A New Pair of Steel Shoes

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nathan Pratchett caught sight of the glowing numbers on the bedside clock and cursed under his breath. He was definitely running late now, but the shower had been a necessity. Though the smell of hay and horses didn’t bother him it seemed like the wrong sort of cologne to wear on his dinner date, especially since he’d made reservations at one of the fancier places in town. The indicator light flashed on his cell phone, alerting him to what no doubt would be a less than happy text from his girlfriend. Nathan ignored it for the time being, tossing aside the damp towel and reaching for his clothes. Quickly, and in an effort to save more time, he pulled on his boxers and a pair of black slacks at the same time, hastily adding a belt. Then he donned a light blue dress shirt, doing up the buttons as he made his way down the stairs.

All the while, feeling immensely guilty, he tried to think of a decent, heartfelt apology.

It probably wouldn’t matter in the long run, he knew, slipping on his shoes, as he’d been late to their last three dates. For some reason lately he found it hard to drag himself away from the barn, even with the pressing knowledge that he had somewhere more important to be. Then again, the stray thought danced across his mind, maybe that was the problem.

Nathan snatched up his car keys, shoved his phone into his back pocket, and dashed out the front door. Slipping into the driver’s seat he realized the scent of the barn lingered, not surprising considering his helmet and boots were in the backseat. He powered down the windows, turned up the radio, and backed out of the driveway. Finally on his way to the restaurant, he let his mind wander back to the stray thought, the one suggesting that the barn might be more important than seeking to quench the thirst for human contact.

He’d grown up around horses and in his teenage years found no trouble in balancing his love of horses with the chasing of spirited young women. Of course, to be fair, most of them spent as much time haunting the dusty rows of stalls as he did and their common passion for the beautiful equine spirit gave them something to work with. His latest girlfriend, and currently his longest running relationship, came from a different world, in a manner of speaking. Sure, he managed to get her down to the barn a few times, but not once did she ever seem to enjoy being around the horses, not hiding her disgust as well as she might like to think.

That, however, did not stop her from loving the way he looked in his riding breeches, often stopping him before he left to have a little quickie.

Stopped by a red light, his gaze was drawn to the cell phone he dropped into the empty cup holder, the indicator light still blinking. He hadn’t even bothered to read her text or to send a reply acknowledging his less than stellar ability to be on time. Perhaps his reluctance to answer was something to ponder considering it wasn’t usual on his part, especially not when it came to those he truly cared about. Maybe he should send a reply, at least let her know he was on the way.

The light switched and he resumed his drive.

By the time he reached the restaurant he was officially twenty minutes late. A variety of apologies ran through his mind, but he knew without speaking a single word that none of them would do. His girlfriend would pick up on any lie he tried to seed, thus making the situation worse.

Inside, the hostess pointed him toward their table. He fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt, nervous energy building. Would she be the kind to explode, to make a big scene in front of everyone else? Or was he in for the slow simmer of anger that made dinner conversation awkward? He wasn’t entirely sure which was worse.

The voice of doubt, the one awakened by the unanswered text began to whisper. Why are you dating her? Do you even want to anymore?

And then Nathan saw her, the beautiful Marsh Dayton. Between her stylized hair, dazzling smile, designer clothes, and fit frame, she looked like she stepped right out of Hollywood. Tonight she’d curled her hair and looked absolutely breathtaking in her red gown, the top cut just right to draw the eye to her cleavage. Knockout, the perfect word to describe her. Every man in the jointed wanted her, all the women envied her, and for some bizarre reason she had picked him, something he figured he would never understand. Suddenly, Nathan wished he’d brought a gift to help ease the blow of being late.

Again.

The apology was on his lips when he reached the table, but he quickly choked them back when Marsha slowly shook her head.

“Don’t,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I don’t want to hear your excuse.”

Nathan sank into his chair. “Marsha—”

“Stop,” she put up a hand to silence him. “You got caught up at the barn again with that horse of yours. For some reason you seem happier to spend time with a muddy, smelly animal instead of making sure you get to our dates on time. I’m sorry I am not nearly as much fun as that…beast,” she said with disdain, placing her napkin on the table and pushing her chair back. “I have given you enough chances. I’m done. No more. We’re over.”

“Marsha—”

“Goodbye, Nathan,” she said before walking off, her hips swaying hypnotically. More than one man turned to watch as she went by.

Nathan was speechless. He expected her to be upset, maybe even a little angry, but to dump him? And to make matters even worse he wasn’t entirely clear how he felt about the ending of their relationship. Shock, he had to be in shock, it hadn’t yet sunk in that she was no longer going to call him in the middle of the day just to see how he was doing, no more cuddling up on the couch while they watched movies. When the waiter came by to see if he wanted anything Nathan asked if there was a bill and had it brought around. As though on automatic he paid for her glass of wine, left a tip, and got up. His appetite had gone up in a puff of smoke.

On the ride back home his mind was still numb, still trying to figure out what just happened.

It wasn’t until he pulled into the driveway of his little rental property, shutting off the engine, that the first tear slipped free. As soon as the first one made a break the rest followed and in a matter of seconds, he dissolved into a broken hearted mess, forehead resting against the steering wheel.