by Ashley Kay
“I can’t tell you. Except that you have to change.” She sizes me up and down with her lips pursed. Pointing a finger at my dress shirt and slacks, she says, “Yeah, that won’t do. Jeans, t-shirt, and those new boots of yours. Meet me at the stables in fifteen.”
She spins around to head toward the door. Stopping, she looks over her shoulder, her long braided hair swaying with the motion. “I hope you don’t mind being sore tomorrow, cowboy.” With that, she slaps the door frame and waltzes out.
After her apple bottom ass disappears down the stairs, I mutter out loud, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”
“No fucking way, Savy. No way. I’m not doing it.”
“Come on, you have to.”
“Where does it say that in the employee handbook? I’m amending it today.”
“Nope, not without majority vote and Greyson isn’t here. Sorry, pal. Get on.”
The creature’s big doe eyes with its two-inch-long eyelashes regard me suspiciously while I glare at the woman forcing me to get on it. Her, he—I’m not entirely sure—looks irritated. The swishing of its tail brings up the scent of hay and manure, making me wrinkle my nose. The worn leather saddle sits atop its back, positioned near my shoulders, sporting an Aztec printed fabric.
“Just grab the horn and pull yourself up and over. It’s easy, you can do it.” She’s already astride her horse, staring down at me, daring me to chicken out.
“I drive my horsepower, not ride it.” Another swish of its tail. What does that mean, did I piss it off?
“You ride in a town car, Preston. It’s not the same thing. Come on, you’ll like it once you get used to it. I’ll even promise to let you drive Mustang Sally.” She directs her horse to trot around in a circle before coming back next to me. Even the horse is mocking me with its big lips peeling back to reveal huge teeth.
“Mustang Sally, huh? Please tell me that isn’t code for something else…?” I purposely glance at her pants, knowing it very well isn’t.
“Oh, god. No!” her voice makes the horse nervous, and it skitters back an inch. Soothing it with her hands, she glares at me. I shrug and put my hands in my pockets, a smile on my face.
“I was talking about my—you know what, never mind. Just go back to work if you won’t man up and get on the damn horse.” She swivels the massive animal around with the reins and is serious about leaving me.
Ouch, she knows how to hit where it hurts.
Sagging my shoulders, keeping the horse in my direct eyesight, I blow out a breath.
Fine—I’ll do it. Shut up, brain, she does not have you roped. No pun intended, but you better stop stalling or she’ll ride off for real.
“Savy, wait.” I step up closer to my horse, slowly patting its head between the eyes. It pivots in my direction and I move back, not even shy about my nerves now. Its dome is huge and those teeth, although flat, look like a bite would hurt. I reluctantly hold out my hand with a sugar cube that Savy gave me when I first looked at the beast. It nibbles it out of my hand, big lips tickling my palms. Running my hands down its silky hair and glossy coat, the jitters slowly ebb away.
“Her name is Rebel.” Savy snuck up behind me. My face twists at the name and she chuckles. I look back up at her and she sticks out her tongue. “We named her that because she is the least rebellious horse we have.”
Facing Rebel and staring into her big chocolate eyes, I try to send her a telepathic message. Go easy on me, girl, I may or may not be trying to impress one sassy cowgirl, and looking ridiculous won’t bode well for me.
She nudges me like she understands and after inhaling a deep breath; I grab onto the saddle, one foot in the stirrup, and hoist myself up and over in one fluid movement.
Not too bad.
I grip the horn to straighten myself up and hold on to the reins like Savy modeled for me. Feet nestled into the stirrups, I feel secure, and only a little worried about falling off. That is, until Rebel moves. I frown, curving my body over the front of the saddle, clinging to the horn. After a few seconds of Rebel walking, I’m able to sit up and be comfortable. Blowing out a breath, I raise my head and catch Savy staring at me while biting her lip.
Jesus, why’s that so fucking hot? She leads her horse to me, reaching over to her other side. Straightening up, she leans in front of me, straining to put something on my head. It takes all my self-control not to peek down her shirt. I definitely don’t see the pink lacy bra she’s wearing.
“There. Now, you’re a proper cowboy.” She sits back, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
Pulling it off, I run my hands over the smooth dark tan leather of the hat. I’m not an expert in hats because I rarely wear them, but I can tell it’s excellent quality. A thin leather strap wraps around the top with a feather tucked in. I place it back on and tip it towards Savy.
“Does this mean I get to tie you up with rope?” Wiggling my eyebrows, I laugh when she slaps me with her riding gloves.
“You’re hopeless. And, you never know, you might get lucky. If you can catch me, that is!” She takes the reins and shoots off with her horse to the other side of the stables.
Trying to mimic her movements, it does nothing but make Rebel snort and paw her hoof. “Come on, girl, help me out here.” I pat her head, begging her not to make me look like a fool.
Savy’s laughter twinkles in the air, and I bend my head back. God, I love that sound.
I must have pulled on the reins the right way, because Rebel trots forward. I kick my heels into her sides and she picks up the pace. Bounce over bounce, the reins tight in my hands, almost to the point of strangulation, I eventually make it over to where Savy is still laughing astride her horse.
Flipping her hair back, she swings a leg over and hops down. I get down somewhat gracefully and join her, leaning our arms over the fence.
“You’re pretty good.” She faces me, crossing her arms, successfully pushing out her chest. Of course I don’t notice that either.
“Good teacher.” I shrug.
“Thanks.”
“I meant the horse. You were right, Rebel is perfect for me. Gentle, and we telecommunicated.”
“Oh yeah? Then you get to be in charge of her stalls from here on out.” Tongue in cheek, she grins when my face betrays my disgust. I’ve had my fair share of horse shit.
Out of the corner of my eye, I observe a woman walking with Theo, too far away to see much more than blonde hair to her shoulders. She’s leading him to a car at the far end of the parking lot. I only know it’s Theo because he’s bouncing and walking at the same time. How that’s even possible, I have no clue.
“Who’s that with Theo?” I ask, pointing in the general direction.
Savy follows my finger and squints. “Oh, that’s Turtle, his mom. She’s nice, you’ll have to meet her sometime.”
Before I can ask her more about this Turtle, a rider on another horse gallops up to us. Out of breath, she sweeps back her insanely long black hair and fans her deeply bronzed skin. “Savy, Shelby needs your help.”
“What’s wrong, Cheyenne?” Savy grabs onto the horse’s reins to steady it while the woman answers.
“One calf got out. Shelby can’t find her. I figure if we spread out, we can find her faster.” Savy nods and, putting one foot in the stirrups, whips herself up over the horse and into the saddle. “Preston and I will go over past the northern pasture; you stick to the south.”
Cheyenne glances over at me, lifting her chin in appreciation. “I’ll let Shelby know. Call me if you find her before we do.”
I don’t waste time wondering what kind of mess I’ve gotten myself into because there isn’t a shortage of things to do here. For example, I’m going on a rescue mission for a cow only having gotten on a horse for the first time an hour ago.
“Preston. Just follow Rebel’s lead, she’ll know what to do. If you see a calf shout at me.”
“What do we do if we find it?”
She grins a slow smile before turning her
horse. “We rope it.”
Three sweaty hours later and no calf. I tug at my hat in frustration. How the hell can a calf just disappear like that? Where is its mom? Do they have moms? Of course they have moms, but how does it work? Do they stay with their moms or what? I’m such a stranger to this and, feeling so inadequate, I barely notice when Savy nudges me with a sweating water bottle.
“Just a little longer and we’ll head back. She has to be here. If we don’t find her, then she’ll likely be taken out by a predator.” She winces before chugging the rest of her water.
I don’t know why that makes me a little sad. A calf lost in the woods all by herself is basically a sitting duck for who knows what kind of deadly creatures out there. I feel a little kinship with that lonely calf and the determination to find her swells within me.
“We’ll find her.” I stand up, brushing off the dust from the back of my legs. Extending my hand, I help Savy to her feet, watching her fidget and understanding her nervousness about not finding the animal.
I grab onto the horn to lift myself back in the saddle when a thrashing sound in the nearby brush makes Rebel’s ears twitch. Savy is busy with her horse, so I hop down and crouch, slowly approaching the direction of the noise. Pushing aside the tall, thick grasses, a low chuckle escapes me. Munching on some greenery is a large, furry, brown calf, just minding her own business.
“Holy shit, do you know the trouble you’ve caused, little one?” I sit back on my haunches and let my hands dangle in between my legs while I watch her eat grass happily with no care in the world. She smells me and inches closer, still chewing, the soggy stalk hanging from her mouth. Nudging, she pushes me with enough force to put me on my ass. I hold my hands up and laugh as she curls down in between my legs, her huge brown eyes gazing up at me with the trust of a baby under those long lashes.
Stroking her fur, I’m amazed at how docile cows are. She lets me rub her like she’s a dog. I envision walking into my house and finding a cow instead of a pup running toward me, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of it all. I can’t believe I’m spending my days chasing baby cows and hiking with a sexy archer. Far cry from the daily grind of my New York job. I also can’t believe I’m liking it. I nuzzle her with my nose while she sniffs at my clothes.
“I said we had to rope her, not snuggle her.”
I look up over a fluff of fur into the eyes of an amused Savy, hands on her hips, and a big smile on her heart-shaped face. She sits down next to me, ruffling the calf’s fuzzy head.
“I can’t help it she thought my lap looked comfy.”
“I can’t say I blame her.” She winks, and I feel it everywhere. “I don’t see you being into having pets, though.”
Shrugging, I lean back on my hands as the little hungry hippo stands up and lumbers back to the tall grass.
“We didn’t have any growing up, but Nico, my best friend, did. He had a cat, and you never knew what kind of mood she would be in. One minute, pushing her head toward my hand for a pet, and then the next hissing and swiping me with razor-sharp claws. I wore gloves the next time I went over.” Chuckling, I pluck up a piece of dried grass and toss it at her. She reaches over and rips up a handful, flinging it at me.
“That’s how you want to do this, huh?” Scrambling, I grab two big handfuls and try to stuff it down her shirt as she screeches and runs away.
“Noooo! Ahhhh!”
She doesn’t stand a chance when I pick her up over my head; her face in the middle of my back, feeling her squeals through my shirt. Grabbing the end of the fabric, she lifts it up and starts tickling me, sending us both to the ground.
“Ow! Oh, god.” I flatten myself to the ground, her on top of me sideways.
Flipping her braid behind her, she raises herself up on her forearms and searches my face, concern flitting in her eyes. “Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
A grin forms across my face and she knows I’ve tricked her, but it’s too late. I grab her, flipping her on her back with me on top, settling my weight between her thighs, cradling her head in my hands. “Gotcha.”
She squirms under my weight, but it only brings her closer. She puts her hands behind my head and explores my eyes. “Looks like I got you.” Her breath fans across my skin, goosebumps pebbling.
“What are you going to do about it?” I inch my head closer, whispering into her plush lips, feeling them quiver underneath mine. Her fingers yank on my hair, and I love how it burns. I bet she’s a wildcat in bed. I’m waiting on her to make the next move when a loud ping sounds inside her pocket, and we collectively groan.
Rolling out from under me, she stands, pulling out her phone. I close my eyes, commanding my nether region to chill the fuck out. That woman can bring me to attention with one mere heated glance.
“Crap, it’s Shelby.” Looking behind her to make sure the calf is still there, she answers, “Hey Shelby. Yeah, Preston found her. Yes, he’s awesome, I agree.” She beams at me and my chest warms. “We’ll bring her back.” She nods, sucking on her lower lip. Letting it pop out, I physically move my head so I won’t stare at it too hard.
Widening her eyes, she whips her head toward me. “Really? Oh, he’s going to love that. See you soon.” She ends the call, and I slit my eyes; trickery settles in the air.
“What was that last part about?”
Savy brushes past me and jumps through the thicket of tall grass. She comes back with some rope and fastens it around the calf’s neck, making sure it’s secure.
“She’s yours.”
Crinkling my eyebrows, I catch her pressing her lips together to stop herself from laughing.
“Come again? Who’s mine?” I ask, even though I have a sneaky suspicion she isn’t talking about herself.
Pointing to the big fur ball, she confirms, “Her. She’s yours. Shelby gifted her to you for finding her.”
Opening my mouth, nothing comes out. A cow. Shelby’s giving me a cow.
“What the hell am I going to do with a cow, Savy?”
She clicks her tongue, tugging on the rope, the calf following her over to me. She drops the rope into my hands and smirks. “You take care of her. Love her. Easy peasy. So, what’s her name going to be?”
Shocked this is still happening, I look down to see the calf’s head raise, sniffing the air, staring at me with what are very human-like eyes. Intuitive, like she knows something is going on. Scratching my two-day-old scruff, I can’t believe I’m contemplating this. What kind of sorcery does this woman have over me?
Angling my head, I spit out the first thing that comes to mind, “Milkdud.”
“Milkdud?” Savy snorts, covering her mouth with her hand. “Why that name?”
“She looks like a piece of my favorite candy. It just sort of popped in my head and I’m going to go with it. Also, dairy cows are the black and white ones, right? She’s not, so she’s a dud. Got a problem with that?” I pull on the rope and Milkdud follows.
Savy snickers behind us. “No, no problem at all. It’s the perfect name for her.”
The ride back to the stables is more interesting now that I’m towing a baby cow. Correction. My baby cow. I already feel protective of her, keeping a watchful eye out for any potential hazards.
Savy just keeps shaking her head, a grin permanently plastered to her face. “You going to tell Greyson, or are you still not speaking to him?”
I keep a firm hand on Milkdud’s rope. “I’m ignoring him, thinking maybe he will just go away like an annoying case of hives.”
She sends me a withering look.
“Alright, alright, I’ll put on my big boy pants and talk to him. Only because I’m in a good mood and I now own a cow. Nothing he can do would be stranger than this moment.” At least I hope so. My brother is clearly a sore subject, but Savy’s right and has been right all along. I can’t solve anything if I just ignore it.
The more pressing issue is to research how to take care of a damn cow. I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel a su
rge of acceptance staring into her soulful eyes. Maybe the smile that graces my face more than a scowl shows something greater at work here in Montana than just punching numbers and bickering with my brother. Or maybe I’m insane to think I can take care of an animal that will soon outweigh me by over thirteen hundred pounds. Either way, I’ll take today over the last seven years.
14
PRESTON
SOPHOMORE YEAR- COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The last Friday of spring break is usually quiet. Most everyone on campus spends the day lazily gearing up for the weekend parties to round out the time away from school. Grey and I are no exception.
The apartment off campus is large. We have two other roommates, so the four of us gather in the common area, ready to stream the newest Marvel movie and stay in.
“Who wants a beer?” I shout from the kitchen, swinging open the fridge, pulling out a couple IPA’s.
“Bring out the tequila too, P.”
I grind my teeth and sit the beers on the counter. Luckily, I don’t have to stretch far to reach for the Patron on the top shelf. I don’t know how Grey drinks this stuff. Give me a beer any day.
Balancing the bottles in my arms, I pad across the floor to the couch and distribute them out amongst us. I plop down next to Nico and we clink drinks as the beginning credits roll.
Thoroughly liquored up by the time the movie is over, Nico and Shane leave to go play pool downstairs, while Grey opts to stay up here, much to my annoyance.
Feet propped up on the coffee table, I suck the last of my warm beer down, tucking the empty bottle next to me in between the couch cushions. Grey stands up stretching, wobbly on his feet, and stumbles towards the kitchen.
“You want some snacks?” His voice slurs slightly.
A hunger pang slices through the irritation at my friends leaving me to hang out with him for the night. “Any pizza left?”