Fire in Her Eyes - The Lowdown Drifters

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COLT

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I think Charlie missed me as much as I missed her. She has made a statement to visit as much as possible, coming after work and spending much of her weekend here with me. She claims it's just so she can see Lucky, but I think it's me she wants to see.

Nothing has happened between us, no matter how much I want to jump her bones. I'm trying to go slow, rebuilding the trust I slaughtered in half. She was testing me with some of the outfits she wore here. Today, it was denim booty shorts and a white top with the words COWBOY PILLOWS. I about choked as I read the words spread across her breasts.

Knox and Brooke were on their way to come to the house this weekend with Belle, of course. Which meant Charlie would be here too. Knox is hauling my new trailer to me with all my tack and three horses I bought after Charlie left my house the other night. They just wanted an excuse to see the house.

It was time. I was ready for it to happen again. My cows were delivered the other day, and I had picked up hay and feed by the dozens for the farm. The stalls had shavings in them, waiting for someone to fill them. I was having an arena put in next week. Life was coming together.

I'm sweeping the barn floors when Knox's truck pulls down the driveway. Charlie comes up beside me, with Lucky on her heels. Her hand rests on my back as I can't peel my eyes off the trailer, "just take it slow, okay? He's here with you." She means Diesel. My eyes cut over to the urn on one of the shelves in the middle of the barn. He is here with me. She's right.

I want to hold her hand, but I don't want the others to think we are together again. Knox backs the trailer to the barn, and I still can't move. Charlie runs to the passenger door and squeals when Brooke opens her door. The driver's door flies open, and Knox steps out, grinning like a fool. "Love the place," he says, looking around. He stares at me as I watch the trailer, "Just walk away if you gotta, okay?"

It was silly; I was so damn traumatized over a horse. No amount of therapy could settle the hole in my heart.

Knox throws the trailer doors open, and I hear stomping inside the trailer. He walks in, backing the first one off. I point to a stall to place him in. I do the same for the next two until they are settled in the stalls, happily munching on the fresh hay.

Charlie comes around the corner with Bella in her hands. She stops at the first stall and looks at me, "Colt," she says sternly.

"Yeah?" I say, grinning as she notices what I did.

"You bought Ace?" She grips Bella with one hand and reaches the other to pet Ace on his forehead. She then grabs Bella's hand and lets her pet the horse. That girl showed no fear of the large animals surrounding her.

"Abby said he was just sittin' there, so I took matters into my own hands," I shrugged, acting as if it was nothing. I know how much fun she had when she was racing. Maybe she'd do it again if I did.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, "You are just something else."

The other two horses I bought, one was a veteran, and the other, an unbroke one. I figured I needed a challenge to pass the time. The elder one, named Major, is a reining horse, which will be great for rodeos. He was black with a thin white stripe down his face. The young one, I'm not sure. She had no name. She could be a devil for all I know; she was a chestnut mare, after all. Maybe I'd name her Ember to remind me of her red coloring.

Knox helped me unload all the never-ending tack out of the trailer while Charlie showed Brooke around the farm as if she lived there. When we're alone, Knox asks, "You two doing good?"

"Trying to be a gentleman, but I'm unsure how long I'll last." Especially when she sways her hips on purpose as she walks in front of me.

He raises an eyebrow as he slides the saddle onto the rack, "you sure she's not waiting for you to make the first move?"

I shrug, "I don't know. I don't want her to think I'm using her for sex, though I don't think she thinks that. Last time, I kinda used her to feel something."

"Okay, but last time, you were barely alive. She understands."

"Okay. So you're saying I should fuck her. I'll do it while you're here. Is that fine?"

"As long as she's not screaming your name across the house, I don't care." Charlie hadn't even stepped foot in my bedroom yet. I think she thinks something will happen if she does, which is another reason I haven't made a move.

We finished unloading the trailer after an hour. "Anything else?"

"Nothing but the two cases of beer in the backseat for us."

I laugh, throwing the door open, grabbing them, and taking them inside. The best thing about this house is the mud room they built connected to the garage. I dirty up that room with my filthy boots, as does Knox. The girls in the living room play on the floor with Lucky and Bella. "Knox, we need a puppy," Brooke pouts, sticking her bottom lip out as Lucky sniffs the baby.

"Then bring one home," he says as he cracks open a beer sitting on the couch. "Only if it's a huntin' dog. Don't bring anything else home."

"Are you against cats?" Charlie asks, looking up at me.

I shake my head, "they keep the snakes and shit away. Love 'em."

While they talk, I head back out to the barn to feed, needing to be alone for a moment. I stand back from Ace's stall as he pokes his head out, staring at me with a mouthful of hay.

I step closer, my hand shaking as I raise it to his face. He could smell my fear, but I think he understood why. He breathed through his nose as I made contact with his face. His fur was soft as it ran through my fingers. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as I rest my hand on him.

I poured the horse feed into the feed pan and stepped back, giving myself space. That wasn't so hard, you big baby. I walked up to Major, patting him on the neck as I poured the feed into the pan. I did the same with Ember. I step back and stare as a voice from behind startled me, "You did great."

I see Charlie leaning against the empty stall across from Ace's. "Wasn't so bad."

"I just wanted to check on you. You said you were going to feed, and I know you haven't fed, let alone touched a horse in six months."

I smile, wiping my dirty hands on my shirt as I walk towards her, "always the caring one." I wrap my arm around her as we walk back towards the house, "you may have to hold my hand when I finally decide to get on one."

"I'll be there that day too, don't worry," she smacks my butt before running inside, letting me stare at her ass as she runs past me.