BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

two. okay, cowboy

It was standing room only, everyone was on their feet and all eyes were on the stage as the music started. She swayed to the beat, her hand thumping against her thigh in time and just as she started singing, she turned. An uproar rippled through the crowd, everyone dancing and singing along to JO Dee Messina's Heads Carolina, Tails California.

A few wolf-whistles were let out, making the girl smile as she sang her heart out and not once did she have to look at the screen where the words scrolled by. She never did, she had almost every song memorized by heart, every lyric, every beat.

In the front, right at the edge of the stage, she could see a group of people that seemed to be enjoying the song, but her eyes landed on the green eyes of the man that stood in the middle of the group. She smiled, wiggling her fingers, but she never missed a word as she turned away from him.

He just smiled, unable to look away from her, and when he caught her eye again he raised his glass. His smile only grew when her laugh echoed around the room before she seamlessly fell back into the rhythm of the song.

"Oh, Ty's got a crush!" Boone teased, shaking his best friend's shoulders.

"Shut up," Tyler muttered, shaking him off but his smile never once faded as the girl finished the song before bowing. And when she stood up, her dark hair cascaded down her back in wild whisps.

"Thank you," she mumbled into the mic before placing it on the stand and leaving the stage. She weaved through the crowd, smiling and waving until she reached the bar, she let out a huff as she lifted herself onto the stool and leaned on her elbows. "Bourbon, neat."

"You got it, sweetheart," the bartender smiled, quickly grabbing a glass and filling it up. "Hey, you seem to have an admirer."

"Is it Frank?" her nose scrunched up, "it better not be Frank."

"Nope, not Frank." He mused, sliding her the drink with a wink then he turned and helped another customer.

The space next to her was suddenly filled up by broad shoulders. His brushing against hers and she turned as he laid a cowboy hat on the bar. She smiled when she recognized him, "green eyes."

He chuckled, "most people call me Tyler, but that works."

"What can I do for you, green eyes?"

"Well, I was gonna ask to buy you a drink."

She smirked and shook her glass a little, and the amber liquid sloshed around but didn't spill, "I'm good, but thanks." He hummed, a smile on his lips and she sipped on her drink before she spoke again, "that the best you got? Or is you watching the pick up?" He laughed, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "Oh, let me guess, the next thing outta your mouth is gonna be you come here often, isn't it?"

"Not anymore," he muttered, his eyes meeting herself and she hummed.

"It's funny, you look like you'd be good at this."

"Usually I don't get called out," he rebutted.

"Oh," she chuckled, turning towards him and her knee brushed against his. "Then, it's me. I make you nervous."

He smiled, letting out a breath. She did make him nervous, but only a little. Suddenly an arm was draped over Tyler's shoulder and he turned to meet the wide smile of his best friend.

"Get 'er number yet?"

Wren laughed, her eyes moving from the wide smile on the newcomer's face to Tyler, "he's barely gotten two words out."

"What? No. My boy's a pro."

"Is he now?"

"Boone."

"Ya should just hand it over now, and then-"

"Boone," Tyler raised his voice just a little, cutting his friend off.

"Just tryin' to help, brother," he shrugged his shoulders a little, looking up at his friend before looking at Wren again, who was amused by the whole situation. "You got a name?"

"Hey, you good here?" Wren turned, looking over at the dark-haired guy behind the bar.

"Yeah, Wes, I'm good," she nodded and he returned it, eyeing the two men before helping a lady at the other end of the bar.

"So you do come here often," Tyler mused, his eyes meeting hers again before they dropped down to her lips, then his eyes landed on her dark irises.

"Maybe," she lifted her shoulder in a shrug before lifting her glass to her lips and finishing it off. "Well, Boone, it was nice to meet you."

"You too, doll," he smiled as she pushed herself off the stool, leaving a twenty on the bar.

"And, green eyes, hope to see ya again," she wiggled her fingers as she started away from them.

"Ya just gonna let 'er leave?" Boone shook Tyler's shoulders a little.

Tyler smirked over his shoulder at his best friend, "Don't wait up for me." With that he slipped into the crowd and Boone whooped and hollered just as he reached the girl at the door.

"He's back."

"Yes, ma'am," he pushed the door open for her and she smiled at him as she stepped outside, he followed her. "Can't let a lady walk to her car alone."

"And here I thought chivalry was dead."

"Nope," he placed the cowboy hat on his head, watching as her eyes tracked the movement. "Can I get a name?"

"Toby," she hummed and his eyebrows pinched as his jaw fell open a little. "What? You said a name, not that it had to be mine."

"How 'bout this..." he reached into his pocket and she watched with furrowed brows. Then pulled out a quarter, which made her laugh. "Heads, you tell me your name."

"And tails?"

"I get your number."

"Really?"

"I can't lose," he shrugged.

"Okay," she nodded and he grinned before flicking the quarter into the air. But neither looked away from the other, she was mesmerized by his eyes. And he had never seen eyes like hers before, even under the harsh neons they looked like pools of sweet, dark honey.

He caught the coin and slapped it to the back of his hand. "Ready?" he raised an eyebrow and she nodded, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. He let his eyes drift over her face before he moved his hand, looking at the quarter. "Tails."

She hummed, reaching into her bag, then she pulled out a pen, "hand." he smirked as he placed his hand in hers, she flipped it over, her fingers soft against his palm before she readied her pen and scribbled her number on the back of his hand.

"Goodnight, cowboy." She turned and made her way across the parking lot, and he watched as she lifted herself into a beat up chevy.

Once she closed the door he turned, making his way towards the door as he smiled at the blue pen that now marked his hand, he chuckled at the little heart she had drawn. Just as he reached the door he heard a terrible sound, followed by the slamming of a door.

"Piece of shit!" he turned to see her kicking her truck before opening the hood, so he made his way towards her. "You're about as bad as Sir Pain in the ass, may he rest in peace."

"Need a hand?"

"More like a new truck," she huffed as she looked over at him. "Tell you what, cowboy, you help me with this and I'll let you buy me a drink."

His lips twitched up into a smirk, "I think I can handle that." He moved towards the raised hood, moving his hat from his head as he looked at the engine. "Where'd you get this thing?"

"A shifty guy named Tag a few towns over," she shrugged. "I know it's fallin' to bits but I ain't got the money to fix him up, much less to get a new one."

"Yeah, I think it's about time to put him out to pasture,"

"No, no, he's still got a few miles in him... I hope," she smiled, batting her eyelashes a little. "Is there anything you can do? I, at least, need him to last me the week."

He leaned forward, pushing his sleeves up and she tracked the movement with her eyes, "I'll see what I can do, but I'm no mechanic. Why just the week?"

"Um, I'm headed out of town at the end of the week. Making my way around the dingy bar circuit." She watched as he messed with a few things, tugging a few wires then checking the belt.

"Where you off to next?"

"Not sure, I usually just drive until I find a place," she raised her shoulder in a shrug, still watching him. "No, it's not the belt. I changed that two days ago. It's either the starter, or the battery finally gave out."

He stopped and looked over at her, his brows creased, "You know what you talking about."

"A little," she admitted. "But the possibility of seeing you covered in grease was too damn too good to pass up."

He chuckled as he leaned back, towering over her, "if it's the battery, I can give you a jump. But I think you should have that drink with me first."

"Okay, cowboy," she hummed, stepping away from the truck, he smiled as he pulled his hat from where it rested on the edge of her truck, then he closed the hood and followed after her.

"I just have one question," he placed his hat on his head. "Who the hell is Sir Pain in the ass?"

She laughed, her head thrown back and he was mesmerized. From the scrunch of her nose, to the bend in her throat... he couldn't look away. "You're gonna like this one, but I think that story's gonna require more than just one drink."

He pulled the door open, pinching the brim of his hat as he tipped his head downwards just a little, "yes, ma'am."

>>>>> • <<<<<

Wren hummed along to the radio, her fingers beating against the steering wheel, her hair blowing in the wind as her left arm danced on the breeze out the window. She had been driving for days, though a pair of green eyes lingered in the back of her mind. It didn't help that the second those green eyes invaded her thoughts, the events of that night in her stuffy motel room raced forward, flooding her completely.

And the morning after was just as good, but he'd had to leave and she, too, was on her way out of town. Though he had called, that was all it really was and she was sure that was all it was ever gonna be. One amazing night with a handsome cowboy on a springy motel mattress... a smile pulled at her lips at the memory.

She was sure it was branded on her brain forever, and she didn't mind all that much.

Her phone rang from the passenger seat and she glanced over before reaching for the device, shoving the sheet music to the side to grab it. She glanced at the screen and her throat bobbed, then a horn honking snapped her out of her daze and she quickly answered as she pulled back into her lane.

"Hey! Give me a sec!" she shouted over the music and the rushing wind, once the music was turned down and the windows rolled up she picked the phone up and held it between her shoulder and her ear. "Hey, been a while."

"I know, I've been busy... with work."

"Javi..." she sighed, she assumed it was just something people say. If it was, she didn't blame him. Who would want to stay in contact with the person that was responsible for their friends' deaths? "Look, Kate it made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with me, you don't have to pretend like you-"

"I was never pretending," he cut her off. "That day was... it was rough for all of us."

"Some more than others."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Sure," she nodded but he knew that no matter what he said, she would never believe him. He had spent years after that day trying to convince her otherwise, but she was a stubborn one. "So, what's with the call?"

"Um, Kate's in Oklahoma," he spoke slowly and her hands tightened around the steering wheel. "And she wants to see you."

She let out a sigh, "No, Jav, she-"

"I do."

The voice had tears welling up in her eyes, "Kate?"

She and Kate weren't close, by any means. Hell, they barely knew each other. But Wren had spent years trying to make that day up to Kate, though how can one make up for such a huge loss?

She had spent the whole first year after that day apologizing, offering her shoulder, and making casseroles – and she couldn't cook to save her life. Wren eventually realized that Kate didn't want her apologies, much less for her to be around. And she would have disappeared right then and there, if not for Javi keeping tabs on her. He always told her that misery loved company.

"H-Hey, Wren," Kate mumbled, her voice soft but there was a slight shake.

Wren wiped her eyes with her wrist, "you really wanna see me?"

"I think... I think it's time."

"Wh-where? I'll come to you guys."