A Cowgirl's Rodeo

Chapter 6

I looked down at John Ross. "Are you sure you're okay on the floor? I'm more than willin to trade spots." I felt bad, the floor didn't look too comfortable. "Heck, at this point I'm willing to share the bed as long as you promise to stay on your side."

He looked back up at me and smiled, "Ana, I'm fine. No need to make things awkward. Plus my mother raised me to believe that women come first, even if you're uncomfortable." A sad smile played at my lips. He had a mother to teach him manners and proper etiquette but I had gotten over the fact that I wasn't like other people with two parents.

"Fine suit yourself. My offer stands if you get too uncomfortable on the floor. Don't forget we have quite a bit more riding to do tomorrow." I waited a second, then heard him sigh. He got up, grabbed his pillow and blanket, and walked around the side of the queen sized bed. He pulled the blankets back and threw his pillow down.

Once he was situated about a foot away from me, he looked over at me. I rolled over, facing him, and looked back at him. We stared at each other in an awkward silence for a minute before one of us spoke. "I told you it would be awkward."

I laughed, it was like a streak of lighting through our tense atmosphere. "Relax City Boy. I'm sure you've slept with plenty of girls but if it makes you feel better we can put a pillow between us." I sat up, the blanket falling slightly making my cleavage in my tank top show. I took my second pillow and went to place it between us but paused when I noticed him admiring my cleavage. "Really? If things are going to get awkward it would be because of you checking me out."

He slowly looked back up to my face and I sat cross-legged with the pillow covering my chest. He had a lazy, yet playful smirk on his face and went to skooch forward but I shoved the pillow in his face. He laughed, "Aww, come on Ana. Don't be that way."

I looked at him unamused, "You try anything and your ass will be on the floor quicker than you can blink."

He stared at me, a crooked smile on his face. "For a cowgirl, you sure are prudish." He teased.

My face kept that same unamused look. "I'm not a prude, you just aren't good enough for my 'cowgirl' standards." I snapped, lying back down and rolling away from him.

He groaned, "Come on Ann." He swiftly moved himself directly behind me and wrapped his arm around my stomach. "I'm only playing with you. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I promise to be a good boy." I felt his face nuzzle into my hair.

I cracked a smile hoping he didn't see it. "Get off me you creep and stay on your own side. That was one of my rules." I tried shoving him off but he just held on tighter, pressing me directly against his chest. I heard him grumble and knew exhaustion was coming over him like a ton of bricks. I sighed, relaxing because he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

~

I woke to a phone ringing and buried my face deeper into what I thought was a pillow. Obviously it wasn't a pillow because it reached over and grabbed the cell phone off the night stand. "Hello?" John Ross grumbled sleepily. Somebody said something angrily on the other line. "Dad slow down would you. It's only," He paused, "Five in the morning. That means it's six for you, which is still too damn early." His dad continued to yell over the phone. I cracked open one eye and slowly raised my head. John Ross let me go and rolled onto his back. "Dad, tell him I'm fine, she's safe, and tell mom I love and miss her." His dad said something and he replied, "Alright, love you dad. Bye." He groaned and reached for me.

I whacked his searching hand, "You got to hold me all night. That's enough. Never again, sorry bud." I curled into a ball and closed my eyes ready to get some more much needed sleep. But he disregarded what I said and forcefully pulled me into him. I tried pushing away but I didn't budge so I gave in and rested my head on his chest. "I hate you."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I know." I was starting to like hearing him talk but I continued to act like I didn't like him touching me. I was aware that I seemed weak and naive, trust a man that I really knew nothing about but it was hard not to like his fingers running through my hair. My life didn't consists of any affection, from Jerald or even my dad. So being rubbed and held was a new, enjoyable experience.

After a minute of being held against his warm chest, I drifted back to sleep, John Ross pulling me into him tighter.

~

I dreamt in the two hours John Ross and I got to sleep. It was a dream I had had a million times before but this time it was slightly different.

Normally, in my dreams I'm watching my mom dance around our old house in a yellow sundress. The light shining in from the large bay window in the front of the house, rainbows reflecting onto the walls from the crystals that hung off the tassels of the drapes. This time my mom's dark brown hair, that normally flowed in waves down her back, was tied back in a casual ponytail. Instead of her sundress she was in pajama shorts and a tank top, a giant grin on her face. Before she had been alone in the house, but this time there was a man with her and she ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He spun her around and that when I realized, it was John Ross spinning her around. And it wasn't my mom at all. It was me.

~

While in Abilene, we decided to get something to eat and John Ross wanted to take a look through some of the shops they had in the center of town.

"John Ross, I don't think so. I'm not letting you buy me anything! I don't take hand outs." He had taken the saddle blanket I was looking at and insisted that he pay for it. The blanket was red and had white roses hand stitched around the edges. I loved it and I knew I couldn't afford it but there was no way in hell I was letting him pay for it.

I ripped it out of his hands, putting it back on the tack rack and grabbed his hand to take him over to the saddles. "Anastasia." He said my name like a scolding parent and squeezed my hand. "Let me, please. I know how much you liked it and I have enough money that it won't make a difference. Plus don't you want to help a local business that worked hard to hand make that blanket?"

I sighed, "Somebody else will buy it." I let go of his hand and continued to look at the different shapes, colors, and sizes of the saddles they had. The had both real leather and synthetic saddles, making me wish I did have money. But I pushed away my thoughts on my crappy life and moved onto their small clothing section.

I found John Ross by the entrance door and we decided we'd had enough of Abilene and just wanted to finish the trip down to Tuscola. I walked over to Trigger and jumped on her, ready to find some answers. I'm not sure what I was looking for or what I was going to find but I was ready to face it. I'm not sure if my dream meant something or if it was just my over active imagination but I wasn't going to let John Ross ruin something I've been longing for my whole life.

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I know this is EXTREMELY short but I'm short on time and well it got us through the motel and Abilene. The next chapter Anastasia and John Ross will be in Tuscola :) and just a note, I'm not from Texas and have never been there (though I would love to visit and maybe live) soooo the places they stop or places mentioned aren't real.