10. Weren’t For The Wind
Weren’t For The Wind
OLLIE
AUGUST
Istood there in silence, trying not to eavesdrop on Cash’s conversation with little Miss Texas.
She looked like the epitome of a southern belle, if I’d ever seen one.
It was no wonder what Cash saw in her. She was pretty in an over the top, sugary-sweet way, with one of those lit-up-from-within smiles that I had no doubt was a thousand percent genuine. A real sunshine soul.
Completely opposite of me.
I fought back a snort. Was I really jealous of her?
No. I wasn’t. Why would I be?
Because for the past five days you’ve done nothing but fantasize about him breaking up with her.
That was so not true. Okay…mostly not true. He was hot, okay? And charismatic in a really obnoxious way. It was kind of like playing with fire. Stupid, irresponsible, but a helluva lot of fun.
Blowing out a breath, I focused my attention back on the horse I was holding.
The girl from last night was wrapping the mare's bloody leg, but the wound looked really bad. There was a practiced movement to her actions, like she did this all the time. But if you looked close enough, you’d see her hands trembling, you’d hear the panicked hitch in her breathing.
At least I did.
“Is she gonna be okay?” I asked, desperate to fill the void of silence, hoping to God our conversation would stop this girl from having a full blown panic attack. The last thing I needed was her falling apart and crying. I didn’t deal with that well.
She paused, looking up at me with eyes the color of chunks of turquoise. “I…I don’t know. She kicked through her stall and got a huge piece of wood stuck in her leg. We managed to get it out, but it won’t stop bleedin’. The vet's on his way.”
“I’m sorry.” It seemed lame to say, but it was all I could come up with.
She swiped the back of one of her arms across her forehead, pushing her wild blonde curls off her face.
“Me too. She’s my barrel horse. But looks like those days might be over, girl,” she said almost off-handedly as her gaze flicked to the mare and then me once more.
“But as long as she’s okay, I don’t really care if she never races again.
” She blew out a breath and went back to wrapping as she said, “I’m Cheyenne, by the way.
Thanks for your help. We really appreciate it. ”
“Ollie,” I replied. “And no worries. It was the least I could do.”
Cheyenne eyed me. “You managed to get Black Betty out, which in and of itself is a miracle.”
One of my shoulders rose in a shrug. “I just let her out. I didn’t really do much other than try not to get trampled.”
“Well, Mav would have completely lost it if she didn’t make it out of there. He’s already chompin’ at the bit to go find her once the sun’s up.”
I pursed my lips, the question I’d had since last night poised on the tip of my tongue. “How come he didn’t go in?” It wasn’t accusatory, more so curious. At least, I hoped.
Something flashed in Cheyenne’s eyes and I instantly regretted the words.
Shit, probably shouldn’t have asked that.
But a moment later, her thick drawl filled the air. “He was in a fire when he was a kid. His whole family died but him and that horse.”
My stomach clenched at the thought. “Oh.” Well, that made a lot of sense.
I didn’t expect her to continue on, but it seemed like Cheyenne wasn’t done talking. “If that wasn’t bad enough, last year my piece of shit ex burned my trailer down. Maverick saved my dog, but it gave him some massive PTSD for a bit that he had to work through. He didn’t talk for over a month.”
Shit. Two fires. Also, what kind of psychotic fucker would put an animal in danger like that? “Jesus Christ, I’m sorry.”
She shrugged, pushing her hair off her face again. “Don’t be. It is what it is. I’m just glad Mav’s still talkin’. I hope he doesn’t stop again. It was scary as hell.”
I didn’t miss the fear shining in her eyes. Okay, maybe it was time to change the subject. But to what? We were surrounded by doom and gloom and a shit storm of problems. I glanced back at Cash and his girlfriend.
“I wonder what they’re talking about,” I said not so casually.
A halfhearted snort escaped her as she leveled me with her turquoise stare. “If that idiot’s smart, he’s breakin’ up with her.”
“You think?”
She nodded. “He’s been tryin’ to for about a week now…” Her eyes met mine. “Actually, since he met you.”
Defensiveness bristled to life within my veins. What was she getting at? Did she think that them breaking up was my fault? “I’m just letting you know now, I haven’t done shit with him. I am not some little homewrecker.”
Her mouth popped open and then a quick, “Oh no, I don’t think that.
Honestly, Jacie Lynn and him were doomed from the start.
This has been a long time comin’.” She rose from her crouch, hiding a grimace as her muscles popped.
She was taller than me by maybe an inch or so, but something about the way she looked at me right now made me feel small.
I fought the instinct to take a step back.
“Look,” she said, blowing out a sigh, “I feel the need to warn you… Cash ain’t like anyone you’ve ever been with before.
He doesn't do love or relationships. He ain’t the settlin’ down, ride off into the sunset kinda guy. ”
I tilted my chin up, a ghost of a defiant smirk tugging on my mouth.
“I appreciate the warning, but you’ll be happy to know I’m not the settling down type either.
I don’t need a Prince Charming or someone to ride off into the sunset with.
I’m good at doing that all on my own. I’m just looking for a good time until I move on to the next town. ”
Cheyenne looked at me, her gaze flicking up and down my body as if weighing, assessing me. After a moment, she nodded. “I was just like you.”
I bit back a snort. Yeah, I highly doubted that. But I’d humor her. “Oh yeah? What changed?”
Some of the heat in her stare disappeared. “Meeting Maverick.”
I harrumphed. “Well, I’ve been with plenty of guys, and not a single one has made me feel anything worth staying.
Besides, I’m better off alone. It’s always been that way, I like it like that.
No one to disappoint me when things go to shit.
And if there’s one thing that seems to be constant in my life, it’s that sooner or later, everything goes to shit. ”
Cheyenne nodded, an unspoken emotion swirling in her gaze. She opened her mouth, and I thought she might say something, but just then the tall cowboy corralling horses from last night—Maverick—came up beside her.
“Vet’s pullin’ in. Can I get you anythin’?” One of his hands drifted to her waist, a simple, silent touch of reassurance. I noticed the scars along his arm—raised and angry even after all this time.
Damn.
Cheyenne’s face softened and an appreciative smile blossomed on her lips. “No, I’m good. Have you met Ollie? She’s one of Hux and Quinn’s ranch hands. She—”
“You got Betty out,” he cut in, his voice deep—ridiculously deep—and full of a quiet intensity. I shivered under the weight of his stare.
I nodded. “I’m sorry she got loose. I hope she’s okay.”
He gave me a single, curt nod. “She’s tough as hell. Knowin’ her, she’s fine. Spooked, but fine. I’m gonna go out soon and look for her once things are a bit more settled.”
I don’t know why, but I blurted out, “I can help.”
His lips twitched upward, almost like the ghost of a smile, as he shook his head. “You’ve done enough already, Miss, which I’m very grateful for.”
I shrugged, the urge to do more all but bursting within me. “It’s honestly no big deal.”
Before he could respond, though, I felt a presence at my back.
No, not just anyone’s. Even with the thick smell of smoke, I’d be able to pick out his fresh, woodsy scent anywhere.
I turned around to face Cash.
“What’s goin’ on?” he asked.
“We were just talking about going out to find Maverick’s horse in a little bit,” I replied.
“I’m gonna help Chey get situated with Doctor Winters, wanna get a couple of the horses saddled up so we can go out lookin’?”
I turned to face Maverick, more than a little surprised he didn’t try to argue with me further. Maybe he saw the losing battle that would be and decided to just let me help.
Cash and I set out together in relative silence to get some of the horses ready to ride out.
I guess it paid to have so many of them on the property.
I followed him as we rode through the eastern pasture, noting the knee-high grassy fields that swayed in the soft, warm breeze.
At least the fire hadn’t gotten to any of this.
With each step we took further away, it made the events of the night before seem like a different time altogether.
Out here, with the untouched earth and the quiet birdsong it was easy to think that had never even happened. It had just been a dream.
A nightmare’s more like it.
The morning sun cast its rays over the eastern horizon—brilliant bands of red and orange and pink streaking across the sky, turning the clouds colors that reminded me of cotton candy.
Cash’s light brown hair caught in the light, turning the strands to gold, and I couldn’t help but think of him as some fallen angel golden boy who’d been kicked out of heaven to grace everyone with his entirely too cocky presence here on earth.
Well, maybe not so cocky right now. The thought was a sad whisper in my head. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I noted the tension clenched tight in his shoulders, the way he kept rolling out his neck, like one of the times he’d finally get a knot out and be able to relax.
What was he thinking? Was he okay? Was he reeling from what happened just as much as me?
I would imagine so. Probably—no, definitely even more.
This was his barn, his land. And a huge portion of it had gone up in smoke.
Was he angry? Sad? I’d be fucking devastated if I were him.
And yet, he rode on into the sunrise slowly, quietly, hell, almost leisurely, his head swinging from side to side as he scanned the pastures for Maverick’s horse.
Each second that passed by sent my nerves rising, rising, rising. I hated the quiet. Like, loathed it. I always needed background noise or music or a TV show on. And after the chaos of last night, the quiet now was damn near deafening.
“So…you broke up with her,” I found myself saying, and instantly regretting it.
Seriously? Of all the things to talk about, that is what you came up with? God, I was such an idiot, but too late to take my words back now.
Cash’s shoulders tensed, but aside from that, he didn’t react.
Like, at all. Maybe he hadn’t heard me? Or maybe that was his silent way of saying he didn’t want to talk about it.
Which, that was understandable, but fuck…
I needed something, anything to fill the quiet.
“Okay, sorry. Well, what do you wanna talk about then?”
He whirled in his saddle to look back at me, his hazel gaze, his muscles all taut with annoyance and frustration. “It’s been a long fuckin’ night, Ollie. I ain’t really in the mood for small talk.”
I bristled, my grip tightening on the reins.
“Oh-kay then,” I snapped out—I couldn’t help it.
Defensive was my default mode. Running my tongue over my teeth, I fought back the urge to say anything else.
He had every right to not want to talk, but did he have to be such a dick about it?
I’d been in the thick of this shit with him last night too.
Hell, I’d risked my fucking life for his friends and their damn horses.
You’d be just as much of a dick in this situation, probably even more so.
The little voice inside my head was a traitorous, logical, little bitch, and I hated when she was right.
I was tired, I reeked of smoke, and I was covered in ash, dirt, and literal horse shit.
Not to mention, my wrist thumped harder than a goddamn war drum.
I wasn’t exactly in a great mood either.
But as much as every instinct in my prickly nature urged me to pop off, I refrained, instead leading my horse along behind his.
I don’t know how long we walked through the pasture.
I could probably check the time on my phone, but even that act alone was too much right now.
With each passing second, my limbs felt heavier, my eyes stung more—from smoke and exhaustion.
My chest felt like a goddamn freight train crashed into it.
Fuck, I just wanted to sleep. Well, shower first, then sleep.
Cash’s voice drifted on the breeze ahead of me, his words coming in and out, almost like he had spotty service. A single sentence rang loud and clear though.
“You found her?”
Hope swelled in my chest like a balloon. Oh, thank fuck. Cash barely managed to hang up before I repeated his question back to him.
He turned his horse around and gave me a nod before passing me altogether. Well, guess we were heading back then.
“Is she okay?” I asked.
“She’s alive,” he called over his shoulder, already a few paces ahead of me.
I blew out an annoyed breath. Okay, that was cryptic.
I wanted to press, but I’d barely gotten two words out of him in the last hour and a half.
I highly doubted I’d get much more out of him.
It’s like some invisible wall had been erected between us, and I had no idea how to get over it or through it for that matter.
Which, now wasn’t really the time for it, but patience had never been a virtue of mine.
What Cash Mooney didn’t know about me was that I could be a petty bitch. Warranted or not.
Two could play this game.