~
The Hobbses’ farmhouse was set back from the road. It was painted white and had a small porch. On the left was a pasture that housed a big longhorn steer chewing on some grass. He was a brownish-orange color and had long horns that curved into sharp points. As we walked past, he raised his head and looked at us like he was trying to decide what the heck we were doing here. I was trying to decide the same thing.
“You are going to be a famous mascot one day,” I said to the steer. “Your head will be plastered all over our state.” The longhorn huffed and blew snot out his nose, then proceeded with his chewing. Caiyan looked at me and shook his head.
To the right of the house and set back catty-corner was a big red barn. A couple of young boys were shoveling hay into a wagon. They spied us walking up the dirt road. One of them came forward, pitchfork in hand.
“Can I help you with somethin’?” he asked.
“We are in need of another horse. Is your father here?” Caiyan asked.
“Do ya hear that, Junior?” he said to the other boy, who was younger but bore a strong resemblance to the older boy.
“Yep, I heard it,” Junior said with a big wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek. He spit a big brown glob out of his mouth, and it landed next to my boot.
“Eeeyeew,” I said, making a disgusted face and taking a step away from the boy.
“Well,” said the first boy, “if you wants a horse, you gotta talk to Mamma, ‘cause the only father we gots around these parts is the one at the church. Junior, go tell Mamma we gots comp’ny.”
Junior headed off toward the house, and the teenager stood eyeing us like we were from child protective services. He was about Gertie’s height, gangly but solid from all the manual labor I imagined he did on the farm. He had hair the color of straw that poked out from under his cowboy hat and a sprinkle of freckles across his nose. His teeth went every which way, and he wore a pair of overalls that had a hole in one knee.
A few minutes passed, and we heard the screen door slam. Out came a woman with Junior at her heels. She was short and stout. Her housedress had small flowers all over it, and she carried a tin can in the crook of her arm. Behind her trailed three redheaded little girls. The oldest girl looked to be about ten, and she was carrying a toddler in a cloth diaper.
“I’m Mattie Hobbs.” She introduced herself and spat into her tin can. One of the youngest girls was hanging on to her leg. “What can I do fer you folks?” she asked with a big wad of chew in her jowl. At least this explained where Junior learned to spit.
“The blacksmith in town told us you might have a horse for sale,” Caiyan said.
“I’ve got a few I might part with. How much you got to spend?” she asked.
“We haven’t any money, but we are willing to trade.”
“No money?” the first boy said. “That’s horseshit.”
“Clyde, you watch yer mouth, ya hear me, or I’ll give you something to think about,” Mamma Hobbs ordered. “Whatcha got to trade?”
“I have a really nice pocket watch, real gold,” Caiyan said, producing the watch.
Mrs. Hobbs took the watch and turned it over in her chubby hand.
“Clyde, go get that gray mare for the man.”
Clyde gave a quick, snaggletoothed grin and set off to get the horse. I had that queasy feeling in my stomach I get when something’s not quite right.
“Where you folks from?” Mrs. Hobbs asked.
“Up north,” said Caiyan.
“Mhm,” she said. “We sure are getting lots of you visitors from up north. Just the other day a man came and bought three of my best horses. Said he was from up north, but he talked differ’nt than you.”
“What did he look like?” Caiyan asked.
“Oh, ‘bout yer height, dark hair, nice fella. Gave all the kids candy sticks. He was a smooth talker, yes sirree. I don’t norm’ly trust those kinda men, seein’ as I had one and he was good fer nothin’ but knockin’ me up with younguns and gettin’ hisself killed.”
Clyde came around with a big gray mare. When she saw Dan, she flared her nostrils and bared her teeth. Her coat was a pearl gray, but her flank was a deeper gray color, with white spots sprinkled across her buttocks and down her legs.
“This here’s Gypsy. She don’t like you to get on her, but once you’re there, she don’t mind.”
Caiyan eyed the horse, then brought Gertie and me into a huddle.
“I know this is a dumb question, because I assume you would have told me before we walked all the way here, but can you ride a horse?” Caiyan asked Gertie.
“Of course we can,” Gertie said matter-of-factly. “We’re Texas girls.” She gave me a thumbs-up. I kept my mouth shut because Caiyan had already seen my expertise on a horse.
Caiyan told Mattie Hobbs the sale was a go, and the boys brought Gypsy over to Gertie. She looked up at the enormous horse, hiked up her dress, and reached for the reins.
“Now, you hold still until I get up there,” she commanded the horse. Gertie started to swing her leg up, and the horse did a slight two-step, swung her head around, and gave Gert a little nip on the rear.
“Owee,” Gertie howled as she completed the feat. “You are a rude bitch!” Gypsy whinnied and shook her head.
The boys laughed at this, until Mrs. Hobbs gave them a glare.
Caiyan got up on Dan, then turned to me. “What’s it gonna be, me or Gertie?”
I looked over at Gertie. Her dress was wadded up around her thighs, and she was dancing around with Gypsy, telling her what a good horse she could be if she would just be still.
“You,” I answered and held my hand up to get a boost.
We thanked the Hobbses, then rode off toward the trees. It was the first time I had been close to Caiyan since Scotland. I wrapped my arms around him, trying not to be too close because I was still put off by the one-night stand.
“You’d better hold on tighter, lassie, if you want to stay onboard. Dan can kick up the pace if he wants to show off for Gypsy.”
I hugged tighter to his back. He was obviously warm from the Texas heat. Even in October it was hot this far south. His body was hard, and I could feel myself melt into him. So much for self-control—if we didn’t get to our destination soon, I was going to have an orgasm in the saddle.