ask around though, if you want."
"No, don't worry about it. I'll take a look; you just go have some fun. No sense getting all twisted if there isn't anything wrong with him."
Jake headed into the stable and made his way down the row of stalls, stopping at River's.
"Hey, baby, how're you doin'?" he asked the horse as he stepped in. River looked up at him very seriously and Jake laughed.
"Right then. Not talking to me. Got it. Just want to check you out, 'kay?" He moved carefully around the horse, sliding his hand gently up and down each leg. "So where do you hurt, baby? Not seeing anything…shift a bit would ya?" He coaxed the horse to move to the side and watched his hooves, not seeing anything. He moved to the other side and shifted him again, then saw the horse dance a little on his front left.
"What we got here, River? Let me see, c'mon," he examined River's leg and then guided the horse to lift it up so he could take a look at the hoof itself, and saw a nice chunk of rock wedged tight against the shoe. "Well, damn. That's gotta hurt." He stroked River's flank and moved off to the tack box to get a hoof pick, swearing under his breath.
He was working at the rock, talking quietly to River when he heard footsteps approaching. He didn't really think anything of it, there were people everywhere and if Elias had mentioned River to anyone, someone would have come up to lend a hand or at least see what was up.
"S'okay, baby, I got you. Gonna get rid of this for you and make you feel much better.
That's it, you'll be fine in no time, River. I'm right here, baby…"
"You talk to your women that way, Jake? Must work just fine."
Jake glanced up at Missy and smiled politely. "Not often, no."
Bareback
43
She smiled at him and held out her beer can. "Drink?"
"No, thanks." He dropped his head and went back to River's hoof, wondering how long he could drag it out before River had enough and kicked him out of the stall. Jake really didn't want to be anywhere with Missy, and hiding behind a horse was fine with him.
"You got nice words, Jake. Would work just fine on me."
Jake could hardly miss the offer and winced. Boss's daughter, half his age, half drunk, coming on to him. Yeah, this was good. He didn't say anything; if he opened his mouth the only thing that would have come out of it was the truth, and he didn't think she'd take well to being told that he thought that anything would work just fine on her.
"Women like to hear those pretty words, you know. Trust me. Talk like that to a girl and she'll be all over you."
Jake did glance up this time, and saw her flattening the front of her dress to her belly, showing off her breasts to him. She took another drink from the beer can and smiled at him.
"Your momma know you're drinking?"
She laughed. "Lord, no. Last time was more than enough for her—all right for anyone else, but not her precious little girl.” Missy rolled her eyes. “Said that if I got drunk again this summer she’d have my hide—and she didn’t say what she’d do with it.”
Jake nodded and looked back down at River’s hoof. “So that’s why you’re up here?
Hidin’ from your parents?”
“Started that way,” Missy said lightly. “Now I’m thinking the company is better here than at the dance.”
Jake didn’t know quite how to reply to that. “So, what happens if someone sees you drinkin’ up here and decides to tell your momma or your daddy?” he asked, wanting to change the subject to something that didn’t involve him.
He looked up in time to see Missy shrug. “I’ll just say it’s yours, no big deal. Not like I ain’t been yelled at before, anyway.”
Jake smiled then, a huge happy grin. "You do that, Missy." If there was one man and the planet who wouldn't believe that, it was her daddy, and he was pretty sure her mother wouldn’t buy it either. She’d be in more trouble for the lie than the beer, he figured.
"So, you going to ask me to dance later, Jake?"
Laughter
"No, don't worry about it. I'll take a look; you just go have some fun. No sense getting all twisted if there isn't anything wrong with him."
Jake headed into the stable and made his way down the row of stalls, stopping at River's.
"Hey, baby, how're you doin'?" he asked the horse as he stepped in. River looked up at him very seriously and Jake laughed.
"Right then. Not talking to me. Got it. Just want to check you out, 'kay?" He moved carefully around the horse, sliding his hand gently up and down each leg. "So where do you hurt, baby? Not seeing anything…shift a bit would ya?" He coaxed the horse to move to the side and watched his hooves, not seeing anything. He moved to the other side and shifted him again, then saw the horse dance a little on his front left.
"What we got here, River? Let me see, c'mon," he examined River's leg and then guided the horse to lift it up so he could take a look at the hoof itself, and saw a nice chunk of rock wedged tight against the shoe. "Well, damn. That's gotta hurt." He stroked River's flank and moved off to the tack box to get a hoof pick, swearing under his breath.
He was working at the rock, talking quietly to River when he heard footsteps approaching. He didn't really think anything of it, there were people everywhere and if Elias had mentioned River to anyone, someone would have come up to lend a hand or at least see what was up.
"S'okay, baby, I got you. Gonna get rid of this for you and make you feel much better.
That's it, you'll be fine in no time, River. I'm right here, baby…"
"You talk to your women that way, Jake? Must work just fine."
Jake glanced up at Missy and smiled politely. "Not often, no."
Bareback
43
She smiled at him and held out her beer can. "Drink?"
"No, thanks." He dropped his head and went back to River's hoof, wondering how long he could drag it out before River had enough and kicked him out of the stall. Jake really didn't want to be anywhere with Missy, and hiding behind a horse was fine with him.
"You got nice words, Jake. Would work just fine on me."
Jake could hardly miss the offer and winced. Boss's daughter, half his age, half drunk, coming on to him. Yeah, this was good. He didn't say anything; if he opened his mouth the only thing that would have come out of it was the truth, and he didn't think she'd take well to being told that he thought that anything would work just fine on her.
"Women like to hear those pretty words, you know. Trust me. Talk like that to a girl and she'll be all over you."
Jake did glance up this time, and saw her flattening the front of her dress to her belly, showing off her breasts to him. She took another drink from the beer can and smiled at him.
"Your momma know you're drinking?"
She laughed. "Lord, no. Last time was more than enough for her—all right for anyone else, but not her precious little girl.” Missy rolled her eyes. “Said that if I got drunk again this summer she’d have my hide—and she didn’t say what she’d do with it.”
Jake nodded and looked back down at River’s hoof. “So that’s why you’re up here?
Hidin’ from your parents?”
“Started that way,” Missy said lightly. “Now I’m thinking the company is better here than at the dance.”
Jake didn’t know quite how to reply to that. “So, what happens if someone sees you drinkin’ up here and decides to tell your momma or your daddy?” he asked, wanting to change the subject to something that didn’t involve him.
He looked up in time to see Missy shrug. “I’ll just say it’s yours, no big deal. Not like I ain’t been yelled at before, anyway.”
Jake smiled then, a huge happy grin. "You do that, Missy." If there was one man and the planet who wouldn't believe that, it was her daddy, and he was pretty sure her mother wouldn’t buy it either. She’d be in more trouble for the lie than the beer, he figured.
"So, you going to ask me to dance later, Jake?"
Laughter
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