From Different Walks of Life

Guts

Tom was dressed in jeans, a hoodie and tennis shoes the next morning when he and Jake arrived at frontier park in the early morning hours.  He pulled out his phone and typed out a quick text message to the number he had hastily entered in the phone from his palm the night before.

Good morning.  At the front gate.  Where do you need us? - T

While waiting for a reply, Tom looked at his palm where her numbers had not quite been washed away.  He still was in awe that she had written it there - so simple, yet why had he found it so sexy while she had been doing it?  His mouth nearly went dry as he thought of her soft skin touching his, her hair brushing his hand while she held onto it to write . . . His thoughts were interrupted when his phone buzzed.

Good morning!  Sending a cart for you guys, see you in a min

"Chris has been calling.  Again.  On my phone." Jake said, and Tom shot him an apologetic glance.  He knew his agent was not pleased, especially since he had gone dark and started refusing his calls.  Typical that he would start in on his bodyguards phone next.

"I'll handle him later."  Tom promised. 

"Kinda taken with this one, aren't you?" Jake ventured carefully.  "If I may say so." Tom didn't respond right away, and Jake watched the man who had become his friend over the past few years since their association. 

"She's different," Tom said quietly. 

"Yep."  Jake agreed, pretending to scroll through his phone.  "Pretty fascinating, really."

"Yes.  Yes she is."

"Glad you're spending some time with her then." Tom looked at Jake again.  The large man was of few words, and Tom liked to think he was smart enough to listen when the words came.

"Looks like this is us," Jake said, again snapping Tom back to reality when he began opening the car door when he saw a golf cart pull up just inside the gate.  He was relieved that Amber had at least stopped her incessant ringing - hopefully that mess was over.  He made a mental note to thank Luke for handling it when he got back to LA. 

The ride to the other side of Frontier Park was quick, and Tom smiled when he spotted Kat standing near the back of the chutes.  She was dressed in dirt-covered jeans again, and a large hoodie that covered her curves.  Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun through the back of her baseball hat, and she wore leather work gloves.

"Hi guys," Kat waved happily as they approached. Tom, without thinking, put a hand on her waist and bent to kiss her cheek.

"Good morning.  Not late, are we?"

I tried not to show my surprise at the gesture, nor register the shock I also saw on Jake's face. 

"Um, no, you're fine."  I turned away, trying to gather my composure, and began to walk toward a waiting flatbed pickup.  "You ready to work?  I've got a genuine Wyoming-type day planned for you."  Tom raised his eyebrows, clasping his hands behind his back, hurrying to catch up to me.

"A whole day, huh?" He asked, and I cursed myself as he grinned when I blushed.

"I, uh, hope that's okay." I paused, my hand on the pickup door.  "I assume you know how to drive?"  Tom let out a laugh. 

"Yes."  Jake snickered, and I saw Tom send him a look.  I smiled and opened the pickup door.

"So you can drive a stick shift?" Tom paused for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"I believe I can reach back in the files to remember."

"Good.  I need you to drive, in low, along the pens, and I'll be on the back pitching hay."  I chuckled as Tom's eyes widened.