Carrillo's Cowboy by Tee Smith (classic novels to read .txt) 📗

Spinning on her heel, Grace called out. “Mum said I can have popcorn!”

“Share,” Callie called to her daughter’s back, before chuckling to herself. The kids loved to stir each other.

Scooping her mobile phone from the kitchen table, she tucked it in her back pocket. She had changed after work but gone for a simple pair of faded blue jeans. They were tight, accentuating her curves, paired with a white gypsy style top. It was, after all, a casual affair.

It was typical for the workers to have a party a few nights before the rodeo. As the days grew closer, everyone became more serious and concentrated on what they had to do. Most cowboys wouldn’t drink in the days before a big ride; they wanted to keep a clear head. As a teenager, she would join in the celebration, but as the event organiser, she didn’t feel it was appropriate. Not only that, but she had also outgrown much of their shenanigans. The boys were there to work, and more often than not, the girls hung around for them. Buckle bunnies- they were only interested in the cowboys.

The doors were open, and she made her way through the house, heading out the back where laughter rang out into the night, drowning out the speaker that played its country tune to an uncaring audience.

Cody had met most of them before, and they fell into easy conversation. As the beer flowed, the party became rowdier.

“Tell them about the incident at Hope Creek,” one of the men he didn’t know, called out to Heidi.

Heidi had held court much of the evening with her tales. She was young and vivacious, the life of the party. At another time, she might have been the type of girl Cody might go for, but these days he only had thoughts for Callie.

“I was so drunk,” she laughed. “I was dancing around like a stripper.”

“As always,” one of the other girls called out.

She rose from her seat and began demonstrating what she had called dancing. “Then somehow, I tripped and landed in the lap of this luscious cowboy.”

She pinpointed Cody and threw herself down hard on his lap. Flinging both her legs over his, Heidi's arms snaked around his neck, and one hand immediately went into his hair as she danced seductively above him. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the sound of a slamming door as Heidi turned back to her audience, and her story continued.

“I’m running my fingers through his hair and telling him how great I thought he was when a great big burly bloke tapped me on the shoulder and said . . .” she puffed her chest out and deepened her voice. “Excuse me, miss, he’s with me.” The small crowd roared with laughter, and one of the men let out a loud wolf-whistle. “I could have died, I tell ya.” Heidi laughed as she launched across the room and playfully swatted the whistler across the side of the head.

“But, you didn’t.”

“No, but I wasn’t game to even look at another cowboy for the rest of the night.” Again, her audience laughed and cheered.

He glanced at his watch before tugging his phone from his pocket. He had expected Callie to be here by now; she hadn’t messaged. Perhaps she was caught up with the kids.

“What’s wrong with you, bro?” One of the boys nudged him.

“Just waiting on someone.”

“Who you waiting on?”

“Callie.”

“Callie? Callie? You mean Callie, the uptight boss lady?”

“She’s not uptight,” Cody defended.

“Oh, yeah? What have you got going on with her? Huh?” He smirked and winked salaciously.

“I think that’s none of your business.”

“Oh, Code’s has got it bad for the boss lady,” he laughed and called out his announcement to the group.

“Why don’t you all shut the fuck up? Hey?” he barked out. He didn’t have time for their nonsense. Instead, he reached for another beer. They soon got the message, and the conversation carried on without him.

“Are you okay, Mum?” Grace asked concern etched across her face.

Callie sucked in a deep breath. “Fine,” she ground out, as she reached for a wine glass. In her haste, she bumped the edge of the glass in front. “Who put that stupid bloody thing there?” she growled as the glass slipped from her fingers and shattered to the floor below.

“Mum!” Grace shrieked.

“Well, if you put the dishes away properly, that wouldn’t have happened,” she snapped. “Go get the dustpan from the laundry.”

Grace turned and rushed from the room as Callie looked down at the mess she had made at her feet. “Stupid men,” she cried into her hands. Angry at herself, and Cody. She had known he was a cowboy, knew she shouldn’t have gotten involved. How could he be so blatant, what did he expect? That she would be fine with that? She had so overestimated him, and it was her stupid fault.

“Careful where you step, Mum,” Grace’s voice had her pulling her hands from her face.

“Oh, Gracie, I’m so sorry,” she whimpered, seeing her young daughter standing beside her. “You’re such a good girl. I should never have yelled at you.”

“It’s okay,” Grace softly replied as she squatted to the floor.

“Here,” Callie brushed her daughter aside and took the brush and pan from her hands. “I can do that.”

“What happened?”

Callie knew she wasn’t asking about the broken glassware. She had left the house, excited to attend a party and returned home minutes later in a horrible mood.

“I interrupted Cody getting a lap dance,” she admitted, knowing her daughter was too young to be exposed to such things.

“Oh, mum.” A pained expression crossed her young daughter's face, and she wished she could take her words back. “What did he say?”

“Nothing. I left.”

She swept the broken glass into the bin and turned back to find Grace had retrieved another glass for her. With shaking hands, she poured herself a glass of wine.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’m sorry for yelling at you. It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, mum, I