”
“She’s beautiful.” Piper says softly, almost in awe. “God, I never knew they could be so gorgeous up close. Just look at those big eyes.”
“Yeah, she’s a beaut. And she takes very well to people, but she’s sure to let me know if someone comes around here. Horses are better at home security than any damn alarm system on the market.”
“Really?” Piper asks, just about hugging the horse.
“It looks like this is love at first sight.” I say with a smile. Piper certainly passed the test. Mazy can weed out anyone with ill intentions. That’s how come I let one of my ranch hands go. Cassidy told me I was nuts, but a horse doesn’t lie. Especially this one.
“I love her, too.” She says, hugging Mazy’s snout. As she looks down at her swollen belly, she gasps. “Oh, goodness! She’s so...large!”
“Yep. She is. This one’s going to pop any day now.” I say proudly. Then I’ll have two horses for riding.” I open the stall and Mazy walks ahead a step. “Come on, Miss Charlton. Let’s get you on her.”
“Oh, I’m not going to hurt her, am I? Should she be riding in her delicate state?”
I chuckle. “She loves to ride, and the exercise is good for her. Plus, she’ll let you know if she goes into labor. And you’re only going to ride her around the barn.” I say with a grunt, reaching for the mounting block. I pull it over and slide a saddle on Mazy’s back. “Here. I’ll help you up.”
“Are you sure?” She asks reluctantly.
“Sure, I'm sure.” I nod with a smile. “I wouldn’t put you or Mazy in harm’s way.”
“Okay.” She says. Then she looks up at Mazy. “Do you mind if I give it a try? I won’t hurt you.”
The horse makes a happy breathing noise, and I know that she really likes her, setting my mind at ease.
“Come on. Let’s get you up here before the sun is completely down.” I encourage.
Piper lifts her foot onto the mounting block, and I steady her by holding both hands on her waist, helping push her up onto Mazy’s back. With a soft grunt, she’s up easily, and she lets out another little squeal once she’s settled. “Gosh, this is so exciting! How old were you when you first rode a horse?”
I pull the mounting block away. “I think I was...three or four? That’s alone, mind you. My uncle had me up with him once I could walk.”
“Really? No wonder you know so much about them.”
“I was raised on a ranch. Not my own, mind you, but my uncle’s.” I tell her as I guide Mazy out of the barn. Her steps are slow and measured, not only because she’s very pregnant, but because she senses that Piper is new at this. Mazy is very apt at telling who’s seasoned and who’s not.
“How often do you ride?”
“Oh, every day, darlin’. I couldn’t imagine not riding. And Mazy here needs exercise, pregnant or not. It’s important to keep a horse in good shape.”
“So this is good for her.”
“It is. And she loves to ride, especially with people that she likes.”
“Is there anyone that she doesn’t like?”
“Ah, Mazy lets me know. But she’s a real lover. I can tell that she really likes you.” The smile on Piper’s face is contagious. As we walk around the barn, I imagine how wonderful it would be to show her how to ride, to gallop into the sunset. How freeing and beautiful it is. Nothing matches that feeling. And it’s something that only true horse lovers can witness. Something that Piper would adore, as I do. “How would you like to learn to ride? Call it part of your training.”
“I’d love to. This is...this is so wonderful. I mean, I know we’re not going fast, but just something about a horse, I don’t know. But...maybe you do, seeing as you’re a horse lover, too.”
“I know it well, Miss Charlton.”
“You know, you can call me Piper if you see it fit, Mr. Barnes. Nobody’s ever called me Miss Charlton before.”
“Well, then, in that case, you can call me Billy. Nobody’s ever called me Mr. Barnes, except if they didn’t like me.”
She snorts a laugh. “Well, any friend of Mazy’s is a friend of mine, sir.”
“You call me sir and I keep thinking my daddy’s around. Just call me Billy.”
“Okay, Billy. I always liked that name.”
“Oh yeah? How come? Where’d you hear it first?”
“It was in a movie, I think. Or was it Billy the Kid? I don’t know. Is your legal name William?”
“We don’t like to talk about that.” I tell her, clearing my throat, making like I’m angry, but my eyes are dancing.
She catches on and chuckles. “I suppose I should talk. With a name like Piper, I mean.”
“That’s a fine name. Better than something fluffy like Becky or something, or a snooty one like Elizabeth. No, Piper’s good. I like it.”
“Thanks.” She smiles. “Hey, Billy. You mind if I ask y’all something?”
“Sure.”
“Are you married?”
“Naw.” I wave. “I’m not the marrying type.”
“Me neither.” She says, as if confirming a thought. “My folks didn’t like each other much. And I made up my mind when I was little that I’d never be like that. That I’d never marry. How come you decided that you’re not the marrying type?”
“Well, that’s more the town that’s made up my mind, see. Nobody likes me in town, and my folks don’t like me. So, I guess I figure if nobody likes me, then I’m not fit for marrying.”
“That makes sense.” She says with a frown. “And why do people have to get married, anyway, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I mean, how old are you, Billy?”
“Just about to turn thirty in a couple months, as a matter of fact.”
“And when did you decide that y’all didn’t want to be the marrying type?”
“Oh, shoot, a long time ago. About the same time as I joined the military, I suppose.”
“You were in the military?”
“I was.”
“How come y’all decided to do that?”
I shrug. “Well, my folks didn’t have bread to send me to college, like my older brothers, and believe me, if it were up to them, I wouldn’t have gone for that. If they had their way, I’d be in the family business.”
“Is that why they’re mad at you?”
“It’s the only reason I’ve ever given them.”
“And your family business…it’s that textile factory up over the highway, right?”
“That’s right. And my folks told me if I don’t want to work there, I’m on my own.”
“So, what did you learn in the military, aside from how to fight?”
“A little of this and a little of that. Mostly business, some building stuff, and other things.”
“How long were you there?”
“Since I was seventeen.”
“Wow. That’s a long time. When did you come home?”
“About a year ago.”
“They just let you come home? I thought you had to apply to come home.”
“Naw, I got hurt, so I had to come home.”
She looks at me with so much concern, it makes me look twice at her. “What happened?”
“I got shot.”
She gasps. “Oh my gosh! Are you okay now? I mean, gosh, I’m glad you didn’t get killed.”
“That’s what my mama said.” I chuckle, not wanting to talk much more about this. I hate talking about fighting. It makes me sound like a fucking egomaniac. Joining the military isn’t something that I’m particularly proud of. Most of the townspeople know that I was a troublemaker with my folks, and the fact that I went to the military of my own accord is something that’s never discussed. My folks are happy to let people believe that they shipped me off.
“Seriously. Are you okay?”
“Well, I’m walking and talking, so I’d say that’s proof enough.”
She takes the hint, I think, since she drops the subject, looking down, giving Mazy a pat. “How am I doing?”
“Great. You feel brave?”
Her look is tentative but playful. “For what?”
“Do you feel like riding a little faster?”
She covers Mazy’s ears so preciously. “It’s not going to hurt her, is it?”
I smile. God, she’s cute. “Naw. She loves it. It’ll help her go into labor and she’s overdue.”
“Are you sure? I know that humans aren’t supposed to run when they’re pregnant.”
I lift a finger. “That’s only true if they’ve never run before. Runners are safe to keep on running until it’s uncomfortable, or unless they’ve got other issues.” I pat Mazy’s back. “Come on. I’ll throw a double saddle on and we’ll go for a ride.”
“As long as you’re sure.” She says softly, rubbing Mazy’s snout.
“Darlin’, she’s family. I’d never hurt a hair on her head.” I tell her kindly.
The soft grin on her face says that she believes me, as I lead Mazy back to the barn. As the mounting block comes into place, I lower Piper down, but she lands just so, and we end up nearly nose-to-nose. “Sorry, doll. I didn’t want you to slip out of my grasp.”
Her eyes search mine. “I guess you really wouldn’t want to hurt a hair on my head, either.” She says, her voice low and soft, innocent.
“I’ve never hurt anybody that didn’t hurt me first, darlin’. And that’s the truth.” I say as I take her hand and guide her off the mounting block, ignoring the flutter in my chest and the sudden ache behind my zipper. This girl is off bounds. Not only because she’s now my employee, but also because she’s the last thing I need. Complications. Not a fan. And by the sweetness in her glance, she didn’t feel anything but safety there, and why mess with a good thing. “Here, let me get this saddle on and I’ll boost you back up again.”
“This is fun.” She tells me.
“It’s the most fun I ever have. Especially with this girl.” I pat Mazy on the back. “She’s the best horse I ever knew.”
“I can see how. I’ve only known her a few minutes and I’m already in love.”
That statement makes me stop in my tracks. I look at her, hesitate, and smile. I feel like it’s from my heart, you know? Like someone finally feels as close to another being as I do. Sure, my brothers and I all loved horses when we grew up, but this is different. This girl has never been with one in her life, and by her eyes, I can tell that she’s sincere. But I don’t let myself feel the warm and fuzzies for more than a second. For all I know this girl can turn on her heels and leave me tomorrow, for something better, which wouldn’t be hard to find.
“Let’s get this saddle on, hm?” I tell her, turning away, setting the double saddle on Mazy’s back, as that innocent look remains on Piper’s face. It’s something I haven’t seen in a long time. Not since I was a child. Piper is child-like, and refreshing, and I feel like I can trust her. But I don’t let my hopes show. “You ready?” I ask, not waiting for her response, as I help prop her back up on the saddle and hoist myself up on the front seat. “Now, I won’t go too fast, see. Just a little faster than a trot, so don’t be scared.”
“Okay.”
“You can hold on to that metal piece right there if y’all feel uneasy.”
“Okay.” She repeats. I’m not having her hold onto me, like we’re lovers. It’s bad enough I can feel her thighs on mine from behind, and her breasts are pressed up against my back some. But, luckily, my cock isn’t twitching. It’s trained not to behave like that when I’m in a saddle, and when I’ve got a metal bit butted up against my fucking balls.
“Are you comfortable back there?” I ask her.
“Sure. And you’re sure that Mazy is comfortable?”
“Ah, she loves this. See her tail flicking back there?”
“Uh huh.”
“That pace means she’s happy. A slow flick means good, a fast flick means she’s agitated or can sense danger.”
“When did she sense danger?” She asks conversationally.
I lift my brows and turn my head, so I can see her better from behind. “That, I’m afraid, is a two-drink minimum sort of question, darlin’.”