Page 3 of The Cowboy and His Beauty
I continue my shopping, keeping an eye on her as she fills her cart with all her favorite snacks. It's comforting to know some things haven't changed in all these years.
Her favorite cookies, her favorite chips, and even her favorite ice cream make it into the basket before she heads to the checkout counter. I turn my back to the two girls, hoping to hear what they’re saying—a little nugget to let me know that she's okay. Just enough to keep me going.
"Any idea who he is?" Sky asks the cashier, who can't be more than eighteen.
I know she's talking about me. I'm the only other person in the store.
"No. He's in here every so often. He's always quiet and doesn’t talk much, but they call him the beast."
I frown. That damn nickname. I guess I’ve earned it from the way I look, and it’s spread, thanks to all the teenagers in town. I never tried to correct anyone. What's the point? If I tell them to stop, they'll simply do it behind my back.
"They shouldn't call him the beast. He has a name. That you haven't learned his name says everything about you," Sky says as she takes the bag from the cashier, turns on her heel, and heads out the door.
There's that fiery temper I remember. When I turn to look at the cashier, her eyes are wide as she watches Sky walk out the door. She turns to me and sees me looking at her. I didn't think it was possible, but her eyes grow wider, and her face turns the brightest shade of red I've ever seen.
I turn away and continue my shopping, trying to hide my huge smile. Sky may not have recognized me, but she stood up for me. She's still the fiery girl I fell in love with all those years ago.
I check out without saying a word. An awkward silence settles between the cashier and me, but she’s polite and even smiles before I leave. People in town are always polite to my face. I can only imagine what they say behind my back.
I keep to myself, so it's probably more speculation than anything else. I don't correct anyone, and I let them believe what they want. Those who believe others’ opinions without getting to know someone aren't worth my time.
I head home and right before I pass my property line, I come across a car on the side of the road. Whoever's driving it is clearly from the city. The car itself isn’t designed for country roads. It's tiny and has no power behind the engine. If I had to guess, it probably runs on electric. I hope the driver didn't run out of juice because they won’t find any place to charge the car out here.
I slow down as I approach the car. I may keep to myself, but I want to make sure the driver is okay. I roll down my passenger side window to find a female sitting behind the wheel. She looks over and gives me a shy smile before rolling down her window.
"You lost?" I inwardly cringe. I could’ve asked more politely, but not dealing with people regularly has made me forget how to talk to them.
"I don't think so. I stopped to answer a phone call and send in some information they needed for work." She holds up a folder and I recognize the logo.
Wolf Land Development.
"And what do you do for them?" I ask, not wanting to play my hand just yet.
"Oh, I'm an assistant. The kind whose phone rings twenty-four-seven when they need something." She tries to laugh it off, but I detect an underlying tone of anger there.
"A little word of advice. Your company isn’t welcome around here. That big tree up there marks the start of my property line and where this becomes a private road. I suggest you turn around before you reach it." I tip my hat, roll my window up, and slowly pull away before she gets a chance to say anything else.
I get home and take a moment, standing in my front yard and looking up at the house I now live in. I grew up on this land and know it better than anyone else. There are many large ranches like mine that circle Walker Lake. This isn't the first time land developers have tried to snoop around to see if they can get their hands on a ranch or two, throw up some developments, and turn this into a vacation town.
The residents here have no interest in it, and the ranchers will do anything to prevent it. Though this land development company has been a lot more persistent. They're causing problems and they’ve racked up more trespassing charges than any development company before them.
And my gut tells me they're just getting started.
Chapter 3
Sky
The Beast has been on my mind ever since we ran into each other at the store last night. I can't shake the fact that he seems awfully familiar, though I can't place him.
Still unable to get him off my mind, I decide to do a little digging. "Mom, what do you know about the man that they call The Beast in town?"
My mom stops what she’s doing and looks at me, her eyes wide. She quickly composes herself.
"I know his name is Dash, but other than that, we know nothing about him. He's not very sociable and we've never had a conversation with him. We just hear what's whispered around town."
"And what is whispered around town?" I ask.
"Oh, you know, the usual things about how he's hardly ever out. They try to guess how he got the scar on his face and what he does all day." My mom waves her hand at me, dismissing the conversation, and returns to what she was doing.
