“Who, me?” Keets says, trying his hardest to look innocent and failing miserably. “I’m just wondering how many ostriches your father had to go through to get that feather.” I grin as I imagine my burly father chasing down a herd of ostriches, their long legs tangling around themselves as they try to pluck at him. That’s the sort of man Darius Harper was. He’d have given you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. He’d certainly think nothing of braving a few large birds to get a feather for his eldest daughter. With my younger sister away at college, it was a surprise to no one that I’d been chosen to take over Saddles. A small ball of paper hits my nose and I jump, startled out of my thoughts. I look over at a grinning Keets and try to frown, pursing my lips together to stop the smile threatening to escape. “Stop it,” I admonish. “I’m still angry at you.”
“No, you’re not,” Keets replies, his grin widening even further. “You couldn’t be angry at me if you tried.”
“Well, I am trying, so either shut up and help me or get the hell out of my office.”
“Pushy, pushy.” He laughs as I shove his feet off the table.
“I mean it, Damien,” I say tiredly, putting my pen down on the desk and rubbing my eyes. “I have a stack of paperwork to do.”
“You just used my first name. Hold up,” Keets says, raising his hands. “We’ve got a badass over here.” He grins, mimicking one of our favorite Facebook memes. “Okay, okay,” he continues, as I open my mouth to yell at him again. “You win. I’ve gotta go and check on Stone, anyway.” My face falls. I’ve calmed down enough to realize what a bitch I was to him. “I guess I overreacted a bit, huh?”
“Just a bit,” Keets states gently. “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of it.” He stands up and walks around the desk, grabbing my hands and pulling me to my feet before wrapping his arms around me. “You deserve a better life,” he whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head. I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder. He’s my only friend in this fucked-up town. Strong, warm, dependable Keets. I know he’s considered taking our friendship further, but it was never meant to be. Keets is like my older brother, and I know I can always count on him to be there for me. He gently moves away and looks into my eyes. I always feel safe with him, like nothing or no one can hurt me.
“I have to go,” he murmurs, kissing my forehead again before releasing me and walking out of the office. I stay where I am until I hear the front door of the bar close behind him.
Dropping back into my seat, I rake my hands through my hair, pulling it up into a messy bun before propping my head up on one hand and staring out the window. It’s late, and the country sky is full of stars. I never saw that many stars when I lived in the city. Smog polluted the air constantly, but sometimes after Troy had gone to sleep, I’d taken the ice pack and walked up five flights of fire-escape stairs to the top of our apartment building. I’d sit there, nursing my latest bruise, and stare up at the sky, trying desperately to find just one star that reminded me of home. My father was a good man, dealt a terrible fate. He’d been riding the horse he’d bought me for my twelfth birthday. He’d taken it upon himself to ride Lady every day when I moved to the city, and he had such a way with animals. But a pack of hunting dogs had come from nowhere. The spooked horse bolted, throwing Dad from the saddle, and it’d taken just one bite to the throat from one of the dogs to finish the job. He’d never seen it coming.
Since that day, I’ve never been able to get back on my horse.
I sigh and pack away the books before standing and leaving the small office, locking the door carefully behind me. I take a moment to stop and look around the bar. It’s colored in muted tones, with wooden furniture and a deer head mounted on the wall opposite a large dart board. There’s an old mechanical bull in the center of the room that’s still used sometimes. I’d refused to redecorate from Daddy’s original design, and all the staff are under strict instructions to not move anything. I know it probably isn’t the healthiest mentality to have, but as long as the bar remains the same, it’s as though Daddy is still here. Locking up the bar, I bunch my coat up around my ears against the frigid cold as I hurry to my run-down blue Datsun and slide behind the wheel. My teeth chatter, and a small amount of white smoke escapes my lips as I fumble with the keys in the ignition. I drive for some time, lost in my own thoughts.
Stone’s arrival on the scene certainly is an unwelcome distraction, one I can’t afford. What is it about him that irritates me so much? He’s not even that good-looking. His eyes are too brown, his muscles too defined, and ugh, he kisses way too aggressively. I squirm in my seat and adjust the belt as I recall the way his lips burned me. Surely no one could like that . . . Right? Liar, my mind taunts.
Okay, I concede. Maybe he is good-looking… in a rugged, brutish kind of way. And maybe his kiss did leave me breathless, with a none-too-unpleasant tingling. But there is absolutely no way I’m attracted to him.
I pull the car over to the side of the road and sit there for a few minutes, the engine idling. White smoke blooms out of my mouth, the windshield fogging over until I can barely see the road. Leaning forward, I wipe the sleeve of my jacket across the windshield in a circle, staring out at the dark corral that stretches before me. Turning off the ignition, I hop out of the car and slam the door, hugging my jacket tight across my body as I run for the stable at the side of the corral. Pulling open the large wooden door, I slip in and tug it tightly shut behind me, closing my eyes and breathing deeply as the warmth of the stable surrounds me. Horses nicker in nearby stalls as I pass them, heading for the last stall on the right. I stand at the door and stare up at Lady, the beautiful strawberry-blonde colored horse Daddy bought me when I was twelve. The horse he’d been riding when he was killed. I stare up at the majestic creature, coherent thought leaving my body as I stretch out my fingers to the horse’s soft muzzle. Lady whinnies and tosses her mane back, stamping her foot, her eyes large and wild. She’s tossing Dad to the ground, preparing to bolt…
I snatch my hand back, breathing hard as I stare at my horse. The poor creature is terrified, clearly traumatized by the memory of the hunting dogs. “It’s okay,” I murmur quietly as Lady inches closer. I gingerly stretch out my fingers once more until the horse’s nose bumps against them. Gently stroking the soft hair that covers Lady’s muzzle, I allow my thoughts to drift away once more.
“Let go, sweetie. I’ll catch you.”
I squeal with delight as Daddy swings me up into the air and catches me back in his large arms. I hug him tight as he lowers me to the ground and kneels in the grass in front of me.
“I love you, buttercup.” He smiles, gently stroking the long hair out of my face before presenting a long-stemmed pink rose from behind his back. “Happy birthday,” he says as I beam and take the rose.
“Thank you, Daddy.” I flash him a grin.
“How old are you, seventeen? Eighteen?” he teases.
“I’m ten, Daddy.” I laugh. I love it when my daddy makes jokes. Of course he knows how old I am; I’ve been talking of nothing but this birthday for months.
“Ten?” Daddy’s eyebrows rise into his hairline in mock surprise. “I guess you just need to stop growing then, don’t you?” He grins as he tickles my tummy, and I shriek with laughter.
“Come on, you two.” We glance up at my momma, Heather, calling out from the back porch as she unties her white apron with a smile. “It’s time for cake.”
“Cake!” Daddy exclaims, scrambling to his feet, almost as excited as me.