by HJ Bellus
“Hey there, ugly,” I chirp out when Quinn decides to take a breather.
Dad grins wide and holds his hand out for a shake. He’s a man of few words, but he’s never gone a day without showing me how much he loves me. He wastes no time letting me know all the work he has planned for me on our two-day visit. My blood courses for this ranch. There’s not one other place I would rather be than on the back of my horse on Sweetwater Ranch, with the exception of Teale that is.
I glance over at her and stare as she excitedly interacts with my mom. I have no clue what they’re talking about.
“You hear me, Hunter?”
“What’s that?” I turn back to my dad.
“Have some corrals that need your welding done on them.”
Teale’s silky, soft laughter fills the room, and I glance back, not being able to get enough of her being here with me.
“K-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Quinn begins to sing out. “First comes love then comes marriage.”
I’m up on my feet before Quinn has any idea what’s going on, taking her down in a headlock then sandwiching her to the floor. It’s our thing. We’ve wrestled like this for years, and it usually ends up with her crying and Mom swatting at me.
“Hunter.” On cue, Mom yells out my name. “You are going to hurt her.”
“Let ‘em be, Blair, Quinn was asking for it,” Dad follows up.
I was right. Quinn ended up crying, and Mom chased me around the kitchen for a couple of minutes trying to get to me. The girls all ended up in there where Teale helped prepare dinner. And wouldn’t you know, she learned more magic of the Instapot.
I went outside with Dad to help with chores and check out everything that’s been happening on the ranch. Looking out across the vast green pasture, it’s hard to comprehend that one day this place is going to be mine. It will be my boots taking care of the land and the worry of making it another year firmly planted on my shoulders.
Some days I regret going to college because it’s time spent away from this place. I’m still young with lots of learning in my future, where most of it will take place out of a classroom. But from the scheme of life, I’m quickly learning everything happens for a reason.
Walking back up to the house after chores, I pull my cell phone from my pocket and call Dave to check in on him. He answers the phone and is in his normal grumpy mood, so at least I know he’s feeling alright.
After dinner, Teale and I manage to escape from Quinn and Abby. They’ve been attached to her hip—taking a serious liking to her. I have other plans for us this evening before Dad has me working like a hired man around this place the rest of the weekend.
Teale and Mom have made plans to go shopping the next day; I knew it was only a matter of time. And I plan to transfer some money from savings to my checking account to make sure she has a damn fine time shopping. Every single penny will be worth it to see her shine. Teale has not stopped rattling off how much she loves my family and thanking me for bringing her.
The longing deep down inside me is powerful to ask her more questions about her upbringing. Her dad, Frank, is a good guy; he’s proven that much to me. He’s protective of her and a damn hard worker. I spend countless hours, pondering what the hell could have happened to make her life so broken. But in times like these, I don’t want any of that ruining our night.
“Hunter," she squeals in delight. “I can’t believe your mom let me wear these boots; they are so kick ass.”
I glance down to her cowboy boots. She’s kicking up dust like she’s in an old Western movie going to a gunfight. The smile on her face is addicting. She freezes when we enter the barn, and she sees my horse, Remi, tied up and saddled. I had this planned and made sure he was ready when I did chores with Dad.
“I’d like you to meet my second best friend.”
My city slicker girlfriend starts twirling her hair around a finger and biting down on her bottom lip.
“Why is there a seat thing on his back?”
There’ll be no walking down to the pond tonight or driving my truck out with a case of beer and country music. No, tonight we are riding horseback.
I can tell it’s going to take me a long time to convince Teale to jump up on the horse.
“Do you trust me?” I hold my hand out to her.
Teale flinches at the question, but then begins to slowly move her head up and down.
“Then ride with me.” I keep my hand outstretched to her and pat Remi on the shoulder. “Have had this ol’ horse since I was old enough to walk. He’s slower in his old age. We’ll take care of you.”
She begins to tremble, not reaching for my hand, then tears spill down her face.
“Baby.” I grab her by the hips and back up until I’m sitting on a bale of straw. Teale tumbles down into my lap, straddling my thighs. She fights to look away, but I don’t let her. My hands cup the apples of her cheeks and force her to look at me. “Talk. You can tell me anything.”
Her bottom lip trembles as her tears roll faster. “I love it here. I love your mom and your dad, and your sisters. I love the damn dining room table. I love it all.”
“Okay,” I soothe my thumb over her skin, trying to catch all of her tears. “That’s good.”
“It’s too much. Everything is too much. I’m drowning.” She sniffles and a piece of me breaks on the inside.
“Want me to take you home?”
It’s an easy nine-hour drive, but I’d do it for her.
“No.” She shakes her head. “I don’t deserve you.”
“C’mon, baby.”
“I love you, Hunter. I love you so damn much. I wasn’t looking for a relationship. I shouldn’t even be in one, but you stole my heart the day you fixed my tire, then yelled at me for driving too fast. It’s all your fault.”
“Yeah?” I smirk. “Here’s the gig, Teale, I love you, too. Wasn’t looking for it either. I have more than a full plate with school and Dave, but I fucking love you so much it hurts. You make my days better.”
I kiss her and force myself to pull away quickly.
“Remember it’s just about our future, not our pasts.”
Teale runs her hands over my arms then advances on me. Our kiss is repeating both of our words as our tongues search each other’s mouths. She pulls back for a beat.
“Make me forget.”
Our clothes tumble to the ground with the only sound of the condom wrapper ripping. Our moans tangle together as our bodies fight for a release and our silent promise of forever is being forged. Teale drops her forehead to the top of my shoulder, crying out her pleasure while her nails dig into my back.
“I love you,” I whisper over and over into her ear, hoping like hell she never forgets.
I hold her for a long time before either of us moves. The silence of the barn is our only comfort. I keep my hands tight on her ass, not wanting her to move or for this to end. Teale stands up and begins to dress, pulling on one piece at a time. I can’t help but sit here studying her every single move.
“Are we seriously going to ride that?” she asks, pointing at Remi.
“Like I asked you earlier…Do you trust me?”
This time she is sure, with no hesitation or tears as she steps up to the horse.
“Pretty sure the straw pierced my ass cheeks.” I pull up my pants. “And we probably just scarred Remi here.”
“Nothing that beautiful leaves scars,” she responds, slowly sticking out her hand, letting Remi sniff it.
“If you say so, beautiful girl.” I tuck in my shirt. “But sometimes the nastiest of wounds turn out to be the prettiest scars.”
Teale was a bigger talker about riding, but it was a different story when it came to hopping up. I know she was trying to talk herself up. After she’d danced circles in the dirt trying to psyche herself up, I decided to get a bucket.
“I’m going to get up on Remi. I’ll hold down a hand to you. Step on the bucket, and I’ll help you up.”
I keep the directions simple and pre
cise, hoping to ease away some of her worries. I’ve been around horses my whole life, and they can be intimidating as hell. I’ve bonded over the years with Remi and know he’d never break the trust we’ve built up.
Teale claps her hands together and jerks her chin in confidence. I slip one boot in the stirrup then hoist myself up and over. Teale slapped my ass as I went up on the horse.
“Your turn, pretty girl.” I hold down my hand.
She takes her time stepping up on the bucket and then stops my heart when the bucket wobbles from side-to-side. Teale reaches out in a flash, taking my hand.
“Now place your boot in the stirrup, putting all your weight in it and come on up.” I slip my boot from the stirrup, showing her how comfortable and sturdy it is. In a quick flash, she follows each of my instructions.
She squeals in delight then wraps her arms tight around my waist.
“I did it.” She squeezes tighter around my waist. “Giddy up, Cowboy. Yee-haw and all that shit.”
I nudge Remi into a walk, pulling the reins to the right, walking him out of the barn.
“You like speed, right, Gordon?” I ask her, turning my head slightly.
“Don’t you dare,” she warns.
“You trust me, right?”
I don’t give her a chance to answer because I already know it. I kick Remi into a trot, then into a lope, and then a solid run. Remi’s slower in his old age but still makes the wind whip past my face. Teale’s death grip eases up a bit, and her giggles fill the air as the landscape passes us. All too soon, I slow Remi to a slow walk.
"Holy shit! This is gorgeous."
We make it down to the pond right at sunset. The fiery shades of orange, red, and light yellow all meld and blend together, giving us the perfect backdrop to our ride. Teale presses her face into my back, squeezing me. Words, thoughts, and action all escape me. It’s like everything in my life has come full circle to create this one simple, perfect slice in my life.
“This is magical, Hunter. It’s like a scene from a movie, you know those cheesy romance movies I like to watch? It’s perfection. I never believed in the good in life until now. Thank you for giving this to me, Hunter.”
I squeeze her hand settled right above my belt buckle and lean back into her embrace.
“I can think of a few ways you can pay me back.”
That comment gifts me with a shower of laughter. I’m walking a tightrope with this woman, never knowing how far to push her when she says something serious. It’s like a red caution flag being waved right in front of my life, and I choose to ignore it. Any decent racecar driver knows that’s a fatal mistake.
This weekend I’m choosing to be thankful. I help Teale off the horse and then follow suit. We find the perfect section of open grass to settle in. Without prompting or any talk, we begin running our hands over each other, clothes shed even though we just had each other mere minutes ago. Our lips meld together. We kiss each other like it’s our first and last time. Hunger, need, and passion all swarm together, creating a heavy addiction between us. Her taste is stirring the fiercest memory in my brain.
A loud rumble fills the night air, causing us to still. I’d recognize the damn roar of that engine anywhere. It’s true word travels fast in a small town. Burton Childs hops from his truck with a six pack of beer in tow, walking right to us.
Teale races to put all of her clothes back in place. I grunt in disgust, slinging my t-shirt over my head. I love the man, I have missed the man, but right now his ugly face is one of the last I care to see.
“Bastard, heard you were back in town. Thanks for the call, dick.” He drops the beer to the ground then plops right down.
Then it happens. Burton is left speechless. Teale pops up behind me with her fiery red hair whipping around in the breeze. It’s like a bad comedy movie where the mouth moves, but no words come out. Burton is all fucking rattled up.
Teale reaches over my shoulder, extending her hand out to Burton. “I’m Teale. Hunter’s girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. That one word slips so naturally from her lips. It’s sweet as sin to hear her speak it. Now it’s me who is garnered speechless.
“Burton.” He shakes her hand. “Want a beer?”
“No, thanks. I don’t drink.”
“Sorry,” he apologizes with zest.
“No worries.” Teale climbs into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. “My man here would probably like one.”
Burton shakes his head in disbelief. Teale reaches for the beer can and pops the tab for me.
“Wait.” She looks at me with all seriousness. “Can you drink this and drive that horse back to the barn?”
Burton’s common sense kicks in. He howls in laughter at Teale’s question.
“Yes, babe, I’ll be able to get us back.”
“You sure you can drive that wild stallion back to the barn?” Burton puts extra emphasis on the word drive.
Cowboys don’t drive horses; they fucking ride them, but I even find myself laughing. Burton fills us in on how he proposed to Hailey and everything was going perfect until he caught her in another man’s bed. The man is hurting, but it’s kind of hard when I only want to say I told you so. We both listen and enjoy the evening air. The perks of bringing a girl out to the pond in early spring is her cuddling into you.
***
“Hunter!” Teale screams in horror.
The momma cow is pushing as hard as she can. Teale’s screams are not helping.
“Baby.” I turn to her with my hands up in the air. “Quit screaming.”
“There’s blood and hooves keeping poking out.”
“You are going to school to be a damn nurse, Teale.” My patience is running ice thin.
“Help her,” she pleads.
I have to bite my tongue to not tell her to shut the hell up, so I can. If the situation wasn’t time sensitive, I’d be enjoying her reactions. Steadying the calf pullers, I place the bar across the top of her hips.
“Holy shit! What is that?” Teale hops from foot to foot. “Just get it out.”
My last thread of patience is severed. Between the stubborn cow, being covered in cow shit, and Teale I’m ready to blow.
“Teale.”
I turn to see my dad, who has wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He begins explaining the process to her, calming her nerves. He gives me a silent nod to go on. It takes long minutes of pulling, helping the momma cow out before a gorgeous black calf drops to the ground. I’m quick clearing the nostrils and mouth. There’s complete silence until he finally gasps for air.
Teale is at my side, dropping to her knees, dirtying herself in the ways of the ranch. After the shock has worn off, she’s all in. By the time we head back up to the house, I’m not sure who’s covered in more shit.
I watch her as she bends over kicking off her boots. That ass will never get old.
“See, baby.” I grab her, bringing her back to my chest. “The best part is cleaning up after a day of long work.”
“Hunter.” Her tone warning. “Told you I’m not going to disrespect your parents.”
“You can sleep in the guest room. I just need my back washed.”
She turns in my arms, removing my work cowboy hat from my head and tossing it on the washer. “Funny how you ended up in my bed last night.”
“Let’s go get clean.” I back her out into the dark hallway. “We have the house to ourselves before everyone gets back.”
Teale giggles the whole way to the bathroom and continues to do so once we are under the spray.
Chapter 17
Hunter
“May your belly never grumble, may your heart never ache, may your horse never stumble, may your cinch never break.” -Unknown
“I don’t want to go back.” Teale kicks her bare feet out of the window.
It’s an abnormally warm day for early spring. We have the windows down and Sam Hunt is blaring.
“I mean, I love my dad and all, but it was like paradise at the
ranch the last couple of days. I could live there forever.”
I smirk over at her, enjoying the view of her long legs. She bought the shortest pair of jean shorts while out shopping with my mom. Jesus, and I thought I loved those skinny jeans on her. I was completely wrong in every which way.
Then thoughts of her living on the ranch with me and starting our own family consumes me. My mind races with all sorts of possibilities until I ground myself to reality. We’re nearing the campus and back to regular life. I was shocked when Teale split her time between the girls and work on the ranch with me. She made it entertaining, even getting a few chuckles out of Dad.
“Gotta check on Dave tonight.” I wipe the weariness from my eyes from the long drive. “He hasn’t answered my calls since we arrived at the ranch.”
“And no answers from the hospitals?” She worries her bottom lip.
“Nothing,” I admit.
“Okay, I need to get to the shop to catch up on bookkeeping and school work.”
“Meet at my place tonight?” I ask.
“You know it.” Teale creeps back to the center, tucking her legs underneath her. “I’ll never be able to thank you for what you gave me this weekend. It was like a glimpse into everything I could have.”
“Will have,” I correct her.
Teale kisses me for a long time before hopping out of the truck. She leaves her bags in the backseat, letting me know she’ll do our laundry later tonight. I’m still lost deep in thought while driving out to Dave’s house. Life is good. Funny, I keep finding myself repeating that sentiment during some of the toughest days of my life.