Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition by Elizabeth Knox (top 5 ebook reader txt) 📕

Cowboy

I sit across from Angie on the tailgate of my truck. “Why are we up here?” she wonders while glancing around the hills through her large black sunglasses. I spent my life running and today I’m done. Instead, I’m chasing down what scares me the most, facing my fears, and I’m starting with her. Angie is my complete opposite, a girl who grew up in the city, has tattoos, Catholic. Yet, she is my perfect fit. Her background doesn’t matter, it’s how she makes me feel. “Is this the same spot where we hooked up?” Wonder laces her tone and now she really looks around. We were both so drunk and reckless . . . still, I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Yes, ma’am. I couldn’t take my eyes off you that night at the reception. I did one thing right in a long time. You let me love you that night. I know it was wild and drunk. Ange, you gotta understand, I’ve done things with you I haven’t in a long time. You bring out things in me so easily. I didn’t see it at the time, but for me to bring you up here to drink and have fun was a big step. When I was a kid, Bull and I used to do that all the time, party and hang out in the mountains. You revived a part of me I was working hard at hidin’.”

“By driving, drinking, and fucking in the mountains?” she asks incredulously. “I’ll never fully understand you country bumpkins.”

“Yeah, I’ll never understand you city chicks, not knowing what drinking in the mountains is all about. So, I had to show you what you were missin’,” I taunt to rile her up a bit.

“And I’m so glad you did.” She reaches for my hand this time.

“I hid away any memories of my past. I wouldn’t relive any of them. Any land full of dirt and wild brings me back to my roots, and in a way, it was a step toward me facing that. It brings me to why I didn’t give you an answer about the baby.” I take my time getting to the next part because she could leave and walk out on me. And now that I know what I want, it’s a real reality. I need to cowboy up and get the hard part over.

“Angie, I want you to know that when I was in the accident before, bull riding, they told me I couldn’t have kids. The baby you’re carrying can’t be mine. I’m sterile.” Her hand starts to pull away as she gears up to run. Even though we are from the same background, she and I both cover our pain by walking away, but I hold on tighter. “You’re not going anywhere until you hear me out. It’s not that I don’t want kids. Since I was a boy, I’ve wanted a family with kids. After all that shit with my past, I grew bitter and became an asshole I didn’t recognize, until you came walking in with ‘I’m knocked up and it might be yours’.” I raise my voice and mimic her ‘I don’t care’ attitude.

Angie’s eyebrows skyrocket above her glasses. “Is that how I sounded to you? I’m pretty sure I don’t use that high of a squeaky ass voice. Cowboy . . .”

“Just teasing you. I love your voice, crazy girl, and I love how you told me with canyon-wide confidence. Point is, I could have told you then. I was confused why I didn’t. If I could steal any time to make believe this crazy, knocked up girl was pregnant with my baby was a fantasy, I wanted to live in for just a bit. Angie, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I needed some time to get my head on straight. Being around you made that near impossible. I also had to go see Angus and get my shit straight there too. The morning I left, I woke up determined to figure out the man I wanted to be. I went back and saw Angus and Bull. The whole time, I thought, ‘I wonder what Angie would think about this.’ I wanted you to meet Angus. That’s my biggest regret, not taking you with me. My friend passed away knowing he didn’t waste his life and you know what I thought about? You. I came running home, ready to be the man I should be. I want to be in your life and I’m here askn’, Angie, will you be my woman?”

21

Angie

I heard him correctly. I listened to all of it. I understand all but the very end. I feel lightheaded, oh god, I may pass out. I’m devastated. Cowboy is not my baby’s daddy. For about an hour, I had hope and now, I’m fucking crushed.

“Ange, are you okay?” Cowboy wraps an arm around my back.

My shoulders shake as I let the tears fall. Pulling off the sunglasses, I try to wipe away the emotion running down my cheeks. Colt pulls me to him, and my face rests against his chest. He rubs his hand up and down my back waiting for me to calm down. “This isn’t fair. I know I put myself in a bad position with what I did. But I wanted it to be you. It’s why I refused to try and figure it out. I just wanted it to be you. Colt, I can’t just date you. I’m having a girl. I’m a mom . . .” The sobbing won’t stop. Is it the pent-up emotions from him being away? The stress of doing it on my own. It rips my chest open in a way I didn’t know it could hurt. All along, I was falling in love with the man and the future I wanted with him. I could picture it