10. Heath

Chapter 10

Heath

“ O kay, Jeff, act cool.”

He doesn’t.

He spills his drink on the sidewalk, then makes a show with his feathers.

“I was counting on you, buddy.” I heave a long-suffering sigh as Jeff poops and screeches. Great, now I need to ask for more water to wash off the sidewalk. “You’ve failed the assignment, Jeff. Huge, epic fail. Public sidewalk pooping is not cool.”

It’s a miracle someone like Marko even wants to hang out with me.

Pulling out my phone, I send Marko a text and hope he’s free to come outside. Since meeting him, we’ve met on the street for coffee at least once a week. I want to take more rides on his bike. It’s so addicting and I love holding on to him as he takes corners. It feels like my heart might fly out of my mouth when we dip to the side, but life happened, and we just haven’t been able to arrange another ride since we went for ice cream.

A moment later, Marko exits his tattoo shop with a giant smile as he holds up his coffee cup.

“Good morning, Heath.” He looks over at Jeff and nods. “Jeff. Not liking the water today, big guy? ”

Jeff stares at Marko and fans his feathers.

“He’s in a mood. Barely drank any of it before making a mess and attacking the cup.” I motion to the mess in front of the coffee shop. “Then he decided he needed a good shit. So…yeah. Great day.”

Marko tries not to laugh and just watching him struggle with it makes me smile. Makes me… fuzzy. “He’s allowed to have bad days. We all do. Maybe not so…graphic but it happens.”

Marko watches Jeff bop around on the sidewalk before turning back to me. My palms are all slippery, almost like I’ve been playing with the slime in the kid zone at the library again. Which I only did once, and you’d think it was the end of the world when I told the librarian what happened to all the dish soap. Some people are so judgy.

“I was wondering if you’re free again this Wednesday. For the afternoon.”

Marko smiles and sips from his coffee cup. The ink on his hand catches my attention, a stark contrast against the white of his porcelain cup. Very masculine. Very… attractive in an ‘I appreciate fine art’ kind of way.

“For you, I can be.”

“Um…have you ever ridden a horse?”

Marko licks his lip before his gaze drops to his feet. “No. Can’t say that I have.”

“I’d like to take you for a trail ride if you’re up for it. At the ranch.”

Marko bites at his lip. The longer he takes to respond, the lower my hope drops. I hadn’t counted on him saying no. And I’ve missed being with him .

“Yes. I’d love to learn how to ride a horse. What time should I be there?”

My entire body sags while my skin fizzes and pops like a mouthful of Pop Rocks candy.

“Really? I mean, great! Um, 1 P.M. would be perfect.”

“I’ll be there. Thanks, Heath.”

We both stand there and, oddly, I don’t want to walk away. I enjoy being with Marko. More than anyone I’ve ever met. On our last bike ride, he felt so easy to talk to. Even more than Dan. It felt like Marko might be the person I’ve always hoped for in a best friend. Jeff scratches at the concrete and peers up at Marko before preening his feathers and shaking them.

“He doesn’t like me much, does he?”

Marko steps away from Jeff with a sad frown.

“Give him time. He’s just protective. He probably thinks you’re trying to steal me or something.” I laugh, but Marko doesn’t. Maybe he really is sad that Jeff doesn’t like him.

Marko smiles again, but those cute crinkles around his eyes don’t pop out like normal. He tilts his head back to his shop. “I should get back. I’ll see you Wednesday. It was nice to see you again.”

“Yeah. You, too. See you Wednesday.”

Marko jogs across the street, and I stare after him. Before he enters his shop, he glances back to find me watching, and he sends the cutest little wave before finally ducking inside.

“Come on, Jeff. I’ve got a lot to do today.” He follows me with no hesitation, and I tuck him into the back of my car, making sure all his feathers are in. He likes to poke his head out the passenger side, so I quickly roll the window down for him. “Stay put for a few minutes while I go wash your shit up.” Jeff ignores me and sticks his head out the window, ready to go home.

I throw another glance at Dark Horse Tattoo and wish it was already Wednesday afternoon.

***

“Mornin’ Heath. How have things been? It feels like forever since I’ve seen you.”

Blaze sits on the porch swing at Dan’s and I bound up the stairs to greet him.

“Hey! It’s been a while, for sure. I’m great!”

Jeff squawks and runs across the ranch yard towards the chicken coop.

“Still have the bird I see.”

Laughing, I sit next to Blaze. “Yep. I’m the only one he seems to listen to.”

“Did you ever try to find him a mate? Seems like he might be lonely, don’t you think?”

Blaze sips from his pink glitter travel mug as he watches Jeff just be Jeff and run amok around the ranch.

“I haven’t found any females close by. I’ve been preoccupied, and it just hasn’t crossed my mind to look again. Other than the destruction of his pen or the chicken coop sporadically, he seems fine. ”

Blaze grins as he focuses on me. “You’ve been busy, I hear, with a new friend. When do we get to meet them? Me and Dan feel a little left out.”

He bumps me with his shoulder and I feel like a kid keeping a secret.

“He’ll be here tomorrow. I’m taking him on his very first horse ride.”

Blaze’s eyebrows raise, but he says nothing.

“What?”

“Nothin’”

Shaking my head, I meet Blaze’s smirk. “No. You don’t get to do that. Spit it out. What do you know?”

Blaze throws his head back with a laugh. “Simmer down. I’ve heard through the grapevine you’ve been datin’ a fellow and I was just…” His eyes roam my face. “I want to meet him.”

Goosebumps run up my skin and I shiver. “He’s a friend. And if you’re here tomorrow, you can.”

Blaze nods and drinks from his mug.

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

“Good.”

“It is.”

Feeling very out of sorts suddenly, I stand and nod to Blaze.

“Say hi to River for me.”

Blaze acknowledges he will and I march back towards the barns to continue my chores, but Blaze’s words keep ringing in my ears.

‘ Datin’ a fellow. ’

I’m not. Not unless dates are sharing ice cream, walking in gardens and going on motorcycle rides. Or talking about families, pets, and careers and texting all the time. And complimenting his tattoos while thinking about where else he has them.

The way his thigh quivered when I smoothed ointment around his bird peck injury.

The way my belly swooped when he was standing there in his underwear and pants down so I could—

My thoughts are all tangled up like a kitten in a yarn basket as I lean against the barn wall with a gasp.

Shit. I am dating him, aren’t I?

Does he think that too?

My belly gets all swoopy again like butterflies tickle everywhere and I shiver despite the warmth of the barn.

Well.

This is… not an entirely unwelcome revelation.

Now what do I do about it?