Chapter 11 White Horse
Nicki took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Another older, short woman answered. This one, however, had a warm smile and kind eyes. Her long grey hair was combed back in a neat French braid.
“Can I help you?” she asked curiously.
“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you. I’m looking for someone. Tommy Dorien. Do you know him at all?” Nicki said with the last drop of hope she had left.
The golden glow touched the woman’s eyes and she smiled wider.
“Oh, Tommy’s here alright! Maybe you could get him off of that darn horse!” she said, and waved Nicki inside.
Her stomach flooded with joy as she allowed herself to enter the house further than it was polite to, and looked through the living room windows onto the vast ranch at the back of the house.
“May I?” Nicki asked the woman, motioning to the back porch door.
“Help yourself, darlin’ and good luck! Ha!” the woman yelled out.
Nicki was already out the door.
She dropped her bag and cardigan where she stood under the waving American flag and ran over the grass toward the man on the horse.
The faster she ran, the more her eyes flooded with tears that poured down her cheeks as she got closer to him. There he was…
The sweating white-chocolate horse darted back at the command of the makeshift reins Tommy held fast in his hand, handling the horse meticulously and working him hard.
He wore his standard ripped jeans, motorcycle boots, no shirt, and a worn brown leather cowboy hat.
His face was concentrated on giving the exhausted horse his commands and pushing him harder.
The scrapes and cuts on Tommy’s back signalled he had fallen several times, and the dirt on his face and chest signalled that he didn’t care to shower.
Untrimmed rugged scruff had taken over his face.
His unkempt mullet had grown out into wilder amber locks, almost long enough that he could gather it into a ponytail.
Nicki stopped to catch her breath. She took a moment to look at him, before he noticed her. She verified he didn’t seem too hurt, at least not from the outside, and she made sure it wasn’t a mirage.
I found you.
Her heart rejoiced. And in Tommy’s unusually serious, concentrated face, she saw a resemblance to Tyler she had not seen before. Tommy’s regular up-beat mood masked all brotherly genetic similarities between them—other than their size—and their opposite personalities pulled them apart.
“Tommy!” Nicki yelled with all her might, from several yards away.
Tommy glanced back, pulling the horse about.
His face dropped.
There she was, standing in a lavender dress in the middle of a field, basking in the sunset glow, exhausted and unapologetic, with her flowing hair down to the small of her back, with streaming tears down her face.
His heart flatlined.
You found me.
His eyes darted to Nicki’s left hand.
No ring, yet.
Tommy’s dangerous smile spread across his face all the way into his dimples that his scruff couldn’t even hide. He led the horse closer to her.
He slid off effortlessly while the horse was still walking and his tanned, dirty, muscular body beamed in the golden glow. A real live American cowboy.
The horse appreciated Tommy finally getting off of him.
Nicki ran over to Tommy, as soon as his feet touched the Earth.
“Tommy!” Nicki shrieked excitedly before jumping on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He tightened his arms around her tiny body and lifted her up.
She wrapped her legs around his waist as hard as she could and wouldn’t let go. She cried harder.
“Nicki, it’s OK, honey, it’s OK. Don’t cry, don’t be sad,” Tommy said, quietly. Comfortingly. “I can’t believe you found me.”
“I’m not sad, I’m happy. I’m so happy to see you, Tommy!” Nicki exclaimed, now releasing herself from him.
She stood in front of him and looked deeply into his eyes from under the rim of his cowboy hat. He scanned her face as if trying to believe she was actually standing in front of him.
“Are you OK?” she asked.
His eyes looked deeply into hers. He shook his head.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said quietly.
He sneaked a peek behind her, looking out for his brother and the crew. But there was no one.
“I can’t believe you left us!” Nicki quipped, then playfully hit him on the shoulder.
He didn’t even flinch.
“I’m mad at you! Tyler is mad at you! Everyone is upset that you left, Tommy! Why?” Nicki asked. She didn’t want to give him the third degree so quickly upon their reunion but couldn’t help to ask the questions she wanted answered.
“I got your note,” Nicki said, her smile fading.
Tommy nodded but didn’t have a particular response more than that, to any of her questions.
“Where is he?” Tommy finally asked, still standing just a few inches away from her.
“I snuck out. He doesn’t know I’m here. At least not yet.”
“We don’t have much time then. And we have a horse to steal.”
Tommy grabbed her hand. “Come here,” he ordered.
Tommy pulled Nicki’s hand, and guided her along the grass toward the horse.
“What are you doing?” Nicki asked.
“We’re going for a ride,” Tommy answered.
“No, no, we’re not!” Nicki said, pulling her hand away.
Tommy stopped and turned around abruptly.
“Nicki, look around you. Look! There is no one here. It’s just you and me. And the horse we were supposed to steal in the Bahamas. That’s it.”
Tommy motioned for her to get on as he guided the horse back.
“Wow, you won’t ever let that go, will you?” Nicki asked, crossing her arms.
“Get up,” Tommy ordered.
“Me? On the horse? With you?”
Tommy nodded. “Yup!”
“We can’t! It’ll be too heavy for him!” Nicki argued.
“Are you being serious? Look at the size of him! It’ll be like you putting on a hat. Come on, let’s go, it’s going to get dark soon.”
Nicki looked back at the sunset; a smidgen of which was still visible on the western horizon line.
She hesitated.
Tommy boosted her up and held the horse steady until she secured herself on top.
“Oh my God, it’s so high up here!” she exclaimed nervously.
“It’s not that high,” Tommy teased as he climbed on the horse.
He scooted behind Nicki closely and pulled her back against him.
He gathered the material of her dress with both fists up at her hips and used it to pull her back into him closer.
He held the reins in front of her and rested his chin on her shoulder, practically nuzzling into her neck.
The gesture was inappropriate and he dressed it up as the necessity to see ahead, and he didn’t care.
Nicki’s joy of their reunion allowed it for now and Tommy basked in the elation of being so close to her.
“Mmmm, you smell pretty,” Tommy said.
“That’s because you smell like horse!” Nicki quipped back.
“You ready?” Tommy whispered in her ear.
“Do I have a choice?” Nicki yelled out.
“Nope!” Tommy quipped and pulled the reins hard, forcing the horse to bolt quickly.
“Aaah!” Nicki exclaimed.
The horse galloped into the wide ranch along the grassy field and Tommy held her securely in his arms.
She grabbed his forearms as the only security she had and laughed with the breeze as the horse ran.
Tommy smiled, breathing her in and looking at the pink fading sky ahead of them.
It took all of his new found energy not to look down her dress. But even he knew himself better than that, and enjoyed the view of the sunset almost as much as the view of her cleavage.
The horse continued to gallop and Tommy held on tighter and closer than he needed to, for as long as she would let him.
The sweet older woman stepped out from the house, and collected Nicki’s tote bag and sweater from the ground.
She waved widely until the pair finally noticed among their laughing. Dinner was ready.
“So, you’ve met Aunt Marge I see,” Tommy said, slowing the horse down to a brisk walk.
“Actually, not yet. I pretty much just trampled through the house to see if it was really you back here,” Nicki replied. “I’ll be happy to meet her before I go, find some sort of motel for the night.”
“Are you for real? You’re not going anywhere; you’re staying here tonight!” Tommy said, now pulling the horse to a complete stop just a few yards away from the house.
He slid off the tired horse then reached out to pull Nicki down.
She slid into his arms and gave him a tight hug upon landing.
“I’m really happy to see you, Tommy.”
“I’m really touched that you found me, sweetheart.”
“Now that we went for that horse ride, I can take you home tomorrow,” Nicki said.
“Not yet. I’m going to keep you here until Tyler finds us. And kicks my ass!” Tommy said with a nervous laugh.
“And mine!” Nicki laughed in return.
They walked back to the house together, starving and dirty, to a simply set outdoor table under the shady back porch, overlooking the ranch.
“Tommy, you better take a shower before you join us at the table, otherwise it’ll be an insult to the food!” Marge teased.
“Alright, alright!” Tommy caved, throwing his cowboy hat onto one of the porch chairs.
He ran inside.
“And put on a shirt!” Marge added, laughing.
Nicki chuckled and extended her hand.
“I’m so sorry for the intrusion, I didn’t even introduce myself yet, I’m—”
“I know who you are. You’re the reason Tommy ran away and couldn’t get off that damn horse until you showed up. He’s going to kill himself on that wild thing, so you, my dear, are more than welcome here. Sit down, sweetheart, Ron is going to come out with his stew soon!”
“That’s so nice, thank you. Is there anything I can help with?” Nicki offered.
“Actually, you can help cut up some tomatoes for the salad.”
“Absolutely! Whatever you need! I’ll just wash my hands from the horse, and well, Tommy.”
The two laughed out loud together.
A few moments later, Tommy walked back out onto the porch, this time freshly showered with a crisp white T-shirt, accentuating his early summer tan and his hair still wet; his grown-out mullet slicked back.
The orange fire in his wolf eyes burned as he watched Nicki bring out a big bowl of salad and place it onto the table.
Nicki winked at him and ignored the flutter of nerves that came with being here. At the same time, she silently prayed that Tommy’s feelings for her had subsided since he left. She could feel him watching her from across the table, and she carefully avoided his gaze at all costs.
Ron came out with a large pot of stew.
“This is my specialty!” he announced proudly.
Everyone ate Ron’s famous stew outside in the dry Montana air.
“So? You got your girl here, now where is that brother of yours?” Marge asked.
“She’s not my girl,” Tommy answered in between mouthfuls.
“Tyler will be coming, I’d assume by this time tomorrow,” Nicki interjected. “Would be nice if I convince you to come home before then,” she whispered over to Tommy.
“This is delicious, Margie, thank you,” Tommy said.
“I’m glad you finally ate!” Marge exclaimed.
He further changed the subject to anything but his brother. Ron helped him out by talking in depth about his long fishing trips.
Marge started to clear the plates with Ron. Nicki got up to help.
“Sit down, Missy! Guests don’t clean!” Marge quipped.
Nicki plopped back down.
“How did you find me?” Tommy whispered.
Marge and Ron entered the house with their hands full of plates.
“I can’t tell you.”
“How did you get here?” Tommy asked.
Nicki reached over to her bag and took out the red bandana and handed it to Tommy. “I walked here from where you abandoned your bike.”
Tommy took the bandana and rubbed it between his fingers. A cooler breeze blew.
He handed it back to Nicki and looked away.
“Why did you run away, Tommy?”
The screen door opened and Marge brought out a homemade pie.
“You know why,” Tommy whispered.
“Margie! Look at that thing!” Tommy yelled out.
“As long as you’re here, you will eat!” Marge stated, plopping the pie on the table.
“Wow!” Nicki added.
“Let me just get the forks now,” Marge said.
“Tommy. We need you back home,” Nicki whispered. “I’m taking you back.”
Tommy shook his head. “I’ll go back when Tyler comes and gets me. You’re not strong enough to kick my ass, Nicki. You can only break my heart.”
Nicki looked at him concerned. “Tommy.”
Marge came back onto the porch holding up forks in one hand, a tea pot in another. Ron followed behind her dutifully with small plates and tea cups.
“This is so lovely,” Nicki said, unable to sit any longer without helping. She got up to help set the table for dessert.
Tommy glanced over at her backside then chowed down on two slices of pie, to drown out Marge talking about the brothers as kids when they spent the summer here.
The more Marge mentioned Tyler, the more his fear of him crept into his stomach of his looming arrival. His days—or more like hours—were numbered, and he knew it. As soon as Nicki stepped foot on this ranch, the countdown was on.
“See that broken fence over there?” Ron said, pointing to the broken wood and rusted barbed wire curled around it. “Tommy chased a wild horse that nearly knocked Tyler, who tried to catch him, over and the horse ran right into that fence, knocking it over.”
“My goodness, was the horse OK?” Nicki asked.
“The horse? The horse didn’t even feel it! Tyler almost got killed, but do you think that would have stopped him? No! They kept chasing it, thinking they could climb on it and ride it around like their own little pony!” Ron shouted with a chuckle.
“Crazy boys,” Marge added in a whisper.
Tommy rolled his eyes, and looked out onto the ranch. The tired horse had wandered over to the stream and helped himself to the cool water.
Between the pie, the reminiscing, the horse in the distance, and the tea, it was… peaceful.