Tamed and Free

Chapter 9: Gatlin

Gatlin woke up when the sun shined threw her window. Since it was Spring Break this week and she was off for the day, she decided to take it easy. She made her breakfast and sat on her couch, turning on Roseanne, her favorite show. She couldn't concentrate though, her thoughts always went back to the night before.

The walk down and the drive back was completely quiet. She didn't know what to say nor did he. It was her first kiss but she didn't want him to think that, did she? The embrace they did when Deacon took her in his arms tingled her body but calmed her all in the same moment. That moment made her believe that nothing in this world mattered, that no one on this Earth was here. They were the only two.

Gatlin was thinking about how they only met the day before the kiss, but something told her that it was right. She had to decide for herself. To make sure. And since her sperm donor was going to be here for a week, she knew the best way for her family to leave her alone is if she had company. After taking Beau out, she called Deacon.

"Hello." She heard on the other side.

She smiled. She loved his accent. "Hey Deacon."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing. Just got in from taking Beau out." She sat on her couch again and pulled her daisy covered pillow into her lap.

"Oh. How is he? I didn't get to see him yesterday."

She sat up with her back straightened like he could see her. "He's good. But I was calling to see if you wanted to do something with me."

"Anything." The way he said it made her believe that he would kill someone for her if she asked him.

Her smile got huge and leaked through the phone, "I was wondering if you wasn't doing anything this week would you like to stay over here...." Her heart was racing, "I mean I understand if you don't want to. It'll be fine." That last part she said fast just in case he was thinking she was trying to rush into doing things he didn't want.

"Sure. I mean, I have work a couple of days this week but I can, that is if you don't mind." Now, she was hearing a smile through her phone.

"Great! Umm, My address is 124 Crab Apple road. I don't live in the main house. But if you take that dirt path going pass the driveway all the way up to the old barn, You should see my Jeep parked under a part of the barn and and staircase going up, the staircase leads to my apartment, I will leave it open for you to just come in."

"Cool. Let me pack and I will be there."

"Cool. Well, bye." She said. He finished this phone call with a bye too and they hung up.

Flinging herself on her back, she kicked her feet excitedly. Then she remembered what her place looked like. Starting in the living room she began to clean.

The living room was on the left side of the front of her apartment. She had one of those brown couches that had the brown flower designs from the sixties or so and a TV opposite of each other. Adding a moon chair with a side and coffee table with blankets with tribal designs, Bisson, Bears, one with alpacas all over them, and one from one a boyfriend of her sister's that was from Mexico with colors fading into each other. She also had tribal pillows and pillows of daisies, since that was her favorite flower. Pictures on the walls of woods and nature with woodland animals. A fake fireplace under her TV that she put on her wall. There was even a window on the far left wall. She had a Native American designed rug under it all. She cleaned all the clutter off the tables and put all the farmhouse trinkets back. She vacuumed the rug and even wet and dry dusted. Then she headed into her kitchen.

The kitchen was on the right side of the front, decorated in a lake house theme. Pictures and decorations of sayings for a lake house. The kitchen table even had lake house decorated pillows in the chairs and the rugs included. Her fridge had magnets of every place she has ever been, she collected them as her souvenirs . She had five crockpots all over her counter because she loved her crockpot meals. Gatlin washed all the dishes and put all but one of her crock pots in the cabinets. Beau's food and water bowl was by the front door. She also started a pot roast in that crockpot she had out for dinner for her and Deacon.

The bedroom carried in the rustic, redneck look with a full size bed and two side tables, was behind the living room. The bed had a tribal comforter and bears all over the sheets. Both side tables had lamps but the one on her side, the left side, had an alarm clock. She had a dresser and chest of drawers topped with her Country Apple body spray and lotion from Bath and Body Works, her collection of horse books, old notebooks, old candle jars filled with pens, her hairbrush, and vases of fake flowers. The walls filled with the some of the same rustic pictures like the living room but she had a map of all the North Native American tribes above her bed. The window, on the far left wall, had a different tribal designed curtains, and a floor size rug that matched but didn't. She had a tiny black bear stuff animal that she always sat on the bed after making it, which she did in a rush. She vacuumed and lit a candle that smelled like the Rocky Mountains, supposedly.

Lastly she headed to the bathroom, behind the kitchen, it was cheaper for the parts, but in front of her closet. Which had mason jar accessories and a shower curtain that was a collage of cabin lodge things and the words Adventure Awaits on one square with the rugs matching. The counter had her Dolly Parton collection of sprays and perfumes with her Shania Twain perfume that was discontinued. Above her toilet, she had bear styled shelves that had her makeup on it. She had her washer and dryer stacked on top of each other in a corner as well. After she threw her dirty clothes pile into the washing machine. Gatlin scrubbed her tub, sink, and toilet.

Gatlin hung her cowboy hat on the hook by the door, put her boots below them, and went to stir dinner, which was almost done. She made her cornbread mix, after pouring it in her only cast iron pan, she put it in her oven. Smiling, she went to take her shower.