The others followed close behind.
“I thought you boys were heading to the bars. You know, where you can pick up women?” Matthew called as he followed them into the blaring din, where dancers were out on the floor doing a line dance.
“We already got ourselves a woman,” Dusty said, and winked at Matthew.
“And you had better share her with us,” Buck, insisted, slugging Dusty’s arm.
“I get the next dance,” McCloud informed them.
“Maybe I should get a dance card, and write all your names down in order,” Mattie laughed, “so you all get your fair share of me.”
Matthew wasn’t smiling. Things were not turning out the way he had planned. He watched as Dusty pulled Mattie out on the floor when the next dance started up, which was a slow dance. His eyes narrowed as Dusty pulled her close into him, while he maneuvered her across the floor.
“Man, Mattie,” Dusty whispered in her ear, “ever since you took that shower, I can’t get enough of the smell of you.”
“That’s all you’re getting,” Mattie informed him.
“A man can dream, can’t he?” Dusty laughed.
“Well, just remember three things, I’m under-aged, I beat you in arm wrestling and Matthew there will kill anyone who lays a finger on me,”
Dusty turned to see Matthew throwing sparks in their direction with his eyes.
“He sure don’t like anyone coming near you, that’s for sure,” Dusty surmised.
“He think’s he owns me, but he’s got another think coming,” she said and turned her head against Dusty’s shoulder and kissed his cheek. “You want a real kiss, just turn your head a bit,” she whispered in his ear.
Dusty turned his head to stare at her.
“You are trying to make him jealous, aren’t you?” he grinned.
“I don’t have to try,” she said. “However, he needs to realize it is my choice, not his, who puts their hands on me.”
“You like my hands, Mattie?”
“Well, they sure know how to wash hair,” she giggled.
“You know they could do a lot more. You’ve got pretty talented hands yourself. You sure know how to measure a dick, anyway”
“In your dreams, Dusty, but I’m not against fun and games,” she whispered.
Mattie raised her lips up to his, pulling his head down with her hand to her level. When they broke apart, Dusty feeling breathless and her just smiling sweetly, she winked.
“That should give him an eye-full,” she predicted.
“From where I stand, his eyes look like he’s about ready to kill one of us. I’m not sure if it is you or me,” Dusty said, turning his back to Matthew and then lowering his head and kissing her again, without her initiating it.
“Well, Dusty,” Mattie breathed, when she could get a breath, “I think your kissing is just about as good as your hair washing.”
“Glad you like it. When did you say you turn eighteen? We could give old Matthew there a run for his money if you want.”
Mattie smiled.
“You know Dusty, I’m beginning to like you more and more,” she said truthfully.
The song ended and McCloud was tapping Dusty on the shoulder.
“My turn, pal,” he said and took Mattie into a swing dance that was just starting up. McCloud was a very good dancer and showed Mattie all sorts of new steps she hadn’t tried before. She was laughing and giggling at her mistakes and McCloud was picking her up off the floor a few times when she got tripped up on a complicated move. Nonetheless, she was willing to try it again until she got it down perfect.
“Mattie, you dance about as good as you wrangle horses. Is there anything you can’t handle?”
Mattie glanced over to where Matthew was still glaring at her.
“Maybe, maybe not,” she told him.
Buck grabbed her for the next dance, which was a swing dance as well, and this time she didn’t make any mistakes. She noticed that Dusty had found a cute little blond to dance with and it kind of made her heart fall. She realized she considered the boys as part of her family, someone she felt close to, and up until now, she had been the center of their attention. She couldn’t have them all, she realized, but Dusty was her favorite of the group. She did not consider Matthew as part of that group because he wasn’t one of the boys in her mind. He was the one standing on the outside, being friends, but making sure they toed the line.
Clyde had her for a slow dance. He was kind of shy, compared to the others, and he had never teased her as much as the others had.
“You know, you guys don’t have to stay here and entertain me,” Mattie told him. “I know you would rather be drinking and I am sure there are plenty of boys here that would keep me dancing all night.”
“We ain’t staying to entertain you, Mattie,” he said. “Me and the boys are entertaining ourselves by being with you. We like you. We just discovered you are a girl and this is something we are trying to get used to. You going to move into the house now?”
“Nope. I’ve been stomaching you boys for a week now. I guess you can start stomaching me. I know you like looking at me. As long as it’s just looks, I got nothing against it. I’m staying in the bunkhouse, mainly, because Matthew doesn’t want me to.”
“I see how things are,” he grinned. “You’re one rebellious little hellion, aren’t you?”
“Even my daddy could not handle me,” she admitted. “He practically made me into a boy and then regretted it when I wouldn’t act like a girl.”
“Well, you sure look like a girl and that is really all that counts to me,” he chuckled.
The song was winding down and a new slow dance started up.
“Looks like Matthew is about ready to claim me,” Mattie laughed up at Clyde. “I think he wants to paddle my behind, instead of dance with me, though,” she said truthfully.
“You could always dance with me again,” Clyde offered.
“Not with the look that Matthew is giving us. I don’t want to start a fist fight here.”
“You may be right,” he said as he handed her over to Matthew.
“Having fun?” Matthew asked, putting a more pleasant expression on his face.
“What were you stewing all about? Couldn’t you find any pretty girls to dance with? Dusty didn’t have any trouble doing it,” Mattie taunted.
“Speaking of Dusty, what was that all about? Why were you kissing him? Are you two going to be an item now?”
He jerked her up close to him and she could hardly breathe.
“I can kiss who I want. There is no law against under-aged girls kissing someone. Especially in public,” she informed him.
“But I just want to know why you were kissing him?” he prodded.
“I like Dusty. You know I’ve been with him naked before. He came and washed my hair when you wouldn’t. We are close friends.”
“You can’t go around being with the boys naked anymore, Mattie. Even if they don’t touch you. And having them washing your hair, while you are naked, is just asking for trouble.”
“I can handle the boys. It’s you I’m not sure of.”
“What? You worried you can’t handle me, the way you do them? You got them all wrapped around your little finger and you are loving it.”
“You’re damn right, I’m loving it. They like who I am and they let me be who I am, something I can’t say for you.”
“I like who you are, Mattie,” he whispered in her ear. “The problem is, sometimes I don’t think you make very wise choices.”
“So now you are the choice police? You gonna tell me what choices I can make? Who can be my friends? Who I can kiss and who I can’t?”
“I didn’t’ mean that, Mattie, and you know it.”
“Well, it sure sounded like you meant it. Giving me the third degree about kissing Dusty, and being around him while he’s naked. Your problem is, you want me all to yourself, don‘t you, Matthew?”
Matthew looked at her sternly.
&nb
sp; “You might be right about that, Mattie, but even if I didn’t, what you are doing is playing with fire. You need to be reasonable, here. You know that is considered sexual teasing.”
“You may think it is sexual teasing, but that’s all it is. It’s not going to go anywhere. I wouldn’t do that kind of thing with a stranger. However, the boys understand me. They are out to protect me like you are. They were all over Dusty when he was first teasing me about measuring his dick. They’re not going to try anything with me, no matter how much I tease them.”
“Why do you like playing with fire like that?” Matthew asked.
“For the same reason, I like wrangling horses. It’s a challenge to test my power. I understand horses, and after living with my daddy, I understand most men. Except maybe you. You just plumb confuse me, Matthew.”
“I could say the same for you. As long as you are passing out kisses on the dance floor, I think I will take my share,” he told her and bent his head down to her’s taking her mouth against his, as he pressed her soft body even closer to his strong hard one.
“Guess that’s fair,” she breathed, as he broke away. “Wouldn’t want to give the boys any more than what I give you.”
“One of these days, you are going to give me a lot more than you ever dreamed of giving them,” he informed her.
“Just keep holding your breath, Matthew. Just keep holding your breath.”
The dance had ended and before Matthew could say anything, Dusty had grabbed Mattie’s hand.
“They’re getting ready for a line dance. All the boys want to dance alongside you. You gonna join us, Matthew?”
“Sure, why not?”
Matthew stood on one side of Mattie and Dusty stood on the other side of her. Buck, McCloud, and Clyde decided to take the line behind Mattie so they could watch her butt move, they told her with broad grins and winks.
Throughout the night, Mattie was whirled from one to the other of the boys and Matthew, feeling disgruntled, took his turn as well. Besides the boys, Mattie was starting to get attention from other men in the room and shared her time dancing with them as well.
“To look at her dancing out there, you would never guess she was a horse wrangler,” Dusty said, as he stood next to Matthew, watching her. “She’s one of the prettiest girls here and I don’t know why I never guessed she was a girl before? It just boggles the mind.”
“That girl has more talent in her little finger than others have in their whole body,’ Matthew replied. “You know I got dibs on her, though” he warned, eyeing Dusty with his blue gaze.
“I think it is usually up to the girl to choose, Matthew. You can’t just claim her and expect her to go along. Can’t you see she is like a wild mustang? Just cause you think a wild horse is beautiful, doesn’t mean you can just go out and jump on its back and ride it. There’s a certain amount of taming that has to come first. You have been spooking her from the get-go. When you spook a filly, they keep jumping away.”
“Since when were you an expert on women? You’re no older than I am.”
“Difference is, I had a mama that raised me. She told me what women liked and how not to spook them. You just had your daddy giving you his version of how to treat a woman, and seeing as how Mattie sidles up to your daddy easier than she does to you, I don’t think you learned anything from him.”
Matthew just stared at Dusty and wondered if he was right? Mattie seemed to take to Dusty and his father more than she took to him, it seemed. And the reality of it was killing him.
“Well, it might take some time to convince her, but she’ll end up eating out of my hand eventually.”
“Think I already got her eating out of mine,” Dusty said. “On top of that, she likes me more than she likes you.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that. You know how women just don’t know their own mind sometimes. She’s playing hard to get cause she knows it pisses me off.”
“Doesn’t really matter. I am the one who gets to shower with her, along with the rest of the boys.”
Matthew’s eyes narrowed and the look he gave Dusty would have frightened someone who didn’t know him as well as Dusty did.
“You just make sure you keep your hands off of her,” Matthew warned.
“I don’t touch her, unless she asks me,” Dusty informed him.
“And you had better not have her touching you either like you got her to do that first day. What kind of respect is that?”
“I respect her. I thought she was a boy back then. My opinion of her has changed quite a bit since then.”
They were interrupted by Mattie and the other boys joining them.
“This is the last dance,” Mattie told Matthew. “I told the boys I had promised it to you.”
Matthew’s heart took a leap since she had not promised the last dance to him, that he knew of. He took her out on the floor and put his arms around her as the music started to flow over them in a slow-moving rhythm.
“See, a social life isn’t all that bad,” he whispered in her ear, as he pulled her closer to him. “It looks like you have been having your share of fun.”
“I never had time for dances before, but I still practiced the steps in my spare time. Don’t know why I bothered, though. Daddy never let me go to dances.”
“Well, you got to put them to the test and it looks like you learned them pretty good if you ask me.”
“Matthew, do you still think women are a bother?”
“Some women are, but you don’t bother me much.”
“Like hell, I don’t. Everything I do bothers you!”
“I mean it is not a bother to hold you like this and to dance with you. I even like having you around the ranch. Other things you do bothers the hell out of me. Don’t think that will ever change, though.”
“You just love me for all the wrong reasons,” she said.
“Who said I loved you?” he asked.
“Your daddy did. Said I shouldn’t hurt you.”
“My daddy should have let me tell you that I love you.”
“I don’t want to know, Matthew. I told your daddy I didn’t want you to love me.”
“Why not, Mattie? I can’t help it if I love you.”
“It’s just that you will only get hurt. Nothing I do makes you happy, Matthew. You hate everything I do. You want to change who I am. You just like the idea of loving me, but I don’t think you even know why you love me. On top of that, you don’t even how to love me.”
“Well, that was a nice slap in the face,” he grumbled.
“Sorry, Matthew. I just don’t want you to get all anxious and then hurt if things don’t go your way.”
“Why don’t you like me?” Matthew said.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like you, Matthew. Only it doesn’t matter, cause it would never work between us.”
“Why not? Couldn’t you give it a try?”
“I can never be pinned down, Matthew. I think you want to pin me down and train me like one of your wild horses. You love what’s wild in me, but you really don’t want me wild. Once you get that wild streak out of me, I won’t be the same girl anymore. Then what are you gonna love about me, Matthew?”
Matthew didn’t say anything. In a way, she had been right. He knew why he loved her, but at the same time, the things he loved about her scared the hell out of him. While he didn’t mind her acting wild towards him, he didn’t want her being wild with anyone else. He even hated the way she took risks on horseback. He wanted her safe, where he didn’t have to worry about her, and yet at the same time, he knew that wasn’t what she was all about. Like a wild mustang, she had to have a certain freedom, or it would just take all the spirit out of her, and that is what he loved most about her. That free-flying spirit, that put sparkle in her eyes and mischief in her smile, was something that drew him to her. It also drew the other boys as well, he realized.
Mattie was too much of her own person to let anyone change her and if she thought he was going to try to change her, she
would never let him get near enough to her to let him love her. He would be loving her from a distance, in the same way, he loved watching the wild Mustang on the range. A beautiful sight to behold, but you just couldn’t hold them in your hand, and in some cases, not even make them stay in a corral. The really wild ones would sometimes jump the fence and vanish. He just hoped she did not jump the fence and vanish from him.
Just as they walked off the dance floor, Dusty came up and grabbed Mattie by the arm.
“Come on, Mattie, the boys are staying in town over the weekend. I’m taking one of the trucks back to the ranch. Since you promised to play chess with me last night, and never got around to it, you owe me a game. So you can ride with me, instead of that stick in the mud Matthew.”
Mattie gave a fleeting glance at Matthew. She could tell he had expected to take her back himself, but Matthew needed to learn that it was not up to him who she rode with or what she did, for that matter.”
“You’re on,” Mattie said. “Thanks for the last dance, Matthew. You sure you want to miss a weekend in town just to play chess with me?” she asked Dusty.
“If I get bored, I can always come back,” he told her.
“Are you telling me I am boring?” Mattie asked, slapping him on the side of the head.
“Depends,” he smiled, “on how the game goes.”
Matthew watched the two walking off arm in arm and his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach. Dusty sure had a way with women, he had to admit, but hell if he was going to let him take Mattie right out from under his nose. He saw Mattie look back over her shoulder at him. He wished he could read the expression on her face, but he hadn’t been able to figure her out from the very beginning. All he knew was that he was so in love with that girl it hurt, and seeing her walking off with Dusty, was a bitter pill to take.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Hey, you want to go get something to eat first?” Dusty asked Mattie after they climbed up in the truck.
Mattie Page 8