Landmine - Post Malone

16

She knows her suspicions were right when they pull up to the new house and all the men are standing near a truck getting their rifles ready. "Stay," Austin warns then climbs out and walks over to them. Dillon watches as Austin speaks to Louis who peeps over his shoulder at Dillon for a second. She feels like a snitch and bites her bottom lip to try and stop the cry that's threatening in her chest. They probably all hate her now. The sun has only just risen and this day is fucked already. Dead heifers and their babies, the men hating her and Austin angry at her - can't get more shit than this. She wants to wish she had just gone back to the trailer like Austin asked, but she doesn't regret foiling Austin's plans.

After the men begrudgingly put their rifles away and disperse to work on their normal daily tasks, Austin walks back to the truck and climbs in. He does not look at her, nor does he say a thing before he starts his truck and heads off toward the shed where the heifers once were. "Stay," he mumbles as he stops in front of it then climbs out and grabs the box he keeps his tools in when he checks the heifers. Again, he is silent when he climbs back into the truck and heads to the heifers that are in the new field. He still says nothing when he gets to them, then climbs out of the truck and walks off to the heifers, leaving her in the truck. There is only a handful of them left, and it hurts Dillon's heart. She climbs out and cuddles the sweet mamas that are left once Austin is done with them and moves on to the next.

"This one is hurt..." she whispers pointing to one he had not gotten to yet. He lifts his head and looks over at it with a frown, then lets go of the heifer he was busy with and walks over to it, then inspects the wound. "In my truck is a medical box behind my seat. Will you get it for me please, darlin'," he mumbles, pouring water over the wound. Excited that he is not ignoring her anymore and calling her darling, she runs off to his truck and comes back with the medical box.

"Is she going to be OK?"

"Yes," he mumbles checking her over and fixing her up. He is not about to start a three thousand-word conversation with her, that's just who he is, and she can feel the wall he has put up - it burns her chest. So she steps away from him while he works on the injured heifer and wonders between the herd. She smiles when she sees George, that ghost horse survived. "Look at you go George. You put up a fight, didn't you? Good boy," she whispers, wrapping her arms around his raggedy old neck and hugging him. "He is so mad at me right now and I want to be mad back. But, all I am is sad," she whispers and then has herself a little cry. After a little while, she hears Austin call for her, so she hugs George a little tighter before letting him go and walks out of the herd to Austin, who is loading up the truck.

Not surprisingly, he says nothing to her as they climb into the truck and head off down one of the ranch roads then pulls up to the construction site of the new ranch house. "We will be here till lunch," he says, then promptly parks the truck, climbs out and walks off. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Dillon climbs out of the truck and heads into the construction site. No one strikes up a conversation with her, but they don't outright ignore her either, and they are not mean; they just seem in their own heads. She gets busy helping with the fireplace by moving river rocks closer to the guys who have started cementing them into place. They show her how to cement them in and give her a chance to lay a few. They are nice about it, but short with her.

She holds stuff for people too. She held nails and the hammer for a guy who was working on a beam and she held sheets of glass for a guy measuring a few windows. Austin also presents her with three planks of wood that have different stains on them, mumbling about floor choices. She points to a medium stain that keeps the wood looking as natural as possible and suggests a matt finish instead of a gloss. She hates gloss finishes, too shiny. He does not comment or joke or even hint at a smile. He simply gives her a tight nod and walks off. When lunchtime rolls around, she is happy to see Becky because she is the only friendly face she has seen all day. Becky offers her a sympathetic smile as she hands her a sandwich and a drink.