After exploring some of the ranch, they found an old wooden fence overlooking a small pond. Trisha climbed up with ease and sat down.
“I hope I don’t get a splinter in my butt.” Cindy moaned and groaned her way into a perched position beside Trisha.
“You really are a city girl,” Trisha teased with a nudge before looking up at the sky. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, it is.” Cindy also looked up, but then frowned over at her. “What do you mean ‘city girl?’ Like you’re Annie Oakley or some shit.”
An eerie howl in the distance filled the silence. They both looked at each other.
“Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that.” Cindy cautiously looked over her shoulder.
Trisha also peered around. “It was probably just a neighbor’s dog.”
They sat in silence enjoying the cool breeze blowing gently. The stars looked so close, as if she could actually reach out and touch one. She loved it. No noise, no commotion and no Doug. At the thought of Doug, Trisha glanced at Cindy who had her head tilted back gazing at the sky.
“Thank you, Cindy.” Trisha tried to keep any emotion out of her voice and continued before Cindy could say anything. “You warned me about him, but I didn’t listen.”
Cindy sighed, taking her eyes off the sky to look out over the lake. “He wasn’t good enough for you. Once a man tries to change you, telling you what to wear, where to go and who to hang with, it’s time to move along. You deserve someone who is going to treat you like a princess, make your toes curl with kisses that set you on fire.” Cindy finally looked her way. “Trisha, don’t live your life based on your relationship with the asshole. We’ve all been there. All women have been there. Find the one we think is the one only to find out he’s the wrong one. In your case, it got a little extreme, but that’s because he’s a lunatic. The important thing to remember is you walked. You left, when most women would have been too afraid to do that.”
“I may pay for it in the long run, but no man…” Trisha stopped because she never told Cindy the breaking point for her.
“No man what?” Cindy’s eyes narrowed. “Did that son of a bitch hit you?”
Embarrassed, Trisha looked away. “Only once.” Her voice sounded bitter even to her own ears. “He threatened by raising his hand, but he only actually hit me once.”
“I swear he’ll pay for that,” Cindy all but growled, her temper matching her red hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew you’d go after him.” Trisha grinned sadly then frowned. “He’s a powerful man, Cindy. I have enough to worry about wondering what he’s going to do to me once I get back because I know the restraining order has been served by now.”
“He’s just a piece-of-shit bully who owns a few businesses.” Cindy snorted. “I know people who would make him piss himself.”
Trisha didn’t doubt that, but she didn’t want to pull anyone else into her mess. It was her mess and she was going to take care of it as soon as she got home, at least, that was her plan. “Anyway, thank you for everything.”
“You’re my girl,” Cindy replied, her tone more serious than ever. “Don’t thank me. It’s what friends do.”
Before Trisha could respond, another howl filled the air, this time sounding closer.
“Hey, you two.” A voice came from behind them mixing with the howl.
Both Cindy and Trisha jumped off the fence screaming frantically. Trisha turned to see Jeb screaming right along with them.
“Oh, my God!” Cindy grabbed her chest. “You gave me a heart attack.”
Jeb was also holding his chest which worried Trisha. “Jeb, are you okay?”
“Lord Almighty.” He leaned against the fence, but nodded.
Trisha couldn’t help it. Why it struck her so funny, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t hold the laughter back. Clutching her stomach, she bent over, laughing uncontrollably. Maybe she was finally losing it.
“What happened?” a male shout echoed in the night as Jake ran down the slope toward them with Tim limping quickly behind him.
“We heard screaming.” Tim stopped by Jeb, who was still holding his chest, leaning against the fence. “Jeb? Are you okay?”
“Hell no, I ain’t okay,” Jeb wheezed out. “They scared the spit out of me.”
When Trisha saw Jake and Tim, she managed to get her laughter under control, but Jeb’s statement sent her back over the edge with laughter.
“Why did you scream?” Jeb looked first at Cindy then Trisha.
“I’m sorry, Jeb.” Trisha tried to wipe the grin from her face. “We kept hearing something howl and then heard it again as soon as you spoke behind us.”
“Yeah, and you scared more than spit out of me,” Cindy griped then screamed when the howling started again.
“Is that what you heard?” Tim grinned, glancing at Jake.
“Yeah.” Cindy was practically climbing up Trisha. “What the hell is that?”
“Sounds like a coyote,” Jake replied, cocking his head as if to listen closer. “But could be a wolf looking for his pack.”
“Coyotes? Wolves?” Cindy headed toward the fence and began climbing. “I can almost smell that ocean breeze, Trish. I sure wouldn’t be heartbroken if you changed your mind. Please change your mind.”
Trisha shook her head as she watched all three men rush to help Cindy over the fence. Within five seconds, Trisha was up and over before they even had Cindy on the ground, which she was sure Cindy was prolonging on purpose.
“You should have waited. I would have helped you.” Jake frowned down at her.
Without his hat on, Trisha noticed he was even more handsome. His hair was black as midnight with enough waves to make a woman want to run her hands through it. Ah, okay, where in the hell did that thought come from? “I’m fine, but thanks,” she replied, not knowing what to say especially after her thoughts of wanting to run her hands through his hair.
“You could have hurt yourself.” He was looking at her oddly.
“I’m fine. Really.” Uncomfortable by his intense gaze, it was as if he could see things she didn’t want him to see.
He nodded as he finally released her from his stare. “Come on, Jeb.” Jake clapped him on the back. “You look like you could use a beer.”
“You buyin?” Jeb walked beside Jake who towered over the old man.
“Yep.” Jake’s deep laugh rumbled through the darkness.
“Then I could use two,” Jeb grumbled as they made their way up the hill.
“Ouch!” Trisha rubbed the back of her head where Cindy smacked her. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Mosquito,” Cindy said to Tim, who was eyeing them oddly.
One eyebrow rose, but he nodded. “You two coming up to the recreation center?”
“Sure,” Cindy replied.
“Was it a big one?” Trisha felt the back of her head.
“What?” Cindy took her eyes off Tim, looking back at Trisha.
“The mosquito.” Trisha hated bugs with a passion. “Was it big?”
Cindy rolled her eyes. “There wasn’t a mosquito.”
“Then why the hell did you hit me?”
Cindy looked to make sure Jake, Jeb and Tim were out of hearing range. “What were we just talking about? Huh?” Cindy sighed when Trisha just continued to glare at her. “Wanting someone to curl your toes with kisses that set you on fire.”
“Yeah, okay.” Trisha sounded as confused as she looked. “And that’s why you hit me?”
“Ah, hello.” Cindy knocked on Trisha’s forehead with her knuckle.
“I swear if you hit me in the head one more time, I’m going to kick your ass.” Trisha backed away. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“Why didn’t you let him help you over the fence?” Cindy pointed at the fence before putting her hand on her hip.
“Ah, because they were all helping you,” Trisha shot back. “Anyway, I can climb a damn fence without a man’s help, Cindy.”
“But men like to help women, Trisha. It makes them feel, I don’t know, like men. A real man wants to take care of a lady.”
“So what you’re saying is the next time, even though I can climb the damn fence, don’t.” Trisha sighed.
“Exactly.” Cindy snapped her fingers. “Be helpless.”
Trisha shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that.”
“Sure you can.” Cindy nodded her head as Trisha shook hers. “I’ll help you.”
Trisha just stared then spun, walking away. “God, help me.”
“I heard that,” Cindy called out after her.
“I’m not here for a man,” Trisha mumbled, her mood turning sour.
“Heard that too and you’re wrong.” Cindy huffed behind her. “I bet my new Gucci purse you’ll be riding a cowboy and saving a horse before this trip is over.”
Trisha slapped her hands over her ears as Cindy laughed at her own humor.