Page 65 of Rocky Ride

“You got a hat? It’s windy out there.”

“I won’t need a hat.”

“Okay, if you’re sure. I was just thinking—you know if we get stuck and have to walk to a garage or some shit like that.”

Her brown eyes opened wider. “Is that going to happen, Harlan?”

“Hope not, but it’s a bitch out there.”

The roommate shoved a toque at her. “Shove this in your purse in case the worst happens.”

Penny laughed. “Okay. I’m all set.”

The fuckin stairs outside were a goddamned nightmare. Penny had leather boots on, and she could barely stand up on the icy stairs.

“Bad boots.”

I held onto her until we got to the bottom, then I opened the passenger door, and she jumped inside.

“Hi, everybody. I’m Penny.”

“Hi, Penny. I’m Vicki, and this is Virgil, my hot date.”

Virge laughed. “Hi, Penny. Your steps look dangerous.”

“For sure they are,” I said. “If that ice freezes solid, she’ll never get up to her fuckin apartment.”

Route two had been plowed and we made it to Shelby without passing any accidents. The movie was fun, and we bought the girls Cokes and popcorn and had us a fun time.

Afterwards, we stopped off for pizza and Virge clowned around and made us all laugh. Pretty fun date and I hoped the girls thought so.

We got them home just after midnight and made sure they got inside safe. Kissed them goodnight and that was the end of it.

The hard part was driving north to the ranch. The road was filling in with drifts and the Jeep had to buck through the deep snow.

“We’d better check the horses before we go to bed, Virge. Make sure they’re warm enough.”

“Yeah. We might have to turn the heater on high and stay out there an hour until the barn is warm enough.”

“Copy that.”

Chapter Fourteen

Saturday, October 26th.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

“I’m not sure I’ll ask Vicki out again,” said Virge. “For all her big talk, she wasn’t much fun once we were fooling around together. I don’t think she’s had sex with anybody before and I’d rather get it on with somebody older than seventeen. Just say’n.”

“I hear you and it makes sense. You don’t want her telling her mother and then having to deal with a parent coming to talk to Dad.”

“Fuck that,” said Virge. “I’m not sure of Dale Burden’s views on underage sex, but I don’t want to find out either. Could be a short end to my life.”

I laughed at Virge, but he was right. Best not to piss our dad off. He had unwritten rules but a lot of them weren’t publicized until you fuckin broke one. Then you were dead in the water.

First thing Dad asked us when we came in from the barn, “Are the horses warm enough, boys?”

“We stayed out there with the heat on high until they warmed up, Dad. Did the same thing last night when y’all were…someplace.”

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