Stealing the Cowboy's Heart

Chapter 6: 4th of July

*****Annika

I was asleep until I felt a very heavy person jump on my back. "Uh, get off Hannah!" I groaned and she chuckled.

"Nope," she spread out across my body her feet hanging off the bed. "Not until you get up for the parade."

"I'm fucking up!" I growled at my best friend as I sat up and she was flung to the floor.

"Ow," she rubbed her butt and I glared at her. "Damn, still not a morning person I see."

"No, shit, Sherlock." I rolled my eyes and threw a pillow at her head. "Now, out."

"Whatever," she groaned and stood. "Get dressed, your mom needs your help with the float."

"Fine," I groaned as I climbed out of bed and stripped of my long shirt. I pulled on a pair of black leather pants, a black tank top, and pulled my hair into a pong tail. I went to the bathroom and put on mascara, eyeliner, and a pale brown lipstick before exiting my bathroom and tied my brown boots up. I put on a brown watch and a brown necklace before slipping on my brown, leather jacket. I grabbed my brown purse and headed downstairs, my hair bouncing as I went down the stairs. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," she popped the 'p' as she hopped up from the couch. I climbed into my truck while she drove her Cadillac. A few minutes later and we pulled into the spots reserved for those in the parade. I hopped down from my truck and met Hannah at the gazebo. "Where's your mom?"

"Don't know," I looked around but I didn't spot my mom. Rowland stood with Duke and Kaden as the looked around the floats. I felt my my cheeks heat up as I looked at Rowland remembering how hot I felt back at the lake. "Hey, Han, how do I look?"

"You look fine. Why do you... Oh I see. Take off the jacket and take your hair down." I did and threw my jacket into her Cadi. "Now what?"

"Come on," we walked towards the boys and my confidence wavered as Rowland's blue eyes darkened as he looked at me. "Hey, Duke." I swung my arm around his neck and kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick print on it. "I need your help with something." I started to drag a very confused Duke away.

"Uh, hi, Annika." I turned slightly and smiled sweetly at Rowland.

"Oh, hey Rowland." I flipped my hair over my shoulder and I could tell I was slightly pissing him off. His eyes darkened and his fists were clenched. "Anyway, I gotta go." I dragged Duke away and he started to chuckle.

"You're playing with fire, Anni." He smiled at me as I found my mother.

"Well, so is he."

******

The parade was amazing and I couldn't be prouder of my best friend. She sang on my mom's float, she has an amazing voice but she doesn't really show it. The 4th of July carnival was in full swing and I was at the ball toss with Duke. "He's gonna get back at you, you know?"

"I'd love for him to try." I threw the ball and it hit all three bottles. I threw my arms up in the air and the man handed me a huge bunny. "Thanks." We walked to where cotton candy was being sold when we ran into Hannah, Kaden, and Rowland. "Oh, Hannah, dearest, I won you this bunny as a sign of my love for you."

"Well, thank you, Annika, my love." She took it gracefully until we couldn't help it and we doubled over in laughter.

"You two think you're so funny." Kaden shook his head and Hannah stuck her tongue out at him. My mature best friend everyone!

"We are, now suck it, Baker." She whipped her hair in his face then walked away, looping her arms with Duke's. Kaden let out an frustrated groan as he walked after them and I realized I was alone with Rowland. I turned to leave when I felt him grip my upper arm and drag me away from the crowd. We slipped behind the school where there was no one and my back pressed against it's brick wall.

"I see what you're doing." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You're trying to get me alone so you can kill me. Well, there are a lot of people who will know I'm missing so you might as well let me go." I laughed but he didn't, he didn't even smirk like I thought he would.

"You think you're extremely funny, don't you?" I nodded slowly, thinking this was a trick question. "Let me guess, pay back for the lake?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I stated innocently and he chuckled deeply, causing a shiver to race down my spine.

"You can't play innocent with me, little Annika." He leaned into me and his lips grazed my ear, making it very hard to breath. "I grew up with you, remember? You are far from being the innocent, goodie two shoes everyone thought you were."

"I," I gulped as his teeth grazed my collar bone. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Let me ask, how innocent are you, little Annika?" He whispered as one hand slid from the wall to grip my hip tightly. I gave a small yelp and I could feel his smirk against my bare shoulder. "I didn't hear an answer." His lips trailed up my neck to my jawline where he nipped at it. I sucked in a breath when I felt the calloused hand that once gripped my hips trail under my tank top to rest on my lower back, pushing me closer to him. "How innocent, my little Annika?" I wanted to come unglued right there but someone cleared there throat and Rowland released me, taking a few steps back

"So that's the girlfriend?" I turned to the high pitched voice and if my head wasn't swimming I would've corrected the blonde that stood with her arms over her fake chest. Hannah's gonna be pissed when she sees the fake blonde, she was a natural one so she hated it when others died their hair that way.

"Jenna?" The teasing tone was gone from Rowland's voice and I missed his warmth, I was having trouble breathing at the moment. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you really had a girlfriend or if you were playing hard to get?" The blonde looked me up and down then scrunched her nose in disgust. "You can do so much better."

"I'm sorry, what?" Suddenly I didn't feel so light headed.

"You heard me," she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Well he definitely shouldn't date you." Her eyes grew big, "let me guess your daddy bought you those." I pointed to her breasts and her face instantly went red. "Do me a big favor and fuck off." I stepped toe to toe with her. "Do not come to my home town and insult me, Malibu Barbie." I didn't look back at Rowland as I walked away, my fists clenched and my blood boiling.