Cowgirls Don't Cry

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - JESSE

A breeze had sprung up just as we got out of the water, and even the late afternoon sunshine couldn't help us shivering as we slipped off the horses and dried off. Katie pulled on an old cotton workshirt, and from the way it hung almost to her knees, I guessed it was a hand-me-down from her momma. My own shirt and jacket were warmed from sitting in the sun, though my old Wrangler cap was still damp with creekwater.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, and the horses seemed content to graze nearby as we laid back on the grassy bank, soaking up the last of the sunlight. Katie and I had spent a fair few afternoons like this; just lying side-by-side on the bank, or in a tree, or sitting on the big rock near the water, so there was an easy quiet that fell over us as we slipped back into familiar routine.

"Jesse?" Katie broke the silence, her voice soft in the fading afternoon light. "Thanks for... you know, everything,"

I smiled. "You know I'd do anything for you, Katie Morgan. I love you more than just about anything,"

Katie's smile matched mine, and I smirked.

"Except for maybe rodeo. Or Milla. Or-,"

"Shut up," she laughed, elbowing me.

Katie shivered as a light breeze picked up along the bank, and I slipped my arm around her. She shifted so her head was resting on my shoulder, and I held her close, my hand absent-mindedly working through her hair, still damp from the swim.

"I love you too, Jesse Chandler," she said after a moment, so soft I wouldn't have heard had she not been so close. I wondered if she could feel the way my pulse suddenly heightened, the inexplicable feeling of joy that filled my veins and lit up my cheeks. My hand stilled, and I just held her, my best friend, the one girl I'd known forever, grown up with, and would do anything for. Right then, in the fading light of an afternoon well-spent, I knew she was so much more than that, so much more a part of me than I had ever realised.