Cuffing The Law Book 2 in The Willowbrook Series

Chapter 21

Deacon

I know what I'm doing opening my legs slightly and feeling our thighs touching. Am I pervert, an old pervert? Maybe but dammit I am so attracted to Daisy. Always have been and always will be. I do notice, however, that she doesn't move her leg away. I can feel the warmth emanating from her body.

Maxine smiles at me. "I knew this would be a good idea, the three of us." I raise my eyebrows. She winks. Maxine has always been a bit meddlesome in my love life.

Back when I was about fourteen, she tried to fix me up with Patsy Jenkins who was in one of her classes. Patsy was a pretty girl, always gregarious and outgoing, she played every sport going and was mighty keen on horses. She used to come and ride with Logan, Maxine and I but she doesn't wasn't my kind of girl. Sure we got on as friends, only Maxine kept on pushing us together, she'd invite us to the movies then do a disappearing act, then there was the time she told us to meet her for pancakes at Bluebell's and came out with some baloney that she had a stomach bug and had to dart back home and go to bed. Only, when I got home later that afternoon, not standing Patsy up because I'm a nice guy, Maxine was busy reading a glossy magazine and painting her nails, and eating a bowl of ice cream. Stomach bug my ass.

The host begins to announce the first horse. "Good day ladies and gentleman and welcome. First up, we've got number one-one-three a beautiful Tobiano Paint colt, weighing two-hundred-fifty pound, light brown and white with a good lineage. The mother is a distinguished registered Paint Quarter horse, broodmare."

"Oh my gosh, how adorable." Daisy gushes. Her face lights up, her blue eyes dance and I swear I've never seen her look so happy. Her hands clap together. Maxine smiles and raises her eyebrows.

"I think she's going to be out of our league." I whisper to Daisy, leaning into her catching her fragrance that fills my senses and does something to my dick. I place the auction magazine over my crotch.

"You can afford it, Deacon." Maxine pipes up.

"And what do I want with a colt? I need a couple of more mature horses for the riders. I don't have time for a colt you know that Maxine."

"Don't give me that, Deacon."

"Starting the bidding at one thousand dollars." He announces. Maxine raises her hand. I pull it down.

"What are you doing?" I hiss.

"Bidding."

"Are you insane woman?"

"No, but somebody would love her." She nods towards Daisy who is enraptured by the colt standing in the paddock area. I have to admit it's a fine looking colt and with a good lineage I could easily breed with it.

"Two thousand." The host shouts out, I look around scanning to see who has just bid.

"Two and a half." Maxine yells out. Daisy swings her head round to her, those blue eyes like large buttons.

"Is she seriously bidding for it, I mean that's a lot of money?"

"It's not for that particular colt to be honest, Daisy. But when Maxine gets started there is no holding her back."

"I mean, it's adorable and I'd love it but it is way out of my bracket. I think I'll have to wait until the older ones come out." Her shoulders sag a little. Damn, it pulls at my heart.

"Four thousand." I hear a man's voice and look around, I see a big burly fella with a ruddy face holding up his hand, he's wearing an old cowboy hat that has seen better days.

"Four and a half." I shout out. What the hell am I doing? I don't even want the colt. I mean don't get me wrong it's a fine animal and will grow to be a shining horse, no two ways about it, but I need horses for the riders and the kids, not a colt. Maxine shoots me a look and grins.

"What?" I shrug. Daisy is staring at me wide-eyed.

"I didn't think you wanted a baby horse." She eyes me suspiciously, I could drown in those baby blues of hers, her pink, full lips are just asking for me to kiss them.

"I changed my mind." I tell her and shrug my shoulders. Her lips turn up.

"Okaaay." Is all she says. I can feel the tension building now the bidding for colt starts to pick up.

"Six thousand." WTF? Who is bidding that high? Maxine and I both swing our heads round. I can't see who has just bid but it's not the big fella who bid earlier.

"Seven." I yell. Daisy starts to fan her face. I need to fan my face. I am bidding way out off my radar, I had budgeted for two horses no older than fourteen to start with for five grand tops.

Maxine is holding her breath, then I realize I am too. "Going once." The host says. I wait feeling strangled, if someone bids now I'm going to personally find who it is and punch them in the face. Nobody is getting this colt, not now I know Daisy has fallen in love with it. I saw the look on her face the moment the little thing was brought out for us all to see. She melted and pooled, the little sigh that left those damn beautiful lips of her said it all.

"Going twice." I hear some shuffling in the seat behind me and whispering. My hands clench, my hands are sweating. Please don't let anyone bid.

"Sold to the gentleman over there." The host directs his pointer to me and everyone close by turns and claps.

"Deacon, you feeling okay?" Maxine asks and puts a cool hand to my head.

"Nope."

"What came over you? Seven thousand for a colt?"

"You started it, don't even go there with me."

Daisy grabs me and hugs me and plants kisses all over my face. I guess she's talking to me again then. All it seems is forgiven. "I can't believe you've just bought a colt. Oh. My. God. Deacon, that's fucking insane." I smile what else can I do? I want her to have the damn thing, it's not for me.

"He's all yours, Daisy." I say. Maxine looks at me as if I have sprouted two heads and just been beamed down by Scotty and his crew.

"What? Are you serious? You can't spend seven thousand on a colt and give him to me. No way. I can't accept it." She stutters, tears welling in her eyes. I want to brush them away, even though I know they're happy tears.

"I can do what I like with my money. You can't afford it. Don't tell me you didn't want the little fella."

"You've got me there, the moment I saw him I fell in love with him but seriously, Deacon that's just too much. I'll never be able to pay you back."

I wave my hand. "Don't worry about that. You'll have to come and take care of him, that's your responsibility."

"Thank you so much, I don't know what to say. I'm just." She starts blubbering, I don't do girls blubbering very well. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I shift in my chair as the host begins to auction the next horse.

"You are such a soft ball of fur." Maxine tells me. I grunt. I'm definitely not a soft ball of fur.

"I think I've spent my cash for the day." I murmur instead. "Let's go speak to the folks to organize the transportation and get out of here. Unless you and Daisy want to stay?"

"No way, I want to get Dreamer home." Daisy says. It fills my heart knowing that I've made her entire day, it feels good to do something amazing for her, even though we are still well and truly in the friend zone.

"Dreamer?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yeah, he looks like a Dreamer and he's my dream. Deacon, thank you so much. Logan and Sage are going to be so jealous."

"Dreamer it is then. Let's get organized so he can be home at mine later. You'll need to come over and take care of him, give him a brush. I've got a warm blanket for him. He'll go in his own stable next to Mitzi and Magic. They'll soon be best friends.

"I'm so excited to go see him." Daisy is up like a shot, Maxine pushes past me.

"A step in the right direction, Deacon." She whispers as she passes me. Yeah, a huge fucking expensive step. But fuck it. It got Daisy speaking to me again and we're back to being friends, even though it was a pretty extravagant way of going about it. I care about Daisy more than I probably ought to and I am sick of fighting it.