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I stared at him in shock. My eyes were wide, the brim of my cowboy hat barely blocking out the bright sunlight drifting around the cotton-ball clouds in the sky.
I’d done something to tick him off a few nights ago. Said something… Which I shouldn’t be upset about or concerned over, but I was. Which also explained why he’d avoided me to his best ability since then.
He was doing what I needed him to do. He was protecting that horse. Protecting me, even if he didn’t really know it. Being here, off the grid, away from almost anyone else was the safest place for me. So, him giving me the cold shoulder shouldn’t bother me, but it was.
Besides, it wasn’t my fault that I’d said something that apparently hit closer to home than intended. Though, I knew it was a nice weapon I could use against him again when needed, an additional tool for my arsenal when things ultimately came to a head.
Why I said those things last night was a mystery to me. And tucking them away for a tool to use? That was such a horrible thing to do. What was going on with me?
A sharp whistle pierced the air. The signal from Cassidy that it was time to go. I blew out some air, resigned to the fact that by the end of the day, I was going to be covered in more than just dust, and off we went.
Despite the hazy sight in front of me caused by hundreds of cattle hooves kicking up dust, I found myself enjoying things. Hours of riding beneath the hot sun, whistles and hollering dancing through the air, changing the pace, keeping up or corralling a stray or two, I hadn’t done something like this in years.
The last time that I’d experienced an actual cattle drive, my father had been around. Though our herd had been a third of the size as this one, it felt familiar. Winding around some trees, birds chirping in the summer air, dreams of peace lingered within my fear-hardened soul. A time that I longed for. A moment in my life that I missed.
I missed him, mostly. That mountain of a man who taught me everything I knew. The one person who had given his all to care for me, something no one else had ever done—except for maybe Rooney once my father and him crossed paths two years ago.
This cattle drive would be an entirely different adventure if I was riding it with him. The best father in the world. And somehow, I’d ruined everything he’d built in a matter of six months. If Cassidy even caught wind of what had happened, he would tell me to get lost quicker than a badger going after a mouse.
The fresh scent of pine trees and the leaves of aspens and maples rustled in the gentle wind. I coughed, the wild rag around my nose doing very little to block out the dust, now that several hours had passed.
I was hoping that before we broke through the shade of the trees around us, Cassidy would call for a rest, which would give me time to brush off and reset. Plus, I hated to admit that my backside was getting a little sore. It really had been way too long since I’d ridden for this many consecutive hours.
My dad would be so disappointed in me. That stallion was my last attempt at proving to him and the world around me that everything he’d sacrificed had been worth it. If I could just make sure that the horse got a better life, then I might be given enough time to prove that I deserved a second chance too.
And maybe, I’d be able to catch him, put him away for all of the lies and secrets and abuse he’d dealt to innocent creatures. I was tired, and I hadn’t even been running for more than a few days.
And I’d just been given hours of silence left to my deprecating thoughts.
The gelding below me seemed unhindered by the exertion of the trek. He was happily looking around, his ears dancing between all of the exciting sounds and sights around us. The black hooves of the angus weaving through the brush in front of me were a constant, even when I lost sight of other riders every now and then.
A couple of branches snapping next to me sounded, and I glanced away from the cattle. Cassidy emerged from around a tree, seamlessly bringing his horse down from a lope and matching my pace. He didn’t say a word as we rode side by side for several minutes.
The sweat running down my back pooling even deeper with each passing tick of the clock.
Should I say something?
Was he going to say something?
What did he want anyway?
The bubbling of a creek near us gurgled, splitting the silence that had my skin warm, and he finally spoke, his voice low and crackled, dust coating his throat. “You need to get up a half hour later.”
“Wh—” I gasped, sucking in some of my wild rag unintentionally. I coughed, sputtered, and tugged it down. “What? Why would I do that?”
“Because I said so,” he grumbled, his fingers casually sliding up and down the split leather reins. My mouth ran dry, my skin even warmer than usual as I watched the movement. My heart pattered heavily, drumming in my ears as everything else around me became mute.
“Hello?” Cassidy snapped a second later.
I blinked, tearing my gaze away from veiny hands I shouldn’t have been staring at. Why did everything about him have to look that good? Now was my chance to apologize for that night. For the accusation of things that I had no right to accuse. I confused myself with my own back-and-forth dilemma of hating that he was perfect but also hating that he was flawed. What was worse was that I was the one thinking it and then taking it out on him. How did that even make sense?
“No,” I snarled, lifting my chin. What the crap, Briar?
“It’s my favorite part of the day, so you’ll get up later.”
“Well, it’s my favorite part of the day too.”
“I don’t care, you’re living in my house.” We ducked under some trees, and I glanced at his profile. His jaw knotted. “So, you can find a new favorite part of the day.”
