The Lucky Five - By Arow Jones Page 0,38
just waitin’ for the right stallion to come along.”
“Jesus Kip,” Rob throw his cards down on the table.
“What? I’m just tellin’ it like it is.” Kip looks me in the eyes like he’s looking for something. “Gramps knew it. Your daddy knows it. And I know you know it. She just needs to be reined in the right direction.”
“Yeah, well I’m not so sure I’m what she wants.” I’m not the only guy in her life. “She’s going on a date tomorrow night.”
“You don’t say?”
“With the guy that’s been staying with her.”
Kip frowns. “And who might that be?”
“Some guy from college. Kenny. You know him?” Rob spits his beer out “I take it you know him.” He throws his head back in laughter. Kip chuckles.
“Sure, yeah. I’ve seen Lily around with Kenny. Lot a love between those two.” Rob is now laughing so hard he starts coughing like he’s gonna cough up a lung. Kip pats him on the back and shakes his shoulder. “Rob here keeps an eye on her though. But you ought to stake your claim sooner than later. If you don’t, someone else will snatch her right up.”
~*~
It’s after two in the morning by the time we start heading back to my house. I’m hammered and Chase isn’t any better. We’re stumbling through the dark, making our way down the path. A light is on in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It’s in one of the guest bedrooms so it can’t be Lily. Kenny.
“Ya know? I bet I could rein in Lily. Better ‘an any many, anywhere.” Chase takes a swig from a bottle of whiskey he must have grabbed on the way out. He snorts.
“Rein, steer, wrangle, rope, you got this filly.” He hands me the bottle and I take a long drink. The liquid doesn’t burn my throat anymore. My tongue feels fuzzy.
“Not a filly, a mare, my mare. Sweeeeeet, sweeeeeeet Sugarrrrrr.”
He points to me with an empty bottle still in his hand. “You… are wasted.”
“You and me brother.” I put my arm around his shoulder. “Thank fuck for you. I love you man.”
“You… lucky… me… ha ha.” Yeah, we’re wasted. “Lily, Hmm.”
“Yeah,” My sigh smells of booze and dip.
I reach into my pocket for the keys. “Hey, hey, Chase?” We’ve made it back to the house but Chase is already snoring on the porch swing. Did I give him my keys? I check his pockets. His phone is there but not my key ring. Shit. I left the keys in the truck. I leave his phone out and notice a new text. From Lily. What the fuck? I shouldn’t look at it. They are just friends. In my drunken state I have no self-control so I pick up the phone and invade my best friend’s privacy.
Lily: Thank you, C U soon ;-)
I kick him in the leg. “Get up fucker! Why are texting my girl?” He grunts, rubbing a hand down his face.
“What? Huh?”
“I said, why the fuck are texting with Lily?” The asshole smirks.
“I’m pretty sure you said ‘my girl’ and she isn’t that. Not yet, anyways.”
“What-the-fuck-ever!”
“You’re a mean… jealous drunk.” He turns over and starts snoring.
I sit on the other porch swing and let my mind wander. He’s right. She’s not mine. Not yet. I lay my head back and close my eyes.
When the sun comes up, I’m alone. My head is pounding. The sun light is blaring. I check the front door and discover it’s unlocked. Either I left it unlocked or Chase unlocked it and let himself while I was still snoring the morning away.
“Chase? Chase?” I hear him before I see him. He’s on the phone in the office. He hold one finger indicating he’ll be a minute, so I wait.
“Yeah. Mmm hmm. You should have asked me. Yes, I’ve seen her. No, I’m not interested in reconciling. Anyway, she’s moved on. There is nothing to discuss. No mother. Hmm. No. I said NO!” He hangs up without saying goodbye. Talks with his mother never go well. The relationship with his parents is strained. I asked to be sent to boarding school. Chase did not.
“How is your mother?”
“Same as always. She wants me to attend to some matters back in Boulder. I may be gone for a few weeks.”
“Hmm. There’s a rodeo out there next weekend. I’m thinking of taking Lily so she can drum up some business. I don’t want her loosening her reins on The Lucky Five. It’s still hers. She should treat it as such.”
“Be