Page 39 of Save A Horse (Texas Rose Ranch #1)

Colt

A s we walked into the house, I could smell the food. Glancing at the table, my dad had three sandwiches there, him already eating his.

“Hey, you two. Made you both one.”

“Thanks.” Daisy picked up a sandwich, both of us taking a seat at the table with my dad.

“Hope you’re hungry. I made your favorite, Colt, turkey and cheese with a little bit of mustard.”

I took a bite. My mom used to always make fun of my dad when he made a sandwich. She always said turkey and cheese with mustard was kind of weird. She wasn’t big on mustard. She preferred mayonnaise.

“You know, Daisy, Colt used to beg me to make him this sandwich all the time when he was little. He couldn’t say sandwich, so he called it a sam sam.”

I used to find that story embarrassing, but as I stole a glance at Daisy while she laughed at my dad’s joke, I wasn’t ashamed. The way she lit up the room made my heart race. She had a smile like a starry night sky-beautiful and captivating.

I glanced back at her, seeing that she still had a little bit left to eat. I sat there in silence, waiting for her to finish, but not rushing her. I was filled with a rush of excitement and nerves. I was going to share a moment with her, even if it was for a short while.

“It’s been a wild morning. Y’all go take a break for a bit. I’m going to ride out and check on the cattle in the far field.” I watched as my dad rose from the table and headed outside. I listened for the sound of the side by side starting, and when I heard it, I turned to Daisy.

“Do you want to go outside for a bit? We can go to the tire swing now.” I wanted to steal a few moments for just the two of us.

Daisy nodded, then we made our way outside to the tire swing hanging from the big oak tree in the front yard.

It was swaying slightly in the breeze. Daisy sat down, and I gently pushed her, keeping my promise not to push her too high.

Her hair flowed back against the slight wind, and I could hear a gentle laugh from her.

It instantly took me back to when we were kids.

? ? ?

I was leaning against the big oak tree, listening to the slight creaking sound of the tire swing.

Daisy was laughing as we enjoyed the serenity of a little haven on the sprawling ranch.

She had raced me to the swing, obviously beating me, but I let her win.

I didn’t mind pushing her on it. It made her happy, so it made me happy.

“Push me higher, Colt!”

As a kid, she was always so full of adventure. She never backed down from a challenge, and I wondered if she would always stay like this .

She was so unique and special, and I loved that she wanted to spend time together. Even after all these years, she never grew tired of me.

I saw the sparkle of excitement in her eyes as I grinned. I dug my boots into the ground to give her that extra push, and I felt joy seeing how happy she was soaring higher into the sky.

“Look! It’s like I can touch the clouds!”

Her laughter echoed like music to my ears. I watched her in awe, mesmerized by how carefree she was. She had a way of turning the simplest moments into something magical. I would do anything to hear that laugh and see her smile.

With each sway, she threw her head back and closed her eyes, like she was savoring the feeling.

I felt so strongly for her, wishing that I was brave enough to confess my feelings to her, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the words out.

Honestly, sucking it up was okay. I would rather be Daisy’s friend and get to spend these amazing times with her than risk it all with her and have it blow up in my face.

I couldn’t lose her.

I wouldn’t survive without her.

She was my comfort, my joy, my safe place.

She was the moon and the stars.

She was a light in the darkness.

She was everything to me.

As I continued pushing her, I imagined what it would be like to fly and be able to freely explore the world.

I dreamed of things like that, but not as much as Daisy.

The truth is, although I thought about getting away and seeing other parts of the world, I would never do it.

I didn’t need to do it, and I didn’t really want to.

I would gladly stay here for the rest of my life, as long as Daisy was here with me. She was my anchor. She was my best friend, partner in crime, and the one person who truly understood me. We shared secrets, dreams, and plenty of adventures together.

She was all I needed in this world.

With her, I knew I would be happy.

“Hey, Colt?” I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed she had stopped swinging.

“I’m sorry. Let me push you again.”

“Hold on.” I moved to face her and noticed the look on her face had changed. Her head hung low, and my heart hurt seeing her like that.

“I wish things could stay like this forever.”

I felt a pain in my chest. I wanted that, too. I wanted to stay with Daisy forever. The days she wasn’t at the ranch with me, I felt like I could hardly stand it. I just wanted to be with her, spend all my time in her presence.

“Me, too. We’ll always be friends, Daisy. You can always count on me.”

“Good.” Daisy smiled, and her laughter returned as I pushed her once more on the swing.

? ? ?

“This is nice…just us.” I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. Moments like this made the secrecy worth it. As hard as it was, I could see the silver lining in it. I pushed her again.

“I wish we could be open about this. About us. I mean, it hasn’t been that bad. I just really want to show you off.”

“Show me off?” I tried to make a joke, but she wasn’t ready for it. I could tell she was serious. “I know. We just have to keep being careful and keep this hidden for a little while longer.” She nodded.

“Then you’ll tell him?” I sighed.

My stomach still did flip flops every time I thought of telling my dad.

After talking with John, I realized why he did what he did, but it didn’t make the idea of having a talk with him any easier. I always found it hard to talk about real things with my dad, something we never really did much as I grew up.

I wanted to sit and hold Daisy in my arms. I squeezed my hand into a fist. Not being able to touch and be with her in the ways that I want, publicly, was so debilitating.

I pushed her a few more times, thankful that I was at least able to touch her in this way. I wanted so much more, but stolen glances and little moments were all we could have right now. Soon, it will change.

After that, I knew we needed to get back to work. My dad hadn’t shown back up from the field and checking on the cattle yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time. The last thing I needed was for him to see me gawking at Daisy.

I helped her off the swing. We walked to the barn, side by side, our hands grazing each other’s, sending a shiver down my body. It was a small, intimate touch, but it still made me feel excited and aroused.

Our relationship is a secret, but it isn’t something I take lightly. It is important to me. It is precious. It was like we were in our own little world, nestled inside the ranch, with only us living in it.

As we drew nearer to the barn, I was determined to keep this secret hidden, at least for a little while longer. I knew that at first it seemed kind of fun and dangerous, but it was weighing on both me and Daisy. I knew she didn’t want to keep this up much longer.

I knew I would eventually have to come clean to my dad about it all, but I wasn’t ready just yet.

I needed a little more time. I hoped he would understand, but for now, I was willing to do whatever it took to protect our relationship and Daisy.

I didn’t want my dad to say something to upset her when he found out.

I wanted him to accept her- to accept us -but it was all a guessing game at this point.