The Art of Taking Chances Read online

  “You’re cold.” He hugs me to warm me up. He’s trying to bring us back to normal.

  I mumble into his bonfire-smoke-drenched shirt, “Cam’s taking me home.” I push back against his chest to separate myself and find Cam.

  Lane resists my strength and leans his head closer to mine. “I’ll take you. You can warm up in my truck while I find Cam. Okay?”

  I sigh at Lane's suggestion. “Fine.” I nod toward the shadowy figure. “Cam’s back here.”

  Light from a car swipes across Cam’s sad face, spiking a surge of guilt inside me. He was really great to me tonight, but I’m sure he’d rather stay here than drive me home anyway.

  I wave at him and mouth, “Thanks.”

  Cam gives me a chin nod, but his expression stays the same.

  The light disappears, and I take off toward Lane’s pickup, not waiting for Lane to tell Cam what he’s probably already figured out.

  Thirteen

  Lane

  The closer we get to Regan’s house, the tighter my muscles become. I’m still not sure exactly what’s going on with us—with me.

  I pull in her drive and shut off the engine.

  Regan’s hand pulls on the door handle. “I’ll see you at church tomorrow.”

  “Wait.” The security light mounted on their shed casts streams of light that bend through the windshield, highlighting the curve of her lips. I squeeze my eyes shut and rest my head against the back of my seat. “Let’s go to the creek for a while.”

  She sighs. “I’m tired. Come inside.”

  My head rolls to the side. “Come on.”

  “Lane,” she whines.

  I’m not going to talk about tonight around her parents. “Just for a little while.”

  “Fine,” she moans. “I need to tell my parents I’m home.”

  I grin and wait for her to step out before doing the same. Regan’s strides across the lawn ahead of me, and I catch myself appreciating her girlish figure. A silent chuckle shakes my chest because it’s not the first time I’ve checked her out.

  She stops at the steps to wait for me. I trot up to the door. Her parents won’t have a problem with us going to the creek. We usually hang out by the water, fish, watch the moon cross the sky—we’ve been doing it since we were kids.

  After she checks in, Regan grabs a jacket from a hook near the door. We make our way down the path to the creek. Falling in step with each other, I have the urge to slide my fingers between hers. Instead, I shove my hands in my pockets and listen to the critters talk to each other.

  I stop before the bank, but Regan continues to the edge of the water. She stares up into the sky, and I go into pacing mode.

  I need more time to think about this. I’m not even sure what’s going on between us. Does she feel it? Was she jealous of Brea? Did she feel betrayed when she thought I was having fun with another girl? She’s going to freak out if I come out and ask her this stuff. How did all this happen?

  “Are you going to pace all night?” Regan hasn’t moved. The night sky continues to hold her gaze.

  I move my feet, swishing through the grass, and come to a stop behind her. “Look, I’m sorry.”

  She folds her arms in front of her. “What was that all about, Lane?”

  A spark ignites inside me, like it did earlier. “You kind of started it.” My words come out harsh and not at all like I want. Why can’t I say “I didn’t like that guy taking my place” instead of crazy, cagey words?

  She spins to face me with her mouth gaping open. “What? How?”

  I squeeze the back of my neck, grunting at my stupidity. “Do you like that guy?”

  “Yeah, he was funny and nice.” She shifts her weight from one foot the other while I recover from her words knocking the wind out of me. “He was telling me about this college that might be perfect for me.”

  Great. He’s luring her to his college. “What happened to your no dating rule?”

  She rolls her eyes at me and turns back toward the creek. “I’m not dating the guy. Tonight’s the first time I’ve ever seen him in my life. How can I be dating him?” She stretches her arms out wide, swinging back around to me, growing irritated again. “There was never any kind of chance I’d ever be dating him. He’s from Alabama, for Pete’s sake, and he goes to college in Florida.”

  I hold my palms up to calm the storm gaining strength inside her. Before I can get any words out, she’s at it again.

  “Besides, if what you do and who you do it with is none of my concern, then my dating habits are none of yours.”

  Her words dropkick me. If I could take every word back, I would.

  I take a step toward her. “I’m not into Brea.” I lift my arms wide wishing she’d walk into them. “She’s so not the kind of girl I’m interested in.” I scratch my head. “I don’t even know why I said those things. I didn’t mean it.”

  Her shoulders relax, and I take another step closer. “I’m sorry. About…” I look down at my thumb rubbing against my open palm. “I thought your no dating rule was a big deal to you, and I didn’t want you to break your promise to yourself.” Gah, Lane! That’s a total lie.

  “Well, I guess sometimes things aren’t what they seem, are they? You and Brea—me and Bobby.” She looks down and fiddles with the sleeve of her jacket.

  I scoop a strand of her hair, twirling the ends between my fingers. It’s always so soft and silky. Even though I’ve played with her locks like this for as long as I can remember, I realize it’s one of the things about us that is more. More than friends, maybe.

  She leans her head against my chest, causing a spark when we connect.

  “So, you liked him?”

  She lifts her gaze to mine, and I hold on with everything I’ve got. I think maybe she feels it too…the spark between us.

  “Stop staring at me.” She looks down, breaking our connection.

  Maybe she didn’t feel it. I’ve got to recover my sanity. My hand snakes around the back of her neck, and I pull her into a headlock at my side.

  “Stop!” She pushes my arms and tries to pull her head out, doing her best not to laugh.

  Regan trying to get out of my headlock never gets old.

  “It’s not funny.” She pushes and struggles against me. “We’re not ten years old anymore.”

  Regan pulls as I let go, causing her to stumble back and nearly land on her butt. I can’t help my laughter.

  She peeks through her messy mop covering her face. “You’re such a jerk.”

  “Aw, come on.” I reach for her arm and pull her down with me to lay in the grass.

  Our breathing slows while I weave her soft strands around my fingers like a ribbon.

  The conversation with Cam from the diner and at the party circulates through my mind. I’ve got to know what she thinks about it. “I saw you hugging Cameron at the party.”

  “So?”

  “So, what was that about?” I try to keep my voice light and even.

  “I was upset.” Her irritation is starting to show, but I’ve got to know what went down.

  I coax her the best I can. “And.”

  She turns her head toward me. “And he was consoling me because of you. I was ticked off at you, jerk-face.”

  Maybe I pushed the wrong button. At least I’m getting some info, which is more than Cam was willing to give me before I left the party. “That’s it?”

  Her face twitches. “What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’”

  I brush my hand down my face and decide to keep fishing. “Do you have a thing for Cameron?”

  She rolls her eyes and laughs at me. “A thing?”

  I don’t care. I’m pressing the issue. “Do you want to date Cameron?”

  Her brows shoot up. “No, I don’t want to date Cameron. Rule number three. Hello.”

  “What if the no-dating-within-the-group rule didn’t exist? Would you then?” Maybe I’m pushing too far.

  She springs to a sitting position, swinging her arm out to th
e side. “No! I don’t want to go out with Cameron. Geesh! This is ridiculous.” Shaking her head, she faces the creek.

  I sit too. “You’re sure?”

  “Are you serious?” She turns back to me. “Oh, my gosh! Yes! I’m sure.” She growls, turning away again. “You hug me all the time. It doesn’t mean I want to date you. What’s with you?”

  Nice. Not exactly the ending I was expecting. My breath whistles across my lips as I push it out. “Okay.” I plop back on the ground and keep my mouth shut.

  She follows suit.

  We need to lighten things between us. I roll to my side, facing her. “Your hair smells like smoke.”

  “I know it does.” She playfully pushes me. “Stop being a jerk.”

  I chuckle. “Takes one to know one.”

  Regan falls back into her quietness, and I comb my fingers through her hair against the damp grass. She’s probably thinking about that stupid college Bobby was seducing her with. It’s no secret she wants to leave this town behind. After today—after feeling this spark between us—there’s no way I’m letting her leave me behind too.

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  Tell Me Something Real

  A Texas Star Short Story

  Kelsie Stelting

  One

  “Come on, Midnight!” I stood in my stirrups and whipped the reins behind me, pushing my horse to go faster over the countryside.

  Hot wind slipped through my hair and sent my t-shirt billowing around me. We worked in cadence—my horse, the wind, and me. The thunder of her hooves, the chaos of the breeze, and my panting breath formed a melody sweeter than any song.

  We crested the hill, and I pulled back on the reins to slow her down. My own slice of Texas splayed out before me, with black cattle grazing the green grass as far as my eyes could see. I imagined the wispy clouds floating across the sky were painted there just for me and the special scent that filled the air had been designed by God himself, just for this moment.

  I never wanted to live anywhere else. Never wanted to be anywhere else.

  When Dad said someone needed to check cows that afternoon, I jumped at the chance. Even though it was dry as bones and nearly a hundred degrees outside, I knew I needed to get away from the house. This drama with Rhett and Cheyenne was crushing me.

  My brother had cheated on his girlfriend with my best friend, and I didn’t know who to be angrier with. Not that I liked Rhett’s girlfriend, but she didn’t deserve that. And Cheyenne should have known Rhett was off limits. And all the while, my love life was going through an even worse drought than Texas.

  Midnight pulled her head down to chomp on some grass, and I leaned forward to pat her neck. Her coat felt moist with lather, but I rubbed anyway. She hadn’t gotten me away from my problems, but she’d tried her hardest.

  I scanned the pasture, wondering which corner I should take first. Maybe I could start toward the north and loop back to the creek. A short swim would be an awesome way to end this horrible day, and I might even be able to dry off on the ride back home.

  I pulled up on the reins, and Midnight begrudgingly lifted her head. Gently, I tapped my heels to her side and steered her toward the fence. Might as well check that too while I was out.

  Usually during the summer, cattle stayed pretty healthy. The main thing was making sure they had water, that the fence stayed strong so they wouldn’t get out, and then checking for infections or snakebites. Texas was full of surprises, especially around my house.

  Luckily, Midnight was a good horse. She knew to look out for holes and snakes, and if I started her along the fence, she knew to walk it. As we paced through the pasture, my eyes trailed to a spot just over the horizon. I couldn’t see it, but I knew Curt lived there.

  Curt was older, almost twenty, and worked on the Shilling Ranch as a hired hand for the summer. Ever since we worked cattle together in May, I couldn’t get my mind off of him. He was tall and strong—stockier than me, which was rare. I had my dad’s muscular build, and having shoulders stronger than most guys wasn’t exactly a turn-on.

  But Dad always warned me against dating temporary help. He said custom cutters who came to harvest wheat or work on ranches in the summer always had a girl in every town.

  Honestly, I’d be happy to be Curt’s girl in any town. But that was about as likely as me forgiving Cheyenne. At least anytime soon.

  Off in the distance, I saw a cow separated from the rest of the herd, and my instincts perked. Cattle didn’t go out on their own unless something was wrong.

  Midnight seemed to notice my interest shift, because her head swung in the same direction. I nudged her side, and we trotted toward the cow, slow enough as not to scare her. I didn’t want to cause her any trouble since she’d be calving in just a couple months.

  As I got a little closer, I kept a sharp eye on the ground. If she’d been snake-bit, it could be nearby, and the last thing I wanted was to fall off a spooked horse. But I didn’t see anything and didn’t hear any rattles either.

  Midnight and I got a little too close for the cow, and she stumbled away, faltering on a swollen leg.

  I swung down off the saddle and put the reins over the saddle horn. Midnight knew to stay.

  Slowly, I edged closer to the cow, stopping when she seemed nervous, then moving forward until I stood only a few feet away.

  Her knee was swollen to the size of a volleyball. I grimaced. Snake bite.

  There wasn’t anything I could do at this point other than to check back on her the next day and make sure it didn’t get infected.

  I stepped through the buffalo grass back to Midnight and pulled some cake out of the saddle bag. It wasn’t really cake but the cows acted like it was. I dropped a handful of the pellets in front of the cow, and she nibbled it up. “Get better, girl.”

  Midnight was already grazing, ripping up strips of grass and grinding it between her teeth.

  “Really? You just ate.”

  She snorted and flicked an ear back.

  I chuckled. “Fine, but it’s going straight to your hips.”

  She kept grazing. Apparently she didn’t care.

  I walked back to her side and put my foot in the stirrup. Then, I hauled myself up and back into the saddle. We still had half the pasture to go.

  Two

  Midnight walked lazily toward the line of trees that marked the creek, and I laid over the saddle, relaxing into her flowing walk. Other than the cow with the snake bite, everything seemed in order.

  Sweat prickled its way down my spine and added friction to my underarms and jeans where they rubbed against the leather saddle. The back of my neck burned like I’d regret not wearing sunscreen in a few hours. The stand of the oak trees and their shade couldn’t come soon enough. I needed a cooldown, and fast.

  Midnight slowed the closer we got to the stream, having to pick her way over old, fallen branches. We drifted under the canopy, and I immediately felt better. The swishing leaves and cooler breeze felt like a blessing on my skin.

  I steered the reins to make Midnight walk alongside the creek. The water flowed slow and was down this year, but I could still get in and cool off.

  Once we got close to deeper end, I stopped Midnight and hopped down. She probably needed a drink. I led her to the sandy creek bed, and she immediately dipped her head down. Her soft lips touched the water’s surface, and she slurped.

  I laughed. Horses drinking never got old.

  “Hello?” a voice called.

  I jumped. Curt’s head and bare shoulders peeked out of the water, only a hundred feet away. Now that I looked around, I saw another horse tied to a tree several yards away.

  Midnight seemed totally ambivalent to Curt and his horse, but my heart pounded and my head felt hot. What was he doing here? On our land?

  Curt waded closer to me. Fifty feet off. Then twent
y. Then ten. I still couldn’t find my voice.

  The water only came to his knees now, dripping off his boxers.

  “Harleigh, right?” he asked.

  I swallowed against my dry throat and jerked my head in a nod.

  He rubbed his wet hands together. “Sorry, I was checking cattle in that field over there, and Frank said there was a good pond over here, and I…”

  “Thought it’d be nice to cool off?” I finished for him.

  He nodded, looking toward the ground.

  Without his eyes on me, mine felt free to scan his body. Wet, brown hair covered his chest and legs and trailed into his shorts. His shoulders were broad and thick. He didn’t look like any guy I’d seen in high school.

  Probably because he wasn’t in high school, I reminded myself.

  “Checking cattle too?” he asked, looking back toward me. He was close enough now for me to see the smattering of freckles on his shoulders.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Everything clear?”

  I grimaced. “No. One got a snakebite. Rattler by the looks of it.”

  He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. “Ouch.”

  I nodded, and for a little bit, the sound of Midnight slurping filled the air.

  “You know what I do when I have one with a snakebite?” he asked, walking closer to pet Midnight’s neck. “I always give ’em a little cake. I mean, I can’t make it better, but it feels like I’m doing something at least.”

  My lips spread into an easy grin. “No way.”

  He looked over at me, his hand still on Midnight’s mane. “Yeah?”

  I flipped open my saddle back and pulled out one of the bigger pellets.

  “Great minds think alike.” He laughed.

  I couldn’t get this stupid grin off my face. Curt was standing two feet from me, had the same feeling toward cattle I did, looked amazing shirtless, liked my horse... Gosh, my cheeks were hurting.