13. Boone

Thirteen

Boone

Boone: I won’t be able to swing by the stand after work today…

Aspen: ?? you mean I have to clean up all by myself… rude ??

Boone: Meet me at the barn after you close up. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.

Aspen: …

Boone: And don’t forget my muffin .

Logan had texted me this morning saying he had to go out of town for a bit, leaving Rhodes and I to work a little extra. Logan wasn’t the type to up and leave, which made his text odd. With the extra tasks on my list today, I didn’t have the time to get to the stand, help Aspen close up, and do what I had planned for us. Tonight, I was starting my end of the deal; it would be our first “date.” Hearing her tell me about her family and their lack of support around what she does with her life made me feel sorry for her. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to know my family thought my dreams were pointless and to follow whatever they wanted me to do. My family was the opposite. If I didn’t want to be on the ranch, my dad never would’ve made me take on the role.

From a young age, I knew that working in the family business was where I was meant to be. The work was hard, but it felt good at the end of the day. I wanted to be a part of something generations of family worked hard to create. I have no doubt that if I had sat my parents down and told them I wanted to go to college, they would’ve been the first two people to step up and help me find what I needed to make it happen. Hell, with all the times I’d fucked up as a kid, I didn’t know how they hadn’t packed up my shit and sent me away. I caused trouble everywhere I went. I was suspended from school more times than I’d like to admit. I slept around, drank, and was in the back of a cop car way too often. All harmless fun of a stupid teenage boy with his group of stupid friends. Never once, though, did my family turn their backs on me. I’m the man I am today because of the people who raised me. They gave me space to sort out my shit and learn from my mistakes.

I was in the process of tacking up one of our horses, Marty, when I heard rustling coming from behind me. We had a total of six horses on the ranch. They tended to be our main transportation when getting across the pastures. When I made sure the stirrups were adjusted, I turned to find Aspen coming up to the barn, a brown paper bag in her hand. When she was close enough, she held the bag in the air and sent me a beaming smile. “I got your request, Cowboy,” she said, waving the bag. Aspen handed it to me, and I couldn’t help but open it. The sweet aroma of her filled my nose and it felt like home.

“My mouth is watering,” I said, closing the bag and placing it in the saddle bag of my horse.

“Are we doing what I think we are?” Aspen asked, eying me skeptically. I probably should’ve asked if she had ever ridden a horse before; I was banking on the answer being no.

“If you’re thinking we’re going horseback riding, then yes,” I said, holding my hand out for her to take. Aspen didn’t seem to mind the touch because, without hesitation, she put her hand in mine. I felt a jolt of electricity like I touched an active outlet. I looked up at her to see if she felt it too. Her face was the definition of calm and collected; I must’ve been imagining whatever just happened.

I guided her towards the barn. Inside, Louise was ready and tacked up to ride. I paired Aspen with Louise because of how gentle she was. She’s been on the farm for a while and has taught a lot of people to ride.

“I’ve never been horseback riding before,” Aspen mumbles, almost at a whisper.

“This is Louise. Here, put your hand out.” We approached in front but at an angle, making sure to avoid Louise’s blind spot. When we got closer, she whinnied, and Aspen recoiled her hand. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “Just keep your hand outstretched; she’ll put her nose to it.”

On cue, Louise put her nose up against Aspen’s hand, telling her it was alright. Aspen smiled and slightly turned her hand so that Louise could touch the back side. “She’s a gentle girl,” I said. “I thought we could do a little practice here, and I could walk you up to my favorite overlook for the sunset.”

“That would be lovely,” Aspen said, now petting Louise’s nose.

Sliding the stool closer, I said, “Step up and put your foot in the stirrups. Make sure to swing your back leg over.” I tapped the foot she needed to put in the stirrup first. Aspen got in position and swung her leg over. I took my hat off and placed it to cover her in case her dress rode up. I placed the hat back on my head when I knew she was situated. “You’re a natural,” I said, grabbing the reins.

“I feel so tall up here!” she exclaimed. She looked beautiful up there too.

Guiding Louise from the barn, Aspen bent over slightly to pet her mane, running her hand down her neck. When we emerged from the barn, the dusk sun hit our skin. First, I took the girls in a circle, talking Aspen through the movements, how to control a horse, and the do’s and don’ts when riding. She listened intently, soaking up everything I told her. “How’s it feeling?” I asked.

“Fun!” She said back in a cheerful tone, “I think I’m getting the basic movements down. She’s sweet.” Louise huffed, knowing that Aspen must be talking about her.

“Hold these for a second,” I said, handing Aspen the reins and rope. She took them, a bit unsure. I jogged over to Marty and stepped into the stirrups, throwing myself over to land on his back. I adjust my hat, setting it down tighter on my head. I used the reins to guide myself closer to Aspen and held out my hand. “I can take those back. Not too scary, huh?” I teased as she handed me the guiding rope.

“How long have you been riding?” She asked, her body relaxing more as we walked towards a break in the trees. She looked stunning in her ankle boots, which matched the black and red floral dress that was currently scrunched around her upper thighs, giving me a peek at her bare skin.

I hadn’t seen much of Aspen out of a dress. I loved her usual style; the way the dresses she chose flowed against her curves. But, I would be lying if I said the little bit of skin she was showing right now didn’t do something to me. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought. Friends, Boone. She was your friend .

When I attempted to distract my mind from the thought of her exposed skin, I was consumed by the way her body went up and down, moving in sync with motions. It was making me feral. Now, the skin was no longer a problem. Instead, I was thinking about what she would look like riding me instead. Baseball. Golf. Ice cream. I tried to think of anything that would stop the hard on I could feel forming between my legs. I moved slightly, readjusting myself. She asked me something, didn’t she?

“How long have I been riding?’ I asked again, making sure that was her question. When she nods, I let out a sigh of relief. “All my life,” I answered. “I’ve been riding since I was able to hold my own on the back of a horse.”

Ranching and riding had been part of my family for generations. It was a must to be called a Cassidy. If you couldn’t ride, you might as well change your last name.

“Damn,” she said, looking up towards the sky, taking in the scenery. “That’s impressive. Who taught you?”

“My dad. It’s in our blood. My grandpa taught him. His dad before him,” I replied.

“That’s really sweet. Your family sounds special.” I could hear the sadness in her voice, not that she would admit it.

“It’s okay to want more from your family,” I said, probably overstepping my boundaries. “Sometimes, growing up, I wished my parents had stepped in and guided me away from making a bad decision. They followed a very hands-off approach to parenting. They let me make my choices and supported them regardless of what they knew the outcome would be.” I took a pause, I think this was the first time I’d voiced this out loud. “I would get angry as a kid. I often wondered if I kept fucking up just to get them to be more involved. But now that I’m an adult, I think it made me who I am today. I’m a person who learns through doing and knows that whatever the outcome, I can fix it.”

Aspen didn’t respond right away. We sat in silence for a few beats before I heard her sigh. “I just sometimes wish they were less judgmental. I want to be able to feel like I can tell them things. Instead, I tend just to accommodate them. I want to be able to be who I am and express my desires without feeling like I won’t be accepted.” She paused and started again. “ I think that also has impacted me as an adult. I never took risks and never made a bad choice that got me in trouble, because my parents did it all for me. I want to live. I’m resentful and want to feel free. These past few weeks, I have felt that. I think I owe that to you.”

The fact she was attributing that discovery to me made me want to reassure her that it was all her who made the choices completely on her own. “I feel like I can be myself around you. I feel like I can tell you things or do things and you wouldn’t judge me,” she added.

“It isn’t my place to judge anybody,” I replied.

“That’s a beautiful thing,” she said in return, smiling.

“Aspen, you owe me nothing. It’s you who decided to let the walls down and have some fun. I just happened to be there with you,” I confessed.

I’d shared more with Aspen in the last ten minutes than I’d shared with anyone else in my life. My frustrations I had as a kid were shoved so deep into my mental space that I never thought I’d recover or voice them. It felt good letting someone else in.

The trees open up to a flat section of land overlooking the valley where Faircloud is nestled. The overlook was another one of my favorite places to go, after the swimming hole. However, I can say with certainty, I’d never brought another girl here. This was my space where my head felt the clearest. After what Aspen and I both shared, I know I brought the right person up here.

We arrived at the perfect time; the sun was setting, and the sky was painted in beautiful hues of orange and pink. My favorite kind of sunset. I dismounted from Marty, tying him off to a tree. When I got to Aspen and Louise, I took the reins and rope, tying her to the same tree.

“Sliding down will be the easiest way. Lay on your belly and glide down towards me. I’ll catch you,” I assured her, ready with my hands out to grab her by the hips to soften the landing. Aspen did exactly that; her feet hit the ground gracefully. She spun her back up against Louise, and my hands were still on her hips. I didn’t want to take my hands away; I liked how she felt beneath them. We were both stuck, staring into each other’s eyes. I felt like I could see right through her. The beautiful blueish green captured me, putting me in a trance. My mouth parted as I took a deep breath, my gaze falling to her lips.

Aspen moved away suddenly, quickly shimmying her way out of my grip. She made her way to the cliff’s edge, leaving me standing there alone. I wanted to kiss her; I was seconds away from crossing the boundary we set. It was date one, and I almost fucked it all up. Squatting down to sit on a big rock, she scooted over to make room. We were close enough that the outsides of our thighs were touching.

“This is amazing,” Aspen sighed in awe. She was right; the people in town looked like little specks, and the lights twinkled lining the main street. The way the sky looked tonight was indescribable, but the woman next to me had most of my attention. Her beauty was that of a Texas sunset, breathtaking in every way imaginable.

“This is my second favorite place to come,” I said.

Aspen turned her head towards me, tilting it to the side like an owl.

“The first being the swimming hole,” I clarified.

I swear I saw Aspen’s cheeks redden. I loved it when she blushed; the apples of her cheeks started first, and it cascaded to other parts of her body. I had the urge to kiss those parts, starting at her neck, down to her chest– “I can totally see why. This is a great first date,” she joked, breaking me from my thoughts. I couldn’t help but laugh, because she didn’t know I had another trick up my sleeve.

“Oh, just you wait,” I said, standing and jogging over to the saddle bag. I took out the brown paper bag I shoved in there earlier. When I sat back down next to Aspen, she gasped.

“Are you seriously going to eat that right in front of me?” She demanded, bumping her shoulder into mine.

I pulled the muffin out and broke it perfectly in half, handing her a chunk. “Nope. We’re going to share it while watching the sunset.”

“Wow!” she exclaimed, grabbing her half.

“That’s boyfriend material, isn’t it? If this isn’t fuel for you to write your book I don’t know what is,” I replied, winking at her.

Aspen giggled and bit into her muffin, so I did the same. I fucking loved these muffins. Before her, I hated blueberries. Now, I don’t think I could live without them.

We sit in comfortable silence for a bit, taking in the quiet. Just being around her was enough for me. With Aspen, there were no expectations to keep the conversation going. She was kind, listened, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me, which was a lot compared to other women. Most of them expected one thing, sex. Aspen seemed content just existing with me, and thinking about that made my chest feel heavy.

“I’ve been thinking,” I started, brushing off the crumbs on my fingers. “I want to have a bonfire again Friday night. The other ranch hands are taking care of the work Saturday, so I have off. You wanna come? I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself this time.”

Aspen nodded, crossing her legs on the rock as she drew figures in the dirt with her finger. “Of course. I’ll be there. I have a request, though.” She wiped her hands together to remove any leftover debris.

“Go on.” I hesitated, scared to hear what she wanted.

“Can Penny and Theo come?”

“Sure, why would I say no?” I replied.

She shrugged, “I didn’t think you would. I just wanted to be considerate and ask before.” Another thing I admired about her. “I also have a secret I need your help with.”

“You need my help? Again? Am I going to have to start charging you?” I quipped, smiling to myself.

Aspen scoffed, placing her head on my shoulder. “You were the one who offered to help me with my story. I didn’t ask,” she said, trying to defend her honor.

I laughed, I knew she was right. “Please, spill your secret.”

“Penny has a crush on Mac. Well, she wants to ‘fuck’ Mac. When we were at the bar the other night, she was looking for him, but he never showed up. I thought that the bonfire may be a good chance for them to interact and maybe get Penny some action,” she said, removing her head from my shoulder to look at my reaction. When my attention came back to her, she was biting her bottom lip.

I let out a loud “ha” and tilted my head back. My hat nearly fell off my head. “Oh hell yeah, I can help with that. I’m always down to play wingman.” I lifted my hand up for her to high five, and she slapped her hand against mine.

“Apparently, he’s been coming into the library a lot, and Penny can’t keep her eyes off him,” she replied.

“Mac isn’t the kind of guy who just frequents the library,” I said, smiling to myself. That cheeky bastard.

“Why would he be… oh shit!” Aspen said, everything finally clicking. “He feels the same way. Project get Penny and Mac laid is in full effect.”