Page 1 of Rough
Prologue
Betsy
~ 5 years ago ~
“Come on Frank, don’t you fight me right now!” Tugging on my horse’s reins, my stubborn boy is damn near immovable. Dropping the straps, I plant my hands on my hips and give him the evilest of evil glares, so he knows I’m real freaking serious right now.
“Fraaaaaaaank!” I whine, stomping my foot. I know it’s pointless, but it definitely makes me feel better. “Don’t make me go get Pap. He’ll come on in here fussin’ about petulant animals and how I need to get me one from a fine stock, and you know it!”
Victor Von-Frankenstein has been my sweet boy for the last four years, after Pap found him wandering on the side of a road a few hours away from home. He was all cut up and severely underweight, so he brought him home for Doc to fix up, leaving him with some nasty scars down the side of his face.
I begged andbeggedto keep him, even though everyone told me he was no good, but I knew better. I thought his name wasfitting, even though Wilder told me that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist, and not the monster. I didn’t care… he’s my Frank, and I’ll die protecting him from all theneigh-sayers hanging around. I giggle at my joke, which has Frank flicking his ears back at the noise.
Stepping closer, I run my hand down one of his marks along his cheek and kiss the bridge of his nose, smiling when he blows out a frustrated snort of air from my loving. “You know you wanna go for a ride, don’t ya? Please? For me? They’re havin’ a big ol’ bonfire down by Patsy’s place and I just have to go.”
Gathering his reins in my hands, I whip out an apple as a little added incentive to get him moving, and it works like a charm. “Who’s a good boy? Youare,aren’t ya?” I praise, leading him out of his stall and outside. He’s already saddled up, so it’s nothing for me to shove my foot into the stirrup and haul myself up onto his back. I rub his neck while he finishes his treat, then direct him out toward the back pasture to take a shortcut to Patsy’s fields.
Sailing across the pasture, I inhale the fresh air, loving the cooler temperatures tonight. The sun just set past the horizon, but the purple and maroon hues are enough for me to see where I’m going. I know they’ll scold me for riding at night, but I don’t care. I’ve been riding just as long as them and know where the dips and crevices are hiding under the long grass.
Spying the smoke and orange glow from the fire up ahead, I click my tongue to hurry Frank along and eventually slow as I make my way to the fence where some of the other horses are tied up.
“The hell are you doin’, Country?”
I’ve hardly had a chance to stop Frank before hands are pulling the reins from mine, then wrapping around my waist to pull me from the saddle.
“The hell, Billy? Lemme down!” I snap at Clyde, shoving my dirty blonde curls out of my face, and glare up at him once he sets me on my feet.
His hat is sitting low across his brow, but I can see enough of his eyes to know that he’s got them narrowed on me. “Don’t ‘what the hell’ me. What are you doing ridin’ in the dark? It’s dangerous as fuck, and you know it.”
Waving him off, I take a step back and run my eyes over my friend. “I made it here just fine. Not like Frank is gonna go faster than a beat-up Corolla, anyway.” Raking my eyes over him, I’m pleased to see that Clyde Rowe, aka ‘Billy’ even though others call him ‘Horse,’ which I find absolutely ridiculous, is looking absolutely delicious tonight.
He never goes anywhere without his Stetson and jeans, but he wears them like they were made just for him. Tight around his thighs like a second skin, worn and faded from working as hard as he can for his daddy. Most of these people don’t even know what color his eyes are, but I do.
Clyde likes to lay out by the pond on my Pap’s back property with me, napping with his hat over his face while I read or work on my schoolwork. I’m his alarm clock and take great joy in pulling his hat away to shine the sun in his eyes. Blue-green… just like the color of the murky water at our favorite spot. Well, at least when the sun shines in them. Otherwise, they’re dark in the shadows of his Stetson’s rim, almost coal-like.
Shoving his hands into his back pockets, he rocks back on his heels, still scowling at me. “What are ya doin’ here, anyway? Kinda late for a school night.”
Jerking my head back, I deflate at the reminder that he still only views me as a child, no matter what’s happened in the past. I’m only two years younger than him, but I’ll be finished with high school by the end of this year. Only a couple more months. They’ve all been pointing out how much younger I am a lotlately, and it’s been pissing me off. They got away with a hell of a lot more than I do when they were my age.
“Keep it up, buddy. I’ll have Frank kick you in the nuts. Why didn’t ya’ll tell me there was a fire tonight?”
“Didn’t know ‘til an hour ago.”
Pointing my finger, I jab him in the chest. “There are such things as phones. I know they’re all fancy and shit, but you’re smart enough to figure it out.”
Gripping my finger, he pulls it away and wraps his hand around mine, walking me toward the fire where I see Remy and Wilder drinking beers with a few other people. “You shouldn’t curse, Country. It isn’t becomin’ of you.”
“Fuck. Right. Off.” I’ll show him cursing if he—
I squeal when I’m tossed over his broad shoulder and smacked loudly on the ass.Jesus Christ on a graham cracker, that hurts.Whipping my hand back, I try to cover my butt before he can smack it again and bump his hat in my attempt.
“Knock of your wigglin’,” he orders me, settling his arm tighter over the back of my thighs so he can use the other to settle his hat back in place.
“What are you doin’ here, Bets?” Remy’s deep voice rumbles through my chest, causing my heart to pick up speed. Damn, when he hit puberty, that tone just bottomed right out into mountain-man territory.
“If you’d be so kind to remove me from your shoulder, Billy, I’d like to address the masses with my dignity intact.” I’m whispering, but Wilder’s laughter has me groaning in humiliation. They’ve all got a first-row seat to my ass in their faces, and I just want to sink into the ground.
Bending forward, Clyde sets me down. I knock his hat from his head as a final blow to this fight. The sight has me digging my teeth into my lip to hold back a snort of laughter as he jerksforward, fumbling his hat between his hands so it won’t hit the ground.
