Would it be enough, though? What did Emma know about being a good man? Her father was gone; she’d had, what, one boyfriend? I’d trust her when it came to learning about horses, but I was on my own for the rest. My father didn’t appear to be a great example in my opinion.
Father had stood up for Emma, though, when I was being a prick. That seemed like something a good man would do. He had told me that if I were to ever cause Emma to leave this farm, I would be gone, too. He’d rather sell the farm than it go to my ungrateful ass. His words, not mine. Father was hell-bent on protecting Emma from me, why? Was I really that bad?
Either way, I would stop being a dick. I would apologize for my behavior to Emma over and over, until she felt that I meant it. Then I would learn everything I could and then hope it would be enough to change their opinion of me. For once, I cared about something other than sex, booze, and rodeo. I wanted to rip that feeling out of my chest and stomp on it, but I couldn’t—not without ruining the only dreams I’d ever had.
Emma
Rodrigo and I brought the remaining horses in the evening, and we had a lot to talk about.
“I see you have a new helper,” he said teasingly.
“Yeah, apparently I do.”
“How did that happen? Don’t you two usually get off on trying to murder each other?”
Did he just ask me about getting off?
“Whoa, you are like a father to me. Hearing you say ‘get off’ makes me want to cringe. To answer your question, no. I don’t get off on it. He gives me shit, and I give it right back. I tell him what an asshole he is. Then we go our separate ways and I don’t think about it until I see him again.”
“Sure you do,” he said with a smile.
Rodrigo loved teasing me. I knew he loved that I viewed him as a father figure. He too had tried to look out for me since my parents had been gone.
“Think what you want,” I said.
“Well, I saw the dancing,” he said.
“You did?! You creep, why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.
I felt mortified. I thought we had been alone.
“You were having fun. Why would I spoil that for you?”
To keep me from falling for the enemy. Come on, Rodrigo, you should be on my side here.
“How much fun could it be? I was working with Riley.”
“I don’t know, you tell me,” he said.
“The dancing wasn’t so bad,” I said.
“So what was it all about?” Rodrigo asked.
He was referring to the commotion from the other night. I had only brought it up in passing before now.
“Without airing out all his dirty laundry, I think he hit rock bottom. His father gave him an ultimatum. He needs to get his life straight or he won’t get this,” I said, motioning to everything around us.
Rodrigo whistled. “Man, that’s not a good place to be.”
“No, it’s not. I was outside when the showdown occurred. William told Riley he should be more like me, that I was better fit to own and run the farm. I think that hit him deep, and he latched onto me to show him how to run this place.”
“Show him the ways of the farm hand,” Rodrigo said jokingly.
“He seems to want to learn,” I said, giving Riley the credit where it was due.
“We will see how long it lasts,” Rodrigo said, shaking his head.
“Yes, we will.” I felt the same way.
