Page 34 of Save A Horse (Texas Rose Ranch #1)

Daisy

T he next morning, Walt had gotten up with Colt, and they had loaded the calves in the trailer while I was getting changed. I stood in the kitchen, a coffee in my hand, looking out the window as Walt drove out.

I thought of last night and how special each kiss with Colt is.

I thought of all the things I love about him.

The way his hair curls at the brim of his cowboy hat.

The way he has that one scar, I rubbed the night at the bar.

The way he keeps constant eye contact with me when we’re alone.

The way his hands and fingers move against my body to find all my curves.

Every time he kisses or touches me, I melt.

The way he concentrates when I speak, letting me know I have his full attention, is something I have longed for.

It’s like an addiction. He is so intentional with everything he does.

“Hey, Daisy?” I had been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Colt walking back to the house and into the kitchen to where I was standing.

“Hey. How long is your dad going to be gone?” I took another sip of my coffee. I was hoping he wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

“He’ll be late. He said not to wait up for him for supper, that he would stop and grab himself something on the way back.

” I nodded, curious about what Colt had up his sleeves.

At supper last night, he said he had big plans, and I was eager to know what those were.

He always had a way of surprising me. There was never a dull moment with him.

“What do you have planned for us?” The anticipation was killing me.

“So eager.” I laughed, playfully hitting him in the shoulder. I set my coffee cup down on the counter, leaning against it. Both of my hands were gently holding onto the counter. Colt moved in closer to me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. Then, he stepped back, only making me want more.

“That’s it?” He chuckled, and it was a little infuriating.

“For now? Yes. Now, go grab your bathing suit and meet me outside at the truck.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Bathing suit?”

“You did bring one, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah, I did. I mean, I thought maybe at some point I would be able to go swimming in the river, but with all the work I just haven’t had time to go yet.”

“Well, hurry up and grab it so we can go.”

“That’s what your big plans are?”

“Oh, darlin’, there’s more than that.”

I ran down the hall to grab my bathing suit.

I was excited to see Colt shirtless again.

I would be able to admire his muscles once more.

I pulled the bathing suit out from my underwear drawer and ran out to meet Colt.

He was leaning against his truck, the biggest smile on his face. I threw my bathing suit inside .

“We need to go check on the horses before we leave. I checked on the cattle when I was there helping my dad load up the calves, so that’s not a concern.”

“Okay. Let’s giddy up, cowboy.”

I winked at him and took off running leisurely toward the barn.

I could hear him behind me, the sounds of his boots thumping against the ground.

Colt brought so much excitement into my life.

It was something I didn’t know I needed.

I stopped inside the barn, pressing my back against a stall door.

Colt slowed when he saw me, and he slowly made his way nearer.

He leaned in, and I kissed him first, a change from our usual.

I pulled back and grabbed the shovel. He looked a little confused, and I must admit, it was kind of cute seeing him like that… wanting more.

“Come on, cowboy. I can’t get you all distracted, or we’ll never make it to go swimming.”

He waited another second to make sure I was serious, then grabbed another shovel and started helping me. Once we finished cleaning out the stalls, I took on the task of feeding while Colt did the watering. We made a good team.

“I think that’s it.” He looked around at the horses, taking both our shovels and putting them back against the wall.

“One more thing.” I walked over to him and planted another kiss on his lips. His hands started to move around my waist, and that’s when I stepped back again.

“Oh, come on.” Teasing Colt was more fun than I expected.

“We have places to be, cowboy.” I took his hand in mine, and we walked to his truck.

* * *

The sun was out, and the warmth of the day was wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. I stood at the water’s edge, listening to the sounds of the water gently flowing. Colt ruffled his hair and moved closer to jump in .

“Come on, Daisy!” He splashed water in my direction, holding that large smile on his face.

I felt a few cool drops against my skin, and I couldn’t resist any longer.

I had to join him. I waded in and let the water cool me off.

I shivered at first, but I quickly started warming up with the sun's rays hitting the water.

I submerged myself completely for a moment, then rose up and wiped the water off my face while flipping my hair back.

I swam closer to Colt, wanting to be near him.

Once I was close enough, he reached out for my hand and pulled me into him.

Our bodies met, and everything faded away.

We were two crazy kids swimming in the river, just like all those years ago.

? ? ?

Colt and I were in the river, cooling off from the summer heat.

This summer felt different than others. It wasn’t because we were both teens- me sixteen and him fourteen.

It was because I was trying to balance the complexities of my feelings, knowing that our friendship was as strong as ever, but the fluttering feelings inside of me were more.

We were at one of our favorite spots. This part of the river was surrounded by trees, some leaning over the water slightly. The breeze passing through lifted the scent of the wildflowers.

My hair was in a tight bun- my attempt to cool off the best I could before Colt suggested we go for a swim to beat the heat.

I took it down, dropping the hair tie on the ground beside me.

Colt dove in first, and I stood at the river’s edge, admiring how the droplets glistened off his sun-kissed skin.

“Come on, Daisy! The water’s fine!” His words were playful, and the water looked so inviting.

I hesitated for a moment, feeling both excited and nervous. Colt and I have always been friends. He’s really my only friend, at least the only one I share anything real with or hang out with outside of school. Lately, though, I had started to see Colt in a different light .

His laughter.

His smile.

The way his eyes sparkled in the sun.

The way he listened to me, hanging on to every word. I shook off the thoughts. I couldn’t take it any longer, so I took a deep breath and jumped in. I was ready to join him and have some fun.

We swam, played games, raced, and tried to outdo one another with goofy tricks.

At one point, Colt flipped off a rock, and it did make me a little nervous that he could get hurt, but I knew neither of us backed down from a challenge.

We splashed water on each other, fighting playfully.

The water was acting as a barrier between my feelings for him, but every laugh and moment together made those feelings stronger.

Our connection was still growing, and all I wanted was to know if he felt the same way I did.

After a while of swimming and goofing around, we floated on our backs. I watched the clouds for a moment, then closed my eyes before the sun started to hurt them. Listening to nothing but the sounds of the water was so peaceful and calming. I suddenly felt some movement, so I rose up.

“Do you think we’ll always come here?” I felt nostalgia and uncertainty. I wanted to forever continue coming back to this spot with Colt. I wanted to keep doing all the things with him that we have been doing over the years.

“I hope so. I really like this place.”

This spot was special, and I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, but no other words came out.

“So do I.”

“I can’t imagine summer without you.”

? ? ?

“I dare you to swim to that rock over there.”

His face showed mischief, and his words proposed a challenge. I would never turn down a challenge. He pointed to a large rock a few yards away. I nodded, accepting it.

I swam hard and fast to get to the rock, feeling the heaviness of the water against me as I moved.

Colt was following behind me, not yet able to catch up to me, despite his efforts.

When I reached the rock, I rose from the water a bit to see him finally catching up.

Before I knew it, he was right beside me, his breath heavy.

“Not bad, darlin.”

I felt a blush on my cheeks. As he leaned closer, I could feel the tension building. The water rippled around us, and I knew something was about to unfold.

“We’re pretty secluded here.” The river was surrounded by trees that were currently swaying in the breeze.

“Yep. It’s just us and the fish.” With those words, he planted a kiss on my lips.

The kiss was soft and tender, mixing with the water to send a shiver down my spine. I softened against him, feeling the contrast of the cool water with the warmth of my insides. My hands found their way back to his hair, just where they seemed to be meant to be.

I wanted to lose myself in this moment.

I wanted to lose myself in him.

The world around us faded even more with each moment our bodies touched, and our lips met again.

The sound of the water was a distant hum, and I felt weightless.

I was surrounded by a sea of emotions. Colt wrapped his hands around my waist, my body pressed firmly against him.

Every touch and every kiss felt like a promise that more was to come.

We pulled away for a moment, and I rested my forehead against his.

“Wow.” I covered my mouth with one hand, not realizing I said that out loud .

“You know, I could get used to this.” I smiled.

“Me, too.”

I pulled back and splashed some water his way, giggling as I did so. He splashed some back at me, and we were lost in our playful banter.

Eventually, we swam back to the edge of the river. As we climbed out of the water, I could feel the droplets against my skin. I looked at Colt, seeing how his body was glistening. He caught me staring and raised an eyebrow.

“You like what you see?” I jokingly pushed him. He closed the distance, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“I think you know the answer to that.” Before I could react, he pulled me in for another kiss, leaving me breathless.

We then packed up our things and headed to the truck.

“What’s next, cowboy?”

“Just you wait, Daisy. I’m going to whip up something nice for supper.”

“Oh, you’re cooking?”

“Sure am. It’s all part of my plan.”

“Well, I hope the food is as good as last time you cooked.”

“It’ll be even better."

* * *

We drove back to the house in silence, stealing silent smiles across the cab. Colt gave me all the butterflies. He made me more excited than I was as a kid going to a rodeo, and honestly, I’m thinking about our future.

I spent the short ride daydreaming about what the end of summer would be like if I didn’t decide to go back to the city. If I decided to stay.

The city and all its chaos, noise, and people was feeling so far away.

This summer has been peaceful and relaxing, and a much-needed break for me from all my busy life.

The air was so polluted there, and here it was fresh.

I didn’t hear the honking of car horns or all the chatter of people.

I heard the rustling of the wind, the mooing of the cattle in the fields, and the clopping of horse hooves against the ground.

I thought about when I was last here, seven or some years ago. I thought about waking to the heat of the sun filtering through the window against my face. I thought about the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the mornings and the sound of a familiar laugh echoing through the house. Colt’s laugh.

There was potential for us to build a life together.

With Colt, I knew there would be plenty of adventures and those special, quiet moments.

We could work together on Walt’s ranch or even help my dad out at his.

We could do both. Make both our dads proud.

We could have a family barbeque again, and it could be me, Colt, Walt, and my dad.

It could be as close to old times as we could get.

Our mothers wouldn’t be there physically, but they would certainly be there in spirit.

I can see our dads telling stories while we gathered on the porch, sure to share their wisdom and make us laugh.

I could see myself planting flowers around the yard, riding horses with Colt, and sharing our dreams under the stars like we did as kids.

As the evening sun began to set, I felt a hint of longing.

I knew my daily life of being on the ranch with Colt was fleeting, but the thought of a future with him filled my heart with joy.

I wanted to hold onto this feeling. I wanted to capture it like a snapshot in my mind so it would stay there forever.

Staying here and building a life with Colt was a dream that I hoped could become a reality.