Page 5 of Stray

Her rich brown eyes snap to me, and I watch her back away slightly as her face goes stony. “Pfft... Get over yourself,” she rolls her eyes as she walks towards her car. “Did something happen yesterday?” She mocks me–terribly–while shaking her head. “Yeah, Jackson, your scary townspeople hurt my fragile little feelings. You going to go and kick their ass for me, superman?”

I glare at her retreating figure. I hate her, goddamn it. She has been here twenty-four goddamn hours, and I’m ready to send her and her perky ass the fuck off this ranch. Indy is going to get a talking-to for sending this one. I can promise that.

“No, I was going to say if you didn’t want them to stare at your ass, maybe don’t walk around covered in metal and tattoos. You obviously enjoy the attention, so don’t feign being offended because they are giving you what you’re asking for.” She stops from getting into that busted car of hers and glares at me before slamming the door and storming back to me.

“You ever say that to me again, and I’ll quit. Not only will I quit, but I’ll make sure you can’t even get a janitor in here to care for your father, you feel me?” She pokes my chest with the tip of her pointed fingernails. “I have never done anything to deserve the deck I’ve been dealt. My tattoos are my camouflage, and if you and your pearl-clutching town can’t stand it, stop looking. I’m here to take care of your father, not be aesthetically pleasing to any of you narrow-minded assholes!”

I hear the waiver in her voice, though her eyes stay dry, but the look on her face is what gives me an uncomfortable pang in my chest.

“Ozzy,”

“Fuck you, Jackson.” She sneers. “I don’t require speaking to you until payday.” She states before storming to her car and driving off, leaving a cloud of dirt behind as she speeds off.

“What did you do?” I hear Mama groaning from behind me.

“I have no idea… I just said she’s covered in tattoos, so people are going to stare at her.”

“Son, leave that girl alone. Your father actually seems to be willing to put up with her… I think. I don’t know. All they seem to do is trade insults, but he’s laughing, so please be nice to Ozzy.” She turns to walk back in but stops and looks back at me. “Also, the weatherman is calling for some massive storms at the end of the week, so you boys are gonna need to prep the barns for the animals, and on Friday, we’ll have to get the horses and cattle inside.”

“Is it really looking bad?” I groan. The last time we got this warning, nothing came of it, and we lost three days of work.

“Would I be telling you if it wasn’t?” Sighing, I take one last look up the drive before turning to go back to work.

* * *

“I think she’s funny,” Jensen says as he helps Carter and I shovel out the stalls.

“That girl will eat you alive, Jen.” Carter laughs, and I shake my head.

“Says the man that about had his nuts impaled by her shoe yesterday.”

“Y’all are just jealous because she doesn’t hate me.” Jensen grins, and I shove him away.

“That’s because your ass ain’t said five words to her!”

“Exactly! I know to keep my mouth shut!” He had me there. I’d give him that. “Speak of the devil.” He mutters while motioning with his head. I look in the direction he’s gesturing and see Ozzy stumbling through the yard to get to us in the stable.

“Why does she insist on those stupid shoes?” I mutter as Jensen gasps.

“Jackson,” he hisses. “I think she’s got titty piercings.” My eyes snap to her blessed chest and ho-ly shit. Those are pierced fucking nipples underneath that tight white t-shirt.

After pulling her heel out of the ground, Ozzy staggers into the stable, and her slender nose instantly wrinkles at the smell. It’s not a pleasant smell, I guess, but growing up here, I’ve become nose blind to it.

“I need one of you…” She stops as she glares at me and Carter. “Jensen, I need your help.”

“Uh uh!” I shake my head and pull him back by the back of his shirt, shoving him into the stall. “My ranch, my rules. They’re working. I already told you, we ain’t paying you to come down here and pull us from our job.”

“You done?” she asks, unimpressed. “Because if you are, I would like to tell you that your mother asked me to come down here and have one of you help her since you aren’t answering your cell phone.”

“Fuck,” I groan while taking off my gloves. “Is she okay?”

“No, she fell, and I left her bleeding out on the floor.” She deadpans while I run off. I will yell at her for that comment later, but right now, I need to get to Mom.

Running up the yard and through the house’s back door, I come out of the kitchen and find her in the living room, trying to calm down Leroy, our meaner-than-shit goat. Leroy recently figured out how to open doors, and since then, he likes to break into our house and start head-butting anyone and anything until you feed him popcorn.

“Leroy!” I holler as he fakes a jump towards Mom. “I swear to god I’m gonna turn you into a stew if you don’t stop with this shit.” I reach up and grab my pops old rope hanging on the hook. I hear heels clicking and watch as Ozzy waltzes in and heads to the refrigerator.

“Do ya mind?” I mutter, gesturing to Leroy, who is side-eyeing me. “I’m in the middle of something here.”

---