Page 3 of Bred By the Cowboy

“She’s something, alright,” Angus says, his words loaded as they always are.

“As nice as it is to hear the encore, we got the cassette, Dolly,” Anise says. “You’re dressed. Are you ready to head out to Home? Red’s waiting for us.”

Oh. Right. I agreed to that. Changing for that trip is the whole reason we came back home after the fair. “Sure, sure, let’s go, Annie.”

3

ANGUS

“Wait, wait,”I sit up. “Red? Redford Rough? The douchebag from Home?”

Annie rolls her eyes. “Yes, that Red. You got a problem with that?”

“I just called him a douchebag, so yes, I have a problem with that.”

“He’s invited us to a bonfire over in Home. With the rest of the gang from high school. Do you want to come along? Or is your college-educated self too hoity-toity for a bonfire?”

I knew Redford Rough from back in my high school football days. He played for Home, I played for Burly, a local rivalry of cowboys versus townies that no one outside of our little corner of the world ever heard of or cared about. Our games got wild, and even after the result was called, fists would go flying. It didn’t help that Red, was, I repeat, a douchebag. I never liked him and I’m really doubting four years have magically turned him into the nicest guy on the planet.

It’s been a long time since I saw the boys though, and a lot has changed about me. I would get into a fight at the drop of a hat back then, but today I’m more reserved. I need a good reason to break my hand on someone’s face nowadays. It will be nice to see them again, even if only to see what’s changed with them.

My eyes drift to the skirt on my little sister and more alluringly to the Daisy Dukes on Dolly. They wouldn’t have passed any school regulations, that’s for damn sure. “You're going to let them go out like that, Dad? What they’re wearing ain’t exactly modest.”

He shrugs. “You know I’ve never been that kind of controlling, Angus. Besides, they’re eighteen. They can go out wearing whatever they want. I ain’t gonna stop them because it’s none of my business.”

I grumble. I worry about my sister, but my concerns are sitting with Dolly specifically. I’m very much eyeballing the shortness of her shorts and enjoying that they bring my eyes so very close to the promised land. She’s hotter than hell, and that song she belted out did quite the number on me. She has soul and spirit to go along with that body and I have to say I quite like what I’m seeing, and definitely like what I’ve been hearing. What I don’t like is the idea of her going to a bonfire without me. I know exactly what goes down at those sorts of things and it’s not just roasting marshmallows.

“Alright then, if that’s the case then I’ll give you two a ride.”

My little sister gasps. “You? Giving me a ride? What’s your angle, brother? How much gas money do I have to pay?”

I grumble-laugh. We’ve had our spats as siblings but I guess it’s time to move on. “Just being a big brother. I’m four years out of practice and I guess I should be nice to you for a change. We can go back to being petty after I make it up to you.”

She snickers. My gaze is on Dolly though, who seems to have the same problem I’m having of being unable to keep our eyes off each other.

The trip out to Home doesn’t take too long. It’s one I’ve made many times, the town being a little bit bigger than Burly so it’s more of a lightning rod for youths. The bonfire rages in the middle of the park, people tending to it with plenty of dead branches and other kindling as night falls. There’s about two dozen people here, all roughly the same age, and I recognize most of them. The beer is flowing, but thankfully nothing harder than that.

I keep my distance at first, contemplating just staying in my truck the entire time. Dolly takes to the crowd easily enough, being social and bubbly. I watch as she bounces from conversation to conversation with ease. She’s always been outgoing like this. I’m sure she’s had no shortage of boyfriends over the years. Not that I would hold that against her, it’s just a statement of fact. She’s a lot different from me in that regard, which makes my lust for her all the stranger. Would it even work out if I made a move?

I sip my beer and continue my silent scan of the gathering, and spot ol’ Red Rough. The pretty boy is all alone and I decide this is as good a time as any to make my feelings clear. I saunter over.

“Hello, Red,” I say, staring him down. We’re physical equals. I may have an inch in height on him, but not enough difference that it’d matter.

“Angus Rowdy, ain’t you a strange sight to see. How's college life been treating you?” He has a sly look in his eyes, like he doesn’t mean that in a positive way.

“I ain’t here to talk about me. I’m here to give you a warning. I’m watching you, so don’t you dare do anything to hurt my little sister.”

He laughs. “Since when do you give a shit about family?”

“Why would you think I didn’t? You don’t know me.”

“You fuck off after your mother dies, and leave Annie to go and deal with everything by herself. Not exactly the act of a family man.”

He’s making a whole lot of assumptions and I don’t like any of them. “I repeat, you know nothing about me.”

“I know plenty about you. You doomed your family’s ranch.”

My blood pressure climbs. Anise has been talking about the ranch’s problems a whole town over? Are things that bad?

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