Cowboys & Nightmares

Chapter Six

I heard the door unlock, then footsteps. A hand touched my shoulder, and I jumped. "Get away!" I screamed, scrambling away as sobs tore from my throat. "Everyone, just get away!"

In between sobs, I heard footsteps around me. But I wasn't touched, and I cried until I had no more tears to cry. Slowly, everything came back into focus.

Soaked in sweat, I was curled up with my back to the couch, pressing into it as if it was my life line. My face felt red and puffy, and my throat was raw from sobbing. I was a mess, and felt as if everything was crumbling. There was nothing I could do except whimper on the floor.

A pair of cowboy boots came into view, then Dune's face. Concern lined his face, but he said nothing as he offered me a glass of water. Taking it, I managed a few sips before my hand was shaking too much. But it was enough. I started to sit up, clearing my throat. "Thank you," I rasped.

He helped me steady myself, placing a hand gently on my arm. A half-smile was on his face, one that didn't meet his eyes, but his touch was soft and warm. Slowly, his hand travelled up my shoulder, stopping on my neck. I shivered, the memory of the hands holding me still a little too fresh. But I held still, my eyes locked with his. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I probably look like a mess, and sound like one, too."

He let out a small breath through his nose, like a laugh, as he took his hand off of my neck to offer it to me. We stood up together, me feeling very embarrassed while he just smiled. I took a few shaky steps into my room, his footsteps following until they reached the threshold.

I turned to him. "I'll be okay, Dune. I'm not going to spontaneously detonate or something."

Something about the way one eyebrow cocked and his smile stayed on his face said that he doubted that. Instinctively, my defenses began to put up the wall, and I huffed. "Look," I started, "I don't need looking after. I've taken care of myself for this long. I've been through stuff you couldn't even imagine. So I'm sorry that I'm such a burden to you. I'm sorry I'm not perfect."

Dune's face became a stone wall. Everything went rigid, and I could feel the tension in the air sealing his lips. But even though his posture spoke hostility, his eyes told another story. Within those beautiful blue pools, I saw pain, betrayal; almost the exact same look I'd seen etched in my father's eyes in the dream.

I turned, realizing how much I'd hurt him. "I'm sorry." I didn't look up, so he couldn't see the pain reflected back at him. It was no more than a few seconds before I heard his footsteps walking away.

*

A week passed quickly, then another, as Boss moved my jobs up from mucking stalls to grooming and bathing. All the horses had their quirks, but my favorite was still Arion. His demeanor was quiet, but he was always alert and attentive. As I spent more time with him, I learned how to use my body language to communicate more than my voice. He preferred touch over a commanding voice, which wasn't surprising after looking at his trainer.

Dune avoided me after my spat with him, leaving before I woke up, and coming in while I wasn't there at night. I never saw him while working, though occasionally I could almost feel his gaze as I took care of Arion. I missed the easy way we'd interacted those first few days. I continued to be tormented by the same old dreams, and while he never came in to check on me, there was always coffee waiting when I walked out. Joe was helping with cattle a lot, so it was rare for me to see him, either. Even Ronnie seemed to be leaving me alone.

I'd almost forgotten about my run-in with the drunk until about three weeks later, when I was walking out of the mess hall to retire. It was still pretty early, with golden light from the setting sun pouring through the windows.

"Hey, Sweetheart," he drawled as he sauntered up. The alcohol was overwhelming, and I suppressed a gag. I'd heard around the yard that the drunk, Leroy, was never sober. In that moment, I believed every word.

"My name isn't Sweetheart," I returned icily, trying to continue to the bunkhouse. But he tripped in front of me.

"How would you like to take me for a spin?" He continued as he grabbed my hand. "I can perform pretty well. I bet you have never been in bed with a man like me before," he slurred the words like the beer inside his gut was sloshing with each step. "I bet I can do real well for ya," he said as he licked his lips, glancing over me. I leaned away as he reached for a strand of hair laying over my shoulder. "Better than what Dune could do. Whadd'ya say?"

One moment, I was trying hard not to vomit between the pervert in front of me and the memories that his grip was pulling up. The next, Leroy was lying a few feet from me, his nose leaking blood. Dune stood over him, his fists clenched so tight they were pale. It was almost eerie the way the golden sun stretched his long shadow across the still form on the ground. Slowly, he turned his head to look at me. His smouldering blue eyes looked me over, as if to make sure he hadn't done anything. When he'd seen that I was okay, he strode toward the bunkhouse.

I took one last glance at Leroy before hastily following my bunk mate. He must have sensed when I was closing in on him, because he didn't shut the door all the way. When I stepped inside, he was sitting on the couch, looking expectantly at me over his evening coffee.

Before I could stop it, words began spilling from my mouth. "I am so sorry. I never should have snapped at you. It's just that I'm so used to blocking people, and not letting anyone in. It has been a long time since I've had anyone who I could trust, and I want to trust you, Dune. I really do. I shouldn't have been so mean, you were just concerned, and I haven't had anyone genuinely concerned for me in a while, either..."

As I kept blubbering, he slowly put his mug down on the side table, then stood up. By the time I was repeating myself, he was standing in front of me. He stared, straight-faced, until I finally stopped. He didn't say anything, just raised his arms the slightest bit, turning his palms up.

I collapsed into his embrace, his hard chest against my cheek a small comfort. It had been a long time since I'd been held like he was holding me, and I invited it as I wrapped my arms a little tighter around him. He smelled of the horses, but also of aftershave, with the slightest tinge of coffee as he sighed into my hair. His hand rubbing circles in my back made me melt into him a little more. I realized that even though I'd only really been close to him for a day before I'd snapped at him, the solace that came with his presence was something that I didn't want to go without. "I missed you," I whispered into his chest. "Please forgive me."

His curled finger raised my chin until I looked into his eyes. His lapis pools gleamed as he slowly nodded, his dimple appearing as he gave a small smile. 

^^^

I am SO sorry I'm late! When I wasn't running around Indiana this weekend, I was studying!! But, hey, I think I did well on my exam, so yay!!

Well? Any ideas as to what's going on with Dune and Rylie? Also, don't think Ronnie is out of the picture yet; he's too crafty to just let the frame sneak away from him.

Also, this may be a no-brainer, but any fan art you have will be greatly appreciated! (Plus, if I figure out how to do it, I'll add it to the story!)

P.S. This chapter is dedicated to @the_names_stephany for voting on The Time Giver. Thanks a lot, Steph! If you haven't read it yet, you really should. It may not be a classic romance, but it's still about developing relationships...and of course, horses.

Until next week, Peeps!