Freedom Ranch

Chapter 15

A few girls could be seen by the pool table on the other side of the large room, dressed similar to the girl outside. A group of men were sitting at the bar with long necked beers in their hands. She suddenly felt a familiar craving. She wanted some whiskey and a lot of it. To keep from looking out of place by standing by the doorway, she propped herself up on one of the bar stools in the far corner and asked for a shot of whiskey. As the bartender handed her the shot, she noticed a younger man separate himself from the girls in the corner and saunter her way. He tipped his cowboy hat at her with a charming smile.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked in a thick accent.

"No thank you. I'm okay with just this," she motioned to the shot in her hand before throwing it back in her throat.

"Now how come I haven't seen you around before? It's a small town," he drawled.

"I can say the same for you. I grew up here on and off. I came back a few months ago."

"I just moved out here a few months ago myself. I never forget a pretty face and I'm positive I have never seen the likes of you around."

She looked past his shoulder to see one of the girls in a small skirt prance her way to him. She was shooting daggers with her eyes to Dakota making her smirk in response.

"Looks like one of your girlfriends is upset you are talking to me. She's coming up behind you now," said Dakota in amusement.

"I'm not taken," said the man defensively.

The girl threw herself in the chair beside him. She whipped her hair to the side and continued to stare at Dakota with a cold stare. She could tell she had a little too much to drink how clouded her eyes were.

"Why did you leave?" she said in a pouty voice to him.

"I just wanted to order a drink."

She didn't look so convinced as she continued to stare at Dakota. Her thin eyebrows came together as if she was processing something.

"The Taylor girl? That's who you left to talk to over me?" she screeched.

"You each other?" asked the man.

Dakota looked at the woman who was now wrapped around him. She slowly shook her head and replied in a flat tone, "I have no idea who she is.".

"Of course she doesn't. She's always too busy doing other things around here. One of the reasons why she doesn't have a man."

Dakota nodded in agreement. She waved down the bartender for another shot, wanting to busy herself with anything but this drunk woman's conversations. The man opened his mouth as if to remind her he wanted to buy her a drink but decided against it. The girl was now in his lap as if to claim her property. Dakota held in her chuckle and took the drink from the bartender.

"Come on, baby. Don't you want to hang around a real woman," slurred the girl as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dakota felt her eyes grow wide when he looked at her in response to that statement. She knew what was coming next. The woman threw back her arms as if she was scalded by hot water and gasped.

"Why did you look at her when I said that?!"

She watched as the man opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Dakota was ready to pay her tab and slip out of the bar. That is, before the next set of words fell out of the woman's mouth.

"You can't be serious! I said a WOMAN! Not a man."

Dakota tried to not let the words get to her. But, they stung.