Page 72 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
“So go talk to him.”
“I can’t. Not right now, he’s busy with the family business at the festival, and I don’t wanna make this into a public spectacle. I just...have to wait, I guess. Maybe catch him tonight after the fireworks.”
“And do what all afternoon? Mope here at the bar?”
“Maybe.”
She snickered. “How about a compromise? I get off in a little over an hour. You hang here, and then we can go walk around the festival together.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Just don’t drink too many of those in the meantime, or you’ll be so drunk I’ll be carrying you around.”
Hugo chuckled. “Good advice. Thanks, Ramie, I mean it. I really do care about Brand and I want what’s best for him. And the ranch.”
“Well, it’s not selfish to also want what’s best for yourself. If Brand is who you want, then you gotta fight for him. Fight hard. He’s a great guy, and you seem pretty cool yourself, Hugo.”
“Thank you. You, too. I’m glad you’re his friend.”
“I am a pretty great friend.” With a wink, she went off to fill a drink order from the place’s lone server.
His burger came up a while later, so he took his time eating in between sips of his drink. He did end up ordering a second drink, because the very slight alcohol haze made it not taste quite as awful, and it went down a lot faster with the burger and fries. A decent burger, too, and he couldn’t help wondering where the Roost got their beef.
He paid his tab and left with Ramie when her shift was over. The Roost was within walking distance of the festival, so they left their vehicles in the lot and strolled down a side street toward the sounds of music and laughter and so many voices that Hugo’s skin crawled. He never used to dislike crowds of people, but after his arrest, he wasn’t comfortable being out in public anymore.
Fuck that. Today, he was going to reclaim himself. Even if Brand didn’t want him anymore, Hugo knew who he was, damn it, and that person was going to try and enjoy himself today.
They browsed the freebie tables first. Ramie picked up a paper fan from someone running for Congress in their district, and it was wide enough to give them both a decent bit of air on their faces. Ramie carefully avoided the Woods Ranch table, and Hugo averted his gaze, pretending not to see who was there. They found the food booths and while Hugo was full, he treated Ramie to lemonade and a corn dog. They listened to music for a while, then watched a dance troupe perform.
Ramie found a tent selling ice-cold beer, so they each indulged. The entire afternoon was fun in its own way, and he understood why she was Brand’s best friend. She was funny, supportive, and her dry wit impressed Hugo. They got along great and at suppertime they got in line for the barbecue. Everyone got a Styrofoam container with a roll, bag of chips, dill pickle, and their choice of a half-chicken or ribs. Sauce choices were at the end of the line just past the cash box.
Hugo indulged in the ribs, because they were from his ranch. No sauce; he wanted to taste the meat.
A few picnic tables were scattered around but they settled in a shady patch of grass to eat. The ribs were perfect, and he used the time to people watch the crowd. A few folks waved at Ramie but most ignored Hugo. Whatever, he didn’t care if this town liked him or not.
As the sun got lower and the food cleared from the park, music started up and folks began dancing. Something to pass the time until dusk, when the fireworks would start. Hugo was hot and tired, but he also couldn’t say no when Ramie asked him to dance. She was good, too, practically leading him through some of the faster numbers, and then relaxing for the slow ones.
At one point, the skin on the back of Hugo’s neck prickled, and he looked up. Brand was watching them from the sidelines, arms crossed, face annoyingly blank.
Holy shit, is he jealous?
In that moment, Hugo didn’t care. He pulled Ramie down into a gentle dip, then back up, grateful this was a country song he knew and could dance to without looking like a fool. She laughed and didn’t seem to notice they were being watched. She was living in the moment, uncaring of the world around them, and Hugo wanted so much to be like her. To truly be her friend.
They listened to local bands, as well as a few church choirs, play and sing for a while longer as the sun continued to set. More folks began congregating in the open area of the park. Hugo wasn’t sure exactly where the fireworks were being set off, but everyone seemed to be facing east, toward the darkest part of the sky.
The first to go off was small, a simple burst of red and white. Then larger fireworks turned the sky into a kaleidoscope of colors and bright lights. Sharp booms rent the air. Hugo hadn’t seen fireworks like these in a long time, and the finale was breathtaking. He applauded along with everyone else, and the day’s celebration was over.
Ramie generously offered him a ride home, but Hugo turned her down. The scooter would get him home just fine. His beers were wearing off, and since he had to work early and Ramie didn’t, he headed back to the Roost alone to fetch his vehicle. The walk was quiet, most of the town’s activity still in the park, and he’d just crossed into the Roost’s parking lot when a big shape blocked his way.
Hugo took a step back out of habit, and then his stomach sank when he recognized Buck. A glassy-eyed, listing Buck, who had a beer bottle in one hand, while the other held the remains of a six-pack. Two pickups separated them from the dim light of the Roost’s entrance, leaving them a bit too alone for Hugo’s liking.
“The fuck are you doing out here, Buck?” Hugo asked. “You get caught walking around drunk, your parole officer is gonna shit kittens and send you back to lockup.”
Buck tilted back his bottle and sucked the contents down. “Didn’t know you gave a shit.”
“Honestly? I don’t, but the last thing I want is for you to embarrass my mother again with your fucked-up behavior. Go home and sleep it off.” He tried to walk around Buck in the near-empty parking lot, but Buck got in his way. Instead of getting scared, though, Hugo’s temper rose. “Let me by.”
“You always were a little shit, weren’t you? Never giving a good goddamn about the people around you.”
