Page 27 of Chasing the Wild
“Get the hell off my property. You want to do a welfare check in the future? Pick up the radio instead, or so help me, I’ll put a bullet in both your knees.”
Colt stalks after the man, making sure he’s saddled on his horse and escorted well past the boundary while I hang back in the yard, watching after his broad shoulders.
When he seems satisfied the asshole is long gone, he finally comes back over to me. With eyes like a midwinter’s night, tension billows off him.
“He touch you?” Colt’s jaw tics furiously. Stopping a foot or so in front of where I’m hovering just outside the barn, he folds his arms and looks me over with an intensity that sucks all the air from the space between us.
My hesitation possibly just signed the man’s death warrant.
Colt advances on me, and I’m hastily backing up until my spine collides with the wood exterior beside the double doors.
“Answer the fucking question, Layla.”
“Not really.” I can’t even breathe with how murderous this man looks. “He grabbed my braid is all.” I twist the end ofmy hair between my fingers to show him it’s fine and I’m fine and suddenly I feel like the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
“I’m ok. I’ve dealt with bigger creeps than him.” I try to show him how easily I’d like to just laugh it off. Because it’s the truth. Guys at the bars I’ve worked in have done much worse, attempting to grope me and try it on when they’re wasted, when they think they own the bar and my body because they’ve been buying rounds and filling my tip jar all night.
“Anyone tries to come at you again, you tell me.” Colt’s fists clench and unclench as he grits his teeth, but he steps back and heads for the house. I’m left clutching my stupid little broom, and my mind is trying to catch up with what just happened.
He’s mad at me, and I don’t understand why.
Dinner is a silent affair.
Colt wolfs down his food in record time and yet waits for me to finish eating before he pushes his stool out. The man eats about three times as fast as me, I swear, but always sits quietly, respectfully, until I’m done. He clears up our plates, but still hasn’t spoken a word since that moment outside the barn earlier.
I can’t help but feel like I did something wrong today, even though I know I did everything I needed to do jobs-wise, and obviously the run-in with that creep wasn’t my fault.
But even still. The silence tonight feels charged.
So when he grabs a beer and heads for the lounge without even looking at me, I admit defeat and head off to my room. At least the internet has worked long enough for me to stack myKindle with my favorite smut, and I’m hanging out for a long hot shower.
Sage:
Hellooooo, my mountain goddess. Are you all good? Please confirm proof of life ASAP or I’ll be forced to don snow shoes and come trek through the Montana wilderness to find your corpse.
PS. My delicate skin will hate you forever if you make me come down there and get chapped and wind-bitten.
I’m alive, Sergeant.
Smell like horse shit, mind you.
Oh good. I know nothing makes you happier.
Boned any hot cowboys?
Who says ‘boned’ these days?
Oh, I’m sorry.
Let me grab my urban dick-tionary
Fucked
Shagged
Rode like a bronco
…Take your pick.
