Texas (Wolfstate Chronicles)

Colten Turner shuffled into the small stuffy bar, past the lonely drunks, past the giggling girls on the dance floor and over to his normal table of normal acquaintances.

He sat to a rickety stool, removing his white cowboy hat.

“Where have you been, Colt?”

“Hey, Pete.” He brushed the sweat that had collected under his hat from his forehead, “I had to finish up with the Redding's horses.”

“Oh oh!” A rowdy, intoxicated male pointed across the table to him and smirked, “Is that looker of their's home yet?”

Colten creased his brow, his dark eyes simmering, “No, Tyler.”

“Awe, man! She's a nice bit too.” The guy sighed, slapping his hand to the table.

“She wasn't home yet.” Colten grunted.

“Wonder how much she learned at College.” He slurred, with a raised eyebrow.

Sneering at him, Colten ignored him further, “Go have another drink.”

He nodded, “Not a bad idea, you sure are smart, Colt.” He stood quick and disappeared into the crowd.

“Alpha's are so smart!” Peter leaned over, smacking Colten on the back, “Ain't that right?”

Colten stared at him, “Why did I come here?”

“Don't get testy.” Peter took a big swig of his beer, “So, what are you doing this weekend?”

“Nothing much. Just have Sarah coming over.” Colten ran a hand through his damp hair; not appreciating how hot and sticky the bar got on a Friday evening.

Peter smiled, “How's Sarah?”

“She's fine.” Colten looked up as Tyler bellowed across the dance floor, “He's gonna get it.” He pointed to Tyler as a bigger girl blonde, puffed up her chest in protest to Tyler's moves.

Pete laughed, “Where's my phone? I'm videoing this.”

“Oh jeez.” Colten looked away, scanning the bar and taking in the line-up for a beer.

Peter fumbled with his electronic device, “Ah, I only have one battery cell left. Damn.”

Colten stayed quiet, toying with the idea of going to get himself a drink.

“You're sure with the conversation tonight, Colt.”

Colten looked to him, “I'm just tired. Long week.”

“Maybe Sarah can unwind you.” Peter chimed, smirking.

“One of these days, I swear - I'm going to revoke your beta-card.”

His friend burst out laughing, “You're too nice to do that!”

Colten grumbled, “Be right back.” Grabbing his cowboy hat, he shifted it back on as he made his way across the bar. Dodging more and more people as the place filled.

He crept his way to the bar and ordered himself two beers, to save the trip fifteen minutes later when he'd need another. As he waited, he loosened another button on his plaid shirt and shoved his sleeves a little higher on his elbows.

With beer in hand, he walked back to the table and sat across from Peter who had the company of two young girls. The brunettes giggled and clung off his friend.

Peter pointed to Colten, “And this here; my best friend, Colten Turner. The guy I was telling y'all about.”

“Ah...” A bitty with lean legs lunged across the table at him and he steadied his beers to stop the toppling.

“Careful there.” Colten drummed as he looked up to her.

She smiled and batted her eyes, “I'm Bethany!”

“Oh, Bethany!” Peter chirped, wiggling his eyebrows.

Colten shook her hand, giving Peter a sincere not interested look. Ignoring his friend, Peter enjoyed the closer company of the other brunette and left him to fend for himself.

Bethany slipped up beside him and he shifted away, sipping his beer to distance himself from any further interaction.

“I like to dance.” Bethany cooed.

Colten looked to her, “Well, sorry, Miss, I'm no good.”

She wrapped her hands around his bicep and tugged him close. Licking her lips with a pout so he could feel her sticky breath run along his cheek, “I think we could have some fun tonight.”

Colten peeled himself back, “I'm good for tonight.”

She snorted and whipped around, grabbing her friend that had still been giggling over Peter.

“Ah, Colten!” Pete complained, “Come on, man!”

“Don't give me that.” Colten argued.

“Ruin it all for me, I should stop hanging around you. You don't even like Sarah.”

“Hey,” Colten snapped, “That's not fair.”

“Well, it's the truth. Just cause you're unhappy, don't mean you gotta ruin it for the rest of us.”

“Pete,” Colten learned forward, pausing and deciding the argument wasn't worth it, “Sure thing, Pete.”

“You're just bitter.” Peter concluded.

Colten tensed, “I'm just not interested.”

“I'm trying to help you, Colt. Maybe you'll find your mate one day.”

“I'm good on the help.” Colten said through a yawn as he finished his beer, “Have my other beer. I'm going home.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sit at home. Alone. Will do ya' a lot of good.” Peter rambled, “Might want to pick up a bottle of Vaseline too while you're on your way out.”

“You're not funny.” He pushed the full beer to his friend, “Night, Peter.”

“See you later!” Peter called after him as he walked away and out of the bar.

Heading for his pickup, Colten opened the driver's side door and climbed inside. He threw his hat to the passenger seat and stopped, staring at the emptiness.

The hope of filling that seat, plagued him, Peter's words had weaselled their way into him.

He started the truck – pushing his thoughts far from his mind. His dog in the back sat up on cue and whined.

“No more stops, Boomer. Don't worry.”

He pulled out of the parking lot and headed south out of Silvertun, Texas. It was a little-big town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by ranch lands and tumble weeds, far beyond that - a rolling mountain side that was host to his pack's boarders into Mexico.

After a half hour, the truck glided up the long drive of the hundred and sixty acre property and stopped in front of the charming but old ranch house Colten Turner called home.

He jumped out and slammed the door, his boots kicking up dust as he made his way to the wrap around porch, Boomer barking at his side.

Colten smiled at the old dog, “Quiet down, you'll wake up Ella.”

The dog yelped once more and found his bed on the porch for the night.

Once inside, he dismantled himself of his hat and boots.

“Good evening, Mr. Turner.” A tan skinned, older woman appeared from the kitchen, taking off her apron.

“Evening, Alma.”

“You have a good day?”

He nodded, “Decent.”

She smiled, “I'm going to head home. I've left biscuits that I baked in the bread tin.”

“Thanks.” He nodded.

She hung up the apron on the near hook in the narrow hall of the farm house.

“How was my niece today?”

The woman walked towards him, “She was good. Went to bed early, I had her outside with me, trying to weed.”

“I told you not to worry about that sad flower garden.”

“I was out of things to do.” She picked up her purse from the coat rack and pulled on a light jacket, “I'll see you Monday morning.”

Colten nodded, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She left the house.

He sighed, stretching his sore limbs. He could have used some fresh coffee or even – a massage.

Though he gave up on both thoughts quick and headed up the creaking stairs, into his room as the fan rattled away, blowing hot air from one side of the room to the next.

He stripped his dirt filled shirt and worked on his belt and wranglers, kicking them off as he fell into bed.

His shoulder was still tweaked from earlier, “Damn mare.” A palomino in the afternoon had given him issues and in turn had pulled a muscle on his right arm. He rolled to his stomach, trying to get comfy in his boxers and dusty socks but he wasn't one to stay awake after a long day and he quickly fell asleep – rickety fan and all.

***

He woke, the blinding sun reflecting off the white ceiling. Squinting, he heard the faint cries of his nine month old niece down the hall. For eight in the morning, the air was hot and made for an uncomfortable layer of sweat on his skin.

As he sat up and forced himself out of bed, the old rattle of a truck coming up the drive made him move faster. The loneliness of the week had been getting the better of him.

Peering out his bedroom window, he watched as a lean blonde jumped from the truck, wearing a summer dress and jean jacket.

He stuck his head out the window, “Sarah.”

“Morning, Colt.” She smiled, waving up at him as two young kids jumped out of the vehicle.

“I'll be right down.” He grabbed a plaid shirt from the back of near sitting chair and found the jeans he'd worn the day before, dressing quick. He pulled a shirt over his shoulders and walked to the small room at the end of the hall. The door protested, creaking as he pushed it open.

“Morning, my niece.” He picked up the baby and left the room, grabbing a clean diaper as he did. He jogged the staircase as the front door shot opened.

The girl and boy of nine and seven crashed inside, laughing as Boomer ran circles around them barking.

“Boomer!” Colten cursed at the animal,“Good morning, kids.” He smiled as they raced past him, taking the dog with them, screaming good morning back to him.

“Morning.” The woman walked up to him, taking Ella as she leaned in and kissed him, “How was your week?”

He shrugged, “It was alright, I'm a bit worn out. How about you?”

“Colten!” The little boy shouted from the kitchen.

He smiled at Sarah, “They want their pancakes.”

She nodded and grabbed the diaper from him, “I'll change her.”

“Life saver.” He smiled and kissed her cheek before heading into the kitchen, doing up the buttons on his shirt.

He walked in just as the two kids hauled a large bag of flour from a bottom cupboard.

“Whoa, guys.” He rushed towards them and picked up the flour as it dusted the air around them, making them laugh and cough, “Yesh.” He threw it on the counter top and dusted himself off.

Sarah walked into the old kitchen a minute later and put Ella in her wooden high chair. Beginning to pile magazines and newspapers together that were laid out across the table from a week's worth of breakfast occupation, “What's that house keeper do all week, Colt? This house is always so cluttered.”

Colten turned to her as he started the coffee machine, “She does a good job.”

“Colten, stop lying to yourself. You pay her good money.”

“Ella likes her.” He fought some pots and pans in search for a mixing bowl. The kids laughed at him in the process. He looked them, “What are you guys laughing at?”

They perked up and smiled, zipping their mouths shut.

He threw the skillet to the oven and the bowl to the counter, “Grab eggs, children.”

They raced to the old fifties fridge and ripped it open, looking for their goal of eggs as they giggled.

He walked over to Sarah as she started organizing his counters, “Stop.” He grabbed her wrists and pulled against his chest.

She sighed, wanting to clean, “You need a woman in this house, not an old bat-crazy nanny.”

He chuckled, “No woman wants to live with me. It's better if I continue to pay one.” He kissed her cheek quick, though it didn't always sit right in his stomach - the contact was soothing on his loneliness – even if it was just on weekends.

She looked to him, a soft sadness breaking across her face, “Colten.”

He walked over to the oven, “Seriously, no more cleaning.”

The kids had dug out most of what they needed to make pancakes and the cooking began. He'd somehow over the many months trained them to basically make breakfast by themselves but with his constant supervision, they tended to be quite messy and he didn't trust they wouldn't set his house on fire.

Sarah set the table and made sure Ella had a bib as well as feeding her a jar of homemade baby food which the baby gobbled up.

All the while, the cooking commenced but only after one spilled batch of pancake mix, of course. Once breakfast was ready, they sat and dug in, the kids drenching their cakes in chocolate syrup.

“And how are your children not small blimps?” Colten joked.

Sarah smiled, “That's what keeps them going all day, you should know.”

“Point made.” He ate some of his breakfast and soon the kids were done and out the back door, chucking hay at each other in the small barn across the property and likely annoying his two ranch horses to death in the near pen.

Sarah cleaned the plates and brought them to the sink, “What are you doing next weekend?”

Colten thought as he looked up from the newspaper, “Oh, I don't know. I haven't really thought about it much. Why?”

“It's the rodeo.” Sarah stacked a dish in the drying rack.

“Oh, yeah.” He grumbled, looking back to the newspaper.

“You aren’t going?” She pressed.

“I haven't thought about it, to be honest.”

“Oh, well... Do you want to go with me?”

Colten swallowed, their weekend relationship over the last six months must have been getting the better of the widow and he hadn't taken that into consideration. It was routine now to see her and her children Saturday morning and say goodbye Sunday evening and he hadn't thought much more of it.

He cleared his throat and stood, “We can take the kids.”

She turned to him, wiping her hands in the dish rag, “My mother said she could watch them in the evening, so I was thinking we could go to the dance Saturday night together. She'll watch Ella too.”

“Oh.” Colten paused and swallowed, “Is that like a date? Cause we-”

“I just wanted to go have fun, Colten. It doesn’t have to be a date or anything.” Though she looked a bit sad and it was due to his hesitation towards her.

He decided he'd suck it up, “Yeah, I'll take you, Sarah. Of course.”

A smile graced her lips and it eased his nervousness, though he still couldn't shake the uneasy feelings about it. His other side was telling him no but his remorseful non-alpha-wolf side was telling him it was the right thing to do and that Sarah Fuller deserved something from him for being in his bed for six months.

He walked to the back door and looked out, “Your children are dumping hay from the loft on my mare.”

“Oh, Jeez!” She rushed to the door and opened it, “Jake! Sally! No more! Leave Honey alone!”

She turned into him, “Sorry.”

He smiled, “Maybe they'll get that baby out of her quicker with the torment.”

She laughed and inched herself closer to him, her tongue running over her soft pink lips and he couldn't help but guess what she wanted.

Their relationship had at first been impulsive, both being desperate, lonely but in that time - Colten had learned her. He knew what she wanted and when she wanted it. Ducking towards her, he kissed her.

The kids broke them apart, running up the back porch like a herd of elephants

“Honey bit my finger!” Sally whaled.

Colten crouched down to inspect the little girl, “She's a bitter ol' nag, ain't she?”

Jake laughed at his sister, “You're the one that teased her with the oats.”

“Ah.” Colten smirked and looked the bruised finger over, “She doesn’t like to be teased, you know that.”

Sally sighed, “Yeah, I know.”

Sarah shoed the kids away, “Get out of here, you little trouble makers.”

They laughed at their mother and ran out the backdoor, this time dragging Boomer from his bed with them.

Sarah watched, “Poor Boomer.”

“He'll live.” Colten turned to Ella but Sarah stopped him, pressing into him – about to continue the kissing but the phone rang.

“One second.” He walked across the kitchen and grabbed the phone. Sarah returned to the dishes as he pressed the old phone to his ear, “Morning.”

There was a pause and then the older woman's voice came through, “Morning Colten, sorry to call you so early...”

It was his boss’ wife and generally when she called it was out of worry, “It's alright, Mrs. Redding. Is everything alright?”

“Well, not really. Fiesta seems to be suffering some colic.”

Colten turned away from Sarah, “Isn't that Abi's mare?”

“Yeah, that's the mare. We've called the vet in but he can't be here for five hours. You have experience with this. I was hoping you could come down and check her out quickly.”

Colten tried to relax against the tension surging his body, “Sure, I'll be right over.”

“Oh, thank you, Colt. That would really ease us a bit, Abi just loves that mare!”

“No worries, see y'all soon.” He hung up the phone and turned back to face a glaring Sarah.

“What is it?” Her voice quirked.

He grabbed his keys off the counter, “The Redding's have a horse in colic, so I'm just going to go take a quick look, I'll be back soon.”

“Can't they call a vet?”

“Yeah, they have.” He grabbed a cookie from the near jar, “He's gonna be awhile though.”

“I see.” Sarah sighed.

Walking to her, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek but she grabbed his cheeks and put her lips firm to his.

He broke from her, “Hour or so. Won't be long!”

“Bye.” She breathed.

He walked to his front door and jogged the porch steps to his red truck.

He lived close to the Redding's Red Valley Ranch so really, this would be a quick visit and once he looked at that mare, he'd book it out of there and if luck was on his side, Abigail wouldn't be there.

He pulled up to the beautiful ranch and parked by the new barn. Walking in to the large building, he found Abigail's dad looking in a stall with a farm hand leaned against a near wall.

“Hey, Charlie.” Colten greeted the older man.

The heavier set man with a white moustache and cowboy hat, looked up, “Colten, thanks for coming.”

“It's not a problem.” Colten looked into the stall and saw the mare lying down.

“The horse is in there.” Charlie explained.

Colten opened the stall door and walked inside. The mare looked to him, sweating and tired, the twisted up stomach was getting the best of her.

“What's up, girl?” He patted her forehead, “I'll try to get her up.”

Charlie sighed, “We've been trying.”

“Up, Fiesta, come on.” He went to her other side and pushed her, but the mare just heaved.

“Up!” Though the horse showed signs of the more direct voice getting to her, she didn't move.

He sighed and looked To Charlie, “Might need more man power to get her up.”

“We tried, three of us on her. I told Abi, I ain't paying some fancy vet bill for this mare, she already costs us a fortune.”

Colten groaned as the mare dropped her chin to the shavings and blew out, “That vet's going to be a bit Mrs. Redding said?”

Charlie nodded, “Some stuck calf somewhere but like I said, if this things too far gone-”

“It's okay.” Colten stopped him, “I'll figure it out.” He'd dealt with enough to at least know, trying everything sometimes paid off.

He walked out of the stall, “I want to know if her gut's moving at all. She's not making a lot of sounds...”

Charlie grumbled, his cell phone ringing on his side, “I gotta deal with this.”

Colten nodded as the older man walked out of the barn, snapping into the phone at one of his many employees.

Colten headed to the tack room and found a rope, “Come on, horse, I don't need to see her heart broke...” The sweet, melodic voice of Abigail Redding and the approaching click of her boots on the cement isle of the barn, stopped his monologue.

Her sweet scent of a flowers hit him like a ton of bricks as Abigail halted her step in the doorway, her gaze meeting his.

Trying to hide the wince in his face, his body filled with scorching pain that ran the length of his limbs and across his chest.

He studied her lean legs in the white washed cut-off shorts and the white tank top, showing off her tiny navel and goose-bumped skin. His hands tightened on the bucket in his hands.

It made him need her, want her.

“Hi, Colt.”