by Sable Hunter
HEAD OVER SPURS
HELL YEAH!
By
SABLE HUNTER
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2015 © Sable Hunter
Published by Sable Hunter
http://www.sablehunter.com
Cover by JRA Stevens
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
Dear Reader:
I am wishing only the best for each and every one of you. While the beginning of this book is set during the holiday season, it is not a holiday book. This is a tale of a man and a woman who were just meant to be together. HEAD OVER SPURS tells the story of two people whose paths cross at points in their life when they need one another the most. The barriers that keep separating them seem insurmountable – time, distance, position…and yes, age – are proven to be just bumps in their road to happiness.
Also, and this is hard – you’ll find that Desiree is faced with a mountain to climb. Now this has nothing to do with my heroine’s namesake, the amazing Desiree Holt. This malady is all mine. I, the author – Sable Hunter – have been struggling with panic attacks and acute insomnia brought on by my reaction to the anesthesia used during an emergency surgery. The things that I describe Desiree as going through, the medicines she takes, the things she is compelled to do, such as sleep outside or in her car in all kinds of weather is exactly what I have been going through since the middle of September. Writing this book is a catharsis for me. The good news is that I am better. I have almost conquered this uncomfortable situation with the help of my family. In HEAD OVER SPURS, Desiree finds sanctuary in the arms of Tanner - - and I can’t think of a better dose of medicine than that.
I get amused sometimes at people who say parts of my stories aren’t believable – twice that was pointed out in reviews and humorously enough, both situations were taken right from the real life of yours truly. So enjoy the story – and should you wonder if what Desiree is going through is believable? Well… believe it – because I’m living it.
I love you all
- - Sable.
HEAD OVER SPURS
From the moment Tanner Barron laid eyes on Desiree Holt, he knew she was the only woman for him. His dream girl. The only problem – it was an impossible dream. Their paths crossed early on, before she became a country music star and before he had anything to offer her other than his adoration. One night, in a dark alley off 6th Street in Austin, Tanner rescues Desiree from two men who have her cornered, threatening her. She wants to thank him, but he disappears just before the police arrive. Desiree doesn’t forget, even when she’s offered a record deal and whisked off to Nashville, where she pens a song in his honor – White Knight.
A decade passes before they meet again. Fate brings them together just when they need one another the most. He’s trying to find peace after a failed search and rescue mission and Desiree is seeking healing after another attack – this time by an over-zealous fan which has left her traumatized and unable to sleep.
Their time together begins at Christmas, but it doesn’t end there. They find solace in one another, despite the things that could keep them apart. They’re from two different worlds, she’s famous, he’s just a cowboy who would die for her. Tanner’s not sure he’s good enough, she’s not sure she can satisfy him – after all he’s a young, virile stud and she’s almost a decade older than he is. Will distance, age, and fame keep them apart? Or will the fact that they’re head over spurs in love with one another be enough?
This book is dedicated to the amazing author, Desiree Holt. She is an inspiration, but best of all – she’s my friend.
– CHAPTER ONE –
PROLOGUE
Tanner Barron pulled his hat down low over his eyes. He’d been sneaking into clubs and bars on 6th Street since he was fifteen years old. Genetics had been kind to him. At sixteen he’d had the mature body of a full-grown man. Now at eighteen, the five o’clock shadow he sported meant most didn’t even bother asking him his age when he ordered a drink. And if they did, he had a decent fake ID – if they didn’t look too close.
“What’ll you have, cowboy?” A smiling, redheaded waitress placed a playful hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. She was smacking her gum so loudly, Tanner could hear the annoying noise over the sound of the band as they warmed up.
“Shiner beer, please,” he spoke politely, his eyes scanning the room.
Where was she?
“You got it, handsome. Be right back.”
Tanner nodded and smiled, but the waitress didn’t move right away. She gave him a come-hither look and a wink, cocking her hip enough to bump his. When his only response was to move a half step away from her, she sighed with resignation and hoisted her tray with one hand while leaving with a slightly exaggerated swing in her ample hips.
He hadn’t meant to be rude, but she wasn’t the woman he’d come to see tonight.
In the next few moments the lights dimmed and a guitarist began to play. Taking his seat, Tanner turned his attention to the stage. The pace of his pulse picked up speed knowing she would soon appear. When she walked onstage with her long blonde hair flowing down her back, big doe eyes shining with excitement, Tanner’s mouth went dry and his cock grew hard. Desiree Holt made every cell in his body roar to life. She touched something in his heart no one else ever had. If he ever got a chance with this woman, he’d take it. She was his ultimate dream girl.
“Good evening, everyone,” she said with a smile, holding the microphone to her lips. “I appreciate you all coming out to support me. Tonight’s a special night. I’d like to ask you to help me welcome Mr. Fred Madison, president of Route 66 Records.” A round of applause and catcalls rang out. “He’s come to see if I could be an asset to their label.”
“You know it, Desiree!” One man yelled enthusiastically.
“Hometown girl is gonna be a star!” Another fan cried out over the supportive handclaps and cheers.
Tanner didn’t say anything. Oh, he wanted her to succeed, he just didn’t want her to leave Austin. A big record deal meant she’d go on the road or move to Nashville and he’d never see her again.
Desiree’s eyes scanned the crowd. She saw many familiar faces, including the handsome cowboy who almost never missed one of her shows. He’d never tried to approach her, even though she fantasized that one day he might.
“For my first number, I’d like to sing a song I wrote, Waiting.”
As the band struck up the tune and her husky haunting voice filled the room, Tanner found himself remembering the first time he’d ever seen her. She hadn’t been singing, she’d been volunteering at Angel House on Christmas day, a place where people could go when they needed a good meal and had no other way of getting one. He’d only been fifteen at the time and his father had been in jail for drug possession. After he’d run out of food, Tanner had given in to the hunger pangs and sought a meal at the soup kitchen. It was either do that or steal something. Due to his father’s temper and combative attitude, none of their neighbors viewed the Barron’s with anything more than contempt. His was a case of the sins of the father being visited on
the son. Everyone expected him to turn out like Raymond Barron, a drunk and a drug user. Tanner had other ideas.
A warm feeling cascaded over him as he recalled Desiree flitting around Angel House, making sure everyone had everything they needed. Her lilting laugh and compassionate eyes impressed the hell out of him. He’d gone back to the soup kitchen another time or two after that, but never saw her there again. Watching her had been like following a ray of sunshine with his eyes, she’d lit up the room any direction she turned. Her sweetness when she would kneel by a child to give him a helping hand stuck in his head. And after the meal, she’d led the group in Christmas carols. Tanner had been entranced by her voice…by everything about her.
He hadn’t learned her name that day, and really entertained little hope of seeing her again. A girl like that would have no business hanging out in his neighborhood. Imagine his shock and surprise when he found a photo of her outside of a club on 6th Street where she was scheduled to perform. Tanner thought her name fit…Desiree. A beautiful name, one that described her so well. She was certainly desirable to him.
The night Desiree performed at Buckles and Bows, he snuck into the club, entering through a back door and settling into a corner. Tall for his age, he blended in unless someone focused on him.
If he’d been caught, the risk would have been worth it – for that night, Tanner fell in love.
Her talent had been part of it, but what tugged at Tanner’s heart was the kindness in her eyes, and the absolute perfection of her beautiful face. She had a magical darker streak in her hair that flowed from crown to shoulder. And it had to be natural, because it looked so perfect only God could have designed it.
After that night, Tanner paid top dollar for a fake ID from a dude who ran a print shop on Congress Avenue, attending every appearance of hers he could make. Many times he’d made eye contact with her, their gazes locking and holding. She seemed to remember him, sometimes even lifting a small hand in greeting.
At night in his bed, he’d imagine going up to her and introducing himself, but she was perfect. Desiree was a grown woman and he was just a big teenager from the wrong side of the tracks on the brink of manhood. And a couple of years later, he felt like he knew her even though they’d never exchanged a word. Tanner credited Desiree with the fact that he’d stayed clean and out of trouble. He’d chosen not to follow in his father’s footsteps. Raymond was seldom sober and many times high on drugs. Sadly, Tanner knew he was an enabler, going out and procuring whatever Raymond Barron wanted. Today after Desiree finished her performance, he’d be making his way on down 6th Street to buy bootleg whiskey.
But now – now he lost himself in his own guilty pleasure. Desiree Holt.
Tanner found himself listening to the words and wishing the man she was singing about could be him.
Waiting for you is so hard
I get so lonely and blue
I know you’re out there somewhere
I wonder if you miss me too
When will our paths cross?
When will we meet?
When will you hold me?
Make my life complete.
My bed is so lonely
My arms are empty too
I can’t wait to love you
I’m looking forward to belonging to you.
Tanner found himself lost in the dream, lost in her voice. She just seemed to fit him. As far as he was concerned – she was it. He wanted her in every way a man could want a woman.
But he was no fool.
She was an exquisite woman and although he had the body, the heart and the yearnings of a man, there was no way a goddess like this would give him the time of day. By the time he made something of himself, had something to offer her, Desiree would be long gone. She’d be a star.
As she flowed from one song to another, he mourned the cruel hand of fate that placed his perfect woman so far beyond his reach.
When the concert was over, Desiree didn’t delay. As the crowd gave her a standing ovation, the record executive whisked her away to negotiate a deal. Tanner made his way outside into the cool Texas night. He still had the whiskey to pick up and Raymond’s standing order of pills from his dealer. Tanner knew what kind of a risk he was taking, and he planned on escaping his life as soon as he could ensure he wouldn’t be jumping from the frying pan to the fire. Living with his father, even serving as his punching bag at times, was preferable to being on the streets.
Fortunate enough to have a job at Austin Rock, the work he did there, lifting and loading boulder size landscape stones, kept him in shape. He’d played football for a while, until his job demanded time he couldn’t spare for practice. Right now the money he earned and hid away was more important than sports. Since he didn’t feel like he was scholarship material and college wasn’t in his future, Tanner chose to work where he could and learn a skill to fall back on. He appreciated the opportunity he had now with the rock dealer, but what he really wanted to do was be a cowboy.
His father’s half-brother, Lin Barron, had worked on a nearby ranch and the highlight of Tanner’s childhood was the time he’d spent visiting him at Tebow. Like his Uncle Lin, Tanner now wore jeans, boots and a hat almost exclusively. The clothes felt right, to him they represented a lifestyle built on honor. Just as soon as he finished high school, he was going to the ranch and offering his services – no job would be too small, he just wanted to learn the trade.
Once he’d scored the alcohol and drugs Raymond demanded, he started back down 6th, the infamous street whose only rival in the South was Bourbon Street in New Orleans. While New Orleans was known as the Big Easy, Austin had earned the title Live Music Capital of the World and the accolades were well deserved. From where he strolled down the crowded street, he could hear strains of hard rock, country and some alternative crap that he didn’t take the time to identify. He’d gotten what he’d come for, including getting his weekly fix of Desiree.
Now he was heading home. There was a time when Tanner had hung out with one of the local gangs, but he’d learned quickly that Raymond Barron’s kid didn’t catch a break with the cops or anyone else who was aware of his father’s tarnished reputation. Tanner hugged himself, holding the bottle of whiskey under his arm like a football. The wind coming off Town Lake, whipping through the maze of tall buildings was colder than he’d expected. The jacket he wore was too thin for this time of year. As he passed the club where Desiree had performed earlier, he looked at the door wistfully. Had she been offered a big record deal? Would he ever see her again? The idea that the only place he might ever find Desiree again was on the television or you-tube depressed him.
“Help! No! Please let me go!”
A desperate female’s voice met his ears. Tanner froze in his tracks trying to determine where the sound was coming from.
“Stop! Help me!” With a surge of anger, he ran a few hundred yards down the street and turned down an alleyway. He couldn’t be sure, but that voice sounded very familiar. His heart was pounding as he stared into the darkness, the narrow avenue lit only by one dim light bulb hanging over the kitchen entrance to a burger joint. When he drew closer, every fear he’d ever known felt small next to the horror of seeing the woman he adored pushed up against the rough brick wall, two hulking men holding her still, their hands probing her body while she fought as hard as she could.
“No! Don’t touch me!”
“Let’s turn her around, take turns showing her what a real man can do.”
Tanner’s anger flashed red hot. “Take your hands off of her. Get back!”
Taking the bottle of whiskey from the sack, he bashed it against the wall, breaking off the bottom. Some might count the cascade of amber liquid a waste, but what he valued was the sharp jagged edge left behind.
One of the men whirled to face him. His face was florid, his pupils dilated. His stringy hair was as dirty as his clothes. A foul smell announced the man hadn’t seen a bathtub in a long time. “Who’s this? You want a piece of me, cowboy
?”
“Yea, I do, fucker!” He lunged at the man, who landed a stinging punch on his left cheek. Momentarily stunned, Tanner took a hard swipe with the broken bottle. He knew he connected with human flesh when the man yelped and jumped back. Seeing his buddy was bleeding, the other guy stepped away from Desiree and charged at Tanner, pulling a knife from his belt. Adrenaline fueled his every move as Tanner fought back, fists flying. He took another swipe with the bottle, but a quick move from the bald-headed guy sent his weapon flying and a sharp slicing pain ripped up his side.
Desiree’s hand flew to her mouth, holding back a scream. The cowboy she’d noticed earlier had come to her rescue. Her savior was fighting heroically, but it was two to one. As soon as she could, she dashed around them, running into the street, screaming for help. Almost instantly, two couples stopped and she briefly explained what was happening. One of the guys looked like a linebacker and in a few moments, they’d subdued her attackers and her white knight was slumped against the wall. Fearing the worst when she saw blood running down his side, she ran to him. “You’re hurt, you’re hurt.”
“I’ll live,” he said with a wince. He held his coat tight to the site of his wound. Hell, he’d need stitches. Still, he wouldn’t have traded the touch of her hand to his cheek for anything. “Did they hurt you?”
“No, not really, you came just in time,” she whispered. “I’ve seen you before, I’m Desiree.”
Tanner blushed. Not even the gathering crowd of onlookers could take away from the care she was bestowing on him. He felt like they were the only two people in the world. “I know who you are.”
Desiree smiled. “You were at the club tonight when I sang.”
“Yea. Did that guy offer you a deal?” He held his breath.