Page 58 of Dust and Desire
“I didn’t know what they were,” Ali grinned. “I’m a city girl, remember? They didn’t exactly take us on farm trips in elementary school.” She looked back out the window. “I’ve never been anywhere this green.”
“Want to go see the arena?” I offered. “I’m sure Caroline wouldn’t mind you petting the horses or something.”
“Petthem?” Ali scoffed, lifting an eyebrow. “And get my fingers bitten off?”
“They don’t bite!” I laughed. Then I paused. “Well… most of them don’t.”
“You’re making a very convincing case…”
“Oh, come on,” I smiled, grabbing her arm. “What’s the point of coming out to a Texas ranch if you’re not gonna at least go look at it?”
Ali laughed, a sound that was both familiar and strange in this new context of my life. “Fine, but if I get trampled by some wild bronco, I’m haunting you forever.”
“Deal,” I said, leading her back outside and down the lane toward the main ranch buildings.
As we walked, Ali kept glancing around like she was trying to memorize everything. The way the grass moved in the breeze, the sound of our boots on the gravel, the endless expanse of blue sky overhead. It struck me how different she looked here, her designer clothes and perfect hair almost comical against the rustic backdrop.
“So, tell me about him,” she said as we crested a small rise. “This Alex. How did you meet?”
I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest at the mention of his name. “He showed up looking for work a few weeks ago. Logan hired him as a ranch hand.” I paused, remembering that first day I’d seen him. “He’s... he’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever been with before.”
“Good different or bad different?”
“The best different,” I said without hesitation. “He makes me feel like myself. Like the person I was always supposed to be.”
Ali was quiet for a moment, her heels clicking against the gravel in an oddly soothing rhythm. “That’s beautiful, Dustin. Really.” Her voice was soft, almost wistful. “I’m glad you found that.”
There was something in her tone that made me look at her more closely. “Are you really okay? About Jason, I mean?”
She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. “Honestly? I don’t know. We were together for eight months, and I thought... I thought maybe he could be the one. But apparently he wasn’t what I thought he was...” She laughed bitterly. “Story of my life, right? Falling for men who aren’t who they say they are.”
The words hung in the air between us, and I felt a stab of guilt. She wasn’t wrong. I had been lying to her too, though I doubt it was for the same reasons as Jason.
“Ali—”
“Don’t,” she said quickly. “That came out wrong. What happened between us was…different. We both know that.” She stopped walking, turning to face me. “You gave me everything you had to give, Dustin. It just wasn’t the right kind of love for either of us.”
Before I could respond, we heard voices coming from the direction of the arena. As we rounded the corner, I saw Caroline working with a young rider, calling out instructions as the girl guided her horse through a series of barrels.
“That’s Caroline,” I said, pointing her out. “She runs the barrel racing program in the arena. They train people for rodeo stuff here.”
Caroline must have heard us approaching because she looked over, her sharp brown eyes taking in Ali’s appearance with obvious curiosity. She said something to her student, then jogged over to where we stood by the fence.
“Well, well,” Caroline said, her Texas drawl thicker than ever. “Look?—”
“Look at what the cat dragged in,” I finished for her, laughing. “You really need a new catchphrase, Caroline. It’s getting predictable.”
She shot me a dirty look. “It’s branding.” Then she turned to Ali, holding out her hand. “I’m Caroline Baker. Nice to meet you.”
Ali took her hand. “Alicia Harris.”
I expected them to shake hands. However, a beat passed between them. Then another. All the while they just stood there, staring at one another, both of them looking happy and scared at the same time. I’d never seen anything like it. What the hell was going on?
“So…” I began, breaking the awkward moment. “You took your maiden name back?”
Ali blinked, finally dropping Caroline’s hand. “What? Oh, yes. After the divorce I went back to Harris.” She glanced between Caroline and me, a slight flush creeping up her neck. “It felt like a fresh start.”
“Fresh starts are good,” Caroline said, her voice softer than I’dever heard it. She was still staring at Ali like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “Real good.”
