Neither, said a word as they followed the GPS, into the mountains. Two hours later, found them pulling into a large ranch, with a mile long driveway. It was early in the morning, the sun just rising in the sky, lighting up the beautiful mountain side as it rose.
"How much money did you get for those pics, man?" Cole questioned, looking around at the upscale property.
"Not this fuckin’ much, besides, she sent it all back to me in her letter." Able informed, looking around with wide eyes.
Pulling up out in front of the main house, Cole killed the engine before looking over at Able in the passenger seat.
"It’s her choice, right?" He questioned, looking nervous. "Whatever she says, goes." Able nodded, his jaw tight. "Alright then, let's get this over with, so you can head on, back home." Cole announced, ripping open his door and making a mad dash for the house.
"Hey fuck you, you're the one going home, asshole!" Able yelled as he took off after him.
They both hit the porch steps at the very same time. Instantly, a shoving match ensued as both, tried to get up the stairs first.
"Dude, fuck off!" Able ordered, giving a hard shoulder to Cole. "No, you fuck off, nobody wants you here, you prick!" Cole informed, tripping his friend as his foot landed on the second step. "Nobody likes you, Cole, just go away!" Able ordered, gripping the back of Coles T-Shirt to yank him back down the steps.
"You're acting like a child, fuckhead! You stop it, right this second!" Cole demanded, grabbing Able’s ankle and making him lose another step.
Able went down hard, on all fours, before turning to glare back at Cole.
"Stop being such a dick!" He shouted, trying to kick out of, Cole’s grip on his leg.
“I will, as soon as you, fuck off!” Cole snarled, pouncing on his friend.
In a matter of seconds, neither man was on the stairs, instead, they both ended up in the dirt, scuffling around and losing all sight of the deal that they had previously made.
The time was now, Penny was right inside. The stakes were as high as the tension that filled them. For far too long now, both of their lives had been put on hold because of this. They came here for answers, but neither could bear to lose her, now that the end was so near. It had them lashing out, ready to strangle the competition.
The sound, of a throat being cleared, stopped them in
mid roll. They both stilled, their eyes shooting up to the porch where a man stood, leaning against a beam, steaming cup of coffee in hand, and an amused smile on his lips. He looked relaxed, his ankles crossed, as he sipped from his cup, eyeing the two wild-looking men, down in the dirt. His long, salt and pepper hair, hung wild against his collar. His hazel eyes sparkled, as his broad chest let out a little chuckle.
Cole was the first to untangle and find his feet but Able was right behind him, using Cole’s leg to pull himself up off the ground, earning him a hard shove from Cole, for his effort.
The two dusty men, looked at one another, then back at the man standing on the porch. He looked to be just a little older than either of them. Laugh lines set deep in his face, and his tan skin stretched across chiseled features. His beard, was something that any man would envy. Full and thick, it held the same streaks of silver, that his long locks did.
"Um…, we’re, I mean, I'm here to see.." Cole started but was cut short as Able gave his shoulder a hard shove.
"We’re, here to see Livi." Able corrected, giving his friend a nasty look, that earned him, two big middle fingers, from Cole.
“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” Cole taunted, before turning his attention back to the smirking man. "Penny, we’re here to see Penny Lane. Is she um… here? Does she live here, I mean?" Cole questioned, looking around, as if she might pop out of thin air, at any moment.
"Like with you? As in, does she live here… with you?" Able
followed Cole up, not liking where this was headed.
"I'm gonna take it that you’re Cole, and that would probably make, you, Able, am I right?” The man mused, his eyes bouncing from one man to the other, as they each gave him a little nod. “Well, would you look at that. The ninja and the fancy picture taker. I heard a lot about you two, and I must say, you didn't disappoint a bit with that entrance of yours." The stranger said with a wide smile and the shake of his head.
"Yeah, that would be us. It’s nice to meet you?" Cole greeted, his brow furrowing as he glanced to Able, before stepping up to shake the man's hand.
"Ya, I guess. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name." Able tossed in, following Cole's actions.
"I’m Aceton Weston, nice to finally meet you, boys." The man returned, giving them both a nod and a shake of their hands.
“That’s a really cool fucking name, dude.” Able spoke up, earning him a nasty look from Cole. “What, it is.” he shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets, in his nervous way.
Both Cole and Able stood, for a much too long, of an awkward moment, shifting their weight in their boots as they eyed the dirt beneath them.
"How bout, you boys have a seat, and I'll get ya some coffee, then we can have a little chat. That be alright with you two?" Aceton offered, glancing from one to the other, as he set his tin coffee cup down on the porch rail.
Cole looked at Able at the same time Able looked over at him, they eyed each other for a moment, chewing cheeks and raising brows, until finally, they both turned their attention back to Aceton. “I’m gonna take that as a, yes. Go on and have a seat. I’ll be back in just a bit. Cream and sugar?”
“Black,” both Cole and Able said, in unison.
“Black it is, then.” Aceton nodded, with a smile, before turning on his warn boot heels, to head back inside.
"Dude, this is freaking weird!" Able hissed as they both took a seat on the porch swing. It was a bit of a squeeze for their wide frames but they managed.
"Yeah, I don’t think we thought this shit, through" Cole
agreed, with the hard shake of his head.
They both sat in silence for a moment, each wondering, where Penny was, and just how in the hell, Aceton Weston, fit into the situation.
"Stop fidgeting!" Cole ordered, swatting at Able’s hand.
"I can't help it, I feel like I'm in the Principal’s office or some shit.” Able complained, continuing to run his palms up and down, his jean covered thighs.
"You're a grown ass man, quite it!" Cole chastised.
“Did you see that, fucking guy? He looked like the Marlboro Man and Brad Pit had a baby, he’s fucking beautiful!” Able exclaimed in a low whisper.
“Sometimes, I really wonder about you.” Cole informed, his brows furrowing as he looked over at Able, who just shrugged in return. “Besides, he looks more like Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery hooked up, young Connery, but after he went silver fox.” Cole corrected.
“Ya, I can see that.” Able nodded.
“I think I wanna grow a beard.”
“Don’t, trust me, you could never pull it off.” Able noted in a serious manner, scratching at his own ratty whiskers.
“Fuck you I couldn’t, I’d pull it off a hell of a lot better than you do. That thing, you got your dirty fingers on, is not a beard. That dude, with the bad ass name inside, you remember him, right? Mister ball crusher wranglers, with the perfect teeth, ya him. He has a beard, you on the other hand, just look like you’re homeless. I mean, does it really grow in, all sketchy as shit like that or…,”
“At least I can grow facial hair, I’ve never even seen you with a five O’clock shadow, man. Did your balls just not drop or?”
“How about you suck my balls?” Cole challenged with a scoff.
“Sure thing, as soon as you suck my dick!”
“Not a chance, keep your oversized dick in your pants! Fucking, side show act.”
“You’re just mad, my dick’s bigger than yours. Let’s hope Penny doesn’t make her choice solely based on that because, if so, I got that shit in the bag. And you and I, both, know it.” Able whispered, adjusting
his junk in his jeans, with a cocky grin. Both men, jumped a bit as Aceton, made his way back out of the house, two steaming cups of coffee in hand. The boys’ eyes didn’t stay on the coffee for long, though. Due to their former conversation, both men, let their gaze dart to Aceton’s jean covered bulge.
“You sure about that?” Cole challenged, with the raise of his brow as he took note of the man’s, massive looking, trouser snake.
“Shit!” Able sighed out, glaring down at his own denim covered manhood before glancing over at Cole’s. He finally realized, how his friend must have always felt, having the smaller dick. It was only by a few inches, but a few inches counted, if you were the one missing them. At the moment, it appeared, Able, was the one with inches missing in action.
“You two okay, doin’ okay?” Aceton questioned, forcing both Able and Cole’s eyes, to dart away from cock gazing and meet back up with his playful hazels.
“Ya sorry, he’s gay.” Cole apologized jerking his head over to Able.
“I’m not gay, in fact, I stole his girlfriend one time. That’s how, not gay, I am.” Able defended, jerking his head in Cole’s direction.
“Wow, dick move man!” Aceton, whistled out with the shake of his head. “But here ya are anyway, careful it’s hot.” He noted, passing each of them their coffee.
“That’s what I’m saying.” Cole agreed, before taking a sip from his cup. God damn, the man made a mean cup of Joe.
“Thanks,” Able said, taking his cup, before Aceton turned, and headed back for the porch rail.
Picking up his coffee, he leaned his shoulder against the porch post. It looked made for a man like him, somehow. This whole ranch did. He fit in, like the mountains and the trees.
A few moments passed of Cole and Able fidgeting, and giving each other nervous looks, all while Aceton seemed content to stare off into the distance, a little smirk on his lips.
"You look really familiar, I can't put my finger on it, but I swear, I know you from somewhere." Cole broke the silence, his eyes narrowing on Aceton’s, sharp features.
"Na, you don’t know me, but… I think you know my dad. He’s a rascally old son of a bitch named, Ace."
"No joke, Ace's, your dad? Holy shit, Ace’s your dad!” Cole concluded, his eyes lighting up a bit, as he sank back into the porch swing, looking much more relaxed with the entire situation.
“In the flesh, for good or bad.” Aceton, nodded with an easy smile.
“Okay, so that's why Penny's out here, that makes sense.” “Yep, that’s what got her here.” Aceton nodded.
“That old prick! See, I knew, he knew, where she was.” Cole laughed, enjoying being right, just as much as he always did.
"Who the hell is, Ace?" Able questioned, feeling out of the loop.
"Ace owned the club Penny worked at, back in Cali. He sent her out here when all that shit went down. That's why she's here. So, you own this place?" Cole inquired, looking around the large ranch, that set around them.
"Yep, indeed I do. Well, half of it anyway. And yes, my dear old Dad, sent her my way, when the shit hit the fan out, yall's way." Aceton nodded, sipping his coffee.
"Yeah, that was a fucking mess. I’m glad she had a safe place to go. Thank you for that.” Cole offered, elbowing Able.
“Dick! Oh ya, ya man, thanks for lookin’ out for her.” Able tossed in, rubbing his arm.
“Don’t even mention it, she’s been no trouble at all.” Aceton smirked, over his coffee, as another, way too silent moment, passed by.
“So…, where is Penny?" Cole finally, questioned.
“Ya, is Livi around or?” Able followed up, looking around and seeing nothing but trees and meadows, big ass horse barns, and the rustic looking two story cabin they were parked in front of.
"Well, ya know, she doesn't much go by Penny anymore, Livi
either. I think she plum ran out of reasons to ever wanna hear either, of those names, ever again. So, we just call her Olivia around here, Olivia Weston, that is." Aceton finished, in a matter of fact tone, as he eyed the boys from his place by the railing. He waited them out. Watching on, as realization dawned on each of their faces, at the very same second. Their eyes grew a bit large, then their brows narrowed, as they looked to one another for confirmation, then back to Aceton.
"Penny got married… to you?" Cole accused, sounding shocked.
"He means…, we just thought… WOW… Okay, so, Livi's married… to you?"
Able tried to help his dumbfounded friend but it appeared, he was just as baffled. Neither of them had even thought about that. They, never once, assumed that she had moved on with her life and found another man to take their place.
“I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with you, it’s not you, it’s…,” Cole started.
“Fuck no, there’s nothing wrong with you at all! Jesus, look at you!” Able praised, giving Aceton a good once over. “Dude, my mom used to read these smutty little western books, ya know the dime store paperbacks with the hot cowboy on the cover?”
“Where the fuck are you going with this?” Cole butted in, giving his former friend a strange look.
“No, I mean…that’s who he looks like, man! The hot guy, on the cover of the panty wetter books. Ouch!" Able hissed as he received another hard elbow from Cole, who was giving him the ‘shut the fuck up’ death stare.
“Hey, don’t sweat it, guys. Hell, I still can't believe she married me, either. Still blows my mind, every damn, day. I'm one lucky son of a bitch, and I don’t forget it for a second, you can trust me on that. She’s an amazing woman, but then again, I have a feeling, you two, already know all about that, don’t ya?" Aceton finished, setting his coffee on the railing to cross his arms lazily, over his wide, solid chest.
The boys both nodded, hanging their heads. The trip all the way out here, the fighting, and back biting, it was all for nothing. They never even stood a chance. Penny, hadn’t waited for either of them and why the hell would she? They both realized, at that moment, just how full of themselves they really were, and, had always been. It was selfish and fool hearted, on both their parts, to think that Penny was here waiting for one of them to come, sweep her off her feet. Fools, the both of them.
When neither man spoke up, Aceton continued, with a story, neither, really wanted to hear, but needed to, just the same. They had to know how it all had played out, how had their sorted fairy tale come to an end? They had started out as knights in shining armor and now, here they set, a couple of jokers, standing before the King. The only character, between the three, who was man enough to have claimed the maiden, who had captured all of their hearts.
"Olivia was pretty torn up when she first arrived, pretty raw from the whole, sticky situation, back in Cali. Bless her heart, though, she pushed right on through it. She sure is a bull-headed little thing.”
Both the boys let out a little scoff, knowing exactly what Aceton was talking about.
“Nope, she wouldn’t take any help from anybody. All she wanted was a roof over her head, and a warm bed for her and Trent. Damn woman, insisted on paying me rent for the first six months she was here. Hell, even for a little while, after, we were already a thing. I learned real quick, you gotta be one sneaky son of a bitch if you wanna try to help that girl out. She didn't want any handouts or free rides, and it didn’t seem to matter how many times I offered. Every time, she turned me down flat.”
“Trust me, I know how it is.” Cole sighed with the shake of his head, remembering back on all the years, he had tried and failed at providing for Penny.
“The trick is, go through the kid. He’s a shiesty little shit. He’ll take your money, no questions asked.” Able noted.
“Well, either way, wouldn’t ya know it, she got herself right back on track, all on her own. She signed up down there at the local college, started taking herself a couple classes, while she split the rest of her day working the ranch, here with me, before heading down to pull a few shifts at the little cafe, down on Main Street. Sh
e kept herself nice and busy for those first few months. She didn’t like sitting around, much. I think, it gave her too much time to think back on whatever it was she was running from in Cali.”
Aceton stopped to take another sip of his coffee, looking out over the fields that surrounded his ranch. Able used the moment to glance over at Cole, taking in the guilty look he wore. He had one as well. They, were what Penny had no interest in thinking back on, they, where the trouble back in Cali that had made her run, right into the waiting arms of the able bodied man, standing before them.
“Well anyway, one thing led to another, as it often does, in these types of situations, and well, as you can see, here we all are.” Aceton finished with a cheeky smile, spreading his arms out wide.
"That's great, I mean…, I’m so happy she finally went back to school. She always talked about doing that.” Cole chimed in, scratching the back of his neck.
“Ya, really great,” Able added with a nod.
"Yep, so there you boys have it. She's doing really well for herself, out here. I think it’s the fresh air, it helps ya to see things, a little more, clearly. Which brings us to our next order of business.”
Cole and Ables' eyes, both darted up to Aceton, wondering what else, he could possibly hit them with today.
“Now, the way I see it, is, Olivia’s gonna be coming in from her morning ride, any minute now. Ya see, every day at dawn, she wakes up, throws on one of my old button downs, and those old broke down boots of hers, and then takes lightening out for a ride through the back fields. Lightning, being my older than dirt horse, that is. He’s a cranky old bastard but just like the three of us, he seems to kind of like her. It’s a beautiful site to see, watching her on the back of that old boy, wind in her hair, but I don’t ever bother asking to go along with her, just the same. I let her go off and take her time. I think it gives her the chance to think, to sort herself all out before the day even really begins.” Aceton mused, still scanning the fields. His hazel eyes shining as the sun pushed further into the sky.
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