Cowboy #2
“I won’t give you personal details. Just know that she utterly believes that you only want to have sex with her.
She’s never been that kind of person. In high school, plenty of guys chased her, but she rarely dated because they wanted notches on their belts.
The same thing is true as an adult. She’s had boyfriends, but they’ve always disappointed or hurt her.
I don’t want my best friend hurt, you hear me?
If this is a game or you want to play boyfriend for a while to see if you can stick to it, stay away from her,” he demanded.
“I’m getting tired of you accusing me of playing games and that sex is my motivator, not feelings. I’m tired of those sluts both at the rodeo and at my clubhouse. I’ve always wanted to have an old lady and a family. I’m thirty-one. I’m ready.”
“Okay, but why Sari? There has to be plenty of women dying to be your woman.”
“There are, but they don’t have the qualities that I want. Sex is only a tiny part of it. But I will say, Saranya drives me wild.”
“Hey, I don’t need to hear that! She’s my sister from a different mister,” he protested, grimacing.
I chuckled. He acted as a brother would.
I continued, “From what little I’ve seen of her, she has some of those qualities and likely more.
I’m a horse lover. She and I share a huge thing there.
She’s intelligent, kind, and helpful. I saw that the night the club had dessert.
And while you don’t want to hear it, the physical side is intense, too.
I’ve never encountered that with anyone before.
If there’s any chance she feels anything for me, I can’t let her walk away without us exploring it. What if we’re meant for each other?”
“You sound sincere, and you’re saying the right things, Cowboy. But what if this is all bullshit talk? I mean, you’re a biker. Fidelity doesn’t seem to fit with that image.”
“How do you know? Do you know a bunch of bikers? Or is it based on crap you see on television? I admit, bikers have fun. Some aren’t made to be monogamous.
But that’s not all of us, and it’s not me.
I can assure you, my club brothers who’re married are totally faithful.
If they stepped out on their old ladies, not only would they leave them, but they’d make them pay before they did.
Would Saranya sit back and take a man cheating on her? ”
“Hell no, she wouldn’t. They’re kicked to the curb immediately, and there’s no chance of reconciliation,” he responded.
“Has she had someone cheat on her?” I asked. The way he said she wouldn’t stand for it made me think someone had.
“Sari’s personal life, past or present, is hers to tell, not mine.”
“Okay, answer me this. Can you honestly swear that you and she have never had a desire to be more than friends?”
“No, we haven’t. In high school, we kissed once, just to test ourselves. Everyone kept questioning why we weren’t together. It was like I kissed my sister. There have never been repressed sexual feelings between us,” he answered without delay.
Unable to conceive of it, I asked the other question on my mind. “Are you gay? Is that why there’s been nothing between you and Saranya?”
War laughed. When he finished, he shook his head as he answered me. “No, I can say without a shred of doubt that I am one hundred percent heterosexual. Your wish that I were gay is denied.”
“Fuck, you know how to annoy a guy. It would be better if you were. I hate the idea of another man being any kind of support for the woman I want. I should be the one providing all the support she needs.”
“Admirable, but not realistic. Women need someone to vent to when their men piss them off. Sari happens to have one who has a penis.” War smirked.
“Shut the fuck up! From now on, you’re a eunuch, hear me?” I grumbled.
The tension in the room was decreasing the longer we talked. I hated to admit it, but I liked the guy. He had a sense of humor and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.
“Whatever lets you sleep at night. But you’re assuming a lot. As it stands, my bestie isn’t opening the door to you, allowing you into her life. You have two strikes against you. Vegas, and then the other day,” he reminded me.
I groaned and rubbed my jaw. “Don’t remind me. I’m stuck. I don’t think she’ll open her door if I go back there. And if I call, she can hang up. She refused to come to our New Year’s Eve party. How the hell can I clear things up with her if I can’t see or talk to her?”
“Mmm, that’s tough. It’ll take plotting. I can’t believe I’m about to do this. If you make me regret this, I’ll make sure you doubly regret it,” he warned.
“Regret what?” I dared not hope he was about to do what I wished for.
“Regret helping you to see Sari and be able to present your case again. If I do, and you hurt her, I’ll make sure you never function as a man again.
And if you ever raise a hand to her or your children, if you get her to agree to be yours, I’ll do the same.
Remember, there are plenty of swamps and alligators in Florida. I can make you disappear.”
I wisely kept my mouth shut about Gnawbert, the giant alligator that lived outside our compound. He’d helped us dispose of problems more than a few times.
“You have my word. What’s your idea?”
And that was how I ended up spending two hours with War.
The man I expected to dislike and wanted to punch ended up working with me to lay out a strategy to see Saranya.
By the time he called it so that he could see her, I felt better.
I walked him back to his car out front of the clubhouse.
We shook hands. Tomorrow would be the day our plan would be put into motion. All I had to do was wait for his text.
After War left, I was filled with restless energy that I needed to work off. I wasn’t working at Hook & Reel, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t go there. I could always find something to do. Twenty minutes after War left, I was on my bike headed into St. Augustine.