Heck of a kiss

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

“Are you and Amy a couple now?”

Josh, who was about to take a bite of steak sputtered and looked at Jabe who was sitting across the table from him. Coughing into his fist, Josh met Jabe’s sober eyes.

“No, why did you think that?”

“You were eating ice cream with her.”

Pausing before answering, Josh shrugged wearily. “That was not what it seemed. After we helped them, they wouldn’t let us go.”  Jabe looked down at his dinner and nodded. Slowly Josh leaned against the table eyes locked on Jabe’s face.

“Do you still care about her?”

“I don’t know.”

“She still cares about you.”

                                               

       ~~~~~~

In mere moments the huge arena would be chock full of people all screaming and hooting as cowboy after cowboy clung to the back of huge angry bulls or horses each hoping to win the prize. At the moment only the officials and some cowboys occupied the dirt arena and the stands surrounding it.

Standing beside the chutes, Josh was dressed in the red and black shirt and the shorts as was customary for the rodeo clowns. Already he could feel the sweat dripping down his back, beneath the protective vest he was required to wear. His face was once again painted, blue stripes running down both cheeks and red around his eyes because he was too lazy to try anything more elaborate. Quickly he surveyed the arena. On the opposite side, the choir who were going to sing the national anthem were warming up. The barrel racers were saddling up and putting the finishing touches of makeup on their faces. Standing on the other side were the sound techs and judges, as well as the animal handlers.

Over in the back of the practice area, Tucker and Amy were saddling up and practicing their roping. Amy was once again bedecked in her pick-up man attire, effectively hiding her gender, her hat firmly placed on her head, her hair tucked in the back of her shirt.

Walking over, Josh tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey Jed.”

Quickly she looked over her shoulder, seeing who it was, she jerked her chin in greeting before turning back to cinching Dancer. Carefully pushing the extra leather through the tie strap holder, a small, wide piece of leather with a slit in it, Amy tugged it until it was snug, then she moved on to checking her stirrups.

“You know, maybe if you were a little friendlier people might not think you were so weird.”

Josh couldn’t see her roll her eyes, but he was sure she did as she replied. “I have more important things to do than worry about what other people think.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t end with just talking.”

Amy stopped what she was doing and just stood, her hands resting on the seat of the saddle. Without turning, she said. “Well, the last time someone tried to make a big deal about it, I punched him in the face.”

Biting back a smile at her slightly proud tone, Josh answered. “I saw that.”

Finally she turned, the corners of her mouth turned down in an attempt not to smile, she swung the reins over Dancer’s head and mounted telling him as she moved away. “Yeah, I gotta go practice now. See you later. Good luck out there, don’t die.”