“Never stupid, baby. Will I see you at the rodeo tonight?” Dallas asks, instantly snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Of course you will, cowboy,” I confirm.
I hear him smile into the phone, and a low chuckle erupts from him as he says softly, “Can you wear the boots you wore the first time we went to Mav’s? The ones with the floral stitching? I like those ones.”
“Dallas Northlane, are you keeping tabs on myboots?” I tease.
“I have never known a woman to own so many pairs of shoes.”
“I’ll have you know that I am very fond of my shoes.”
“Of course you are, Firefly.”
“See you soon,” I tell him.
“See you soon.” As always, the way those words leave his mouth sound more like a promise than a statement.
Blood rushes to my cheeks, the sudden panic coursing through my veins as the nerves take hold. What do I even say when I see him? I feel like we had some closure, but all of this feels really overwhelming.
Do I just pretend the other day didn’t happen?
Do I act like we haven’t seen each other naked?
Good god woman, get it together.
My bedroom door flies open, and I’m greeted by the trio of misfits – otherwise known as Ella, Hannah, and River – who come bearing devilish smiles and glasses, no,bottlesof red wine.
“I don’t like those faces,” I tell them with a concerned flick of my brows.
The trio waltz in, and I can’t help but laugh at how different they all are. Ella, the beautiful, curvy, blonde, barbie-esque bartender with a heart of gold, and probably the best boobs I have ever seen.
Hannah, the tiny, Southern belle whose got a mouth like a sailor, tattoos everywhere, and hair that rivals Dolly Parton. That woman can run with the best of them and is truly unlike anyone you’ve ever met.
And River, the red-haired bombshell turned cowgirl who, like her best friend, is covered in ink and has a smile that could light up the darkest of rooms. She is a delightful bit of chaos that you can’t help but feel drawn to.
I smile as I watch them gather around my room and begin rummaging through my clothes. My heart skips a beat as I remind myself just how lucky I am to know these women.
Ella and Hannah sparked up a friendship one night at the diner after they spent hours sharing war stories about the old men that rocked up right on opening, ordered a bourbon on ice, and ‘kept them comin’ till closing time’. River came as a package deal with Hannah,the two of them as inseparable as Ella and me. Between the three of them, there is never a dull moment around here.
“Red, where’s the corkscrew?” Hannah calls from the other side of the room, her thick Southern accent laced with a teasing note. She’s found my scarf drawer and has wrapped herself in an old silk scarf I got free with a pair of Ugg boots one year.
“Fuck off, only Jonas can call me Red,” she quips back at Hannah.
“I’ll be callin’ you a whole lot worse if you don’t crack another bottle, sugar,” Hannah taunts with a wicked smile on her face. Ella and I burst into laughter. Those two are truly like an old married couple.
Ella makes a quick run to the kitchen to retrieve the corkscrew, returning with a bag of chips and a portable speaker. She cranks the volume, and one of our favourite Luke Combs songs bursts from the little pink box.
The four of us take turns doing our hair and makeup. Ella steals a pair of my boots. River helps herself to my ‘Cowboys do it better’ T-shirt, and Hannah informs me she’s keeping the scarf – typical.
River sashays around the bed before plonking down next to me, her eyebrows wiggling manically as she asks, “So, Dallas, hey?”
Blood rushes to my cheeks, an overwhelming heat courses through my veins, and I suddenly feel nauseated. My fingers start trembling, my knee gently bouncing as I fiddle with the hem of my shorts. My mind races, thoughts of the cowboy that’s taken over my every waking breath start flooding through my psyche.
“I don’t know, it’s still very new. He told me about Sam the other day, and I haven’t really spoken to him since then. Then there’s Billie to think about, and god, what the hell am I doing?” I spit out without so much as taking a breath.
“Woah, woah, woah, slow down babe. It’sokay.You don’t need to figure any of that shit out right now, you have time,” River says, placing a comforting hand against my knee.
“Says the girl who promptly climbed into bed with the first cowboy who looked at her?” Hannah laughs, teasing her.