"What are you doing with my horse?" I asked them as I got closer, I had my hand gun under my flannel shirt and nearly reached for it but apparently my tone of voice was enough for the boys to know I meant business.
"When we were unloading the cattle he got spooked so I got my halter out of the truck so I could catch him and keep him calm."
The one more my age and shorter told me holding Zeke close to the halter in a natural way to have more control.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
I walked up and took Zeke from them before walking him up the little hill to chuck the pack saddle back on him.
"Shit girl, where you coming from, or going to?"
"Dunno... The bar man offered to let me stay in one of the rooms and the horses out back so I guess there for the night and then..... God only knows."
"Let me guess you didn't take the room but you wanted the horses to have a day off so you agreed to the paddock. How many days you been on the road?" The taller older one asked.
"Five days. Not that long really in the scheme of things." I shrugged.
"Well the horses are going in my paddock, I'm the bar mans son, so I'm guessing that's it. I'll walk with you and show you the paddocks and the code to the lock."
"Thank you so much. Are you sure you don't mind I don't want to be a bother and I will give you money I just don't have much and I will be up and gone by 5:45."
He just smiled and said I'm welcome and don't have to be gone for 5 days if I didn't wang to. But I couldn't stay that long, then they would find me for sure.
~~~~
When I walked back into the pub after settling the horses in and setting myself under a scrubby tree in the back, there were a lot more people. I needed to talk to the barman again though and probably the man who had leant me the paddock, I didn't even know their names. God that makes me a bad person.
Luckily when I walked over it was the same bar tender as before. I leaned over the bar and held out a hand,
"Thank you for the paddock and the offer my name is Sammie Rihne."
"James Barton." He said smiling.
"Do you happen to know where I could find your son? He just helped with the paddock and I was thinking I should say thank you to him as well."
When James pointed me in the right direction I walked over to him while he was taking to his friends and introduced myself, shaking his hand.
"Sammie Rihne. Thank you for the paddock, it was very generous."
"It was fine really and I'm Kayson Barton. These guys are me mates, Connor, Fred, Riley you met him earlier, Mason and Charley, they all just knocked off you can have a beer with us if you want."
I fiddled with my hands for a bit then just blurted "I dint drink."
"Neither does Riley, we don't mind. Come on. siddown." I smiled and sat down.
"How old are you, Honey?" Riley asked tilting his head slightly at me.
"18, 4 days ago." I answered.
"So you left the day before you turned 18." Kayson said. "That has to be something to do with running away."
YOU ARE READING
Short country romances
NouvellesPLEASE GIVE IT A CHANCE... These are my short stories. I dunno where they come from but I just write them as they come to mind.
