Jake (Downton Cowboys #2) - Miley Maine Page 0,3
what I’m in the mood for.
And, then I recall something Belle said about loving Diamond Rio. My fingers rummage through the lines, reaching the only record of his that I own.
I put it on and start the song, sitting back in my chair and closing my eyes for a moment.
Oh, beautiful Belle… beautiful music.
I make a mental note that I should buy more of his records. But then again, what if it doesn’t work out? The worst feeling is to listen to a song that reminds you of what could have been.
Shaking the thought out of my head, I get up and make my way over to the mini-bar at the corner of the room. Pulling out a cold beer, I smirk as I pop it open and go back to the chair. Right before my bottom touches the cushion, something catches my eye outside.
A sparkle of sorts.
I walk over to the window with the beer in hand, gazing out into the black night sky that throws a dark blanket of nothingness over the vast landscape ahead.
Was it a shooting star?
Is it too late to make a wish?
As Rio’s voice fills the room, I open the window and close my eyes, drawing in a deep breath, smelling the night and taking it all in, the character, the feel, and the scent.
“They don't make hearts like they used to.
These days a heart ain't worth a dime.”
I bob my head to the music and take a big sip of beer, my heart skipping a beat at the thought of Belle in that shirt. Only this time, in my imagination, she wasn’t wearing anything else.
She dances and sways in an iridescent green meadow that my mind has expertly crafted, the sun bouncing off of her milky white skin as her black locks flirt with the breeze and dance around her face.
Her fingertips glisten as she keeps time with the music, her wrists waving in undulating movements, the small diamond hanging from her thin necklace twinkling.
Every move she makes tickles my senses with a brief glimpse of what’s underneath that blue and grey shirt. Silky smooth curves and bends that seamlessly slide under the shadows of a fabric made by someone completely oblivious to the goddess that was destined to wear it.
My eyelids suddenly shoot open as my mind refuses to let me sink any deeper into a fantasy that I yearned to be reality.
Belle Frances is—most certainly—the finest looking woman I’ve ever seen in my life. She also clearly carries volumes of care and affection that promise to make her man the luckiest on Earth.
But here is the pickle.
Why would she be any different from the rest of the world? Couldn’t she be another harsh woman looking for a prosperous future with a wealthy man?
Am I paranoid?
My father sure played a number on me, rendering me skeptical of people’s good hearts and better intentions.
Going back to my chair, I reach over and turn off the light, leaving nothing but the dim traces of moonlight to invade the darkness and give me faith.
Faith that the god that created this world had better plans for all of us. That the things that were and the things that will be, can be polar opposites. That whatever it is that weighs on my heart today, may be gone tomorrow.
Taking another sip, gulping it down this time, I relax back in my seat and let myself slide gently down until the back of my head rests atop the back of the chair.
I close my eyes and sing along, a personal prayer to the power that be to bring her closer to me. To make her good. To make her mine.
I exhale and close my eyes.
Chapter Two
Belle
As a way of expanding my experience, I always ride to a different spot every day.
While the gallop from town into the fields remains pleasant, I’ve always wanted to relive my childhood days when I used to climb over fences and run around other people’s land, laughing and frolicking without a care in the world.
Of course, life now is different. Although, I know I can’t exactly trespass without consequences anymore, I can still take my horse and wander off, subtly exploring wherever the wind takes us.
My desire to reenact the past, both intrigues and saddens me. Why is it that I always find what’s done and gone more interesting than today? Is it because my life has been feeling stagnant lately? Is it because my last meaningful relationship was years ago?
Was it even