27. Truck Bed
Chapter 27
Truck Bed
Asher
F uck, fuck, FUCK! I go storming out of the house and straight back to the T-posts I was originally working on. I pick one up, angle it, grab the T-post driver, and get to work. I grunt as I put all of my strength into each drive, working on getting as much of this frustration out as possible. One after another, I keep driving the posts until I feel my arms starting to shake from muscle fatigue. I drop the driver and fall back onto my ass. I don’t know where I went wrong. I lay back and let the sun seep into my skin. I’m going to go full plant-mode for a moment and try to photosynthesize just to see if this makes me feel a little bit better. Surprise, surprise, it doesn’t. It just looks like everything around me is dulled since the sun still manages to infiltrate my eyeballs with them closed.
I get up, not bothering to dust the crunchy grass off my ass and head into my trailer. I thread my fingers through my hair and pull at the strands. The tension and pain feels good, but it’s not enough to dull the ache in my chest. I pace back and forth and think about the words that came out of her mouth, “I bought a plane ticket.”
I thought we were becoming something more. I thought I won her over. Fuck, I really like this woman, and now she’s going to just leave. I pause for a moment, my hands on my hips as I consider what to do. I throw open the cupboard door and grab the whiskey before taking a long swig. I slam the bottle onto the counter and grip the edge. I have to come up with a damn good plan to keep her here.
Ding
It’s like someone heard my thoughts because all of a sudden my phone goes off with a text from a buddy of mine. I look down and immediately I know how I’m going to get my girl to stay.
Hey, man, did you see there’s a roping next Saturday?
I do now, you going?
Wouldn’t miss it. Team?
As long as I’m heading, I’m in. I’ma bring my girl.
Your girl? Tell me more.
You’ll meet her next week. Thanks for the heads up. See ya soon.
This is the perfect opportunity to keep her here. I’ll show her a good time and then confess everything I’ve been feeling. I can’t just let her walk away without trying. I get a glass out to pour myself a decent amount, then sit down to write down all my plans for that night. If I don’t, I might forget something or get too nervous and fuck it up.
Note Section:
Roping 7/20 8 pm
Bring Lakota trailer
Bring lots and lots of rope
Dirt road star gazing
Blankets
Pillows
Horses
Saddles
Food
Drinks
Snacks
Condoms?
I’m a fucking cowboy and I like breeding. Fuck the condoms. I would give anything to fill her with my come and let that shit run down her legs. Fuck. Focus Asher. Shit, now I’m hard. Fuck. I need to finish this damn list. Is she on birth control? Will she let me fill her? No. Bad thoughts. List. We need to finish the list.
.
Boots
Gloves
Hat
Other horse shit
Hay
Water buckets
I look over the note again and again to make sure there’s nothing possibly missing. I even put the most basic shit on there as a reminder because my mind is going to be full of her. I have to make this perfect.
The next few days go by in the blink of an eye. We seem to be avoiding each other right now. I think she thinks I’m mad. I mean, I’m upset, but I’m not sure I could ever be mad at her. I also can’t keep shit from her, so I have to steer clear so I don’t accidentally tell her all about my big plan. This is so fucking hard, especially given we’re supposed to be working together. Thankfully, Phillis has been keeping her busy in the kitchen. They came back a few days ago and it’s peak tomato season, so they’re making all forms of salsa and other tomato-based products for later use. They can them, and it’s like having the fresh stuff year round. Watching her learn new things and get so excited about being here and trying different experiences makes me hurt even more. This could be our life if she just gives us the chance. I hope that I give her enough of a reason to stay.