didn’t quite get, but at least it was unusual. Their own stuff was amazing, though tonight they had been playing mostly goldies for the oldies, a lot of Rolling Stones and Beatles and Eagles numbers. At the moment they were into a great version of “Born in the USA.” Abbie was dancing with Lane Delroy and her brother Ryan. He and Abbie had had a bit of a thing going last summer but thank heaven he was over it and cool about it and they were now just good friends again. Everyone was laughing at Ryan’s dad, Delroy, who Abbie secretly found a little creepy. He was one of those guys who was always putting his arm around you, not quite feeling you up but almost. Right now he was trying to coach Katie Bradstock and her mom to do some funny kind of African tribal dance.
Abbie’s mom was dancing with Tom Bradstock, who had this hilarious Blues Brothers shuffle going, while her dad was into his Bruce Springsteen impression with Maya Delroy. A few years ago Abbie would have been mortified at the sight of her parents making such a spectacle of themselves, but now she was proud of them. It was good to see them so happy and having fun.
And all the time her eyes kept coming back to Ty. He was almost too good to be true. Not only was he sweet and sensitive and looked like Brad Pitt (well, okay, at a distance, a little), he also played the guitar and sang like some real live rock star you might see on MTV.
The other day when he had casually mentioned that he and some of his friends from college had a band and that, if she wanted, they could come and play at her dad’s birthday party, Abbie hadn’t expected anything remotely as good as this. He looked gorgeous in his blue jeans and his white pearl-buttoned shirt all patched with sweat. She was dancing for him and felt his eyes upon her wherever in the room she moved. Only five more days until it was time to go home. She was going to miss him badly. Especially after last night.
Every evening after the last ride, the horses were turned loose and a couple of the ranch hands would ride up behind them to see them safely to the pasture. Yesterday it had been Ty’s turn and on the flimsy pretext that his buddy wasn’t feeling too good, he’d asked Abbie to ride with him instead. It was the first season he had worked at The Divide and from the moment they laid eyes on each other, it had been obvious that there was a connection and that if they allowed it, something might happen between them.
For days Abbie had been going down to the stables to help him with the horses and after a lot of talk and touching each other as if by accident, two days ago, they had finally kissed. The problem was, there was scarcely a moment they could be alone together and for the sake of his job they had to be discreet. Lane and Katie knew but nobody else. And even though Abbie suspected they were a little jealous, they had covered for her yesterday evening.
The sight of the horses thundering up through the sagebrush, churning a cloud of red and sunlit dust behind them, was awesome. They needed no herding and Abbie and Ty just followed on. Once they were up in the pasture, they had ridden across to a low hill and lain together in the sweet-smelling grass below the trees and watched the horses graze their lengthening shadows. He was tender and more hesitant than she had expected, almost shy. And though she had only once made love before, with a boy from school at a party earlier that year, she guessed that for Ty it was the first time and surprised herself by taking the lead, helping him when he fumbled with the condom, telling him not to worry when he quickly came. It was a lot easier and better the second time.
In the twilight as they dressed, they heard voices and, before they could pretend to be doing something more innocent, two figures appeared as if out of nowhere. It was the women from Santa Fe whose names, Abbie had later discovered, were Lori and Eve. It was their first evening, and they were
Abbie’s mom was dancing with Tom Bradstock, who had this hilarious Blues Brothers shuffle going, while her dad was into his Bruce Springsteen impression with Maya Delroy. A few years ago Abbie would have been mortified at the sight of her parents making such a spectacle of themselves, but now she was proud of them. It was good to see them so happy and having fun.
And all the time her eyes kept coming back to Ty. He was almost too good to be true. Not only was he sweet and sensitive and looked like Brad Pitt (well, okay, at a distance, a little), he also played the guitar and sang like some real live rock star you might see on MTV.
The other day when he had casually mentioned that he and some of his friends from college had a band and that, if she wanted, they could come and play at her dad’s birthday party, Abbie hadn’t expected anything remotely as good as this. He looked gorgeous in his blue jeans and his white pearl-buttoned shirt all patched with sweat. She was dancing for him and felt his eyes upon her wherever in the room she moved. Only five more days until it was time to go home. She was going to miss him badly. Especially after last night.
Every evening after the last ride, the horses were turned loose and a couple of the ranch hands would ride up behind them to see them safely to the pasture. Yesterday it had been Ty’s turn and on the flimsy pretext that his buddy wasn’t feeling too good, he’d asked Abbie to ride with him instead. It was the first season he had worked at The Divide and from the moment they laid eyes on each other, it had been obvious that there was a connection and that if they allowed it, something might happen between them.
For days Abbie had been going down to the stables to help him with the horses and after a lot of talk and touching each other as if by accident, two days ago, they had finally kissed. The problem was, there was scarcely a moment they could be alone together and for the sake of his job they had to be discreet. Lane and Katie knew but nobody else. And even though Abbie suspected they were a little jealous, they had covered for her yesterday evening.
The sight of the horses thundering up through the sagebrush, churning a cloud of red and sunlit dust behind them, was awesome. They needed no herding and Abbie and Ty just followed on. Once they were up in the pasture, they had ridden across to a low hill and lain together in the sweet-smelling grass below the trees and watched the horses graze their lengthening shadows. He was tender and more hesitant than she had expected, almost shy. And though she had only once made love before, with a boy from school at a party earlier that year, she guessed that for Ty it was the first time and surprised herself by taking the lead, helping him when he fumbled with the condom, telling him not to worry when he quickly came. It was a lot easier and better the second time.
In the twilight as they dressed, they heard voices and, before they could pretend to be doing something more innocent, two figures appeared as if out of nowhere. It was the women from Santa Fe whose names, Abbie had later discovered, were Lori and Eve. It was their first evening, and they were
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