Page 60 of The Pieces We've Lost

Colter owned a simple double wide with forest-green paint and a small set of wood plank stairs that took you up to the front door. We parked in the driveway, or well, at least it was kind of a driveway. It was really just a gravel road leading up to the lawn and a small patch of concrete connecting the house and the road. Behind the house was a fenced-in pasture and a barn.

“We have cattle, but they’re on a different piece of land right now,” he explained after he caught me staring out into the pasture.

“Here it is. Home sweet home.” Colter lingered on the end of “sweet” as he gestured to the house. He didn’t sound very enthused about it, but he led the way through the front door and flipped on the switch that controlled the ceiling light in the living room, illuminating the space with warm light.

I wasn’t expecting his house to look so empty. He only had a few pieces of furniture. The number of cowboy hats on the wall far outnumbered the amount of furnishings he owned. It was the definition of minimalist, maybe even minimalism to the extreme.

“It’s…homey?” It came out as more of a question than a statement.

He picked up on my confusion. “I’m never here, so I never felt the need to buy furniture. Why have that kind of stuff when you don’t even use it?”

“I mean, that makes sense.” I understood where he wascoming from but, at the same time, it made me kind of sad, for reasons I couldn’t even explain.

“I guess I’ve been waiting for someone to decorate for me.” He said it casually, even though his words carried much greater meaning and we both knew it.

“Let me give you the tour. Here’s the living room and kitchen.” He held his arms out in the air for effect. “That tiny little hallway to the left of the living room has the bathroom on the left side and across from the bathroom is my room. And that’s the full tour.”

“Wow, I hope I don’t get lost,” I joked.

“I would be impressed if you did.” He winked.

How did I ever think I could keep this man at an arm’s length away?

We went into Miles City for dinner, choosing to go to a barbeque joint off of the main street. Colter told me his buddies were off doing something else that night but I would surely get to meet all of them the next day.

“They’re all good guys,” he had told me. “They can just be a lot sometimes, especially Mikey.”

“What makes Mikey ‘a lot?’” I put air quotes around “a lot.”

“He’s just, how do I even describe it? He’s a bit of a handful. He likes to have fun.” Colter was choosing his words carefully.

“I think I’m picking up what you’re saying? He’s wild,” I guessed.

“Think of your stereotypical bull rider persona. Likes women, gets around a little.” He fluffed his hair.

“Ah, I see.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t try anything.” His eyes immediately got buggy.

“I’m not worried. I can handle myself. Trust me,” I reassured him.

“I have no doubt that you can. He’s just, he’s Mikey.”

We finished eating our dinner, making sporadic conversation about what would happen the next day and thinking of things to do for the rest of the time I was here.

Tomorrow was the first day of the Bucking Horse Sale. There were a bunch of different events that would take place, including wild horse races and a rodeo, of course. In the evening, after everything had wrapped up, there was a street dance, which Colter had said was one of the most fun parts.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

colter

The Bucking Horse Sale in Miles City was world famous. People from all over gathered here in our little town.

I had woken up decently early, despite having stayed up watching movies. Around one o’clock, we decided it was probably best to get some sleep, especially since Ellison had passed out twice already, each time jolting awake and giving me an embarrassed look, especially after she had caught herself drooling on my arm.

I slept on the couch, despite her protests. It had been a long winded discussion.

“I can sleep on the couch,” she offered after I had grabbed a blanket and pillow for myself.

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