ROMANCE: YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE: WESTERN ROMANCE: The Smoking Cowboy (SPECIAL FREE BOOK INCLUDED PLUS FREE GIFT) (CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE)

by Debbie Gordon

  I heard the voice over the speaker system call out my flight number. I could feel my pulse picking up, as I walked towards to the flight gate. At least I was heading back to the city. At least in the city I could be the person I was meant to be, I thought to myself, as I joined the que of people who were waiting to board.

  A small part of me though felt the bitter lashing of disappointment that James hadn’t tried to stop me. A tiny part of me had hoped that he might at least try to say goodbye. He knew which airport I would be at. He knew which flight I was getting on and he had chosen to not come.

  I stepped onto the plane and back into my old life.

  Chapter 8

  College hadn’t changed. It was still the same boring place, where people went and nearly killed themselves, so they could have a certificate at the end. It was less than a week after arriving that I ran into John. He was starting his second year and at first he looked surprised to see me, but when he realized that I wasn’t pissed at him, he quickly started to worm his way back into my life.

  At first I was hesitant to let him back in. I’d starting smoking weed again, but that didn’t mean that I wanted to fall back into old habits entirely. He persisted though and, before long I found myself sitting on his couch and smoking pot like the good old days, before I had even given James a second thought.

  It wasn’t like the good old days though. We both knew that even though neither one of us was pointing it out. We weren’t together anymore, and I’d made it clear from the start that it wouldn’t be happening. I still wasn’t over James and I couldn’t think about being with anybody else, never mind somebody who did what they did and then left me to take the fall. I didn’t have anybody else though, and just having a friend, even if they were a shabby one, was better than nothing.

  “I’m going to need you to do me a favour.” John said, as he passed the joint over to me and let out the smoke he was holding in his lungs.

  “Oh yeah?” I asked suspiciously, as I started to smoke.

  “I need you to look after some stuff at yours for me for a bit.” John said, as though it was no big deal.

  “Are you for real?” I asked in disbelief.

  “What d’ya mean?” John asked looking confused at my reaction.

  “You realized that’s what got me kicked out of college last year right? You realized that’s what nearly drove my family apart right? You realize that’s what I took the fall for, so you wouldn’t have to right? I mean you do actually remember that?” I said, as though he might have been stupid enough to forget.

  “Obviously I remember.” John said, as he grunted in anger at being mocked.

  “Well then you should know that I’m not going to be that stupid twice.” I said, as I sat back and took another pull of the joint.

  “Okay let me rephrase myself.” John said, as he sat forward and pulled the joint from the hands. “I’m going to be keeping some stuff at yours for a while. Cheers for being a pal.” He said and then took drag himself.

  “Go to hell.” I said, as I stood up and pushed back the head spin. As soon, as the room had slowed to a stop, I walked out of the room without turning back. I couldn’t believe that he really thought I’d agree to that. I couldn’t believe that he thought I was that stupid. I couldn’t believe that I had almost let him use me like that again.

  When I got back to my room, I lay down and went to sleep. I needed to get the pot out of my system so that I could think clearly about what John had just asked. I obviously wasn’t going to say yes, but that didn’t mean he would accept me saying no. I’d seen John lose his temper before, and it wasn’t pretty, but I had never been on the receiving end of it at least that was until now.

  I didn’t wake until the next. The sun blared in through the window, as I’d forgotten to close the curtains and it felt almost, as though my eyes were burning in its light. It took a little while for my eyes to adjust properly, but when they did, I sat up and looked around the room. I tried to keep the thoughts of the night before from my mind, as I started to wake up, but they kept drifting back, as though they knew they were more important than all the rest.

  When I finally pulled myself out of bed, I looked at the little lock, which was supposed to keep intruders out. It didn’t look like much and I couldn’t help, but feel, as though if you really wanted to, then it wouldn’t be that hard to break one. I looked at it for a moment longer and then went to get showered for the day.

  My new college course had more lessons than my old one, but I was enjoying them a lot more. I’d taken art this time around and I found having a creative outlet had helped me to cut down on how much I was smoking, plus it kept my attention in class, so I wasn’t getting kicked out all the time.

  At the end of the first month of being back at college, I was starting to get good grades. I hadn’t spoken to John since he had asked me to look after his stuff and because of that, I hadn’t been smoking either and I felt a lot sharper in the mind because of it.

  I couldn’t help but feel a bitter sadness though over James, who still hadn’t called or emailed me. I had really thought that the nine months we had shared were special, but it seemed, as though they had only been special to me. I wondered whether he had already moved on. Whether he had found a girl who was prettier and smarter than me, but I didn’t dare reach out myself to ask. Although I hadn’t been able to figure out what I had done wrong, I knew that it had been something I had done and I’d accepted that James, just obviously wasn’t forgiving me for that.

  I’d found my hand hanging over my cell phone from time to time, as the urge to call him picked up its strength, but in the end, I’d always flip my cell closed, because if he wanted me in his life, then he wouldn’t have sent me away.

  Chapter 9

  I woke up from dreaming to a loud knocking on my door. As I blinked open my eyes and pushed back the hazily feeling of sleep from my mind, I heard another knock. It was late, I could tell from the darkness, which was hiding behind my curtains. I looked at the clock and saw that it was the early hours of the morning. I wondered who might possibly be knocking on my door, so late in the night.

  I quickly pulled myself out of bed and walked over to the door. They started to knock just, as I was opening it and they nearly hit me in the process. The college dean apologises, whilst two fully uniformed police officers stand next to him.

  “Sophie, these two policemen are here to search your room.” The dean said, as he looked at me with disappointment in my eyes.

  “This has to be a mistake? I don’t have anything in here. I mean you can do a drugs test and everything, I’m clean.” I said quickly, as they walked into my room and started to pull everything out from it place.

  I watched, as they opened the large wardrobe and started to riffle through it.

  “Miss is this yours?” One of the police officers asked, as he held out one of my purses.

  “Yeah.” I said, as I looked at it.

  “I’m sorry miss, but you’re under arrest.” The policeman said, as he walked towards me and held out a pair of handcuffs.

  “For what?” I asked desperately, as he put my hands behind my back and started to read off my charges.

  Chapter 10

  I’m sitting in a cell, as I’m waiting to be questioned. It’s all very surreal. The grey walls with the crumbling bricks looked almost like a television set, as I stared at them. I could see where people had engraved their names into the soft bricks. Why would anyone carve their names here? Who would want to be remembered for being in a police cell?

  The officer, who had arrested me, told me that they were waiting for my parents. That meant they were going to tell my mom. I tried to think about the situation logically. They weren’t my drugs. I knew whose they were and this time, I hadn’t promised to keep it a secret, but would anyone believe me, especially after I didn’t speak up the first time.

  I could hear someone walking down the hall. The footsteps stopped outside the heavy metal door, which was keepin
g me locked in like an animal. I waited, as the small letter sized slit opened.

  “Stand clear.” A voice with authority called out, although he knew he didn’t need to. He could see me sitting on the small slab, which was meant to serve, as a bed. I couldn’t have been further away from the door if I had of tried.

  He waited, as though it was just standard procedure to do so, and then opened the door.

  “Your parents have refused to come.” The officer said, as he started to walk me out of the small cell. The hallway was equally, as grey and neglected, as the cell. We walked down the stretch of hallway in silence and it wasn’t until the officer, stopped to open a gated section that he spoke again. “You get one phone call and if I were you, I would call your parents.” The officer finished, as he slid open the gate and directed me to the phone.

  I looked at the phone. The numbers on its face loomed out to me, as I tried to choose the right ones to dial. I finally made up my mind and put them in. I could hear the phone connecting. It started to ring, as I held my breath and waited for the voice I was hoping to hear. The phone was still ringing. Then just, as I was about to give up and put the phone down, I heard a click and then a voice.

  “Hello?” James said from the other end.

  “James, it’s Sophie.” I said, as I waited to see what the response would be.

  “Sophie.” James said gently. “I’ve missed you.”

  “James, I need your help.” I said quickly, as the officer started to tap his foot impatiently.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” James asked with concern in his voice.

  “I got arrested.” I said, as I hung my head. He needed to know the full story, but I couldn’t give it to him over the phone. I waited for him to reply, but he didn’t, and then I heard the phone click and I knew he’d hung up.

  Chapter 11

  I open my eyes slowly, as I hear the officer calling for me to stand back. Is he joking? I wonder to myself, as I roll over and try to sit up. The sun had already risen and it was bright in my sleepy eyes, but I pushed passed the pain, so that I could at least look alert.

  “You’ve got someone here to bail you out.” The officer said, as he started to walk me down the hallway, but this time in the other direction and away from the phone.

  I frowned, as I tried to work out who it might be. “Did my parents come?” I asked, as I looked up to officer’s face.

  “No.” He replied, but he didn’t say anything more.

  I didn’t push for an answer, as he started to check me out and it wasn’t until I’d walked out of the building that I got to see who it was. “James?” I half asked, half greeted.

  “We need to talk.” James said, as his face fell into a frown, which made him look older and tired.

  I nodded and followed him, as he walked quickly down the street and into a small hotel. He didn’t stop at the desk, as he walked over to the stairs and started to climb them. I followed him, not knowing what else to do. When we got to his room, he opened the door and held it for me, as I walked in.

  The hotel room was small, but cosy. I could tell from the design that the hotel wasn’t cheap, but I didn’t want to pry into how much it might be costing him. “James I need to explain something to you.” I said.

  He nodded, but he didn’t say anything. I could feel him giving me centre stage and for a moment, I felt myself stumbling away from the limelight.

  “James, they weren’t my drugs. They were my exs, he put them in my room after I told him not to. When I got kicked out of college the first time it was because weed was growing in my dorm room. I don’t even know how to grow weed. John had been staying at mine for months and he’d been doing it behind my back. I mean I used to smoke the stuff, but I was never a dealer or anything.” I blurted out all at once and then broke down into tears.

  “It wasn’t you?” James asked, as though he needed clarification.

  I shook my head and, as I did, I felt his arms wrapping around my body. I looked up and found that his lips were meeting mine. They were soft, but his kiss was firm against my lips, his breath cool with the feel of mint. I let my tongue graze his bottom lip, as his hands found their way up my top.

  I could feel the gentle touch of his fingertip against the line of my spine, as he traced it up to my bra. I pushed my lips harder against his, as he undid my bra and let his hands take their job. His thumbs were rough against my nipples, as I felt them harden to his touch.

  Everywhere he touched seemed to react in a hungry way, as though he was a drug and I was addicted. We fell back onto his bed, as his lips found my neck and made their way down. Shivers shot down my spine, as goose bumps left tell- tale map of where he had touched me last.

  I could feel something building up in my body, as suddenly I felt empty without him. I wanted him closer to me. I wanted to know what it felt like to be the centre of his world. I wanted him to show me the stars and I wanted to give him something, which I could never take back.

  His lips found mine again and he kissed me hard, as I moaned against him. His fingers had found their way to my leg. They’d slowly traced their way up and between them, to the place that was hungry to be touched. I knew from the moment his hands found their way there that he knew. I knew from the moment he felt what he had created; he would know that I needed him to go all the way.

  I felt his body rise, as he unfastened his pants and let out the hardness, which had been pressing against my leg and teasing me about what was to come. I watched, as his eyes connected with mine, as he lowered his body onto mine, into mine, as I threw my head back, as he gave me everything that he had and I shared with him, my only secrets.

  The next morning, we woke up in a tangle of body parts. I could smell him everywhere I turned and for a moment, I just stayed still and appreciated everything exactly how it was. Then, when I felt James stir, I sat up and reached for my clothes, which were lying in a pile next to the bed.

  “What happens next?” I asked, as I pulled my top over my bare chest and James grumbled about me getting dressed, so quickly.

  “Well, I meant what I said Sophie, I’ve missed you. I’ve never met a girl like you and I don’t want to lose you all over again. The only reason I ever ended things was because I got a call telling me to look in your hold all bag. I found those drugs and I knew you’d been lying to me. When I woke up the next day and you were gone, well I thought you didn’t want to talk to me after the way I had treated you and I wanted to respect that because I hadn’t respected you.” James said, as he explained his side of the story.

  I let it all process for a moment. “Who called you?” I asked, as that was something, which had caught my interest. Who would know to call up the ranch and tell James to look in my hold all? Who hated me that much or wanted me to get kicked out that badly?

  James looked at me and winced. “It was someone called John.” He said, as he shook his head and looked down at the ground.

  Everything fell into place around me, as I realized what had happened. John had known that I was staying at the ranch after getting kicked out. He would have known that me being me, I would consider dropping out of college completely and he had needed me to store his drugs. “We need to go.” I said, as anger flared within me.

  “Where?” James asked curiously, as he watched me walk to the door.

  “To the police station, it’s about time they heard about John.” I said, as I pulled open the door and walked down the hotel hallway with a confidence I hadn’t had the day before. This had to end, I thought to myself, as I finally made the right choice.

  I could hear James following me, as I walked out of the hotel and into the cool morning air. I stopped for a second to fill my lungs and I felt James’ hand wrap around mine. I got it now. I got that life wasn’t about taking drugs, it’s about finding that person who you can’t live without and doing everything you can to keep them.

  --The END --

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  …Synopsis…

  Mary Lou Carpenter has always been a little different from other girls. She works hard and really doesn’t party a whole lot. In fact a lot of people have described her as being boring, but she didn’t care. At least she didn’t think that it mattered that much in the grand scheme of things. She had watched too many women suffer the consequences of bad relationships and was pretty sure that she didn’t want to get back into any relationship. Her last one had ended badly anyway. Then she won that contest and lets herself get convinced to go to that dude ranch in the south. That’s where Devin comes strolling into her life like a man who stepped right out of a western. With his dusty jeans and scuffed boots she can easily see how a woman would love to get lost with him, but she’s on a mission to stay single.

  Still what happens in the desert stays in the desert, and when the pair gets caught up in trouble with a group of criminals trying to mine on government property they have to figure out a way to get to safety. It isn’t going to be easy, but somehow they have to figure out their burning passions and find a way out of trouble. How are Mary Lou and Devin going to figure out how they feel about each other when they have to deal with the creatures in the desert and a group of criminals?