Page 8 of Roped in Chaos
I look outside to see the sun setting and decide to take another quick ride. Grabbing my hat, I go to tack up Dom and get ready to head out. I take a moment to reflect and think about what I’m going to do. The skies are painted pink and blue, and I pause to admire the beauty in front of me. I pull my lasso off my saddle and run it through my hands. I don’t have gloves on, so I’m not going to risk actually roping anything right now. I widen my loop and push Dom into a nice canter. With some speed I throw the rope in front of me, aiming at nothing. It feels nice to feel the slide of the material over my hand and feel the adrenaline of trying to make my next catch. There’s power behind having something,or someone,subdued and at your mercy.
I head back to the barn slowly, the night sky quickly eating away at the available light. I think about how my life will change starting tomorrow. I will have to work with a girl that one head wants and the other knows we can’t have and shouldn’t want. I don’t want someone who doesn’t understand me and doesn’t understand my lifestyle. Fuck, I hope these two months goes by quickly.
I whistle, “Come on, Bruno.” I go back to my trailer and get ready for bed. I’m going to need this night of sleep.
* * *
I wake up the next morning and rub Bruno on the head before getting up to start a pot of coffee.Folgers, the best part of waking up. I look out my window to see if their truck is back, and sure enough, it is. They must have arrived some time in the middle of the night.
“Here we go,” I say to Bruno. I let him out the door to do his business and get dressed in my usual attire. I have on a plain white T-shirt and my Wranglers with my Ariat boots. First matter of business is to fill this canteen with coffee and get the fuck out of dodge. I need to get out to pasture to start checking cattle sooner rather than later. I’m hoping the two-hour difference between time zones will give me a bit of an advantage too.
“Whelp, let’s go, Dom.”
It’s noon by the time we get back. We’ve both worked up a sweat since it’s later in the afternoon, and we’ve been out for five hours by now. I’m finishing up hosing my horse down and look up to see Peter standing on the back porch again. I leave Dom tied to the cross ties and head up to the main house to talk to him.
“What’s up?”
“She seems to be still asleep, or she hasn’t gotten out of bed. We’re giving her the day to recover from the jet lag or all the other chaos that she’s been thrown, we’ll have her start with you tomorrow.”
I scoff. “Figures. Princess needs her beauty rest, I assume?”
He shoots me with a glare.
“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t have her checking cattle with me in the morning, though, she doesn’t know how to ride, I’m not sure what I’m gonna do with her.”
“Well then teach her.” The smile on his face is amusing, but I’m not in the mood.
“I don’t have time to teach her, let alone go for ajust for funride right now. I’m riding to work. If she can’t even get on a horse, she sure as shit can’t work on one.”
“Well, how can I help then? I can go check cattle for you? Or do something else to take a little off your plate? Or shit, even if you just have her start redoing the chicken coop or have her muck stalls, or something.”
“No, no. You don’t need to do anything else.” I relinquish.
“Can we try to find something for her to do? Please?”
I grumble a “yes, sir” and go back to my duties. When I head back to the house later to bring the eggs in, I still don’t see this new mystery girl.
“Ma’am?” I call out. “Philli?—”
I stop short when coming down the stairs is the hottie herself, wearing a tank top and sleep shorts. If I was a better man, I’d look away, but her pointy little nipples are making themselves obvious through her shirt and are begging for my attention.
She clears her throat and covers her chest with her arms. Fuck, I’m officially one ofthose men.
“Um, can I help you?” she asks.
“Well, yes actually. I’m Asher” I step forward and reach out my hand, but she remains frozen in the same place.
“Oh cool, you’re the guy who’s supposed to teach me shit, right?”
I drop my hand and take a step back. “Uh yeah, something like that. Anyway, I guess be out by seven a.m. tomorrow. I’ll get you set up in the barn and walk you through everything else that needs to be done before I head out to check cattle.” I turn around to head back out when she barks out a laugh.
“You’re fucking hilarious, dude.”
I stop mid-step and turn around to face her.
“Excuse me?”
“There’s no way in hell I’m going out there at seven a.m.”
