On the Rocks

by Kandi Steiner

  And I was that someone.

  I smiled as Ruby Grace ran her hands over the smooth, white and black tobiano pattern of Tank’s neck, her polished fingernails scratching a little as she did. Tank leaned into the touch, neighing softly, tail swishing back and forth in his stall.

  “I never knew you rode horses,” she said after a long moment, wide eyes glancing at me before she focused on the horse again. “No offense, but it’s not exactly something I pictured a Becker doing.”

  I scoffed. “What, you think we just drink and fight all day, every day?”

  She didn’t respond, but her apologetic glance told me she actually did think that.

  I chuckled, kicking off where I’d been leaning against the stable watching her. “My mom taught me how to ride when I was a kid. My other brothers never really got into it, but it’s always been a release for me. Dad bought me Tank when I turned fourteen. He was just a year old, then.” My heart ached a little at the mention of my father, just like it always did. “We keep him out here at the Jensen’s because they have everything they need to take care of him. I pay them a monthly fee, and I can come out here and ride him whenever I want.”

  “And do you often?”

  “At least once a week, sometimes more.”

  Ruby Grace smiled, both of us falling silent again as she ran her fingers through Tank’s mane. He was an American Paint Horse, strong and muscular, his spotted coat and multi-colored mane the most eye-catching elements about him. Tank was fifteen years old now, and though he didn’t show signs of becoming a senior horse anytime soon, I still went easier on him now than I had when I was younger. We used to jump logs and round barrels, dredge through the creek, gallop as fast as I could get him going. Now, I usually took him for long, easy rides, letting him stretch his legs as I got lost in my thoughts for an evening. Sometimes we’d go out to the old tree house Dad built for me and my brothers, other times we’d just walk the trails, along the river, or wherever Tank’s hooves wanted to take us.

  Watching Ruby Grace pet him made my pulse quicken. She wasn’t the first girl I’d used that line on. I’d used it plenty of times, bringing whatever girl was into me that night down to the stable to watch them pet Tank and fuss over how cute he was before I laid them down in the straw bales and fucked them until the sun came up. But Ruby Grace was the first one I brought here because I knew she needed to get away, she needed to escape.

  And this is where I came to do just that.

  I knew I wasn’t going to fuck Ruby Grace. For one thing, she was nineteen. For another, she was engaged. She was also the most infuriating girl I’d met, stubborn and judgmental, and nowhere near my type. I liked my women wild, little spitfires who could give me a run for my money in the sack. But none of that changed the fact that she was very, very nice to look at.

  I’d wondered that day at the distillery what she would look like in boots instead of heels, and I’d gotten my wish. Her brown and turquoise buckaroo boots covered her calves, spanning up to just below her knees where her smooth, tan skin was exposed. That skin was mesmerizing, her toned thighs seeming somehow longer in those boots and the tiny, ripped-up white shorts she’d paired them with. The outfit was nothing like what I’d seen her in that first day, no fancy dress or belt or designer heels. She was just a girl in a tank top and shorts and boots.

  A country girl.

  And I hated what seeing her that way did to me.

  I swallowed, shoving those thoughts aside and tearing my eyes from her legs as I crossed the space between us. I reached up to pet Tank right under where she did, debating if I was really ready to offer my next statement, because I never had before.

  “Wanna ride him?”

  Ruby Grace lit up, smile as wide as her face as she turned to me. “Really? You’d let me?”

  My chest tightened again, because I’d never let anyone ride Tank — save for the Jensen family who cared for him. But, this was the most relaxed I’d seen Ruby Grace since she barreled back into town, and for some reason, I wanted to keep her like that.

  “Yes, really,” I said on a chuckle. “Hang on, let me get her suited up.”

  Ruby Grace looked around the barn as I brushed Tank, strapping him up with his riding pad, saddle, girth and bridle next. I checked everything twice, including each and every hoof. I’d been out earlier that week to trim his hooves, but I wanted to be sure they were in good shape to ride. Once I was satisfied with my inspection, I guided Tank out of the barn and into the warm summer night.

  “Alright,” I said, patting the saddle before I turned to Ruby Grace, reins still in my hands. “Hop on up.”

  I expected her to whine, or scoff, or ask how in the world to you expect me to do that in these shorts? But to my surprise, little miss Ruby Grace didn’t say a single word. She put the toe of her boot in the stirrup, reached one hand up to grab the horn, and heaved her opposite leg up and over, shifting her weight a bit until she was comfortably seated.

  She smirked when she saw my face, tossing her long red locks behind her shoulder as she shrugged. “What? Did you think I was too prissy to know how to ride a horse, Noah Becker?”

  I put my hands up in a surrendering gesture. “I didn’t say a word.”

  “You didn’t have to. That trout mouth of yours said it all,” she said.

  “Alright, watch your foot for a second,” I said, ignoring her last remark. She frowned as I handed her the reins, confusion rolling over her as I put my own foot in the stirrup and heaved myself up to sit behind her. When I edged forward, the zipper of my jeans hitting the back pockets of hers, I inhaled a steep breath, looking up to the moon like it would somehow save me from getting a boner once we started riding and that sweet ass was rubbing up against me.

  “Oh,” she said, and even from where I sat behind her, I could see her cheeks flushing in the moonlight. “I… I didn’t realize you would be up here, too.”

  “You think I was just going to walk alongside while you rode, princess?”

  She frowned. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Whatever you say, ma’am.”

  She growled a little at that, elbowing me in the ribs as I laughed. Then, I grabbed hold of the reins, and away we went.

  The moon was full and bright that night, reflecting off the creek as we rode along its edges. For a while, we were both quiet, soaking in the dampness of the night’s humidity, the sounds of the water and insects around us, the smell of the country. I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, finding that peace and comfort I always did on Tank’s back, mixed with a little of something unfamiliar with Ruby Grace being there, too. I wondered what she was thinking, if she was happy to be there, if she was still anxious about what people would say tomorrow.

  And they would have something to say.

  I couldn’t remember how old I was when I realized that would never change, but that I changed my perspective on it, not giving people the power they wanted with their gossip. I knew I was older than Ruby Grace when it happened, and I knew it was after my father had passed. At first, I’d been so triggered by the rumors, by the way that whole town talked about my father like they knew him when they didn’t. But after a while, I started to care less, and less, until I didn’t give a single fuck about anyone but my family.

  We trotted along my favorite trail, ducking our heads when the branches of the trees dipped a little too low. I was right about Ruby Grace’s ass rubbing against me, and when she edged back, adjusting her weight for what I assumed was comfort, the fabric of her jean shorts rubbed over the length of my cock in a way that made me bite my lip to keep from groaning out loud.

  “So,” I said, trying to spark up conversation that would get my mind off her body touching mine. “What’s got you so stressed out that you’re biting off a nice guy’s head when he offers you a beer?”

  I expected her to pop off back at me, but she just chuckled, letting out a sigh on a shrug before she spoke. “I don’t know. Being back home, I guess. UNC felt like my new ho
me, and now I’m back in this place where I’m not sure where I fit in. And my mom is all over me about the wedding, which I know we still have a lot to do with it being only six weeks away. But… I don’t know. It’s summer, it’s supposed to be fun, and I just feel…”

  “Smothered,” I finished for her.

  She turned a little over her shoulder, and though our eyes couldn’t meet, I knew I’d struck a nerve. “Yes,” she agreed, turning back forward. “Exactly that.”

  I nodded. “I’m sure it’s a lot of pressure, being the Mayor’s daughter. And now, getting married.” I debated my next words carefully before speaking them out loud. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I don’t mean anything by it, but… you’re young. I was surprised when my boss told me I was showing a barrel to an engaged nineteen-year-old.”

  “Plenty of people get married at nineteen,” she spouted back. “Especially in Stratford.”

  “I know,” I said, soothingly, calming my voice so she could see I wasn’t picking a fight. “I guess it’s just that when I was that age, I didn’t even know who I was, let alone who the person was who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

  Ruby Grace fell quiet at that, and for a while, it was just the sounds of the night around us. I thought I’d overstepped again, and I waited for her to push me off the horse or demand that I take her back, but instead, after a long pause, she just sighed.

  “I think they just expect me to be like my sister,” she murmured. “Mary Anne loves this kind of stuff — picking colors of flowers, choosing between ribbon or twine, finding the perfect dress.”

  I remembered her older sister, especially because she was only a couple years younger than Logan. They’d run in similar crowds, been in similar parties. But, after college, Mary Anne had made her way over to Europe to study fashion design. The town hadn’t seen much of her since.

  I wondered if that was part of Ruby Grace’s sense of obligation — the fact that her older sister was gone, and she was here, waiting to fulfill her family’s legacy.

  “And I guess a part of me always thought she’d be the one to get married first,” Ruby Grace continued. “That she’d be the one to find a husband like our father and make the grandkids I know my parents want.”

  I was nodding, realizing my instinct had been true until she mentioned the word grandkids.

  I stiffened. “Are you already thinking about kids?”

  “I mean… not immediately, but, Anthony wants to have them sooner rather than later.”

  My blood boiled a bit at her statement. “And do you want to have them sooner rather than later? Or at all?”

  “Of course, I want children,” she defended. “But, I admit, I thought I’d be much older when I had them. I thought… well, it doesn’t matter.”

  Tank neighed, as if he spoke my thoughts before I got the chance. “It does matter, Ruby Grace. What did you think?”

  She fiddled with the reins that I’d let her take over. “I don’t know… I just always thought I’d graduate, maybe do a year or two in AmeriCorps before I settled down.”

  “AmeriCorps?”

  “Yeah, it’s like the Peace Corp, but specifically here in the states. You can be a teacher or camp counselor or even work in wetland restoration.” She shrugged. “I’ve always loved to help others, to volunteer my time, and I thought it’d be a great way to do that before I got married and had kids of my own.”

  I gritted my teeth against the urge to tell her she still could do those things — married or not. Just because she was committing to this man as his wife didn’t mean she had to lose her identity, surrender what she wanted for all that he wanted, but I knew it wasn’t my place to say any of that.

  Then again, it probably wasn’t my place to have her ass rubbing against me, but I wasn’t doing anything to change that at the moment.

  “But,” she said after a long, awkward pause. “That’s what’s so great about marrying Anthony. He’s a politician, and as his wife, I’ll have so many opportunities to help the communities we serve in. And when he’s president, I’ll be the first lady. I’ll be able to create and manage whatever charities and organizations I want. I’ll be able to make a difference.”

  I nodded, but I still didn’t agree with it. “Well, that’s good, then.”

  “Yeah,” she said, and for a moment, she seemed lost in her own thoughts before she came back to the moment with me just as I grabbed the reins from her, turning Tank around to head back toward the stables. “What about you?” she asked.

  “What about me?”

  “Do you want a wife, kids?”

  “I do,” I answered.

  She waited, and when I said nothing more, a soft laugh escaped her lips. “Well, please don’t tell me too much. After all, I didn’t share anything personal with you.”

  I smirked, shrugging. “There’s nothing more to really say, is there? I do want to get married and have kids one day.”

  “You’re twenty-eight,” she pointed out. “What are you waiting for?”

  “The right woman.”

  The answer rolled off my tongue so easily, but it shocked both of us. I stiffened behind her, aware of the space of vulnerability I’d put myself in, and Ruby Grace glanced over her shoulder, like she wished she could see my eyes after saying that.

  “Oh,” she said after a while. “Well, that’s nice, Noah. That’s really nice. And I’m sure you’ll find her.”

  I cleared my throat, ready to change the subject, but she beat me to it.

  “What else?” she asked. “What else do you want in life?”

  I shifted. “Honestly, not much. I just want to make whiskey barrels. I’m a pretty simple guy.”

  “Why do I feel like that’s the first time you’ve lied to me?”

  Her question surprised me, and I swallowed down the discomfort building more and more rapidly the more the conversation was focused on me.

  “It’s not a lie. I’m a family man, I want to be here for my brothers, my mom, and, someday, my future family, too.”

  I paused, and she waited, wanting me to keep going even when I didn’t know what else to say.

  “I guess I kind of feel like a dad already, in a way,” I confessed. “Jordan and I really stepped up after my father died, and we’ve been taking care of Mom and the house and our younger brothers ever since. And now, Mikey is going into his senior year. He’s going to move out of the house soon after he graduates, and then Mom will be on her own, and I’m not sure what she’ll do then. If we sell it, put her in a smaller place, it’d probably be better for her. But then again, I can’t imagine us not having that house to go home to.”

  Ruby Grace pulled Tank to a stop, turning enough so she could look at me. “So, it seems that where I feel smothered, you feel a little lost, huh, Noah Becker?”

  I smirked. “I guess so, Ruby Grace.”

  “Well, I’ve heard some of the best adventures come from finding yourself a little lost,” she offered.

  “Oh, who told you that?”

  “The wise Betty Collins, of course.” She smiled, shrugging. “This older woman I care for down at the nursing home. We’ve become good friends over the years.”

  Looking at Ruby Grace in that moment, I didn’t see a girl. Her fair, young skin and wide, innocent eyes glowing in the moonlight told me she was still a girl, but her heart that volunteered her time to the elderly told me she was more of a woman than most I’d slept with.

  “Well, if she’s got more wisdom like that, you’ll have to introduce me to her sometime.”

  Ruby Grace smiled at that. “I just might.”

  We were quiet the rest of the way back to the stable, and when we both hopped down and I took all the riding equipment off Tank, I gave him a treat, patting his butt affectionately before Ruby Grace and I made our way back toward the party.

  “Thank you,” she said, tucking her hands in the back pockets of her shorts. “For tonight. I haven’t felt that kind of peace in a long time.”r />
  “No problem,” I said, coming to a stop. She turned, brows furrowed. “Figured I’d let you walk up first, go find your friends. I’ll come up in a bit, that way no one thinks we were together.”

  She rose one brow. “I’m pretty sure they already know.”

  “Well, then, let’s fuck with them,” I said. “Give them something to make them doubt it all when they’re gossiping in the morning.”

  Ruby Grace smiled even wider at that, and before I knew what she was doing, she crossed the space between us and threw her arms around my neck. I opened my own just in time to catch her, to feel her tight little body pressed against me as she gave me a hug.

  “Stay out of trouble, Noah Becker.”

  “Never.”

  She chuckled, letting me go and waving at me over her shoulder as she strutted back up the hill toward the bonfire.

  Ruby Grace

  My first thought was that my skirt was too short.

  It was Sunday afternoon, and church had let out on a beautiful day where Dad had some time blocked off for his daughter being back in town. He’d insisted we go golfing — much to his delight and my disdain — and so here we were at the Stratford Country Club golf course.

  The Stratford Country Club golf course only existed because Dad had insisted the town needed a proper country club back when he was running for his first term as mayor. He’d worked with the wealthiest families in the town to bring it to life, and then they’d made the requirements to get in so specific and the spots available so limited that it was pretty much just a place for him and his friends to hang out and play golf.

  Daddy was lining up his shot on the fourth hole, his pot belly stretching the light pink fabric of his polo as he tightened his grip on the club. He’d picked that shirt so he could match me — a daddy-daughter-duo. Dad was a big man, standing six-foot-three and close to two-hundred-and-fifty pounds. He had a smile that took up his entire face — one that Mama called his “mega-watt” smile. She swore it was how he won elections.