Wondering Why ~ [ INCOMPLETE ]

02 - Waylon

~ Catalina

~ Saturday ~

"What the hell am I supposed to wear to a rodeo?" I curse quietly into the phone.

"Oh girl don't worry! I gotchu!" Dakota's voice cheered over the phone and I laugh softly.

"I'm on my way now, we can go shopping locally."

"Alright but I pay for my own stuff."

"Nah girl I gotchu."

"You sure?"

"Ofcourse!"

"Should I wear my white Nikes?"

"I mean sure, if you're alright with them getting dirty as hell."

"Oh ofcourse I am. I prefer a little Splash of nature over cleanliness anyways."

"Jeez, girl, I love you. Cmon out, I'm pulling in now!"

"On my way!" I hang up, tying my shoes and jumping out the door. I head downstairs and out the front, seeing that big white ram parked right out front.

I smile and run up to the door, hopping inside. All the windows, and the sunroof were open. "Hey Catty!" Catty. A nickname that Dakota threw on me.

I grin and buckle up as she pulls out of the parkinglot. "Hey Kota. Where are we going?"

"Mall strip on the end of town, Boot barn..." She grinned at me. "Gonna get you a country crop top and some Seven's flare jeans, hon. Get you a man."

Yeah. I told Dakota about my love life. I've only ever dated one man; Andrew. Toxic, abusive, and was just never kind with me.

"Kota, you don't have to.. you know I can find someone on my own."

"Oh I know you can. And I know that using clothes to enhance your looks just ain't your thing... but don't think of it as that."

I look at her, she keeps her eyes on the road as she talks to me.

"I try to think of it as.. well, not anything. But getting new clothes that fit me well helps me feel better about myself. And even my brother has stated several times that when I'm in an outfit that makes me feel good, I'm more outgoing." She looks at me and back at the road ahead. "Maybe that could work for you, too."

I smile softly. "Thank you, Dakota. This means a lot."

"Any time! Here we are, let's get you some good fits!" She parks the truck and shuts it off, hopping out, I follow suit. We walk into the store together, and I could swear we're in this strip mall area for several hours.

Now we're in the family sized dressing room at Boot Barn. We've gotten several different pairs of clothing already, but now I'm trying on clothes for tonight.

She gasps and I jump a little. "That! Is! Perfect! Perfect." Her smile covers her face, a grin from ear to ear. 

She pushes a hat onto my head. Flatbill 'Red Dirt' hat. Black netting, and the front off-white.

A matching off-white sweater, "Coors Cowboy" printed on the front with a bronc rider. It was a croptop fit, exposing the Diamond belly button ring I had.

Light, pale Seven's flare jeans that fit me perfectly. Low-cut, showing even more of my waist and stomach. Light brown cowgirl boots with a two inch heel that made me 6 foot tall.

She smiled and clasped her hands together. "How do You feel?"

I look at myself in the mirror and turn a little. My sports bra hides my budt size beneath the cropped sweater, but the jeans seem to highlight she shape of my rear and thighs. I grin a little, as the tattoo on my lower back is showing. "FAITH" is tattooed on my spine just above the rim of my jeans, in a crisp cursive writing. The T was a big Cross.

I smile and look at her. "I feel great, actually."

"Great! Oh now all we need is a little makeup and some hair. Cmon." She left the room for me to change and I went out to her. After purchasing, we went out to the truck and headed back to the motel.

The only makeup we did was mascara, lip gloss and a little eyeliner. Then she dampened my hair and let it dry, letting it wave and curl naturally. I put my new Red Dirt hat on, looking at my outfit in the mirror. "Are You Sure, Kota? I look like a buckle bunny."

"Well. Buckle bunnies aren't determined by dress. They're determined by a mixture of how they dress, and their attitude and work ethic. You, honey, are not a buckle bunny. If anyone seems to think so, you show em whos Boss, or get me, Aight?"

"Ha, ofcourse." I chuckle lightly, standing.

"Cmon. Starts in an hour, catty. Let's go!" She grabs onto my hand and I get my boots on, following her out the door. "I wanna drive you. We gotta pick up my brother tho."

"I can drive myself, it's fine."

"Nah you don't wanna drive that car into the rodeo grounds.. trust me." She opens the passenger door for me.

I grin a bit. "Ah." I haul myself up into the ram, buckling in tight.

We get on the road, and it's only a fifteen minute drive to her farm. She uses her phone to unlock and open the front gate and roll through the front.

"Shit— I Gotta get something from my room. Waylon should be out at the back of the garage by his work rig. Could you get him?"

"Oh ofcourse! You go ahead." I drop down out of the truck as she parks it and runs inside. I walk around to the back of the garage, looking around. "Waylon?" I look around, not seeing anyone. I slowly turn on my steps, and as I turn around I nearly run into a man. I jump back a little.

"You must be Catalina?" His voice is deep and gravely, his accent is thicker than Dakota's but thankfully easier to understand now that I'm used to her dialect.

"Uh.. yeah, how do you-?..." I anxiously fidget with my hands as I take a few steps back from him. "..We are here to pick you up to go to the rodeo, but she had to run inside.."

His eyes stuck to me. Observing me like a leopard evaluating the enemy. "Did she take the keys in with her?"

"No, it's still running."

He grinned a little, a smirk with a chuckle. "Aight. And I know your name cuz Kota won't stop yappin' about you."

I Tilt my head a little as he gets to a quick walk towards the truck, jumping into a little jog when he saw Dakota coming out the front door. I walk after them.

Dakota looks at him in disbelief. "Waylon!"

"You been drivin' My Truck for the last week. It's my turn." Dakota rolled her eyes with a grin and got in the passenger seat. I got in the back, behind Dakota.

"Welcome to Kansas, Catalina." Waylon kept his voice low, kind. Still intimidating to me.

"Thank you.."

Dakota smiled softly. "Aaand... remember how I said I was hoping we could show her around the ranch some time?"

Waylon looked into his rearview mirror, eyeing me like a leopard again. "Yeah I Remember. But she's still as well as a stranger to me, so not yet." His eyes were back on the road now

"No, ofcourse not right now. You'll know her better after tonight."

~~~~~~~
He will, now, will he? 🫢

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