Cowboy Love

Chapter 4

The three of us have been living here for a week now. Papa and paw-paw have filed the guardianship papers with their lawyers, the school, and here. They've enrolled Emery and I in school, too - Emery in the elementary school, and I'm doing online for my last year of high school. I didn't want to attend in-person school, as I want to be able to help more here with chores. Carson is attending online college in continuance of his business degree. 

"Em, time to leave for school," I tell him while stepping into our shared room, where I find him dressed in his blue and tan uniform with black shoes. 

"Why can't I learn from home like you?" he whines with teary eyes. 

This sparks my interest, so I gently ask; "Why, don't you like your new school?" 

His pout deepens; "No. I don't know anyone, and I haven't made any friends."

"Bud, it's only been a week, and I promise you'll make friends," I softly tell him with a bright smile. 

"Okay," he murmurs grabbing his bag from the floor. 

"Let's head out," I grin, and usher him out of the room and downstairs. 

"What about breakfast?" he pouts once we're settled into the truck. 

"We're leaving early to grab something, so where are we stopping?" I grin broadly at him while driving toward town.

"McDonald's?" he hopefully asks, bouncing in his seat. 

"Yup," I agree with a nod as I remain focused on the road; thirty minutes later, we've had breakfast, and now I'm walking him inside the school to his classroom in the 4th grade hallway. 

Stepping off to the side so we're not in the way, I squat down in front of him with a large smile; "Try to have a good day, okay? I love you, and I will be here to pick you up as soon as school is over."

He nods as we tightly hug with him murmuring into my neck; "I love you, too. Thank you for breakfast."

"You're welcome," I reply, standing up right as he turns to walk into his classroom with a tiny frown gracing his lips. 

Turning to leave, I see several adults openly staring at me, which makes me very uncomfortable. While walking away, a man falls into step next to me, which spikes my anxiety, especially since he's silent. 

"You're very good with your son," he finally says with a small smile. 

"He's my brother," I reply, looking at him from the corner of my eye. 

"Oh, so, are you single?" he asks making me stop and fully look at him with a frown; he's probably in his mid-thirties, not bad but not my type with his dark red hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes. 

"None of your business," I reply as I start walking again, quicker this time. 

The guy frowns at me; "Yes it is. Wait, do you think you're too good for me?" 

"It's not that," I reply with a sigh. "You're considerably older than me, and I'm not interested," I reply walking toward the entrance with him still in step with me. 

"You're in your twenties, and I'm 34, so what's the big deal?" he demands as we step outside. 

"I'm 17-years-old, and you're seventeen years older than me," I reply, speed walking toward my truck.

"That's not a horrible age difference," he tries to convince me. 

"Dude! Take my no and move on with your life!" I holler, yanking my truck door open and climb inside. 

As I go to slam the door shut, he grabs it with his hand as he growls; "Not happenin'. You will be mine, even by force!"

Yanking the the door from his grasp, I slam it shut; "Fuck you!"

Locking the doors, I start the truck and pull away with a scowl. Ten long minutes later, I'm home and still pissed. Turning the truck off, I climb out and slam the door shut while muttering under my breath about stupid people. Making my way inside and up to my shared bedroom, and find the two items in need that are in one of my bags. Pulling the items out, I take them outside still pissed, and lean against my truck as I light a cigarette, and let my gaze drift around the what I can see of the property with an exhale of smoke. 

"Echo James MacIntyre! What in the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" papa's voice loudly scolds. 

Snapping my head to the left, I find him stalking angrily toward me as I take another drag; "Smoking."

My head snaps to the left from papa's hard smack across my cheek; "Don't take an attitude with me, young man! Why are you smoking?" 

Bringing my eyes back to meet his blazing green eyes; "I'm stressed."

"You shouldn't smoke because you're stressed. You took Emery to school, so what's stressing about that?" he demands with his hands on his hips while we stare each other down. 

"A man hit on me while leaving the school, and wouldn't take no for an answer. He told me I would be his, even by force," I reply, never breaking eye contact with him. 

"Oh," he mumbles, some of his anger deflating from his body. "Who was it?" 

Shrugging my shoulders, I take another drag; "No idea. He's your height, 34-years-old, dark red hair, hazel eyes, and pale skin."

"That sounds like Nathan Evans," he mumbles with furrowed brows. "Still doesn't give you the right to smoke, young man."

"I know," I mutter, finishing the cigarette before putting it out on the bottom of my right shoe. 

"No smoking around Emery," he scolds. "How long have you been smoking?" 

"I would never smoke around Emery, and I don't do it often. I've been smoking about a year now," I reply, now feeling the sting on my cheek, but choose to ignore it for now. 

Heading to the horse stall, I set off working on my chore, lost in my head and all the thoughts that are racing through it. I'm so lost in my head that I don't notice Aspen leaning against the the wall of stall I'm mucking.

"What the hell happened to your face?" he demands, startling the shit out of me bad enough that I stabbed myself in the foot with the pitchfork. 

"Mother fucker!" I holler, as tears and black dots fill my vision. 

"Fuck! Don't do that!" he commands, grabbing the handle to keep the pitchfork in place when I attempt to pull it out.

"What's wrong?" Rowan demands from behind me. "I'll get Rebel."

He's gone as quick as he came. Aspen picks me up bridal style to carry me out of the stalls, and place me on the tailgate of a truck. A minute later Rebel, Rowan, and both granpa's are around us.