Cowgirls Don't Cry

Ch 7

Chapter 7

Lynn,

                Kip went to bed twenty minutes ago. I'm still sitting on the couch watching an old episode of Friends, listening to Bear snore. I'm contemplating turning the TV off and heading to bed when Bear jumps up and starts barking. Someone's on the porch. My blood freezes, and a million thoughts run through my mind, all at once.

Who is it? Is it Kip? Where is Kip? Can he hear me if I scream? Where is daddy's gun?

Whoever is on the porch knocks on the door, bear starts growling, I slowly walk to the door.

"Lynn?"

The breath I'm holding in rushes out. It's Colt. I touch Bears head and he sits, but I can tell he is still on guard. I open the door leaving the screen closed and locked.

"Hey," he smiles at me but it doesn't calm my nerves.

"Why are you here Colt?" I ask, Bear comes to the screen, sniffing at Colt.

"Well, we had plans" he smiles again, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's a little late to fix the fence now, ain't it?"

"Yea, a client's mare started foiling and I had to stay" I hold myself against the cold, "I didn't have your number so I couldn't call you, thought it best to come explain myself in person."

"You could have called Kip" I feel myself softening to him.

"But then I wouldn't have gotten to see your face." He smiles again, and despite myself I feel myself smiling back. He knows he's hot, and it bugs me that I'm attracted to him.

"Well," I say looking away, trying to hide my blush, "you explained yourself"

"Are you not going to let me in?" he asks, legitimately sounding surprised.

"That wouldn't really be appropriate now would it?" I say biting my lip. I'm about to say something else when I hear an engine start. Colt looks around the side of the house, I step onto the porch just as Kips truck takes off up the drive.

"I thought he went to bed," I saw, more to myself than to Colt.

"Obviously not," Colt laughs.

Suddenly, despite myself, I feel alone. Back at school being alone in my apartment was a blessing, but here it felt foreign, alone, scary. I look at bear who has returned to his sleeping spot, happy Kip left him in here.

"You ok?" Colt asks. That's when I realize I was just staring at the drive, looking for taillights that were no longer there.

"Sorry," I smile shyly, "I'm not really use to being alone here."

"I could keep you company if you want," he smiles, but it's a different smile than his cocky one, this one actually looks genuine, and for a second I consider letting him in, but decide against it.

"I was actually just about to go to bed" I step back into the house, but I leave the screen open while we talk.

"Ok," he smiles again, all the playfulness gone from his voice, leaving just him and me, talking. "I promise ill come over tomorrow to fix the fence. Seven sound good?"

"Sounds great" I smile at him.

"See you then," he backs off the porch, "Good night, Miss Lynn."

I bite my lip, watching as he climbs in his truck. I wait until his headlights disappear past the woods before I close the door. For the first time in my life I lock up. Screen door, front door, back door, windows. The lock on the back door sticks a little, due to not being locked in 15 plus years. I call bear up to my room, putting a pillow on the floor for him, making sure he was settled before I crawl into my own bed. I lay in bed listening to Bear snore, and the wind blow through the trees outside, unable to sleep. I lay awake until I finally hear Kips truck role in around 1 am, only then do I slip into a peaceful sleep.