Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
It’s my turn to be embarrassed, and I back out of the office. “Uh, right. Okay. I’ll take the side-by-side.”
I walk out of the barn and try to get my emotions together. I should not have gotten my hopes up, and now I’m going to have to figure out how to live and work here with Dixon. It’s going to be pure hell for me, and I’m not looking forward to it. Oh God, and when he meets someone… I let the thought simmer until the anxiety builds so much I have to remind myself to breathe and then count as I breathe in and out.
“Hey… you okay?” Carl asks.
I force a smile to my face. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I was actually coming to look for you. I was going to help you feed and check fences.”
He looks past me, and I turn to see what he’s looking at, but I don’t see anything or anyone.
Carl tucks his hands in his pockets. “Uh, does Dixon know about this?”
I nod. “Yeah, I just talked to him about it.”
He asks. “Yeah, and he was all right with it?”
I put a hand on my hip. “He’s not the boss of me, Carl. Now I’m going to check fences. If you’re going, fine. If not, I’ll see you when I get back.”
He throws his hands up and follows me toward the barn. “I’ll saddle Bessie for you.”
After my little speech, I don't want to be picky and tell him I’d prefer to take the side-by-side, so I grab a saddle off the wall while he gets Bessie out of the stall. We work together, saddling the horse.
As soon as it’s done, I put a foot in the stirrup and heft myself up onto Bessie’s back. I gently sit down and suck in a breath. Oh, hell no. It hurts so bad, and just when I think I’m going to get off the horse, Dixon comes out of the office at the other end of the barn.
Carl is stammering and stuttering, “She said you knew she was going with me.”
Dixon glares at him. “Yeah, I know, but remember what I said, Carl.”
He nods. “Yes, sir.”
Dixon gestures, pointing out of the barn. “Go wait outside for Faith. She’ll be out in a minute.”
Carl gives me a look of sympathy. He probably thinks I’m about to get in trouble or something. As soon as Carl leaves, Dixon stands in front of me, petting Bessie’s nose. “I thought I told you to take the side-by-side.”
I grit my teeth. I’m in a hell of a lot of pain, but I’ll never admit that to him. “Like I told Carl, you’re not the boss of me.”
He nods once, and I know he’s pissed by the way his nostrils flare. “So you’re going to go ride fences, hurting. And don’t tell me you’re not in pain because I can see it written all over your face.”
I look straight ahead. “It’s not your concern, Dixon, so can I go now?”
He doesn’t say anything, and I pick up the reins to go, but he stops me. “I didn’t mean to be rough with you, Faith.”
This time, it’s my turn to avoid his gaze. There’s no reason he needs to see that he’s breaking my heart. “I don’t need your apology, Dixon. Can I go now?”
He huffs out a breath. “Yeah, go ahead. Be safe. Wait,” he says before walking over the wall. He positions a rifle into the scabbard on my saddle. “Be safe.”
Maybe earlier or even yesterday I would be swooning that he’s worried about me and wants to protect me, but now I know he’s doing it because I’m my father’s daughter, and that’s it.
“Bye, Dixon.”
It sounds so final. I click my tongue, and Bessie starts walking, and Carl is waiting for me. He looks anxious, making me wonder what Dixon had meant when he told Carl to remember what he said. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but I shake the thought away. I’m going to forget about Dixon and quit thinking about all the ways he touched and kissed me last night. It’s over… and it will never happen again.
CHAPTER 9
DIXON
I’m rubbing my hand over my chest, and I realize I’ve been doing it a lot today. Ever since I apologized to Faith for what I did to her last night.
I shouldn’t have done it. I’m not sorry. I mean, of course I didn’t want to hurt her, but also I meant to make her feel the remnants today. I wanted her to remember everything we did last night.
She avoided me when she and Carl came back from mending fences, and I spent the rest of the evening in the office, trying to mentally prepare for the rodeo tomorrow. We have to be up early, and I should get to bed soon, but I can’t seem to make myself go to sleep.