Chapter 10 #2
Colter pushes me onto my back with his foot. I feel the thud and the sudden scratches lining down my back from the stone. I try to sit up again, but I’m being pulled by my scruff back onto my feet.
“Colter,” I raise my hands up to try and attempt some form of surrender.
Before I see it coming, I’m being knocked back in shock, the left side of my jaw throbbing.
Holy shit, the fucker actually punched me.
“Colter!” I hear Luke shout, warning him as he steps forward.
I raise my hand up towards my mouth and glare back at the man, who in my opinion, just threw an outstanding sucker punch to my jaw. Wiping away the crimson blood that’s now forming in my mouth, I taste the typical copper.
One I’m far too familiar with.
Preparing myself for another, again in my opinion, a well-deserved punch, I stand up tall. Ready to take round two.
Looking forward, Colter staring back at me, looking as heartbroken as I saw his sister look not so long ago.
“Colter, I-” I stutter out before wincing again at the man that stood before me. Bracing my face for another impact, I close my eyes, shutting them tight.
However, the punch does not come and seconds pass with no connection.
I open my eyes to see my best friend just staring at me.
Looking at me, the way he’d always done.
I swear I see a tear in his eye. The man has aged like a fine wine, I never doubted he would.
Sun-kissed skin from being out in the sun all day, legs bowed like a truly old western cowboy. I look back at him, regret deep in my eyes and my heart.
“Colter?” Iris says in a calm manor, as she steps forward, placing her hand on his forearm. He looks at her with a blank expression and pulls away, walking towards me. I brace for the impact yet again.
“Maverick,” He sighs out, before grabbing my shoulders and pulling me into that longing hug I need from him right now. The one that I’ve needed for so many years that only I wasted away.
Wrapping my arms back around him, I notice he’s gotten taller since the last time I saw him; he’s now on par with my six-one frame.
“Hey, Colt,” I smile, pulling away from the embrace, still looking at him.
“I… I’m sorry,” he starts, the hurt stretched across his face.
“No biggy, brother. I expected worse.” I wink at him before letting him go from my arms. There’s twinge still in my jaw but the blood lessons as the minutes dragged on.
He slaps his hand on my shoulder before giving it a squeeze.
“It’s good to see you.” He breathes out a heavy sigh. The bar’s sign light up his sky-blue eyes, the same eyes his sister has.
Now I see the hurt in them, same as his sisters.
Damn, never really thought leaving through. I shouldn’t have left full stop; this mess would never have happened if I had just stayed in the first place.
“You too, brother.” I laugh out.
“Come on you knuckle heads, now that’s over and done with, lets head back in,” Hope shouts from the entrance to the bar. Colter nods for me to follow him into the bar and I gladly accept the invitation, hot on his heels.
****
It’s gone well past eleven and I’m still slinging shots of tequila down my throat, just like old times with my old friends. The girls and Luke already called it a night.
I still can’t believe Luke and Hope got married.
I mean I knew they would. Those two were exactly like me and Mabel.
Except you left, and they didn’t…
Pushing the thought to the back off my mind, I turn to my brother and my best friend.
“Another?” I say, signally Mack over to us.
The bar’s been long deserted compared to the crowds earlier. A couple of older cowboys hung around, nursing their glasses.
The change was incredible.
“Naa, I better shoot.” Jake starts to pull notes out of his pocket.
“Horses to see, ranches to run.” He winks at me.
“None of that.” I wince at my brother. “I gave Mack my card,” I nod at my brother in solitude.
Jake puts his notes back into his pocket.
“About time you paid for a legal round in here,” He snickers into his glass.
Colter takes his hat from his head, wipes his brow and places it on the bar.
“See you at home?” My brother asks, rearranging his belt buckle.
“I’ll see you at home.” I nod back to him.
Watching my brother walk out of the bar was almost humbling. Pulling at his belt, wranglers held tight, and legs bowed.
I wish I could walk like that again.
“So…” Colter begins as he takes a sip of his bottle of bud. I snap out of my trance from watching my brother walk away.
“So…” I reply.
“What are you doing back?” He questions, but I can only let out sigh. Trying hard to find an answer.
“Honestly man,” I start. “Haven’t quite figured that one out yet.” I signal Mack back over to refill our drinks.
Colter eyes me from the side, the silence pours over trying to work out if my answer is the truth. He nods, accepting that it is, for now. A silence pours onto us as Mack refills our whiskeys and hands us two tequila shots.
“On the house,” he says as we both give him a respectful nod.
Slinging our shots back, I wipe my mouth with my left hand, taking my whiskey with the other. We don’t say anything for a few minutes. Colter takes another swig, and I watch his shoulders sag.
“Have you seen her?” He asks, the pain clear as day in his eyes.
“Yeah, I- I stopped by your house before I came here.” My mind numbs at the thought.
Her scream…
My heart shatters at the memory.
He glances at me, wide eyed. “It didn’t go well,” I add, pulling my hand through my hair.
“No, I can’t imagine it did.” He gives me a warm-hearted smile, and I bring my glass to my lips.
“Hey, Mav?” Colter says, turning to face me on his bar stool.
My eyes look towards him with curiosity.
“Since your gonna be around a while,” He starts. “Fancy a job?”
“How d’ya know?” I ask, not knowing the answer myself.
Colter smirks into his glass of whiskey. “Can tell,” he shrugs.
I smirk at his question and response, a glint forming in my eye.
“Don’t need to ask me twice, brother,” I say, clinking his glass with my own.