Justin: Cowboy At Heart

Part 4

            The cowgirl pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her arms.  Normally she would enjoy the cool breeze ruffling her hair and the crickets chirping in the distance.  The moon was coming up over the mountains and illuminating the small park.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was a perfect Montana evening.

            “Dusti?” Kayla asked gently, making the girl jump a bit. “Sorry.”

            Dusti shook her head, her brown Akubra casting a shadow over her eyes.  “It’s fine.  I’ve been jumpy all day.”

            “Is it because of Justin?”

            Dusti sighed deeply.  “Surely you don’t want to hear all my problems after your long flight.”

            “Of course I do.  What are friends for?  Besides, I want to cheer you up so we can have some fun later.”

            She actually chuckled softly.  Somehow Kayla and Abigail could always get her to smile even when she was upset.  Dusti took a couple calming breaths before launching into everything.  There was no sense in putting it off.  It would only make it worse as she had longer to dwell on it.  Kayla sat quietly and listened while Dusti vented her frustrations about seeing Justin again and her brother’s upcoming wedding as well as her parents’ reactions and questions.

            “Alright, now I see why you were so upset on the phone.  I have an idea.  Let’s get a hotel room for the night.  We can buy some ice cream and rent chick flicks and stay up all night talking.”

            Dusti looked at her friend in shock.  “Really?  I could really use a girls’ night.”

            “Let’s get out of here, order a pizza, and pig out,” Kayla said, getting to her feet and holding her hand down to her friend.

            Dusti smiled slightly and let Kayla pull her to her feet.  The two friends headed back to the parking lot to get their cars and find a good hotel for the night.

~*~

            Justin watched, his heart breaking, as Kayla guided Dusti away.  What was he doing?  Getting in an argument with her?  Blaming her for everything?  Sheesh, what was he?  Five?  He had acted childish, but he wasn’t ready to apologize.  He wasn’t quite sure about his reaction to seeing Dusti again and nearly holding her in his arms.  It confused him that he had wanted nothing more then to kiss her, like he had when they were younger.

            The cowboy shook his head, trying to clear it.  He scrubbed at his face before heading back inside.  He needed something to take his mind off Dusti and his own feelings.  What he would really like is a long ride on Sahara, but he was going to have to settle for the next best thing.  He walked back into the Cattle Crossing, not watching anyone as he headed for the dance floor.

            He could feel his siblings watching him in shock as he walked by their table.  Justin knew he hadn’t been real talkative that day and he planned on making up for that now.  He b-lined for a pretty redhead that had been making eyes at him all night and asked her to dance.  He had a feeling that his sister was going to demand answers later, but for now he was going to let the redhead help him forget.

4

            Justin stepped out of his black, extended cab Lariat, leaving it parked below the old cabin that had been the original homestead when his great grandparents had first started Whispering Pines.  He pocketed his keys as he slowly made his way up the overgrown pathway.  The cabin held both good and bad memories for him.  He had hid here after his grandfather had passed away and he had also kissed Dusti for the first time under the apple tree out behind the cabin.

            Justin shook his head, quickly dispelling that image.  He shouldn’t have even been thinking about that kiss.  It had been years ago and if last week was any sort of hint than Dusti didn’t want anything to do with him anyhow.  He scrubbed his face, cursing himself for even thinking about their time together.  It had been years ago and he had messed up.  He had never regretted his past until now.  He swore under his breath as he kicked angrily at the porch step.  Why did she have to come back into his life?  He hadn’t been able to concentrate and he knew he had been butchering up his practices with Colt.  Not to mention every time he walked into the barn he was greeted by Blaze and Blue, which only made him start thinking about HER all over again.

            He growled in frustration and jogged up the two steps to reach the porch.  He had come out to the cabin, not only to make sure everything was in working order so he could move back in, but also to forget Dusti.  He needed to get his head out of the clouds and back into life.  Now that he was home it was his job to over see the daily care of the cattle along with the buying and selling of more.  He couldn’t do that if he kept letting thoughts of Dusti get to him.

            The cowboy opened the old, wooden front door, his senses instantly being swarmed by the smell of pine and wood smoke.  Apparently one of his family members had come up recently to check on the cabin.  Just looked around and got a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach.  The cabin was just the same as he remembered it.  After his grandfather had died when he was ten he had begged and pleaded with his parents not to change anything.  They had finally given in and since then either his mother or his sister helped him keep up on it.

            Justin slipped his black hat off and hung it on the hook by the door.  He left his boots on as he walked through the cabin, letting the familiar sounds and smells relax him.  He ran his hand along the back of the old leather sofa as he headed for the small kitchen.  There was a beautiful, hand woven rug in front of the stone fireplace that his grandmother had made along with an oak coffee table with leaves and horseshoes carved into it.  His father had made it for his grandparents’ anniversary when he was in high school.  Justin smiled as he recalled all the stories from his father’s childhood, although he didn’t know much about his mother’s.  He didn’t think much of it though as he had problems of his own to deal with.

            He stepped into the kitchen, noticing that there wasn’t a spot of dust anywhere.  He chuckled a bit.  Gina and Shayna had been busy.  He would have to remember to thank them.  Justin turned from the kitchen with its round table and four chairs along with a sink, stove, and refrigerator, heading back into the living room.  He’d check the two bedrooms in a few minutes.  Right now he just wanted to relax.  He collapsed on the couch and put his feet up, putting his hands behind his hand.  Before long he had fallen into a blissfully dreamless sleep.