Page 74 of Dirty Cowboy

With one smooth motion, I swing into the saddle.

"Easy, girl," I murmur, nudging her forward. She responds instantly, slipping into a steady trot as the landscape unfolds around us in golden streaks of light and dust.

Wind whips through my hair, carrying the crisp scent of fall, damp wood, and the distant smoke of burning leaves. We gallop faster, the steady rhythm of Shadow’s hooves drumming against the earth, until she suddenly veers east.

"Shadow, that way!" I steer her north, but she doesn’t listen.

Her body tightens with determination as she heads for a white fence in the distance.

"Where are you taking me, girl?"

As we draw closer, a herd of horses comes into view, their sleek bodies moving in a graceful tide across the field. Shadow slows, then stops entirely. A chestnut stallion steps forward, breaking away from the others. He moves toward us, cautious but confident, his coat gleaming like polished copper beneath the sun.

"Hello, pretty boy," I whisper, watching as he inches closer. Shadow lets out a soft, answering neigh, the sound vibrating through my body.

“Is that your man, Shadow?” I murmur, running a hand down her neck.

The two horses meet at the fence, their noses touching in a tender, unspoken exchange. Shadow shifts beneath me, leaning into the stallion’s muzzle. The connection between them is instant, electric. I watch, mesmerized, as he brushes his muzzle against her neck, his touch lingering like a silent vow. My chest tightens with something raw and unfamiliar.

“Your daddy’s not going to believe this,” I whisper.

With one last gentle nuzzle, Shadow turns away, and I guide her back toward Eric’s property. The ride should be peaceful, but an uneasy feeling creeps along my spine when a broken-down barn and a partially charred house appear in the distance. I slow Shadow to a halt, my gaze locking onto the ruins ahead.

“This must be the Huntz property.”

A cold shiver slithers down my spine as I slide from the saddle, the air suddenly too thick, too heavy. The silence here isn’t just still—it’s suffocating, as if the land itself is holding its breath.

I slide off Shadow’s back, my boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. The fence ahead leans precariously, its splintered wood barely holding together. Tying Shadow under a tree, I follow a narrow, overgrown path through the tall grass. A breeze whistles through the ruins, carrying with it the scent of scorched wood and something else—something metallic, almost oily.

The door groans as I push it open, hinges protesting after years of abandonment. The air inside is thick, heavy with the ghosts of whatever once stood here. My skin prickles as I step through the threshold. The floor creaks under my weight, the charred remains shifting like they might collapse at any second.

Shadows stretch across the ruined walls, flickering as if they, too, remember the fire that tore through this place. I swallow hard, moving deeper inside, careful to avoid the worst of the debris. Soot clings to my fingers as I brush against a crumbling doorway.

Then I smell it—oil.

It clings to the air, a sharp, biting scent beneath the charred remains. My boots disturb a thick layer of dust, kicking up remnants of a past that refuses to be buried. I sidestep a rat, its lifeless body curled in the corner, before my eyes land on something that makes my stomach twist.

Five barrels. Lined neatly against the far wall.

My pulse pounds in my ears as I navigate around a pile of fallen bricks, my gaze drawn to something small and bright—yellow. A discarded hair clip, so wildly out of place in this decaying ruin, that it stops me in my tracks.

A stack of unopened mail sits on a dusty shelf, envelopes curling at the edges. Nearby, empty cans of beans line the charred kitchen counter. I reach for one, bringing it to my nose.

It’s fresh.

A single spoonful lingers inside. Someone has been here. Recently.

A shudder rolls through me, and I set the can down, forcing my breath to steady. I need to get out of here.

I turn to leave, but something catches my eye—faint white markings along the hallway wall. I step closer, my heart thudding as I realize I’m looking at a map.

Chalk drawings, smeared and faded but still visible: a winding river, an arching bridge, a dense forest. My fingers brush over an X marked deep into the design, leaving a streak of soot in its wake. I wipe my hand on my jeans and pull out my phone, snapping a quick picture before Shadow’s impatient neigh cuts through the silence.

I don’t stick around to find out what else lingers in this place.

Jogging back to Shadow, I press a calming hand along her side. “Sorry I took so long, girl.” I swing into the saddle, casting one last glance at the hollowed-out shell of the house.

We turn north, following the river. The trees sway overhead, branches whispering against the wind, their leaves thick and lush. After a ten-minute ride, I slide off Shadow and sink into the grass, letting the steady flow of the water calm my nerves.

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