Page 10 of The Cowboy and His Beauty
Austin comes back in, gets Ben a drink, and brings it to the table. "The usual?" she asks.
"Yes, ma'am." He smiles, and Austin blushes before heading to the back to put his food order in. Ben turns to me. "I'm all ears."
"It's about Dash," I tell him about how I took him dinner, and his job offer. I give him the highlights of my job because I know he won't gossip about it. I also make sure none of the church ladies are in the cafe to overhear, but most people have cleared out by this point.
Our food has been served, and Ben takes a few bites of the BBQ ribs he ordered while he's thinking about what to say. "Dash is a good guy. He's quiet and keeps to himself, which allows some people in town to make up what they want about him. He doesn't care what people think, but he doesn't hear most of it, so he doesn't correct it. Like his nickname, The Beast."
I cringe, and I'm not sure why. The nickname sounds so harsh compared to the man I spent time with.
"I know you stood up for him at the store when the cashier used that nickname. Outside of Jenna, Austin, and me, you’re the only other person who’s stood up for him and gone out of your way to get to know him."
Ben takes a few more bites of his burger while that sets in. In a small town that protects their own, I find it sad that Dash is treated like an outsider.
"He’s the first one there when someone needs help. His neighbors had a fire last year, not long after he moved here, and he helped them rebuild, no questions asked. He wasn't talkative, and he kept to himself, but he was the hardest worker there." Ben points a French Fry at me as if trying to get his point across.
"I remember that. Austin had me bring lunch for the volunteers there, and Dash didn't even like to stop to eat. Some of the other guys tried to talk to him and include him in the conversations, but he wanted nothing to do with it. He just kept working," Jenna says.
"So, if I take this job, I won't end up chained in the basement or chopped up in his freezer?" I ask Ben to be sure.
He picks up his burger to take a bite to hide his smile.
"What are you hiding, Ben?" I ask him as I sit back in the booth and cross my arms over my chest.
"Dash is a nickname, is all. But he's a good person and you’ll be safe there. Honestly, you’ll be safer there than with your parents, but I'll deny I ever said that."
I still suspect Ben’s hiding something, but decide not to press. I know Ben, and he won't tell me anything if he doesn't want to.
We finish up lunch by talking a bit about the land developers and who they’ve been harassing. We all agree that we wish they’d take the hint and go away. No one wants them here, and no one is going to sell to them, but they aren't the sharpest tools in the tool shed.
After lunch, I head down to my storage unit and sort through what I’ll need to take with me if I take the job with Dash. I want to, but I need some time to ensure I'm okay with it.
I pull aside boxes of dishes, blankets, photos, and my clothes. I didn't keep a lot of furniture, just a few of my favorite items, like the coffee table I got at the thrift store, my comfortable mattress, my TV, and a few lamps I love. I sold everything else because I figured I could replace it when the time came.
After a few hours, I'm pretty sure I want to take the job, so I load a few things into the trunk of my car and head over to talk to Dash.
Chapter 7
Dash
I'm on my way from the barn to the house when I hear a car coming up the driveway.
Great. The last thing I want to deal with right now is company, and chances are, it's a land developer again. I need to get the gate fixed and start locking it. I can't remember the last time my family had to do that, or anyone in Walker Lake, for that matter.
I walk into the house and grab my shotgun before opening the front door to greet whoever is here, shocked to find Sky getting out of her car. I set the shotgun down on the porch as I watch her get out of her car and hesitantly walk up to the porch where I'm standing.
"Is that job offer still on the table?" she asks, looking up at me.
"It is," I tell her and cross my arms.
She stands tall. "I'd like to take it."
"Then it's yours." I turn and grab a key ring from the hook on the wall. "These are your keys to the apartment, the house, and the gate. Let me know when you want to move your stuff in, and I’ll make sure you have help."
She takes the keys from me. "I have a few things in my car now. I need to go pack up the stuff from my parents. I can start in the morning if that’s okay?"
"That’s fine. I’ll cook tonight, and you’re welcome to join me. I’ll help with the stuff in your car now."
She backs her car up to the apartment steps and we unload a few of the boxes. I was expecting a lot more, but the apartment is well-furnished, and I remember her saying she gave up her place in Dallas.
