The Cowboy

Chapter Six: Swapping Secrets

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand uncomfortably. "I...Well...You see...My mother... Bentleigh is very important to this family. My mother always wanted a daughter. Mother and father tried and tried for another child ever since I was born.  And after 15 years of trying, my mother was pregnant with Bentleigh and everything changed. She and my father were getting along so well together. Until mother found out he was smoking pot. She told him he was ruining not only his own future, but mine too, and Bentleigh's as well. And the day she went into labor... If I had been here. If I had been home, I could've drove her to the hospital. Then she would never had gotten hit by that drunk driver and she wouldn't have missed out on four irreplaceable months of her daughter's life. Her only daughter. But no. I just HAD to be out with my friends at a party." Bailey shook his head.

"Bailey, don't beat yourself up about it. Just think about the positive. You get to see her today!" I exclaimed.

Bailey stopped and looked me right in the eyes. I froze, rethinking what had happened the previous day. That kiss... I suddenly became a little nervous as I remembered it. Surely he wouldn't kiss me now? I mean, the awkwardness would only intensify...He is a pretty good kisser though....

I mentally shook my head. Get yourself together, Jess.

He came closer to me until he was just inches from my face, his expression a bit stern.

"You don't know what its like. To have someone you love missing from your life for that long, because of your father." Bailey walked into the dog shed. I tailed after him.

"I don't know what its like? My daddy BAILED on my mother and I when he found out she lost her baby!" I shouted in frustration, instantly regretting it when I saw him register what I had just said.

"But... You're an only child?" He asked.

I fell to the ground, a tear streaming down my face. Bailey was instantly on his knees in front of me in the dark, cool shed.

"K-Karl Campbelle. He was my little brother. My mom was 7 months along. She miscarriaged. M-my dad left us just a f-few days later," I sniffed loudly.

Bailey gently wiped away my tears.

"I guess both of our fathers are bastards," Bailey whispered. "I'm so sorry I have a chance with my sister though, when you don't have a chance with your brother."

Bailey hugged me and I sobbed into his shoulder. As distressed as I was, I couldn't help but feel how perfectly we seemed to fit together. I just felt so right in his arms.

I pulled back from him, wiping my eyes with my palms.

"W-we better feed the animals. So we'll be able to see Bentleigh sooner." I said.

Bailey nodded his head and pulled me up from the ground.

...

3 hours later, I had managed to steal Bentleigh from her mothers protective grasp, and was playing peek-a-boo with her on the floor in the living room. Bailey was pretending to read the newspaper on the couch, but I could feel his eyes burning into the side of my face.

'Ya know, if you wanted to stare at my beautiful face, you could've just asked," I said, glancing at him. His face was bright red.

"I-I wasn't...I really wasn't..." He stuttered. 

I laughed at his embarrassment.

"Come over here, play with your sister." I patted the spot on the carpet next to me.

Reluctantly, Bailey picked himself up off the couch and plopped down close to me. Very close to me. I ignored it (more so to make sure I didn't embarrass myself), and centered my attention completely on the toddler laying on her belly in front of me.

She was lightly tanned, much like Bailey.  She also had dark, jet black curly hair and very distinctive green eyes. She was beautiful, for a four month old. 

She pointed a finger at me and gurgled. 

I laughed and picked her up and set her on my lap. She immediately started sucking on my thumb. 

"I think somebody's hungry," I laughed again, grabbing a baby bottle full of milk that I had made a little bit ago. 

As soon as the nipple touched her lips, she began drinking hungrily.  Bailey watched her in fascination. 

"How much is that?" He asked me,

"How much milk is in the bottle? Like 8 ounces."

"And she gets that in one feeding?" I nodded. "But she's just a tiny little thing."

"But you have to realize, this is all of the food and water she gets." I explained.

After about half an hour, Bentleigh finished her bottle and was yawning, so I decided I'd bring her upstairs to sleep.

The baby room was beautiful. Everything was pink and blue, and there were a ton of toys spewed out across the room. 

I gently layed Bentleigh down in her crib, put a pacifier in her mouth and slowly backed out of the room.

When I got back down to Bailey, he was, once again, pretending to read the paper. But as I sat down next ot him on the couch, I could, once again, feel his eyes on me. 

"I know you're looking at me," I said, watching his face turn a bright beet red. 

"That's a lie," He replied, trying to hide his face in the newspaper.

"And that's why your face is brighter than a ripe tomato?" I asked, laughing. "Anyway, your mom went shopping for baby stuff, right? Do you know when she'll be back?

"Sometime before dinner." 

I yawned, "Alright. I'm gonna take a nap then." I layed down on my half of the couch and closed my eyes.

"Wait, what? Here?" He asked. 

I nodded, yawning again. 

He got up and I fell asleep. What felt like seconds later, a blanket was covering me, and I felt warm lips touch my cheek. They lingered for several long moments and it felt as if my cheek was on fire. I smiled. 

"I need sleep, Bailey." I whispered, my eyes still shut.

After another long moment, he got up, kissed my head, and presumably left the room. 

______________________

550 reads and 12 votes despite the fact I haven't uploaded in 3 months?!?! You have no clue how happy that makes me feel!! I thought this story was terrible! (:

If anything doesn't make sense, please tell me. I kinda read the story again this weekend before writing this smidgen of a chapter. I just got in the mood, and yeah...

As for the video one the side, 1D is amazaynnnnn. I'm obsessed!! Harry Potter and One Direction are my two obsessions. (: 

-Brewski