Wrapped around your finger - Post Malone

49

"So, Hazel, where are you from?" Jan asks in a sarcastic tone as she walks up to her while she waits outside Tina's still oddly closed shop with a list in one hand and Christmas Dinners string in the other. "New York," Hazel answers in a bored tone. "New York, huh? Bet you are getting pretty bored out here in the middle of nowhere," Jan says. "Austin keeps me pretty busy," Hazel holds up the list, "in more ways than one if you know what I mean," she adds taking joy in the way her words make Jan's face screw up. "Whatever. So...tell me about yourself. I wanna get to know you," she says. Hazel rolls her eyes at how insincere she sounds.

"There is not much to know, Jan. I grew up in New York, became a freelance writer and now I am here."

"Any siblings?"

"None that I care for."

"What about your parents?"

"Mother has passed and my father is a businessman, he is a dick."

"What's your surname?"

"Montague."

"Oh? Your father would not happen to be that big fancy New York lawyer, Bill Montegue?"

It is, but she can't tell her that. Jan will dig...she is already digging. "No. Look I don't know why you are pretending to care so much. You have made it quite clear you don't like me. Just go away and leave me to wait for Tina in peace," Hazel says sternly. Jan shrugs. "You are right, I don't like you. There is something off about you and I will get to the bottom of it. And Tina is not opening today, she is sick," she says then turns on her heel and walks away. Hazel needs to tell Austin before Jan finds something and spins it to Austin. She will tell him as soon as she gets back to the ranch, today. "Come on," she says tugging on Christmas Dinner's string. She opens the truck door and stands back as Christmas Dinner does his thing. "Oh hey! Hey, miss," Hazel hears someone calling her. When she turns she sees it's one of those suited men that had been on Cottenwood. "You are from Cottonwood, right?" he asks. Hazel frowns and then nods. "My name is Paris. I was wondering if I could buy you a cup of coffee. Maybe have a chat?" he asks. Hazel shakes her head. "No thank you," Hazel says. "It's just coffee, no harm in that," he says then both Hazel and him freeze when they hear a click of a rifle from behind Hazel. Paris looks behind Hazel, fear on his face. "My son might not own the land you are standing on, but that is his woman. Careful now," Mr. Post's growl comes from behind Hazel. "All good, old man, all good," Paris says then backs up and walks away.  "This is the country, Miss Hazel, get used to carrying a rifle," Mr. Post says then tips his hat at her and walks off. Ok, she needs to find out what is up with those suited men too.

Hazel hops into the truck and speeds back to Cottonwood. She waves back at Evelyn as she waives happily at her from the heifer's field, her heart dropping a little at what's to come, she has a bad feeling. Something bad is going to happen today, she knows it in her bones. She will get Austin to tell her who those men are and then she will tell Austin who she is. She pulls into the yard but slams the brakes as her mouth drops open at what she sees. Austin and Jack are rolling around the grass in a tussle, Tina standing next to them screaming at them to stop. Then Austin gets the better of Jack, straddles him, and starts punching him. "Hazel! Hazel! Stop him! He will kill him!" Tina screams. Hazel jolts out of her frozen state and jumps out of the truck, running over and grabbing Austin's shoulders, pulling as hard as she can. But her pulling does nothing, Austin is enormous and built like a bull, she can feel his muscles flex and strain every time he lifts his fist and slams it back down on Jack's jaw. "Stop! Austin! You will kill him!" Tina screams, the poor girl is distraught. "That's enough, baby, that's enough," Hazel whispers into his ear.

Austin lets Hazel pull him off Jack after he lands another punch and then Tina rushes to Jack's side and fusses over him. "You could have killed him!" she shouts at Austin, tears streaking her face. "That's was the fucking point, Tina!" Austin shouts back, his hands still balled into fists. "I hate you sometimes!" she shouts back at him and then fusses as she helps Jack stand up. Austin grabs his Stetson and throws it onto the floor then kicks the dirt, "fuck!" he shouts. Jack, Tina, and Hazel wait quietly for him to finish his tantrum then he turns back to look at Jack with an angry glare, hands on his hips, and then points to him.

"You have disgraced her!"

"I will do right by her."

"Do right by her?! You fucking knocked her up and now what? You'll fucking disappear and crawl back under the fucking rock you came from!?"

"I love her."

"Love her?! You fucking love her you say?! But you put her in this position!"

"I want to marry her, sir."

Austin stops and stares at him. "You want to marry me?" Tina asks from next to Jack. Jack nods, "if you will have me," he says. Tina starts crying again and hugs him. Then they both turn back to Austin. "I know I am just a ranch hand. I know she is out of my league and I am shootin' too high. But I love her, sir and I swear to you I will treat her right. I will build her a house and I will honor her till the day I die," he says proudly even on his wobbly legs with blood dripping from his nose and mouth. Austin stays quiet as he stares Jack down. Hazel can see the cogs in his brain working overtime as he bites his bottom lip. Then his eyes flick to Tina.

"Is this what you want?" he asks. "Yes," Tina says through her cry. "Yes, that's what I want...please. I love him. He has been good to me and I want to marry him. Please, Austin," she begs. Austin looks down, still thinking, then looks up again. "Very well...you have my blessing," he says. Tina squeals and then hugs Jack as he releases the breath that he has been holding. Tina then picks up Austin's hat, dusts it off, and places it back onto Austin's head. "Thank you, brother," she says and then hugs him as Austin wraps his arms around her and hugs her back. Brother? Tina lets him go and looks at Hazel with an excited face. "You're having a baby," Hazel says laughing and crying as she pulls Tina into a hug. "I am, and I am getting married too," she whispers into Hazel's neck. Hazel pulls out of the hug and looks at her. "Oh, we have so much to plan! We will have a huge wedding. Flowers! Lights! It will be wonderful," she says as Tina laughs through her tears and nods at her words. "You may use the barn," Austin says. "Ooh! Let's go map it out!" Hazel says excitedly as Tina squeals. Both women turn and hurry down to the barn - they have a wedding to plan.