Faith smiled at Al. “For the sake of argument, how much are these dogs?” Faith reached down, and scratched a pup next to her behind its ear.
“I usually sell them for eight-hundred a piece,” Al said as he looked down at her. “They are purebreds after all.”
Faith’s eyes widened at the price.
“But, you seem like a nice girl, and I want you to have a pup. Seems like you miss having a dog. I’ll let you have one for $600,” Al said.
That was still too much. Faith looked down at the puppy that was cradled in her arms. “I still can’t afford it. I’m trying to save up for a car.”
Wes smiled. “I’ll be happy to buy one for you.”
Faith was taken aback by his offer. “I appreciate it, but I can’t.”
“Why?” Wes asked innocently.
“We….we just met today. I just….I’m grateful, but I can’t take you up on your offer, Wes.”
“Sweetheart, it’s just money,” Wes said. “It’s no good if you don’t use it. Six hundred dollars isn’t going to break me and I like to see a pretty lady smile.”
Faith was about to refuse again when Adrian approached the pen.
Chapter 21
Adrian had noticed that Faith went over to Al Perkins, the dog breeder. He had finished his chat with the chicken breeder and headed over. That damn Wes Johnson had sniffed Faith out.
“Jesus, Wes,” Adrian said as he approached them. “Every time I turn around, you are trying to chat up my lady,” Adrian said in a teasing tone, but he was serious. Wes Johnson loved chasing women.
Wes chuckled. “Not at all, Adrian. I just offered to buy the lady a pup.”
Adrian was surprised to see Faith in the pen with the little nippers. He remembered that she had told him that she had dogs growing up, and her brother had one, but he had no idea she loved them this much. “You want a dog?”
“I….I don’t know,” she stuttered. “I just got settled and I just started a new job. And I’m technically renting.”
Adrian smiled at the last reference. They haven’t had a dog on the ranch since his father died. She was a Border Collie, too. Janie was his father’s favorite dog, but after his father died the Matthews brothers couldn’t stand having her around anymore. They had ended up giving the dog to Larry St. John who lived in town. His son wanted a dog, but Larry couldn’t afford to buy one at the time. Joey had given the dog to the boy. Adrian took a deep breath. “If you want a dog, no one will have a problem with it. Hell, Collies are good at herding. When it gets a little bigger, it will help the boys out a lot.”
“I can’t afford it,” Faith said.
“That’s why I offered to buy her one,” Wes said. “Looks like she has a way with ‘em.”
Adrian looked at the pup that was licking Faith’s cheek. He didn’t agree with Wes most of the time, but this time he did. Faith did have a way with them. The corners of Adrian’s mouth turned up. “How much, Al?”
An hour later, Adrian and Faith were leaving the livestock area. Adrian paid $1400 for two purebred pups. Faith swore up and down that she would pay him back, but Adrian had refused. Seeing the light in Faith’s beautiful brown eyes was all the payback he needed. Faith was only going to get one, but she had trouble deciding between two of them. Adrian had told her to go ahead and get both. Since Adrian decided to buy two, Al gave him a discount. The one puppy that looked a little chunky and licked his lips all the time, Faith had named Chop. The other one had one green eye and one blue eye and seemed pretty active, Faith named him Hagar. They were going to pick the pups up on Sunday afternoon on their way back to Elliot.
“Did I thank you?” Faith asked as she walked beside Adrian.
“Yes, Angel, you did,” Adrian said in a deep tone.
Faith encircled her arm under Adrian’s. He looked at her. She was beaming. Adrian’s heart warmed. She was looking at him like he was her hero.
“Hey, young man,” a man yelled to Adrian from a shooting booth. “How about you win the lady a prize?”
Fair games were a racket, he knew that. But, he looked down in Faith’s wide eyes and fell in. Before Adrian could stop himself, he started walking to the booth.
“Step on up, son,” the man said. “We got bears of all sizes.”
Faith came alongside Adrian.
Adrian watched the targets rapidly spin on three wheels. The wheel at the bottom had bigger bullseyes than the one in the middle. The one up top had the smallest bullseyes, and it was spinning almost as fast as a truck wheel. It would take an expert marksman to hit that.
“If you hit three bullseyes on the bottom wheel, the pretty lady will have her pick of the smaller animals on the bottom shelf. The middle wheel, hit three, and she can pick out what’s on the middle shelf. The top wheel, hit four bullseyes, and she can pick a cute teddy bear,” the man said happily.
“How much?” Adrian asked.
“Ten dollars a try,” the man said.
Adrian pulled out his billfold and took out ten dollars.
The man handed him the BB gun. “You’ll get six pellets, my boy.”
Adrian shook his head. He aimed for the wheel in the middle. He fired off a shot. The BB gun trembled in his hands. The gun was rigged. He should have known. He missed. Adrian took a deep breath and fired again. He missed. His eyes zeroed on the target that came around. Adrian pressed the gun tight against his shoulder to ease the shaking. He shot. He got it. He zeroed again. He got it. Just one more. Adrian took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. He got it.
“Whoa!” the man exclaimed. “Nice shooting! Which prize do you want, little lady?” the man asked.
Faith smiled. “The duck,” she said as she pointed to the stuffed duck on the middle shelf.
The man grabbed it and gave it to her.
“Thank you,” she said with a bashful smile and cuddled the duck.
Adrian got the urge to get her a teddy bear. He knew how to handle the gun now; he might be able to get her one. Adrian pulled out his billfold again. He pulled out another ten dollars. “I want to give it another go.”
The booth runner looked elated. “All right.” He took the money and reloaded the gun.
Adrian aimed for the top wheel. If he didn’t know any better, it seemed like it was spinning faster than before. Then, he realized that the booth runner probably had a button under the table he could flip to speed the wheels up.
Adrian relaxed the tension in his shoulders, and let his eyes do the driving. He pulled the trigger. He hit the bullseye. The trembling of the gun made him have to re-adjust his aim. He pulled the trigger again. He hit it.
“Just two more,” the man chirped, but Adrian knew he was hoping he’d miss the rest.
Adrian took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. He missed. Adrian blinked his eyes and readjusted his aim. He counted in his head, one, two, three, then he fired. He got it. Just one more. You had to hit four targets for the top wheel. Adrian rolled his shoulders and blinked a few times. He aimed. His eyes were blurry, but he could still see. He pulled the trigger. He hit the fourth bullseye.
Faith squealed, and then leaped in his arms. Her arms swung around his neck. Adrian caught her waist with one arm. He laughed.
“That was fantastic!” she said with glee. She gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
She really had a way of making him feel like a man.
“Where the hell did you learn how to shoot like that, boy?” the man asked with less cheer in his tone than he was previously using.
Adrian handed the man the BB gun. “I grew up on a ranch.”
“Half the men walking the grounds grew up on a ranch. They can’t shoot like you,” the man said. “Okay, little lady, which bear do you want?”
Faith lifted one arm off of Adrian’s shoulder and pointed to a brown bear wrapped in plastic. “The brown one with the red bow tie.”
The man pulled out a short ladder and climbed it. He pulled down the bear Faith wanted. “Here you are, miss,” he said as he
handed Faith the large bear. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” she said with a big smile.
“Step on up. Step on up!” the man yelled. “Win a prize, like this young man.”
Three guys walking with ladies on their arms looked over at them. They started walking over to the booth.
Adrian laughed. “Come on, Angel. It’s getting late. We should go.” While I still have money in my pocket.
As they walked to the parking lot, Adrian couldn’t help but be goaded by other booth vendors. He got the best of them, too. He won a medium-sized stuffed polar bear, an oversized blue bear dressed like a cowboy, and six dozen roses for Faith.
It was 11:30 by the time they made it back to the hotel. Adrian walked Faith to her door.
“I had a wonderful time,” Faith said with a big smile.
“I did, too,” Adrian said as he looked at the stuff animals and flowers in her arms. “You want me to get the door for you?”
Faith giggled. “Yes, please. My room key is in my pocket.” She turned her hip towards him.
Adrian gently reached into her pocket with two fingers and pulled out the key card. He unlocked the door and held it open for her.
“Thanks,” she said and walked in the room.
Adrian walked in and closed the door.
Faith placed the items on the bed. “Do you want a soda?”
“No, thanks. I should get going. We got to get up early in the morning for the auction,” Adrian said as he adjusted his Stetson on his head. “I’ll come by at eight, okay?”
“Okay,” Faith said as she approached him. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Adrian smiled as he went in for a kiss. He made it quick and short. It was getting harder and harder to resist Faith. It was still too soon for them to make love.
Chapter 22
Today, the Corsicana Livestock Auction was more crowded than it was the previous day. It was a sea of people with cowboy hats. They had arrived at the auction at 8:30, and the parking lot was full of pickup trucks – not one car was in the lot.
The dirt, dust, and sand that were being kicked up by all the people made Faith’s throat dryer than a desert. This much dust didn’t get kicked up at the Daytona Speedway.
“The auction starts at nine,” Adrian said. “Let’s get something to drink.”
Thank God, I’m about to die of the dehydration, she thought.
Faith got the biggest fountain drink the concession stand had and went into the building that the auction was being held in with Adrian.
Steve, Ray, and Isaiah saved them a seat. Adrian sat down next to her. On the other side of Faith was an older man that looked to be in his seventies.
“Mornin’,” he said to her and tipped his brown Stetson at her.
“Good morning,” she replied.
Ten minutes later, the auction started. An hour went by, and then two. Faith was bored senseless. Everyone in the place was stone-faced and practically still. She couldn’t understand a word the auctioneer was saying over the microphone. It sounded like fast hick gibberish to her. She had to fight not to groan and roll her eyes.
Steve bid on three heifers and got them. Isaiah bid on one, but let it go. Faith assumed that the price got too high. The old man next to her bid on two and got those.
The gate opened for what seemed like the hundredth time, and a small bull was let into the little arena. Adrian sat up. It must be the one he wanted.
The man on the microphone said – something. Faith figured it was stats on the bull calf. Adrian raised his hand. Several men in the large arena-type building raised their hands. It seemed like the auctioneer was talking faster.
Adrian grunted like he was annoyed. He raised his hand again.
“Don’t let that ass get our bull calf, Adrian,” Steve said.
Faith followed Steve’s gaze across the way. It was Wes Johnson.
Wes pulled his ear. Then, Adrian raised his hand. Another guy two rows over raised his hand. The back and forth was interesting.
Faith raised her arm and scratched her head.
The auctioneer said something.
Adrian, Steve, Isaiah, and Ray looked at her like she was crazy.
“What the hell are you doin’, woman?” Adrian whispered.
“Nothing,” she said defensively.
“You just bet on the bull calf,” Ray said.
“No, I didn’t,” she said with astonishment.”
“What did you raise your hand for?” Adrian asked.
“My head was itching,” Faith said with wide eyes.
Steve smirked. “It’s too late, now. You’re in it.”
She didn’t want a damn cow. What was she going to do?
The old man next to her started snickering. “It’s happened to everyone at least once,” he mumbled through his chuckles.
She looked over at Wes Johnson. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“He’s not going to bid against a woman,” Steve said. “He’ll let her have it.”
A man, one row behind Wes, raised his hand up high.
“Shit,” Adrian said. “Raise your arm again, Faith.”
She raised her arm like she was going to scratch her head again.
The man on the other side raised his hand again.
“Raise your hand, Faith,” Adrian said.
She did.
The man didn’t move.
The auctioneer spoke and hit his gavel.
“Congrats, honey,” the old man next to her said. “Nice lookin’ bull calf you bought.”
Faith and Adrian blew out.
“How much was it?” Faith asked.
“A little more than I wanted to pay for it, but we got it,” Adrian said. “About nine hundred and some change.”
“God,” Faith whispered. Nine-hundred dollars for a baby bull was crazy to her, but she didn’t know anything about cattle.
Another thirty minutes went by. Steve bought two more steers.
A small heifer was brought out. It looked skinnier than the others.
The auctioneer spoke again, and again Faith didn’t understand a word he said. She reached over and scratched her arm.
The auctioneer spoke.
Isaiah, Steve, Adrian, and Ray looked at her.
“Why the hell did you bet on that scrawny thing?” Adrian asked with surprise.
“I didn’t,” she said with raised eyebrows.
“Um, yes, you did,” Ray said.
“Shit,” Faith hissed with irritation. “You can’t scratch your own ass in this place without buying a cow.”
The old man next to her snickered loudly.
Luckily, another man raised his hand.
“Stay still,” Adrian chopped out.
She froze like a mannequin until the auctioneer banged his gavel.
“Let’s go before you accidentally buy something else,” Adrian said with a smirk.
“There are four more I want to try and get,” Steve said. “We’ll meet you at the hotel in two hours.”
Chapter 23
It was Friday night, and Faith was at Drew’s Bar. She was sitting at the bar bragging to Drew about Adrian’s prowess at fair games. Drew happily listened as Faith chatted and enjoyed her beer. She had spent half the afternoon and evening helping Aunt Bea prepare food for the Lone Wolf Ranch BBQ tomorrow. Faith wanted to stretch her legs and enjoy a quiet drink out. Aunt Bea let her borrow her car and told her not to get soused since they still had more work to do in the morning.
Jose and Antonio Rodriguez walked into the bar. They approached Faith and Drew.
“Hola,” Jose greeted in his Mexican accent.
“Hola,” Faith said with a smile. “Can I get you boys a drink?”
Antonio chuckled. “I know you’re an independent woman, Faith, but in Texas, we are still gentlemen.”
“We buy you a drink,” Jose said and placed a twenty on the table. “Two beers on tap and a refill for the senorita.”
“You got it,” Drew said and
started getting their drinks.
“Are you guys coming to the BBQ tomorrow afternoon?” Faith asked them.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Jose said. “We’ve gone every year for fifteen years.”
Faith smiled. “I’m glad you’re coming.” Perhaps this rift between the families can be healed.
Drew sat down their frosted beer mugs.
“You’re coming to the BBQ, too, right?” Faith asked Drew. “When Aunt Bea told me how many people were coming, I almost fainted. You may as well come, too.”
“Absolutely,” Drew said. “I wouldn’t miss a chance to get a bowl of Aunt Bea’s chili. Have you tasted it yet?”
“I did, tonight,” Faith said. “It’s the best chili I’ve ever had. If you want some, you better get to the ranch early tomorrow. She made three big pots of it, but I don’t think it’s going to last with a guest list of three hundred plus.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Drew said with a smile.
Low whistles echoed throughout the bar.
“Sounds like a good-looking woman just walked in,” Drew said as he looked over Jose and Antonio’s heads.
Jose hissed something in Spanish. He sounded angry.
Faith looked over his shoulder to the doorway.
A tall, curvy light-skinned woman sashayed towards them. Long dark hair flowed down her back. She had dark brown eyes. She wore a long black form-fitting dress with a slit on the side.
“You got a hell of a lot of nerve coming back here,” Drew retorted.
“What happened to Texas’ hospitality? Things have changed for the worst in this town,” the woman oozed with a mischievous smirk.
Jose said something to her in Spanish.
“I went to the ranch,” the woman began. “Aunt Maria wouldn’t let me pass the threshold. She told me to get out of there before you came home from the bar. I left. Then, I came here to find you, Uncle Jose,” she hissed. “Surely, you aren’t still holding this ridiculous grudge.”
A chill went up Faith’s spine. My God, is she Rosita Rodriguez?
“Ridiculous?” Jose hissed. “You embarrassed us. Disgraced our family reputation around here, Rosita.”
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