Page 17 of The Stars in the Sky
He looked at me, his tone kind even if his words weren't. "I'm not driving around with a rattlesnake in my truck. Can't take them somewhere else on the ranch ‘cause they might come back. It’s too far for animal control to come."
I sighed and kicked at the floor. "I know you think I'm crazy, all sad about the life of one snake, but that's just how I'm made."
He smiled and shuffled his feet. "I know. That's part of the reason why I think I like you."
That made my pulse run. Hearing it come out of his mouth was different than me guessing about it. "You think you like me?" I stuttered out.
He gave me his half smile. "The part that cares about everyone and everything? Yeah."
Oh great gobs of gooey goodness. Will Thrash likes me. I felt like I was in seventh grade and he had just asked me to a chaperoned dance. But I was still upset. "Will you tell me what you did to it?"
He looked at me, probing and serious, and reached a finger under my chin. "Do you really want to know?"
I nodded.
He spoke in his slow drawl, gently and clinically. "Janine pinned its head with the rake while I sliced it off with the shovel. We put it in the bucket and buried it out back."
To me, that sounded gruesome, but I suppose it could have been worse. I shuddered.
"That upset you more," he said, still standing over me.
"Yeah." I went to get up, but he put his hand on my shoulder, gently, pushing me down. He gave me a sexy chin lift and narrowed his eyes.
"Stay here for a minute." He left the tack house and after a moment, came back in, carrying something.
"Bought you a present.” Really? I was surprised and touched. He'd been away all day. It was heartwarming to think that he'd thought of me.
"What is it?" I asked, eager to find out what he'd buy me, and feeling a greater thrill than I’d admit out loud.
He handed me the white paper sack and I opened it up. Candy?
"It's from Robitaille's in Carpinteria. It's candy, so I figured you could eat it—no animals in it. I asked and they said these had no milk or butter or anything."
My mouth opened at such a thoughtful gift and I tilted my head to the side. "That was nice of you."
He gave me a wicked look. "Not really. They were the official candy maker of Reagan's second inauguration."
I couldn't help but laugh. Of course he gave me Republican vegan candy.
I raised an eyebrow. "A compromise, Mr. Thrash? I didn't know you had it in you."
He looked for a moment like he was battling with himself to say something, but didn't. He blinked and he pressed his mouth together. Then he stood up, looked down at me, said, "See you later," and walked away. But I heard him mutter, "I know what I want in you."
Dirty motherfucker. I smiled.
The candy was delicious, though I still felt bad for the snake.
