Dean #2
“Turn over.” Her eyes blaze, watching me as she slowly rolls over, lifting her ass into the air.
Those jeans doing nothing to cool the possessive fire raging inside me.
I let my hands roam over her legs and up her arched spine, stopping to grip her neck while I lean in and whisper darkly in her ear, “Unless you ride the cowboy who wears that hat, it ain’t yours.
” I groan as her back presses against me, teasing me and stoking the embers to life deep inside me.
“That means…” I sit back on my heels, rearing my hand back and letting it land with a sharp smack against the right side of her denim clad ass.
She pulls from my grasp, dropping her head down to the blanket, letting out a sigh of pleasure.
“You’re mine,” I hiss, landing another palm on the other side.
One minute I think I’ve got her back, convinced her that I’ll never lie to her again.
I’d finally gotten her under me one more time and had no intentions of ever letting her go.
The moment I spoke those last two words it felt as if a bucket of ice water was dumped over us.
The tension that just seconds ago sat heavy and thick between us, severed leaving a sense of awkwardness in its place.
Her body stilled beneath me, and I watched in painful agony as she ran a hand through her hair, then slid out and stood quickly.
Her hands trembled slightly when she grabbed the blanket off the ground, then took a few steps to the side to pluck the rope for Queen out of the dust. Hannah didn’t say one word to me as I watched over my shoulder while she walked through the wildflowers towards our horses, munching contently a few yards away.
My mind raced with what to do, what to say to get back to where we were.
But I turn and sit down, watching this woman I’ve fallen so madly in love with, run her hands along each horse, whispering softly to them before laying the blanket along Queen’s back and fastening the rope over her muzzle.
I contemplate getting up and walking over to help her get on the back of Queen, but she silently puts me in my place by gracefully pressing one knee against the solid hip of her horse and pushing off the ground at the same time.
She doesn’t spare me one glance, just turns Queen and rides off into the sunset, up and over the hill, disappearing down the other side.
Slowly gathering my things, I stalk towards Ghost, his head popping up from the grass.
He gives me an angry huff as I get closer.
“What are you upset about?” Stopping, I slap the wool blanket against my thigh, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
He eyes me heavily before shaking his mane at me as I loop the rope around his soft nose.
“I don’t need you mad at me too, you’re supposed to be on my side,” I mutter, bending down and ripping a handful of bright orange wildflowers from the dirt.
I gently tuck them under the front of the blanket, their happy faces peeking out at me as I place both hands on Ghost's back and jump off the ground, propelling myself upwards as I throw out a leg and shift onto his back.
When I crest the top of the hill, the cabin pops into view.
I slow Ghost to a walk and take a moment to look around, breathing in the clean mountain air I’ve been starved of for so long.
The sound of tires pulling up the drive in the distance snags my attention, and I watch as a black SUV rumbles over the gravel towards my parents’ house.
I turn Ghost in that direction and cross through the pasture.
By the time I reach the front porch and tie him to the post out front, I hear voices inside.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, the Sheriff emblem on the black Tahoe making my stomach drop and heart start to slam against my chest.
“Just the man I wanted to see.” Sheriff Cooper stands from my parents living room couch when I close the front door behind me, meeting me in the doorway with his hand extended.
He and I have had our fair share of encounters over the years.
It always surprised me he was on shift when my friends and I got into trouble back in high school.
Giving him a slight nod, I return the shake. “Nice to see your days of chasing teenagers have passed.” He laughs at my jab, motioning for me to take a seat. Owen shuffles over on the couch opposite Cooper, looking unphased and comfortable, even throwing an arm over the back behind me.
“Well I don’t want to take too much of your time.” The Sheriff sits up slightly to pull his phone from his pocket.
“What’s this about, Don?” My dad asks from his seat in the chair next to my mom.
“We had a fella call this morning, said he hasn’t been able to reach his friend all day.”
“Seems like a good friend,” Owen pipes up, crossing a leg over the other. “Dean here wouldn’t know if I fell into the creek and drowned.” I roll my eyes at him, settling back into the cushions.
Sheriff Cooper scoffs under his breath. “It’s probably nothing, but we went ahead and took a look at the security footage from the bar in town.
He said that he and his friend were there drinking, and when they went to leave, he realized his keys were inside so he ran back in to get them.
When he came out, his friend was gone. Hasn’t heard from him since. ”
“And you think my boys have something to do with this?” Cooper looks over at my mom for a moment before placing his phone on the table between us and pushing it over to Owen and I.
“Is this your truck, Dean?” His eyes lock on mine. Keeping my expression blank, I look down at the screen and nod.
“Sure is.” Cooper swipes to the next picture.
It’s grainy, but it’s clear that it’s Owen’s truck. “And this is yours?” he asks, looking over to Owen.
“Sure is.” Owen smiles back.
“Care to explain why both of you were at the bar last night?”
Owen opens his mouth, but I cut him off. “My girl was there last night. Got a little too drunk, and called me to pick her up. When I got there, she was in bad shape. I panicked.” Shrugging, I look between Owen and the Sheriff. “I called Owen to make sure she was ok to bring home and sleep it off.”
Owen looks over at Cooper, giving him that charming smile that seems to win him over, “I am a fucking fantastic paramedic, what can I say?”
Rolling my eyes I look back at the Sheriff, “Once she was looked over, I left my keys for one of the ranch hands to drive my truck back up here.”
Sheriff Cooper sucks his lips for a moment. “But you never saw this man?” His fat fingers tap the screen and a picture of the man buried down the hill pops up. Both Owen and I drop our shoulders.
“No, sir,” We say in unison.
“I wasn’t too concerned with anyone other than my girl.” I look at him with a raise of my eyebrows.
“Well, thank you for your time.” Sheriff Cooper stands and shakes our hands. As my parents walk him out, Owen and I let out a deep exhale.
“Night, bro.” He winks at me with a slap on my arm before disappearing into the kitchen.