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2804 Words
It must be four thirty am because Jodie was awake. She rolled over to find that she was not in her own bed. The sheets were a little rougher than her own but they were so cosy she contemplated just going back to bed. Until the realisation hit that she was in a strange bed which made her sit straight up. A bad idea when mixed with alcohol. When the dizziness subsided, she looked around the room to see a sleeping Meg next to her. She had been to Meg’s apartment before so they must be at her brother's house. She needed to get home and have a shower. Then go back to sleep for a very long while. At least she still had all her clothes on. Climbing out of bed, she found the boots she had borrowed. Standing face to face with the mirror was a scary sight. Her bag was on the bedside table next to the bed. Pulling her hair out of yesterday’s messed up braids, Jodie combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt at looking decent which failed miserably so she placed her hair in a French braid. She also dug in her bag for her lip balm and blended a little of the pink tinted stuff across her cheeks. She supposed this is the best it would be so, just crossed her fingers that on her way back home she ran into no one except her taxi driver.
Carrying her boots to reduce noise in the silent house, she headed into the hall. Luckily, the stairs were visible and she headed down. The kitchen door was the only one she saw. It must be the general entrance because there was a block seat with boots around the base. Jodie sat on the block of wood to pull the boots on.
“Jodie,” Travis’s voice startled her. She snapped her head up to see him fully dressed in clean clothes. She hadn’t even heard his footsteps.
“I am so sorry,” she stood while still trying to pull her left boot on. “Did I wake you?”
“No,” he walked over to the coffee machine and filled the pot with water. “I have to get started on stuff around here.”
“I thought I was the only one stupid enough to get up at four in the morning.” she smiled and finally managed to get that leftie on. Why would anyone want to wear these forsaken boots?
“I like to do a fence ride before letting the cattle out,” Travis lifted two mugs from the shelf.
Jodie started pulling the right boot on. “Then I'll get out your hair.”
“I mean, if you want,” he started fumbling for words. If she wasn’t so focused on her boot, she would find it cute. “You could maybe ride with me?”
At that moment she lost the battle with rightie and nearly fell face first onto the floor. Lucky for her Travis grabbed her shoulders.
“You okay?” his voice held a mixture of concern and amusement.
“I’m fine,” she could feel her cheeks heating. Not only did this gorgeous man see her drunk last night but was also witness to her idiocy this morning. She held his arms as she steadied herself on one foot and the stupid boot fell to the floor. “How embarrassed should I be right now?”
“Only a little,” his smile was so genuine on those handsome features. He helped her sit back on the wooden bench before kneeling down and putting the boot on.
“Thank you,” her voice was soft. His green eyes met hers. There were very few moments in life that Jodie wanted to keep with her forever but this one – the peaceful quiet, soft porch light, the way it made his eyes look, how she had trapped her bottom lip so she wouldn’t lean forward and kiss him – this was one of those moments. The coffee machine made a soft click that made both of them turn towards it. He almost lunged for the machine.
“Coffee?” he asked nervously. Well, that mad two of them. When he turned to look at her, she just nodded.
“I would love too,” the words escaped before she could fully think about what she was saying, “go for a ride. If the offer still stands?”
“Okay then,” he walked back to her with the mugs of coffee and started to leave through the screen door. Jodie leapt up to push the wooden door open but he paused and walked back through the screen door, “Boots.”
Jodie reached out to grab the coffee mugs to stand between the screen and wooden door, one foot holding each open. She admired how easily he got his worn boots on and gold fleck in his right iris as he came face to face with her in the doorway. Instead of walking straight through he paused, just as caught up in her as she was in him.
“Drooling just a little there, Cowboy?” she teased, knowing any longer in that doorway and she might never actually make it out this house.
“Morning ride,” he kept going through the doorway and held the wooden door open for her, “Right.”
She handed him a mug as they walked down to the stairs. Without his hat on she could admire his messy blonde hair that was slightly damp from a shower, she assumed. The morning air was crisp. It was quiet out here, a quiet you couldn't get anywhere. It was a comforting quiet despite their boots crunching in the dirt. Instead of walking to his big white truck he headed to the barn.
“Are we going to be riding bulls?” his laugh made the silly joke worth it.
“Nope,” he stopped outside the door so he could pull it open, “Horses.” They walked in and Travis went behind a wall while Jodie stroked the face of a beautiful grey horse. She could hear him rummaging around before popping out with buckets in his hands.
“Thought I’d make a barrel racer out of you.” he hauled buckets over the top of stall doors. A German Shepeard lazily walked out of a door. After a big stretch with a yawn, he headed over to Travis.
“Hi bud,” Travis patted the dog on the head before carrying on.
“Can I help?” she offered with her arms out to grab something.
“Yep.” Travis opened one of the doors and lead the horse out to the barn isle. He clipped her in and pulled a bucket of brushes towards her.
“This is Christine,” Travis patted her back as Jodie stroked her face softly, “Christine the cow pony.”
Jodie giggled, “Christine the cow pony? You are so gorgeous.” Jodie kissed her on the soft part of her nose between her nostrils.
“She likes you,” Travis ducked under the ropes and past the two of them. “She’s a fussy old girl, too.”
“Don’t tell me this horse is your tester.” Jodie grabbed a wooden handled brush. She ran her hand over Christines shoulder before the brush.
“I’ve never actually brought a girl to meet her.” Travis clipped in his horse so the two faced each other as they worked. “She was my mom's horse. I’ve kept her in work but she is definitely a girl's girl. She only tolerates me because I feed her.”
Christine nodded her head in approval. “Isn’t that the only reason we tolerate men?” Jodie scratched Jodie’s bum like she used to do with her pony when she was little.
“You’re pretty nifty with a brush.” Travis remarked.
“I do brush my hair every morning.” she shrugged as she walked around Christine’s rear. She could see Travis start to tell her not to but it was too late, she was already on the other side. Travis shook his head and kept on with his own horse.
“Swap,” Travis said once Jodie had finished with Christine.
“Oh Hi,” she looked on his head collar as she rubbed between his eyes, “Dev.”
“I bought Dev off a meat truck last year.” Travis explained as he got Christine ready. “Poor guy was skin and bone when he got here.”
“Skin and bone and pophole alone.” Jodie said under her breath out of habit more than consciousness as she finished brushing him.
“What?” Travis looked at her funny.
“What?” Jodie peered back at him.
“What did you just say?” He must think she is looney. He wouldn’t be too far off either.
“Oh,” she chuckled, “Skin and bone and pophole alone.” She could hear him laughing. “It’s something we say back in South Africa.”
“So, that’s where you're from.” the all-knowing tone of voice suited him.
“It was never a secret,” she admitted as he stared at her from over Dev’s back. “You just never asked. You wanted to yesterday, but you never did.”
She went back to Christine and waited for Travis to finish. Once Dev was ready, Travis slipped into what she could see was on office. He came back out with two hats. As he walked past her, he placed the grey one on her head, “Now you really look the part.” she smiled as he placed the other on his head.
“Think you can lead her out?” he asked as he untied Dev.
Jodie looked over at a half-asleep Christine. “I think I’ll manage.”
They lead the ponies to a little wooden fence. Travis tied his horse up and walked over to Jodie and Christine. He leaned on her neck as he explained to Jodie how to get on.
“You ready?” He asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She smiled. He helped her up and onto the horse. She watched as he effortlessly climbed onto Dev. The sun was starting to peak over the horizon as they headed out into the big field.
“You look like a natural up there,” Travis said from next to her.
“I feel very natural up her.”
The two of them walked down the fence line at a slow pace. The sun stained the sky colours of orange and pink. Jodie felt like she could actually breathe. She took the hat off so the sun would catch her uptilted head as she took deep breathes.
“That’s my favourite hat,” Travis said. She caught him from the corner of her eye looking at her, “So, don’t drop it.”
“What would happen if I dropped it?” she joked and reached her arm out, dangling his hat.
“Do you really want to find out?” he smirked at her. It was very sexy. Though everything he did was sexy.
“Maybe,” she let go of the hat and could see his face change. She swooped her arm around and caught it before placing it back on her head. They turned the corner to the long straight stretch down the back of the property. Before he could say anything about the hat she asked, “wanna race?”
“You wanna race?” he seemed to study her.
“I promise I won't lose your hat.”
“You better hold tight because Christine runs fast.”
“Promise I can handle it.”
“Fine,” he shook his head, “If it gets to fast you pull on her reins, okay.”
“Ready?” she beamed at him.
“Set.” she looked forward.
“Go.”
~
Travis could do little but watch as Jodie stood up in her saddle and pushed Christine on. She may be a little older but that mare could give the horses at the track a run for their money. The moment of astonishment faded as Travis pushed Dev on. He could hear Jodie’s laugh as she held his hat. Dev was nowhere close to Christine as they started closing in on the turn. Travis knew Christine would look after Jodie but he couldn’t help the slight concern creeping into the corner of his mind. Instead of slowing down as they approached, Christine picked up speed. Travis knew that Dev couldn’t make the quick stop so he pulled up, getting ready to shout to Jodie when she pulled up too. His mother had used Christine to do reining and, in that moment, he could feel her standing there with him as Christine and Jodie did the perfect reining stop.
‘ten out of ten’ he could hear his mom say. ‘She drinks the same coffee as you and can ride like that, you better marry her.’
He could only imagine the look on his face as Jodie rode back towards him. The look on her face was... magnificent.
“I think I forgot to mention,” she started as she walked circles around him, “I’m an Olympic dressage rider.”
“Then where did you learn to ride like that?” he tried and failed to be impressed by her. Olympic level English rider. What was he doing? He had promised himself no English riders. But surely being able to rein like that should cancel out the English part.
She started walking back along the fence line and turned in her saddle back towards him, “You coming?”
He could do nothing back shake his head as he pushed Dev on.
“My cousin is a cattle farmer in Montana,” she explained as he caught up, “the whole family would head over to drive cattle during the holidays.”
“But you're from South Africa?” he tried to fit the pieces of her life together.
“We were all from South Africa but my uncle moved here to run my dad's business because he refuses to leave South Africa.” she explained. “Luckily for me because I had family waiting for me when I moved.”
“Montana isn't just down the road you know.” they lazily rode down the fence line they had raced down to actually check it.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing my uncle lives here. He owns VDM Sport Horse Stud. We used to come up here after the drive so I could see if there were any of the yearlings I wanted.” She had been so close, this whole time. He enjoyed hearing her voice so he got comfortable and listened to the story.
“So, when I got offered the cardio fellowship here for this year, I jumped at the opportunity.” The rising sun cast a halo around her as they walked. He could imagine doing this with her every morning. Before yesterday he had called love at first sight and soul mates complete BS but now? Now he wasn’t so sure.
“To be fair they were the only ones to offer. Who offers a fellowship to some snot nosed twenty-five-year-old who only just finished registrar? But I settled into town in my uncle's house and found my apartment. And that is a lot about me.” She looked him dead in the eye. “What about you?”
“What about me?” He shrugged but that gaze did not waver so he sighed, “I have lived a very boring life. Born and raised right here on this farm. Went to school and decided I wanted to make a career of rodeo and was naturally good at bull riding so went with it. Enjoyed the travel that came with it. Won the national title couple times. Had to stay put for a while when my parents died. Now I'm just going wherever the wind blows me.”
She listened intently the entire time. No one had ever been this interested in him before. He supposed if he had dated, someone would have been but this was better than any first date he could think up. She fully turned in her saddle to look at him.
“Just keep talking.” She half asked, half demanded.
“About what?”
“About anything.” she said, “Or absolutely nothing at all.”
- Writer
