Chasing McCree (9 page)

Where I came from, everyone had a gun.
If you didn’t, then people thought something was wrong with you.
Here it was different. Something was wrong if you had a gun hidden
in your pants on a beach at night. Way wrong.

Second I saw that gun, I couldn’t get
us out of there fast enough.

And the stairwell…shit. I felt as if
five years had been shaved off my life by the time we got to the
truck.

No way I’d get used to city living.
They were all bat shit crazy.

But Briar wasn’t like the rest of them.
I saw something different in her. She and I would make a good team.
We got each other. Sometimes I didn’t have to say anything and
she’d smile at me, as if she knew exactly what I was
thinking

We spent the weekend stuck inside
because of rain, but at her Grandma’s house there was plenty of fun
to be had making waffles, virgin daiquiris, and watching old
movies. It was also funny to watch Grandma get sloshed and fall
asleep to the sounds of Grandpa’s TV and war shows.

When the week before summer break
rolled around, I was up at five as usual. Throwing the pillow over
my head didn’t do anything, sleeping in wasn’t something I was used
to.

I slipped out the backdoor and walked
across the yard for the small paddock Ash kept to. He was up and
ready to start the day. Had we been back home I’d have taken him
out for a brisk run through the pastures to the lake. It was our
morning ritual. Down here I could only take him for a trot around
the backyard.

My mom knew how attached to Ash I’d
become over the years. He’d been my father’s horse. Had been born a
few years after me. I couldn’t leave him behind. Luckily enough, my
mom lived in the part of town where horses were allowed, and
arranged an area for him in the backyard. I drove down from Montana
with him hitched up in a trailer on my truck.

I had to admit, keeping a horse in this
area was strange, taking him out for a walk like he was a pet or
something. There was nowhere for him to really run. I’d regretted
bringing him with me the instant I saw where he’d be
living.

Not bothering with a saddle, I swung up
onto him bare back and he galloped in a circle. Pounding his hooves
harder than usual. He was frustrated. Going from miles of open land
to a pen in a backyard wasn’t something either of us
liked.

When it was getting close to the time I
would be late for school, I left Ash and went into the kitchen to
grab something to eat. My mom was at the breakfast table alone.
Todd and my sister had already left for preschool and
work.

“
You’re up early.” She
said, smiling.

Since when had I ever slept late? “I
get up at five every morning.”

She laughed. “Still on ranch time after
a month and a half.”

I didn’t consider it ranch time. It was
what I’d done my whole life. Everyone got up early to start the
day. We’d feed all the animals, and Aunt Millie would call us in
for breakfast.

“
Mom, I want to talk to
you.” I said, not really hungry. I grabbed an apple and sat at the
table across from her. “There’s something I want to tell you, but I
don’t know how.”

She took a sip of her coffee and eyed
me over the rim of the mug. “You won’t hurt my feelings, Chase. I
know what you’re going to say.”

I sat back, “Really?

“
Really.”

“
It’s not that I don’t love
you, or that I don’t like Todd. He’s awesome,” I rolled the apple
between my hands on the table. “But I…I just don’t belong here. I
miss my ranch.”

“
I can see you do.” She set
the mug down and laid her hands over mine. “I never thought you
would come to live with me and Todd. I feel like I forced you into
it.”

“
I didn’t feel forced.” I
felt like I at least needed to spend some time with her. I just
wish it had been easier than picking up and moving across the
country. I hadn’t picked the right time, coming in at the end of a
school year. But it had been now or never, what with my future
coming down the pike at an alarming, and an exciting
rate.

“
Honey, I’ve felt guilty”.
She shrugged. “I wanted us to be a family. You, Todd, Amy, and me.
I thought you deserved to experience something other than ranch
life. But if this is what you really want Chase, all that
responsibility…go for it. I know you can run that place just as
good, if not better than your father. You are so like him it’s
scary sometimes,” she blinked back tears. “Then I see bits of me
come out, you have my logical side that your father never had. He
was an action man. But you’ve got the best of both worlds. I know
you’ll do great.”

I pushed out of my seat and hugged her.
“I love you, Mom. Thank you.”

She squeezed me tight. “Oh, I love you
too. And I want you to know…I knew what I was doing when I left
you. I knew you were going to grow up a carbon copy of your father.
Deep down, I knew, but I never was able to admit I left you where
you were supposed to be.”

“
Will you come visit? You,
Todd and Amy?”

“
We’d love to.” She kissed
my cheek and wiped her eyes. “Now get to school.”

I grinned, grabbing my backpack off the
couch by the door. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Chapter 8

I stuck out like a chicken hawk in a
hen house. I pulled into the parking lot, everywhere I looked a
Mercedes or BMW shimmered in the morning sun. My truck was dented,
faded, and lacked power anything. But the engine was in pristine
condition, which was why I kept it.

Briar liked my truck. She’d propped her
feet on the dash and lounged back in the seat, beaming. Her
acceptance shouldn’t have meant as much as it did, but out of every
person here, her opinion was the only one I cared about. And the
fact that she didn’t give a damn if I drove a sports car or a tin
can with wheels, well, that went without saying. My truck was a
classic Ford. I was going to invest the money to have it brought
back to its original glory once I got back home.

I went into the school, past the fancy
gates, security cameras, and guards knowing there was no way I’d
miss this place. It was like an institution, a prison or something.
No one made eye contact with me or smiled as I went to my locker.
It was just a little ridiculous. I’d heard about being teased and
becoming a school outcast, except I never thought it was real.
Thought it was all in the movies.

In class it was the same, not one
person looked my way, at least to be friendly. A few stared. I was
still a freakish spectacle. It was my clothes, mostly. Back home I
looked normal in faded jeans, boots, and a plaid shirt left
unbuttoned over a T-shirt. I’d learned after my first couple days
that I should leave my Stetson at home. They really looked at me
cross-eyed in a cowboy hat. Was I trying to make a statement?
Support farmers? No.

And it wasn’t that I was the only guy
in plaid, there were others, but their clothes were different.
Uniforms weren’t required. So everyone was covered in expensive
clothes, with logos and embellishments.

I didn’t have a clue about what it all
meant. One girl asked me where I bought my boots. I told her I
didn’t buy them. My uncle had them made out of deerskin from a
hunting trip for my last birthday. She’d laughed like I was joking.
But when I didn’t laugh with her, she told me she was a vegan, and
didn’t believe in eating animals. It was inhumane.

I could only stare at her.

I ran a cattle ranch for God’s
sake.

Quickly I learned to keep my mouth shut
and head down. I wasn’t a coward, but I was outnumbered. It made me
feel better to think that if anyone of them showed up on my ranch,
they’d be just as out of place. Only I wouldn’t have treated them
like they were diseased.

I had lunch to look forward to now.
Briar was waiting for me when I reached the band room, and we’d
just finished eating when I heard her swift intake of breath. She
was looking behind me.

“
Beth, uh, hi.” Briar stood
and dusted off her jeans.

I glanced over my shoulder to see a
cheerleader, covered in glitter and a fake smile. “I had to see for
myself.”

Briar’s face fell and she fisted her
hands at her sides. “There’s nothing to see.”

“
Oh, I see plenty. Like
your social life swirling the drain.” Beth laughed, crossing her
arms. “I never thought you’d dump Alex. Hey, whatever. It’s not a
big deal now that he’s mine. But this? Briar Thompson slumming with
trailer trash.”

I pushed to my feet and stood next to
Briar. “You don’t have a clue about my life, so why not stop making
assumptions. One day you’ll be putting your foot in your
mouth.”

“
Such big words,” she
tisked, smoothing her hands down her cheerleading outfit. “And
Briar, where is your uniform? We’re having a school spirit rally
for the seniors. Don’t tell me you forgot?”

Briar glanced down at her clothes and
winced. “Well, it’s at the dry cleaners. The skirt is
torn…”

Beth opened her mouth, like she was
going to say something nasty.

The look on Briar’s face stopped her
dead.

“
Wait…I don’t have to
explain myself to you. In fact, I quit!”

Beth’s eyes narrowed. “I’m
sorry?”

“
You heard me. I quit being
your friend. I quit the cheer squad. I am done with all of you
shallow, mean, selfish people.” Briar shouted, making the
cheerleader back up a few feet. “So you can get your scrawny ass
out of my face and go find someone else to torment. I’m
done.”

I slung my arm around Briar and gave
her a hug. We watched Beth run for the hallway. “You scared the
shit out of her.”

She let out a huff. “Good.”

“
You should be proud of
yourself.” I smiled.

“
It felt amazing, and I
am.”

I was forced to leave Briar so I wasn’t
late to my next class, and she parted with a smile on her face, of
all things.

English was the largest class in my
schedule, almost forty students, and held in the auditorium. I
wouldn’t miss it either. For me school was the kitchen table with
Aunt Millie. She was a retired teacher, and it had been easier for
her to home school me with the other kids from neighboring ranches,
than to get me to a bus stop before sunup.

I took a seat as far back as the
teacher would allow, pulling out a notebook and pen.

“
Chase?” I heard her voice
before I saw her. It was soft, a little husky with surprise. I
glanced up to see Briar standing in the aisle. She looked as pretty
as ever, blonde curls piled on the top of her head, spilling out of
a knot.

“
Hey, I didn’t think I’d be
seeing you here.”

“
Surprise.” Her cheeks went
pink.

“
What are you
doing?”

“
Since we’re not doing much
of anything the last week before break, our teachers decided to
combine classes.” She pointed to the front of the room where two
older men were hooking up a TV for a movie on proper preparation
for exams.

I’d pass and that’s all I cared to
do.

I paused, wondering why it was
beginning to feel awkward. Then I looked up and realized half the
class was staring. “This is different.”

“
Tell me about it.” she
sighed, sliding down into the seat.

A few minutes passed, and while we were
in the middle of taking notes, Briar dropped her pen and shook her
head. “I feel like a horrible person.”

“
Why?” I asked.

“
I never noticed you.” She
said. “When they were making fun of you, I didn’t bother to see who
they were laughing at. What kind of person does that make
me?”

“
Did you make fun of
me?”

“
No.”

“
Then that makes you a
good, distracted person.” I nudged my shoulder against hers.
“Briar, it’s okay. I probably wouldn’t have noticed me
either.”

“
If I hear anyone making
fun of you I’ll rip them to pieces.” Hearing her so adamant about
defending me brought a grin to my face. She looked ready to take on
the world. “I have an idea! What are you doing for the summer?
Let’s get away from these jerks and have some fun.”

“
Actually, I’m driving to
Montana.” I said. “I’m leaving Saturday morning.”

“
Wow, you’re driving? Why
not just take a plane?”

I lowered my voice when the teacher
glanced our way. “I’m taking Ash back up to Montana. He needs to be
home where he can be a real horse. Not a backyard pet.”

“
Aw, you’ll miss
him.”

“
I’m not coming back.”
Something deep in my gut hurt saying that to her. We’d just met,
sure, but I felt like I’d known her my whole life. I didn’t want to
leave Briar.

She frowned. “You wish you never
came?”

“
No, because then I never
would have met you.”

“
Good answer.”

“
What were you thinking
about doing?” maybe I would stay for half of the break and then
head back…