Billie and Brandon: Untamed

10

"Billie, where are you going to get a fancy dress? Much less, one similar to what the other women will wear?" Ezra asked.

"I think I know who to ask." Billie responded. Her mother. No doubt, Maggie had several dresses, and since Billie was somewhat the same size as her, it would make sense to ask. She'd have to see her again sometime that evening.

As Billie pondered when to dismiss herself from their meeting and find some way to go to speak to Maggie, a woman with long brown locks walked to their table, crouching next to Ezra and running her hand along his arm. Her dress was so unbelievably small that it looked like it was pinching her half to death. Billie had seen her around before, servicing various men on occasion. Usually, she worked as a hostess. Sheriff Holstein, whenever he came, was always gawking or leering at her.

"Hey you..." she said, kissing Ezra's cheek, "Heard you got arrested again. I thought I told you to be careful."

"Drew, I've been looking for you." He replied, a wide, happy grin on his face. "You don't have work today?"

"Nope. Not today. Let me buy you a drink, baby."

She sauntered away, and Ezra tipped his hat at them in farewell before standing up from his seat and following her to the bar, smiling like a love sick fool.

Billie frowned questioningly at Brandon. He seemed unphased by the interruption.

"She seems really nice."

Brandon shook his head in disdain, "Ezra's acting like an idiot."

"Who is she?"

"Drew Atwood. The love of Ezra's life."

"Is she the woman he keeps talking about?"

Brandon nodded silently, watching the surrounding area as a few more people walked by. Billie took a long swig of her drink, a little nervous at being left alone in Brandon's presence. He wasn't intimidating in any way whatsoever, but no doubt, he was a little edgy, and quite frankly, unpredictable. In all the months she'd seen him working on the Donahoe's horse, she had always assumed he was just a quiet, typical horse hand who spent his days working on ranches and fending off the pursuits of attracted women. She could not have been more wrong.

Clearly Brandon was someone vastly different. Someone potentially dangerous and obviously a little deranged since the only thing he could think about was revenge.

Feeling she was watching him, he turned back to her, a brow raised in question. She cleared her throat, knocking back the rest of her drink in an attempt to cover up the fact that she had been "examining the male specimen" as Zoe liked to say. It unnerved her to no end how every time Brandon looked at Billie, it felt as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Or could easily figure it out. Billie rarely became ruffled or affected by various things, but his gaze was nerve wracking. Damn he pissed her off.

"What's their story?" Billie asked, distracting herself from his brown gaze by scuffing the table with her fingernail.

"They were childhood friends. Ezra wants to marry her, but her father's pawn shop went deep into debt after he took on a loan from the mayor so the old coot ran off with what was left of his money. She's been forced in this business ever since" He gestured to her clothing with his bottle, "So what's the deal with the whole get up?"

She rose a brow at him, meeting his gaze briefly, "Do you think it would be normal if an unmarried maiden was seen in a dirty saloon talking to two cowboys?"

"I guess not." he replied, leaning back in his chair, "But what I was really asking was why do you even come to this saloon? Most women wouldn't be caught dead walking out and about at dusk, much less, into a place like this."