by Ciana Stone
Seconds later he roared down the drive of the estate, headed for the city. His mind whirled with futy. He had to come up with a way to thwart his father's plan because there was no way in hell he was going to prison.
*****
Riley spotted Cody when he pulled up at the ranch house. She was standing outside the paddock, one booted foot on the bottom rail of the fence, leaning on the top rail. He climbed out of the truck and made his way across the uneven ground.
He hadn't seen Analise since the day she arrived in Cotton Creek. They had texted a few times and had spoken once on the phone, but things felt strained and uncomfortable. That kicked him in the gut. Damn if he didn’t miss taking to her over the ‘net.
Cody said Analise had been pretty upset at first because she felt that he'd deliberately misled her. She confided in him it probably had a lot to be with Analise being such a big Nate Bridges fan. It's hard for anyone to come face-to-face with their movie idol. Finding out that the idol and the friend are one and the same might just throw anyone for a loop.
He was fair-minded enough to agree. Friends he’d had before he became a star had faded pretty fast from his life when he became famous. Some of that blame was his. He just quit calling. But he’d lost a few friends just because he was famous and they suddenly didn’t know how to be themselves around him. He’d not found a way to repair things back then and didn’t know how to now.
Once again, Cody came to the rescue.
As it turned out, Analise was gung ho about learning everything there was to learn about ranching and had been shadowing Cody day in and day out. Whatever work there was to do, she volunteered to help. Cody said that surprisingly, Analise had a real way with animals.
She was learning to ride, and Cody had joked that maybe she was practicing too much because there were some evenings she could barely sit – or stand for that matter.
When she had called Riley early that morning to ask him to join them on an afternoon ride out to Cotton Creek near Rascal Flats and have an old-fashioned camp out, he had almost begged off. She reminded him that if he wanted to mend fences he was going to have to start somewhere, so he agreed.
"What's up, half-pint?" He said as he came up behind Cody.
"Check this shit." She pointed toward the interior of the paddock.
"Is that…?"
"Hell yeah. Can you believe it? Twostep freaking loves her."
Riley shook his head and watched. Analise was in the paddock with a bunch of carrots in one hand stroking Twostep’s nose with the other. As he watched, she stopped rubbing the horse, and headed for the opposite side of the paddock, turning her back on Twostep.
The horse whinnied, pawed the ground once and whinnied again. She ignored him and kept walking. Twostep blew a breath, shook his head and followed. When he reached her, he bumped her in the back with his nose.
Analise turned and offered him a carrot. He munched it down as she petted him and then she stopped and walked away again. Twice more he followed and was rewarded. The third time there were no more carrots, but she rubbed his face and talked to him.
And then walked away. "Here's the real test." Cody said.
Riley didn't respond. They both knew that the chances of Twostep following her again were slim. Cody had tried the same thing and the dang horse just wasn't inclined to be sociable if there wasn't something in it for him.
"Well I'll be damned." The words were out before he could stop them.
Not only had the horse followed and not received a reward, but he was nuzzling Analise's neck like she was his best friend.
"I know. I swear to god she's a natural- born horse whisperer."
He scoffed at Cody's notion. "No way."
"As God is my witness. You just saw it. A couple of days ago the new mare got spooked by a corn snake and we couldn't get her out of her stall. Annie went in and talked to her and the mare just followed her out like a damn puppy. It's freaky, Riley. Freaky."
Riley turned his attention to Analise in the paddock. She petted Twostep some more and then turned and looked across the paddock. Riley could see the look of surprise on her face when she saw him.
She crossed the paddock with Twostep at her side and stopped at the fence. "Riley, what a surprise."
Riley cut his eyes at Cody. "She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"He's joining us for camping."
Analise looked from Cody to Riley and he could see her unease. For a moment he wondered if she was going to beg off but then she smiled a weak smile. "Great. I – I didn't know what people eat for this kind of thing here, but I packed up some food that can be eaten cold and some things that can be cooked over a fire."
"Then let's get loaded up and head out."
This time her smile seemed more genuine. "Okay. I'll go get the food."
"Sounds like a plan." Riley opened the gate for her and watched until she was walked into the house before he turned to Cody. "What're you up to, half-pint?"
"Nothin'."
"Um hmmm." He followed her to the tack room and for the next little while they both focused on saddling their three horses and getting another ready to load up with the supplies.
"You need anything outta your truck?" Cody asked when they finished.
"Bedroll and jacket. You need anything from the house?
"Same."
"Take your mount and the pack horse and gimme the reins to the other two. I'll grab my stuff and meet you at the house."
She did just that and he led the horses to his truck. It took less than a minute to grab his jacket and an old bedroll from behind the seat of his truck and secure it behind one of the saddles. He then led the horses to the house.
Cody kicked open the screen door of the house, tossed two bedrolls onto the porch and then disappeared back inside. Riley secured the bedrolls. Just as he was finishing the door banged open again. Cody and Analise emerged, each with a sizable sack in their hands.
Riley couldn't help wondering what was in the sacks but he didn’t ask. He just secured them to the pack animal and swung up into his saddle.
Cody cut him an evil eye when he grinned at the way Analise grimaced as she climbed into the saddle. He marveled that she even wanted to ride. He could remember what it was like to not have been in the saddle for a while. Getting back to it had cost him more than a few days of soreness.
For the first couple of miles no one said a word. Analise must have taken fifty pictures in that time and he couldn't help but be amused. For people who lived here there didn’t seem to be much to see, but for her it had to seem alien. The landscape of West Texas could best be described as unforgiving. Some saw the harshness of it and others the beauty. He wondered which camp she fell into.
Analise didn't know which emotion to go with – excitement or anxiety. It was exciting to be out riding across the barren landscape, watching the sky and searching the horizon that stretched out in seeming endlessness.
Not to mention the sight of Riley, riding a few yards to her right and a bit ahead of her. He rode with such ease and smoothness, it made her feel clumsy and awkward in comparison. But then so did Cody. She rode like she'd been born in the saddle.
Analise took a few dozen pictures of them. She loved the quick smile Cody would cut her, or the way Cody would gaze into the distance when no one was watching and the look that came over her face. It was like she was part of the landscape, joined with the land. Her expression seemed to convey reverence and love.
Riley? God, how to even begin to describe Riley. The young handsome film star had matured into a man in his fifties whose expressions have the sense of someone who had found peace, to a man with some turmoil inside to a silly grin that could light up the entire state of Texas.
Whatever the years had taken from him, it had given back in spades. He was still a strikingly handsome man, one who had a timeless appeal she'd be willing to bet would last his whole life.
It still rattled her that he was Nate Bridges. ‘Shit
on a stick’ as her dad was fond of saying. She'd been lusting after that man since his first film and here she was, riding alongside him on a horse named Apache. She chuckled to herself as she heard the words to the old song in her head. "I've been to the desert on a horse with no name."
"What's got you smiling, Ms. Annie?" Riley asked, alerting her to the fact that he was looking at her.
She wasn’t quite ready to meet his eyes. "Just feels good to be here."
"Yeah, it does."
"It's not what I had pictured in my head."
"No?"
"No. I mean, yes. I looked at all kinds of pictures online, but it's different to see it in person. It's the feel of the air, the smells and sounds."
"Far cry from New York." Cody commented from the other side of Analise.
"Oh god yes."
"Never been there." Cody said.
"Ever wanted to go?"
"Not really." She looked around Analise at Riley. "He's been."
"Do you like it?" Analise turned her attention to him.
"It's okay. Bit too many people for my taste. Too much noise. Hard to hear yourself think."
"It can be."
"So did you live in one of those big high rise things?" Cody asked.
Analise wasn't keen on talking about herself and her life in New York, but she didn't want to ruin the moment of comradery between them. "No. We didn't live in the city."
"So where'd you live?"
"In a house."
"With a yard?"
"Yes, we had a yard."
"A big house?"
Analise wished Cody would stop asking questions but she couldn't say so. "Big enough I guess."
"You go to the city much?"
"Occasionally."
"Do you miss it."
"Not at all."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Huh. So I guess you can take the girl outta the city."
"I guess so. Oh what's that?"
Riley looked in the direction she pointed. "That's Cotton Creek."
Analise smiled at him. "So the town was named after the creek or the creek after the town?"
"I don't really know. Cody?"
"Grandma says her grandma said the town was named after the creek."
"Well there you go. Straight from Grandma Sweet's mouth."
"Why Cotton?" Analise asked.
"Pardon?"
"Why name it Cotton Creek?"
"Cuz people grew a lot of cotton." Cody answered.
"And there's more than a few cotton mouths in some parts of the creek." Riley added.
"Cotton mouths?" Analise shuddered. If there was one kind of animal on earth she didn't like it was snakes.
"Don't worry. They're not bad up this way."
"Thank God."
Everyone fell silent for the remainder of the ride. When they arrived, everyone got to work setting up camp. By the time they were done, the sun was sinking into the horizon. Analise fished out a plastic bag from one of the sacks.
"Who's up for a cold beer?"
"You have cold beer?" Riley turned from his task of building a fire to look at her.
"Yeah. I wet some hand towels and wrapped them around beer and put them in the freezer this morning. It'll keep beer ice cold for a good long time."
"How many you got?" Cody asked.
"A twelve-pack."
"That ought to just about do it." Riley said and grinned. "Soon as I get this fire started, I'm ready."
Riley watched Analise as she worked. Funny, but at the moment she didn't seem much like a city girl. Had spending time with Cody made that much of an impact? Whatever the case, it was nice to see that tension gone from her posture and a smile on her face.
Dinner was a surprise. Along with her ingenious way of keeping beer cool, she'd packed sausage and hotdogs to cook on the fire, and had made a potato salad that rivaled Stella's. She’d also brought buns and even a plastic container of baked beans she heated on the fire in a skillet she placed on what she said was a cake cooling rack balanced between two rocks.
There was even dessert. S’mores. The flavor reminded him of childhood campouts and brought back a lot of good memories.. By the time they finished eating they were all stuffed. While Cody burned the paper plates they'd used to eat off of in the fire, Analise had washed the skillet with water from a gallon jug she'd brought.
They sat around for a while talking and pretty soon everyone was yawning. "Okay, I'm done." Cody announced. "It's my one night to sleep and that's what I'm gonna do. See ya'll in the morning."
She unrolled her bedroll, climbed in and was asleep in two minutes. Riley looked at her, grinned and then turned his attention to Analise. "You tired, Annie?"
"Yeah, a little."
"Then why don't we turn in?"
"Sounds good."
He waited until she'd spread her bedroll and then placed his close by. As he lay down he heard her soft voice. "Thanks for taking me camping."
"Thanks for letting me join. See you in the morning, Annie."
"Goodnight, Riley."
It took Riley a bit to get to sleep but finally he felt himself sinking. It seemed that he had just shut his eyes when he heard Analise. "Riley!" Her voice was a stage whisper, sharp but low. "Riley!"
He rolled over and could see her lying on her back, staring at him. "Annie?"
"There's something in my sleeping bag."
"What?"
"There's something in here with me."
"Where?"
"It's across my left leg, just above my boot."
"Can you tell what it is?"
"I'm not about to touch it but it feels like a snake."
Riley cursed softly and climbed out of his bedroll. He quietly went over to where Analise was laying still as death. Her face was covered in a sheen of sweat.
"Okay, let me take a look." Without touching he checked out her bedroll. It wasn't zipped which explained how the snake had gotten in.
"Annie listen to me. I want you to move your left leg real easy out from under the bedroll."
"I don't want to anger it."
"Me either, but we've got to get it out. So real slow, slide your foot out."
"What if it bites?"
"Don't worry, you'll be fine, I'm right here. Just trust me, okay?"
"Okay."
"All right." He looked around and grabbed one of the more sizeable rocks that lined the fire. It was warm but not too hot to hold. "Okay, now, Annie."
He watched, straining his eyes in the darkness. He could see movement in the bedroll but couldn't tell what it was from. "Is that you or the snake?"
"Both of us, I think. He's kinda wrapped around my boot from the feel of it."
"That's good. Even if he bites he can't bite through the boot. So keep moving your foot out."
"Okay. No wait. What are you going to do once it's out?"
"I'm gonna – I'm gonna kill it with this rock."
"You're going to beat me with a rock?"
"No, the snake."
"Well if it's on me aren't you going to hit me?"
Riley realized he hadn't thought it out well. "You have a better idea?"
"Not really."
"Then we stick with my plan."
"Okay, here goes."
Analise's boot and then her leg slid out from under the bedroll. Sure as shit, there was a big fat snake wrapped around her ankle. A big fat mad snake that struck the moment her foot was free of the covers. Riley didn't have time to hit it. Analise bolted to her feet like she'd been propelled from a canon and was hopping around, slinging her foot like a crazy person.
The snake must have gotten hung in her jeans because it was flopping all around but not coming loose.
"Get this thing off me!" Analise yelled as she continued to jump and kick.
"If you'd hold still for five seconds I'll try!"
"I am!"
"Annie be still!"
She stopped, balancing on her right foot and holdin
g her left aloft. Riley looked at the snake. It was clamped on tight to her jeans, twisting and writhing its body up around her leg. He wasn't real keen on what he was about to do, but he had to act so he took a breath and grabbed the snake at the base of its head.
Two hard jerks and the snake was off her leg and in his hand. Two seconds later he threw it away from him as hard as he could. He turned to look at Analise and she took a step toward him. His feet carried him the rest of the way. He almost reached for her but stopped short.
So did she. They simply looked at one another and damn if he didn't feel like he was falling. Not physically, but into something he wasn't prepared for. The attraction he felt for her slammed into him. Had Cody not been there he might have made a move. Had he not wanted so desperately to deny that attraction he might have kissed her.
Still, the impact was potent. The only thing that saved him was her suddenly bursting into laughter. At first it shocked him, then the humor of the situation hit him and before he knew it he was laughing as well.
"What the hell are you doing?" Cody was sitting up staring at the both of them
Analise laughed harder which caused him to laugh harder. Cody just looked at them like they'd lost their minds. "Pipe down. Some people are trying to sleep."
They finally got it under control and Analise reached out and touched his arm. "Thanks for saving me."
"Anytime, Annie."
She smiled and looked at her bedroll. "Would you think me a coward if I said I don't relish the idea of getting back in that thing?"
"I think I can fix that." He spread out his bag, rolled hers up and fashioned a pillow to put on his. "If you don't mind sharing."
She looked at the bedroll and then at him. "Fair warning, I think I snore."
"Then that makes two of us."
"Okay, deal. Which side you want?"
"The right."
She gestured for him to go first and he lay down on his back. She lowered down beside him on her back and then rolled toward him. "Do you mind?"
In lieu of an answer, he stretched out his arm and she snuggled up against his side, placing her head on his shoulder. Riley wrapped his arm around her. "Night Annie."
"Night Riley."
Riley lay there for a long time, watching the stars, feeling her relax against him. It was a nice feeling and just before he drifted off, he wondered how it would feel to have this feeling every night.