Reckless Rogue
Part 4

by Wizzy

DISCLAIMERS: See Part 1

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Part 4

Terri let her weight hang over the side of the filly as she danced under her. Slowly she pulled herself up straight in the saddle. Fitting her boots into the stirrups, she felt the filly bunch under her. ‘Shit not again, no mouth piece. Dammit.’ Terri’s mind filled with the thought of how she would eat soup for the next week as the filly dug in. She reared and plunged to the other side of the ring. She bucked hard to the left, digging in her heels. Terri pulled herself right in the saddle throwing the filly off balance. Terri tasted blood in her mouth as her face came down and smashed into the top of the filly’s head. ‘This one’s going to hurt tonight.’ She had gotten a little to far forward in the saddle and met the hard bone of the filly’s forehead with her nose. 

The ride seemed longer than it really was and soon Terri felt the filly tiring. With one last attempt to ditch the added weight on her back, she stopped and sniffed Terri’s boot. Terri smiled and spoke softly to her. ”See girl, I’m not gonna hurt ya. Just let me get down and we’re done for the night.” Terri stood next to the hard breathing filly as Jesse entered the ring. 

“Need some water there?” Jesse smiled at Terri. 

Terri took the bottle from her. “Smartass,” Terri growled as she washed the blood out of her mouth. She turned to spit it out and caught the look in Taylor’s eyes. It was one of fear. Terri raised an eyebrow at her; eyes full of questions. However, that couldn’t be solved right now. Jesse was going to cool the filly off then put her up for the night.  

Terri needed to get the gelding back in his stall and fed before she could look at her mouth. She walked toward the gelding as Taylor jumped off the top rail. Terri wiped her hand across her nose. It came away bloody. ‘Shit just what I need.’ Her eyes grew dark and angry. 

“Terri, let me see. Your nose is bleeding. Let’s get you an ice pack.” Taylor pulled her towards the office and the first aide kit. 

“I’m fine, Taylor. I just need to get the gelding put up for the night an’ a shower.” Terri’s eyes were blank. She pulled her arm away from Taylor’s hold.  

Taking the gelding and walking him down the isle to his stall, she unsaddled him. Taylor stood next to her. Terri could feel the warmth of Taylor’s body next to hers and she couldn’t seem to concentrate on brushing the horse down. Taylor took the brush from her and finished up. Terri filled his feed bin with some extra grain. 

“Terri?” 

“Huh?” 

“Is he going to act like he did every time I want to ride him? ‘Cause if he does, I think I’ll pick a different horse.” Taylor’s voice filled with emotion. 

“Nope….He’ll b…e f...ine.” Terri’s voice wavered. 

“You ok?” 

“Yeahup. Just tired.” Terri tried not to stammer. 

“Well then. Let’s get him in his stall and you can get some sleep,” Taylor replied reaching out to touch her, needing to feel close. She leaned into Terri harder, and was about to kiss her soft lips when Terri flinched at the touch. Pulling away, Terri shut the stall door. 

“What is it with you?” Taylor snapped, as Terri headed out of the barn. Taylor went in search of Jesse to see if she could get anything out of her. She had yet to talk at length with Tamara about Terri as Tamara was called away this morning.  They had a date for drinks later the next evening. 

“Hey Jesse? You got a minute?” 

“Sure, Taylor. What’s up?” Jesse eyed her nervously. She knew what was coming; she had seen what took place in the gelding’s stall. Terri would shoot her on sight if she said a word. 

“Well I’m not sure where to start, but I would like some insight as to why Terri is so cold at times? I was hoping you could help me out?” Taylor asked in a pleading voice. 

“Well I’m not sure we should be discussing her. It’s not wise. She’ll be really pissed off if she knows I’ve said anything.” Jesse looked at Taylor. 

“Ok, how about if I ask yes and no questions? That way you won’t get in trouble with her.” Taylor grinned at Jesse. The smile had Jesse melting and Taylor knew it. 

“How long have you known her?” 

“Oh I’d say about the last six months.” 

“Has she been this way ever since coming to the ranch?” 

“To me no, to others yes. There’s a lot you don’t understand about her,” Jesse replied in a small voice, not wanting to say too much, yet wanting to tell Taylor everything. 

“Will you tell me what it is?” pleaded Taylor. This was her only hope ‘til she could talk to Tamara, and even then she didn’t think Tamara would know much more than she had already told her. 

“Nope.” Jesse grinned at her. “You’ll just have to ask her yourself that’s if she stays that long.” With that, Jesse walked away. Leaving Taylor wondering what she had meant. 

Taylor headed for her cottage, feeling a little lost. She knew they would be going up in the hills again tomorrow to see if they had missed any stray cattle. Her mind clicked into high gear. She switched directions and headed for the cook shanty. She pulled open the door, stepped into the dimly light room and spotted Mark, the cook.

“Hi, Mark. I’ve got a favor to ask of you!” 

“For you, Big Red anything is yours for the asking,” he greeted her with a huge bear hug. 

“How are you Mark? It’s been a long time!” She took the coffee he offered her, thanked him and settled down on one of the bench seats. He sat across from her. 

“So how’s Tim?” she asked taking a drink of the warm liquid. 

“He’s doing great. Do you realize it’s been over four years since you’ve been back?” Mark and Tim had been together for over ten years and had worked on the ranch since Tamara had taken over the ownership. 

“Yes, I know. It feels like it’s been over twenty.” She smiled at him. She knew his story; Tamara was the closest thing he had to any family, except for his lover Tim. 

“So, my princess what’s the favor you need to ask of me?” He smiled at her.

“Well I was wondering….” She stopped in mid sentence as she noticed Terri walking in. 

”Ahh….I….hold that thought, Mark.” She grinned at him. He got her drift and waited. 

“Terri, you mess up my kitchen I’ll axe murder you.” Mark smiled even bigger, knowing full well Terri would take the bait. 

“BITE ME!” she snapped through swollen lips, pouring herself some hot cider he kept just for her. She walked into the kitchen for a leftover slice of roast, some bread and a slab of cheese then returned to join them at the bench. She sat across the table from Taylor, next to Mark and shoved herself against him hard. “You had better be nice to me asswipe,” she growled at him.” I won’t haul your boyfriend to town an’ get his shopping done.” Her eyes bore into Taylor’s green ones. 

He patted Terri’s arm and smiled at her. “Breakfast at 4:30am? Who in the hell beat you up?” He knew she didn’t waste any time in bed when there was work to done and he was totally convinced she didn’t sleep more than a few hours at a time. He had seen her out stalking around the barnyard late at night.  

She dumped his hand off her arm, stood quickly, nodded at Taylor and walked out, leaving behind a half eaten plate of food and her hot cider. 

“Ok what’s up, princess? You have a favor to ask me?” 

“Hum...yes I do. I need a lunch packed for a ride tomorrow. I’ll stop by before I ride out to pick it up.” She had pulled Terri’s mug closer to fiddle with the mug of steaming cider. ”Oh, and add some hot cider, Mark.” 

“So what’s up with you, my dear princess?”  His gray eyes grew concerned. 

“I don’t get her at all, Mark. It’s almost like she’s unreachable.” Taylor sighed. Her feelings were running deep for this lost soul she had no clue how to reach. 

“Well she’s not an easy one to read. She’s had some hard knocks and you can’t tell me you didn’t see the accident plastered all over the news?” 

“Yes. Yes, I did and it’s sad. But you can’t rely on the news to give you the truth. It’s almost as if she has given up on living. There has to be some way I can reach her. It’s hard to explain Mark but I feel this connection to her I have never felt for with anyone I have known.” Taylor sat lost in thought. 

“Maybe she did give up, Taylor. She lost everything but that damn dog of hers.  She gave up the one true thing she loves to do.  The memories hurt too much. She’s not as bad as she lets on. There’s more to her than you see. She’s not only overcoming the death of her lover, but also has to overcome her health problems.” Mark paused taking a sip of the hot tea in front of him. 

“My suggestion to you, Princess, would be to just be her friend. Keep picking away at the hard outer shell. She’ll break eventually. It’s taken me six months to get her to warm up to me. It wasn’t easy either. She’s well respected and liked here so you won’t get much more information out of this crew about her. I don’t think even Tamara knows the whole story behind her. Terri likes it that way. So we leave it alone.” His eyes showed sorrow for the younger woman. 

“Thank you, Mark. Once again you’ve helped me.” She stood and kissed him good night,” I’ll pick up the lunch in the morning. And would you pack it for two please?” She grinned at him, picked up the cup and left the shanty. She walked over to Terri’s cottage and knocked softly on the door. 

Terri stumbled to the door. She had just gotten out of the shower and was dripping wet. She yanked the door open and growled, “This better be important.” She stopped, staring into a pair of beautiful green eyes. 

“I thought maybe you could use a nightcap.” Taylor held the hot cup of cider out to Terri. 

“I…huh…shuu...re.” Terri’s face became angry as she tried to be normal and talk to Taylor. Taylor could see the fire in Terri’s eyes, the anger at not being able to form a sentence. It hit all at once. This could be the reason she seemed angry so much of the time. 

“Relax, honey. I don’t bite.” She grinned at Terri.” I just thought I’d drop this by on my way to bed. Hope you sleep ok and see you tomorrow.” Taylor turned to go. 

“Tay…Taylor?” Terri stammered. “Thank y….ou.” She cringed at the sound of her own voice failing her. Taylor just grinned at her. 

”Goodnight, honey,” Taylor whispered as she disappeared into her own cottage. 

************************************************** 

Terri grabbed a quick breakfast and headed for the barn. While the ranch hands waited for her, she poured a cup of steaming hot coffee as Jesse had filled them in on who would be riding what trail. 

“We ready?” With nods all around Terri saddled her palomino mare. “Then we’re burnin’ daylight. Let’s ride” She pulled her Stetson down tighter and rode out. The work crew took different paths to search for stray cattle as well as any broken links in the fence. She rode tirelessly throughout the day, stopping only to rest her mare. 

The storm had dumped a good two feet of new snow. The weather had broken and the sun shined bright, melting the powdery fluff. Taylor knew by the empty stall that Terri had already headed out. She hummed to herself as she saddled the gelding. ‘Today would be a step in the right direction.’ She thought to herself as she cinched the saddle down tight. 

She tied down the heavy saddlebags and walked the gelding outside. It didn’t take her long to find Terri’s tracks in the fresh snow. After an hour of steady riding, she crested a small hill to see Terri’s black Stetson coming over the next hill. She stopped her mount, waiting for Terri to come into view. 

Terri pulled her mare to a stop and sat staring into the green eyes. ‘What the hell is she doin’? Is she that nut’s to ride out in this cold weather? Just what I need is to have to baby sit a damn city slickin’ greenhorn.’ Terri cussed a few more times and kicked her mount into a canter toward Taylor. 

Taylor edged her gelding down the hill to meet Terri. “Hi. Thought maybe you’d like some company. Have you eaten lunch yet?” Taylor saw a look of surprise flash across Terri’s face. As quickly as it was there, it was gone. 

”You can’t tell me you’re not hungry after spending almost all day out here?” Taylor pushed her. 

“Nope. Guess I can’t say I’m not.” Terri took a deep breath. ‘Don’t let me stutter.’ She silently prayed to herself. 

“Well then, let’s find a place out of the wind and have something to eat. I had Mark pack some sandwiches. And I got some hot cider to go along with it.” Taylor had her there and Terri knew it. 

“Huh…There’s a cabin not too far from here.” Terri’s teeth clenched tight. Taylor’s eyes flashed an interest. Terri spun the mare around, heading back the way she had just come. 

******************************************

The cabin she spoke of was not much more than a one-room shack. Terri put the horses in the shanty connected to the side of the cabin out of the wind that was picking up. Terri tossed her jacket on the small couch and started a fire in the fireplace since it was the only heat in the small cabin. Taylor took the saddlebags and unloaded the food onto the table. Finding coffee mugs in the cupboard, she filled a mug and handed it to Terri. 

The cabin had a homey feeling to it.  It was decorated in a Southwestern style. Taylor placed the sandwiches on some paper plates. She could feel the heat of the fireplace, or was it being alone with this woman? She wasn’t sure which it was, but a smiled played on her lips. She could tell Terri was uncomfortable and was thinking of bolting out the door. 

“Look, it won’t take us long to eat so you might as well sit down. Then I’ll help you look for strays.” Taylor pulled out a chair motioning Terri to sit. “Be sides I don’t bite.” She flashed Terri a killer smile. 

Terri hooked her Stetson on the back of the chair and sat down. She was tired and knew she needed to eat something. She wasn’t sure what she should say. Terri supposed she should be thanking Taylor for something to eat, but she knew if she opened her mouth she would do nothing but stutter. It did not help that she could feel Taylor staring at her. Terri looked up from the mug of cider into the enticing green eyes. 

“I….huh…Th..anks..fo..r…DAMMIT. Thank you for lunch!” she snapped, the anger flashing in her eyes. Taylor reached across the table, taking Terri’s larger hand in hers. Terri tried to pull away. 

“Don’t,” Came the sharp command from Taylor. Terri raised an eyebrow at the stern voice. “It’s ok really, Terri. Take your time. And please, just relax.” 

Green eyes met blue. The fire sparked hotter between them. Terri hated the fact that she had this problem even more right this minute than she ever had in her life. Terri could feel the warmth of the smaller hand in hers. 

“Terri, it’s ok really. I understand now.” Taylor’s voice was like a soft caress.  

Terri relaxed a little as Taylor leaned in closer. She wished she had a warm snifter of brandy about now. At least she’d have a reason to feel the heat. It had been a long time since she’d felt this way. She wasn’t sure if she liked it either. She felt Taylor’s warm lips brushing hers. Taylor let go of Terri’s hand when she felt her relax. She could see the turmoil just under the surface; it never quite left Terri’s eyes. 

They finished eating in silence and cleaned up the mess. Terri gulped down the last of the hot cider, welcoming the sting of the hot liquid as it slid down her throat.  

Making sure the fire was completely out and everything was back in its place, they headed back out into the cold weather. 

Terri re-saddled the horses and walked towards Taylor with her mount. As Taylor settled into her saddle, she felt Terri’s hand on her thigh. The shock was so great it left her weak and breathless. If she didn’t have this dark haired beauty soon it would be the death of her, she just knew it. 

“Th...ank y…uo…for lun…ch.” Terri turned and swung up into her saddle, her eyes cold with anger. They spent the day riding close to each other, neither of them wanting to break the comfortable silence between them. They just did what had to be done and enjoyed each other’s company.

It was getting dark as Terri pulled closer to ride side by side. They were pushing ten head of cattle back to the lower range, when Terri broke the silence, “We humm...Nee…d to head back now. It’ll start snowin’ soon. We’ll pick up the pace and push these fellers into the lower pasture.” Her eyes were distant and she was tired and cold.  

Back at the barn, Terri took Taylor’s gelding and her own mare, handed them over to Jesse as she turned and headed for some dinner.  Taylor watched her walk away before going toward her own cabin to get ready for her night out with Tamara.

Continued in Part 5

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