Hedli's P.O.V.
We were packed and ready to go to my home. Colt kissed my forehead before locking the back of my trailer. We walked hand in hand to my side. He opened the door like he always did and helped me in. Once I was seated, he closed the door and hurried to his side.
I started the truck while he got in. "Any last words before we head north west?" I asked. "Not until I ask where we are." I turned up the radio. It was on an older station with Willie Nelson and several others. I've been everywhere by Johnny Cash, came on.
'I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas load........
I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed that mountain air, man.
Of travel, I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
I've been to
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocapillo, Barranquilla, and Perdilla, I'm a killer
I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed that mountain air, man.
Of travel, I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
I've been to
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee to Tennessee, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.'
"I've been everywhere!" We both finished the song.
He switched the station to Blake FM cause we were near Wichita Falls. Then I switched it to KLUR. It played the old and the new on one station.
Once we got to Oklahoma City, I pulled off to get fuel. "So how much longer?" He asked. "About an hour," I told him. "I'll watch it while you run inside real quick."
I went in and used the bathroom cause I've been holding it since after Chickasha. Once I was done, I got a drink for myself and him. I paid and hurried out. "Seriously?" I handed him his cup. He took a sip and calmed down. "Now I'll be back." He said before handing me the cup.
I put our drinks in the cup holders. I popped the sweet tea tab on top of the cup before the fuel stopped. I squeezed the handle of the nozzle a few more times before swiping my card. I got in the truck, waiting for him. He came running out, and I started the engine. He got in and buckled before I pulled out. Heading straight for my stomping grounds.
Once we hit the city limits, I rolled down the windows. We passed the university and the stadium. After going through town, I turned down a dirt road. Tattoos on this town came on. "Woo hoo." "Man, what have I missed?" "You'll see," I told him.
I stopped at a mailbox to get the mail for grandma. I backed up and pulled in. I punched the code in and the gate opened. Matthew was there on a four-wheeler. "Hey, cuz Aaron's been waitin'." "I know. Where's grandma and your mom?" "In the barn. We already have a stall cleaned out and Reno's too." "Lead the way."
I followed my cousin past the arena to the barn next to my house.
I backed the trailer up to the barn and cut the engine. I got out and went to the back. "Hey, baby girl." I sped up and ran to my grandma. I hugged her like I hadn't seen her in months. "I missed you." "I missed you too, now where's this boy I heard so much bout from your grandpa?"
I laughed. "He's unloading the horses." "Then let's meet him!" She said enthusiastically. I laughed again.
Colt's P.O.V.
I watched her come out of the barn with an elderly woman. That must be her grandmother. She came up to me as I had the horses in hand. "Colt." I walked up to her with Reno and Jet tailing. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The lady said, sticking her hand out. I generously shook it.
"Oh, Hedli, your aunt is in the office, and Paige called." "Ugh, what does she want now?" Hedli said. "There's no telling." "Hey Matt, can you show Colt where the stalls are?" She asked a boy, I'm guessing was Matthew. "Yeah sure. Follow me." I followed him down the barn to three empty stalls. One said Reno, and another said Dusty. "You can put your horse in the blank stall." "Thank you." "No problem."
He walked away towards the front. I put Jet into the stall without a name. Then I put Reno in hers. The stalls were side by side with runways in the back. I put the leads on hooks outside of each stall before walking back to the front. Hedli was now talking to another woman besides her grandmother.
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her and rested my chin on her head. "This is Colt, Virginia." "Well, I'm glad to finally meet you. My husband and oldest son should be here in a few minutes. Out in the distance, a car was trying to get in.
Talking came from around the corner. "Ah, there's Kevin and Aaron." Two men came in with the filly that my family needed trained. "Aaron!" Hedli squealed. She tore out of my grip and over to the younger of the two. He had dirty blonde hair to his ears in kind of a surfer look.
"Hey, cuz, how's the circuit?" He asked. "Awesome." She answered before walking back over to me. "You must be Colt." I nodded before shaking his hand. "Your horse should be ready by next month." He said. "Thanks, my family will appreciate it," I told him. He smiled before going to stand next to Matthew. "Oh yeah, Paige is here trying to get in. I think she forgot the code again." Hedli laughed at the comment.
Hedli's P.O.V.
"Hedli, why don't you go let her in. Oh, and you can take your boyfriend with you." I rolled my eyes before grabbing Colt's hand. I led him over to a four-wheeler, and I got on. "Are you coming?" I asked him. He rolled his eyes before getting behind me. He wrapped his arms around me as I backed up.
I took off for the gate. I could feel his grip tighten. Once there, I opened the gate and closed it behind the two-wheel drive city car. "So, who is Paige?" He asked. "She's my sister who married a city slicker." I placed it. "She's also ten years older," I told him.
"So does she have kids?" "Yeah. She has twin boys who are six years old." "Remind me never to leave your side." He said before I parked in front of the house.
He got off before helping me. We walked to the house. He had his arm around my waist, trying to be overprotective. He pushed the door open for me before closing it behind us. His hand slipped from my waist to my hand. I led him up the stairs to my room.
I pulled him in and closed my pocket door. I watched as he took in my room.
Colt's P.O.V.
In her room, I looked to my left to see a kitten poster that said #Friends. Then I took it in. She had her shoes lined up on shelves. I felt my hand grasped before she stood in front of me. I let her pull me over to a black iron bed. She sat down on the bed and pulled me to her.
I stood between her legs. I leaned in and kissed her lips. Moving from there to her neck. Gently, I lay her down and started at her collarbone. Carefully, I took her shirt off and threw it down. I felt the hem of my shirt being tugged up. I took it off and threw it next to hers.
My belt was next. She had packed hers, so with her not wearing it, it gave me easy access to unbutton her jeans. A knock at the door made us jump. I quickly buttoned my jeans and threw my shirt on. She did the same before answering the door.
"Dinner time." She said. I nodded and followed her out. A woman was leaning on the wall like she owned it. Two boys who looked alike were watching SpongeBob. That show is dirty itself. It was the one where SpongeBob made a balloon of Squidward.
Those are not balloons that clowns use. That was all I could think. "Boys, turn that off." The woman said. Now with a man in high-top sneakers next to her. Hedli again grabbed my hand and dragged me to the kitchen. "The woman is my sister, and that was her husband standing next to her." "Mm," I said while slowly nodding my head.
"Hedli, who is this, and why is he here?" I'm guessing Paige asked as she came into the kitchen. "Why are you here?" Hedli snapped back at her. "For the boys' birthday, of course. It's tomorrow." "Ooh, sorry the family is already busy tomorrow." "The entire family?" "Yes, the entire family." I could tell she was getting tense.
I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to me. She calmed down when my hand touched her. Paige turned and stormed out of the kitchen. "Don't worry bout her or why she's here. She always shows up unannounced or calls when she's in town and has gotten kicked out of every motel and hotel in town." Hedli told me.
"So why are we busy tomorrow?" I asked. "First church, then a little G. U. N. fun." She said spelling out gun. "So, how many do you have?" "I'll have most of them out tomorrow." She answered my question.
The dinner was steak grown here on her ranch with mashed potatoes and several other sides. I sat between Hedli and Matthew. I felt Hedli brush her leg against my leg several times before Aaron glared at her. She returned the look before one of the twins jumped up randomly and ran out of the room.
The man who was Paige's husband got up and went after the boy. We heard a squeal before Hedli's grandfather dismissed the ones under twenty. That included me, Hedli, Aaron, Matthew, and the other twin.
Hedli's P.O.V.
After that incident, I took Colt outside. I put my hand in his as we walked to the barn. "Sorry bout Jordan, he's odd and does random things," I said, leaning my head on his bicep. "It's fine, Zach was like that because he only wanted attention." He countered my apology. "I think they do it cause they can." "That could also be true."
I led him through the barn past several of my favorite horses. I took him to one in particular. "This is Sapphire. Her coat is dyed blue in September. We do that with all the horses that have gemstone names." "Dye their coats corresponding to the month that the gem goes with?" He asked. "Yeah. I usually get here when they're washing the dye out of our August horse."
I showed him our May horse. "He's handsome." That was all Colt said. We walked to the far back where our horses were. I was suddenly picked up. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me into an empty stall.
"So your life is more complicated than mine?" He asked, "Guess you could say that." He kissed my forehead before leaning back against the wall. "Wanna finish what we started before dinner?" He asked. "Why not after we get cozy in my bed and almost strip down to nothing?" His smirk was the only response I got. "So, at dinner, I saw Aaron glaring at you. Is that like some overly protective glare or something?"
"He just doesn't like me bringing boys home that he doesn't know," I answered. "It's understandable." He answered as we landed in the straw bedding. His lips crashed into mine before he slipped his hands up my shirt. I felt his tongue press against my teeth. I opened letting him in.
We heard boots coming closer to the stall. Colt quickly removed his hands and tongue. If it's Aaron, he's going to blow a fuse. I saw a blur of dark brown hair before the person slipped into the stall. "Matthew?" I whispered. He jumped before cursing a little.
"You two hiding from Aaron, too?" He asked. "More like trying to get alone time without family near." "Don't worry, he never suspects an empty stall unless he hears noise coming from it," Matthew said before placing a hand over his mouth. I quickly slid off Colt's lap and to his right.