The Cowboy & His Angel (Complete)

The Feeling Of Hope

Jasper POV

The tiny pixie of a young woman sat at the bar, feet dangling in the air as she idly drummed her fingers. She was obviously waiting on something or someone.
Her emotions were calming, like a serene, crystal clear pool of water. I relished in them, wishing for the same peace and happiness.
But there was also more powerful emotions, bubbling just beneath the surface. She was on edge, anxious and impatient. I wondered what the matter was, why this bubbly woman was so strung up.
I mused various situations in my head, trying to figure out why she was so impatient. Then a breeze blew in, carrying scents of humans and their beating hearts, blood rushing through their veins, and that's when everything changed. She was a vampire!
I tensed immediately, instinctively cautious, as she slid from her barstool and lithely danced over to me. Quickly scanning the air for any suspicious emotions, I surprisingly discovered that there was no hostility. That didn't stop my 'fight or flight' from triggering.
Being with Maria for almost a century had taught me quite a few things. Just because the emotions around me were calm, didn't mean it wasn't a trick. Simply because I thought I could trust someone didn't mean I could. When someone swore they loved you, no matter what, didn't mean they didn't lie.
She was a beauty, that was for sure. She stood at 5 foot, if that, and had inky black hair in a pixie cut that accented her look. Her hands were tiny, clutched into little fists at her sides. I feared that if touched, she would fall into a thousand pieces. She looked so fragile! Her smile lit up the room, the biggest grin for the tiniest person.
She had the grace of one thousand prima ballerinas, yet was so much more than that. She was a dancer, floating on air and not even realizing it. The mere way she moved captivated me as I yearned to join her in the art of the dance.
They immediately enraptured me, drawing me closer, as I stared down at her. Her eyes! They were warm, soft, like the sweetest, richest caramel. I stood, dumbfounded as to why her eyes were butterscotch. They held me in place, big and innocent, as she smiled softly up at me. I could stare into them all day, every day, for eternity, and never grow tired. I never thought anything could be more precious than those beautiful, innocent eyes that were full of so much life. That was until she spoke, the angels envying her voice.
"You've kept me waiting for quite some time."
It dawned on me then that for whatever reason, this beautiful young woman had known I was coming. And she had waited on me. As I smiled down at her, two thoughts floated to the front of my brain, which I could have sworn was struck down dead by the sight of her as she stood so innocently in front of me.
The first was this: Why me? The second: Who on earth would leave this woman to wait?
Sweeping into as graceful a bow as I could manage, I pulled my cowboy hat fluidly from my head. "My apologies, ma'am."
She giggled, the sound like the tinkling of bells, as I smiled wryly at her. Inhaling deeply, she held out her tiny hand, eyes as big and innocent as they could possibly get.
Gently placing my hand in hers, my entire world came to a standstill at the perfection of that first touch. She was made for me, as I was her.
That much was true as I stared down at our hands, mine huge in comparison to her fragile looking one. The way her hand fit into mine, clasped so tightly, holding it as if it were a lifeline.
Nothing could be more perfect than the delicate, pixie-like woman standing beside me. She gently pulled me out the door, smiling all the way.
As we stepped out into the light rain that continued to fall, for the first time in a century, a sense of peace and hope fell over me.