Once Upon A Rodeo

Thirteen - [Running.]

Doing what I thought was running, I stumbled across the parking lot.

I could hear Brantley laughing behind me, and I was glad that I had caught him off guard...It gave me more time to get away. But even then, I should have known that I wasn't going to get far.

He was both bigger and stronger then me.

I had hardly reached the end of the small parking lot when he caught up with me. He slid an arm around my waist, easily picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.

"Come on, now. Did you really think that was going to work?" He asked. I could hear the amusement in his voice. I didn't need to see his face to know that he was smirking.

"Oh, you shut up!" I said, feeling rather defeated. I swatted his butt.

He walked to his truck, opening the door before setting me down on the seat. He grabbed the seatbelt, reaching across my lap to buckle it for me. I felt my pulse quicken.

"I can do that myself, you know," I said, blushing.

"I don't want you to try to run again on me," He teased. His arm was still across my lap, his hand paused on the seatbelt buckle. He wasn't touching me, but he was so close. I took a deep breath in.

"I won't," I promised.

"Well you ain't got a choice now, do you, sweetheart?" He asked, looking up at me. He closed the door before I had a chance to respond and went around to the driver's side. After he started the truck and left the bar parking lot, he spoke.

"Were you really going to sleep in your truck?" He asked.

I shrugged.

"What other option did I have?" I asked.

"Why didn't you call Callie?" He offered.

"I think she's busy."

"Rose?"

My childhood best friend's name stung as he mentioned it. I didn't take offense, because it was impossible that he would know about the fight that only just happened a few hours ago.

"Rose isn't talking to me right now."

"You want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Not really," I muttered.

"You could have called me."

"We're fighting."

He stopped at an empty red light and looked at me.

"Kennedy, I don't give a damn how mad I was. I wouldn't let you sleep in your truck," He said, shaking his head. "Tell me something. Do you think, if you would have called me to take you home, I would have said no?"

I didn't need to think about it at all. It was clear, even before tonight, that Brantley was the type of person that wouldn't have hesitated to come pick me up if I had called him.

"I know you wouldn't have said no," I answered.

"There you go."

"But I don't even have your number."

I didn't mean to blurt out the words, and I blushed again when I said them. Brantley reached over, plucking my phone out of my hands and typing something into it before handing it back to me.

"There. Now you have my number, and no excuse."

He started to drive again.

"Thank you."

"For giving you my number?" He said, raising his eyebrows at me. I felt my face heat up even further.

"For taking me home. Can I have my keys back now?" I asked hastily, wanting to change the subject as quickly as I could.

"You can have them back tomorrow. I'll take you to get your truck."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I'm going to."

I sat back in my seat, letting out a heavy sigh. I though about what brought me here in the first place. I had said I didn't want to talk about it, but I did.

"Mia isn't a good person."

"I know," Brantley replied simply.

"Rose doesn't see it. That's why we're fighting. I invited her and Mia to dinner tonight, trying to be friends with Mia because Rose wanted me to. It was great at first, but when Rose left to take a phone call Mia went crazy on me and Rose didn't believe me because Mia started acting all innocent."

"If Rose believes Mia over you, she's just stupid. And if she doesn't see that Mia isn't a good person, that's her own problem. You've tried to tell her. Now she's going have to realize it for herself."

I groaned, leaning my head against the headrest.

"But that's so shitty," I complained.

"I know it is, but you tried. What else can you do, you know?"

"Good point."

He was right. I did what I could, and Rose didn't believe me. That wasn't my fault. Rose was just going to have to learn that herself.

"Thank you."

"Is that what I've got to do to get you to be nice to me? Find you when you're drunk?" He said playfully.

"Oh, hush. I'm always nice to you."

Brantley looked at me with a flat expression, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're right, we've done nothing but fight with each other since I got here," I said, still giggling a little bit.

"How about we call a truce? No more fighting," He said.

"Sounds good to me," I replied, nodding.

Brantley dropped me off, and I thanked him again for driving me home and bid him goodnight. I changed quickly into pajamas, washed my face and brushed my teeth and went to sleep.

I didn't wake up until nearly eleven in the morning. I didn't have a hangover, which I was grateful for. I pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, going outside to feed the horses and then to call Brantley to get my keys back.

I was surprised to find my truck already in my driveway.

I wasn't sure how he'd gotten it to my place - obviously, someone had helped him. I walked over to it, figuring the keys were inside. They were in the center console, but there was something else.

A single rose was sitting in the front seat, along with a note. With a shaking hand, I picked up the piece of paper and read what was obviously Brantley's messy handwriting.

Glad we called a truce. I want to take you on a date on Wednesday. A real date. Pick you up at six?