Page 13 of Bucked Hard

The next couple hours are torture. I have to watch guys looking at her, breathing next to her. I don’t even want them sharing the same fucking oxygen. If one dude touches her or disrespects her, I’m not going to be able to restrain myself. That was a one-time deal. Next time it won’t end with a few threats and a juicy apology tip from the offending asshole.

As the night wears on, I settle into my chair at the table. Roger switches his drink of choice to ice water for the rest of the evening, because despite doing a very good asshole act he’s actually an upstanding guy. He’s just easily distracted by available pussy.

She waits on us a few more times, but I make due with just looking for now.

This bar is wearing on me. Sally and the brunette, who I now know is Loretta, are sloppy drunk and spending most of their time falling all over themselves on the dance floor.

Roger and I fall into our comfortable groove. Joking and talking old times. His ranch is doing well, and he offered to let me move in there until I find my own place, but I’m not sure that feels right.

This draw to come back home has been strong for a couple years. Then, when the training facility I was running in Oklahoma sold out the business to a new owner, I figured it was time to make a few changes in my own life. I’ve been training and rehabbing horses of all kinds.

I take on pro bono situations more often than I should and I’m a sucker for a hard case. A sad story. But for the most part, my magic is for sale.

I’m not bragging when I say magic, it’s just a knack I have. I once saw this documentary about an artist and he said that he could already see the painting on the blank canvas, even when it’s nothing but white fabric. Then thousands of brush strokes later and his vision comes to life. To me that’s fascinating; you ask me to draw a stick figure and I’m lucky if I get the head mounted on the right end. But I understood what he was saying, because for me it’s horses. That’s where I see the masterpiece inside.

Humans fuck them up. Hurt them and break their spirit. But I see through all that. I see the beauty, the majesty, the creature who longs for peace and connection. Just like humans, they long to connect. To feel safe and be part of something special. They just need to be brought out on the canvas.

Over the years, I’ve garnered clients from all over the world. I may look like a mountain man cowboy, but I’ve worked with royalty. Horses worth millions have come under my care. But to me it’s not how many kings you sit with, it’s how you comfort the fallen. The forgotten.

Money gives me freedom and security, but I don’t worship at the altar of the golden calf. I have no interest in wearing it or using it to impress anyone.

My success is quiet, I let my work speak for itself. So now, I'm back home and starting from scratch, but I already have a client list. So once I find the right facility, get it up and running, a few phone calls and the cash will start to flow. But, something inside me feels like I need to get back to my roots. Breathe for a while. Put in some hard hours under the sun. Go to bed with aching muscles and a full belly.

I’ve got some baggage to deal with coming back too, but right now, I’m looking to the future. And I’m damn sure that future includes her.

I know nothing about her. My gut is tight even thinking she might have a guy somewhere. A fucking husband even. I checked her finger, no ring, but that’s no guarantee she’s not hitched.

Fuck.

I shake my head tossing that thought away. Out of the corner of my eye I catch her movement, and I look over even while Roger’s still talking. She’s waiting on a table full of leather-vested bikers, and they treat her with the respect she deserves.

They look rough, but they understand respect. She looks comfortable with them, and that makes me settle down just a notch, realizing they must be regulars. She even smiles. And when I see that dimple again, my dick twitches and I ache with need. I laugh to myself at the thought that her dimple seems to have me by the balls.

Coming in here tonight and seeing the angel with spun silken hair and chocolate eyes I know I’m right where I belong. It’s beyond ridiculous. This obsession that hit me when I looked at her. I don’t need a woman in my life right now. I’ve kept my head straight and stayed away from that drama and it’s served me well. I’m at the top of my game in my industry, and I’ve got enough financial scratch to keep me floating along until I’m set up. Everything is just right, squared away. And now this little curvy wonder is fucking with my itinerary.

For the first time since I got off the airplane, I’m happy as hell I’m back.

ChapterFive

Rachel

Tabitha leans over to stuff her face as close as she can get into the basket of roses sitting between us on the bench seat in my pickup. I’m driving her back to her apartment in town. I couldn’t let her drive herself, not after she’d slurped down two more seven-and-sevens. She can collect her car tomorrow or I’ll drop her back there to get it.

“Is this guy for real?” She laughs and sniffs.

Crutch let me go early and it was a relief. Tabitha and I hung out in his office for a good hour shooting the breeze with him before we headed out.

I was just glad to be off the floor. I don’t know what Mr. Mountain was doing, but I can only imagine he was playing with me. He was probably drunk, even though I’d never served him any alcohol all night. Maybe Lacy slithered over there and gave him some free Jell-O shots out of her cleavage.

“Beats the hell out of me. And they were there with two girls. When I left, the blond one had her eye on him hard. Two guys, two girls. Tabitha, they were on a date. It’s weird and it just reminds me of high school. You remember when Marcus Hanover asked me to homecoming, freshman year?” I nod and shoot Tabitha a glance while trying to keep my eyes on the road.

She drops the few roses she’d picked up back into the basket and gives me a sympathetic half grin.

“Yeah.” She sneers and pushes her hair off her forehead. “Fucker. That guy was an entitled asshole. He stillisan entitled asshole. Have you seen him lately?” She clicks her tongue. “That whole family thinks they’re better than everyone else.”

“I don’t know why I was the one that whole crowd picked on. They started on me infirst grade. Not just him, but he was the worst.” Even the memory makes me shiver. He asked me out, then left me sitting there waiting, all dressed up. Never showed. “You know, I used all the money I’d saved for my whole life to buy that stupid dress. And for what?” I shake my head. “That was a shitty year.”

“He’s a shitty human. I see him now and then in the bank. He walks through, doesn’t ever talk to anyone. I mean, he needs a few lessons on leadership. I know I’m no one special, but my little business is taking off and someday I’m going to have heaps of cash in that bank. Then we’ll see who’s who.”

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