Billie Bob Jones
"Gosh dammit Bobby, wake up!"
My leg was roughly kicked by a blunt force making my eyes fling open as I hissed. My beige cattleman hat fell off my head; that had been covering my face the entire night, landing on the grass that was wet with morning dew.
The hot Texas sun immediately made me scrunch up my face as the bright rays hurt my eyes. I groaned as the consequences of sleeping on the ground had my body aching as I sat up from sleeping on my back the entire night.
Before I could even come to grips with my rude awakening I felt the heavy, hot breathing from a horses nostrils fan my face making me frown. I rubbed my eyes and slapped my cheeks before looking up to be met with the one face I never wanted to wake up to.
"Why are you shirtless?" I said ignoring how hoarse my voice sounded.
"Why are you sleeping when you're meant to be watching the cattle?" Rob crossed his pale arms over his even paler thin chest.
"I can see them perfectly fine," I huffed as I stood up then grabbed my fallen hat. I looked down to his matte brown leather boots, "kick me again and you gon' lose your leg."
"What else was I supposed to do you wouldn't wake up?" he raised his hands in exasperation.
I glared at him only to be met with his dark green eyes and sighed. "Well congratulations, what do you want?"
"Delilah needs you to take her to work," he shrugged as he mounted his dark brown American quarter horse.
"Her car break down again?" I shook my head.
"Yes sir, that thing is more useless than your Ford," the red haired man chuckled flashing me his semi-perfect teeth from all the times he got hit in his face by a football.
"You hush your mouth. That is a work of art," I frowned not in the mood for his teasing when he did not even own a truck. Not that Rob needed to go anywhere far enough that he could not just ride his horse or possibly skate there.
"It is held together by the grace of the good lord and tape," he roared.
Even though he was more annoying than the mosquitos after rainfall, his laugh was too toxic to ignore, "I'll push you off your horse. Don't test me," I chuckled, "will you take over?"
"Yes sir," he nodded as he gently pulled the reins of Steelo.
"Okay well let Delilah know I'll be there soon," I sighed as I searched my surroundings for my horse.
"Will do," he nodded and tapped Steelo with the spur of his boots which kicked the horse into high gear. I watched him ride away instantly relieved with the sudden peace I had gotten.
I whistled lowly and out of the trees came Lettie; my black and white quarter horse that I had been riding for the past five years.
"There she goes," I smiled as she stood in front of me as I rubbed her head and kissed between her eyes before mounting her. The ride back to the house would take me a quick five minutes. I took the trail just a few feet from the gravel road as I still wanted to enjoy the nature just a bit longer.
There was something about riding around the ranch that made my soul feel at peace. The smell of the grass in the morning, the sound of the cows mooing in the background and the feeling of my saddle during a long ride. In my eyes nothing could beat that.
I approached the light blue wooden panelled house minutes later and just as expected there stood Delilah furiously brushing her black curly afro into a low ponytail.
"Why you tying up your hair again?" I chuckled as I climbed up the creaky wooden porch stairs.
"The hospital wants it to be tucked in at all times," she rolled her brown eyes. It was probably the fiftieth time she had told me that. I just loved asking just to annoy her.
"Hmm, what time do you need to be there?" I leaned against the yellow door frame.
"In two hours. Take a shower you smell like cow," she giggled.
"It's my signature scent," I joked as I stepped into the house.
"Oh Bobby?" she called out as she followed me into the house.
I stopped climbing the creaking stairs to the second floor, "Yes ma'am?"
"Don't forget we have to go to the market later this afternoon," she smiled.
"Robbie eat all the food again?" At this point he was going to run us dry.
"The man is a damn pig."
"You made a list?"
"Yes sir," she nodded.
"Alright, your shift ain't long today?"
"No I covered for Jolene last week so she's going to cover for me this week. I have work at the café though so you can pick me up in the afternoon."
"Alright," I sighed, "have you seen my goin' to town spurs?"
"They're in your drawer." With that I went up the stairs to my bedroom in the east wing of the house.
My bedroom was perfectly undisturbed like how it had been for the past three days. My room at this point was a place I just came to dress, charge my phone and once in a while sleep if I did not fall asleep under the stars.
Despite my lack of presence in my bedroom I put the effort in making it functional. I placed my hat on the coat rack; I used to hang my different hats, next to the window that had a view of the gravel road that lead to the barn.
After a quick dig through my not quite filled yet not quite empty closet I grabbed plain denim straight leg jeans with a little embroidered design on the back pockets, with a red and yellow patterned short sleeved button up shirt, my belt, socks and underwear.
I crossed the hall to the bathroom with white subway tiles and a bath and shower combo. After a quick shower, I brushed my teeth and could not help but pout a little at the bags under my dark brown eyes. My tanned skin looked no better and my curly brown hair looked painfully frizzy after being under my hat all day from yesterday's herding.
I rubbed my hands on the scruff of my under shaved beard that I had been ignoring for a week. Despite liking the scruffy look I preferred when I was clean shaven. After a quick ten minute shave my sharp rectangular jaw was clearly visible making me a happy man.
With a quick finger gun motion I smiled at my reflection before leaving the bathroom. I entered my bedroom to wear my brown boots, grabbed my cream white tycoon styled cowboy and my aviator sunglasses.
"Delilah you ready?" I called out as I climbed down the stairs.
"Yes," she came out the living room holding her canvas bag. Her slender body was dressed in plain dark jeans, a grey shirt that did no justice to her milk chocolate skin and her red boots. She normally put no effort into what she wore because she would change into scrubs when she arrived at the hospital.
We walked out the house to the detached garage where my red patina 1989 Ford pickup truck stood and climbed in.
"You're wearing your McDonald's shirt?" she laughed as she eyed my outfit.
"And you're wearing that plain outfit," I sassed back making her laugh even harder.
"That's because if I'm not wearing scrubs I'm covered with an apron at the café, there's no point in wearing a nice outfit if no one sees it," she shrugged.
Delilah truly was one of the hardest working people I knew. At the age of twenty-five she was working three jobs to get her through medical school in Houston. She was truly what everyone called western glam.
She grew up here in Texas and I had to say she was a true beauty. Her light chocolate skin always seemed to be glowing and her dark afro that reached below her shoulder blades always had the boys staring.
I always insisted she should model and get out of the west, she had the perfect tall slender body but she insisted on becoming a doctor. She had a big heart and that was why we loved her so much.
She always made sure Rob and I got into no trouble which was hard since we were trouble, but was always there to bandage us up once we got bucked off a horse or bull.
"I hope you don't mind having to drive me into the city today. My car didn't want to start and I didn't want Rob to tinker with it, he will probably cause the damn thing to explode," she sighed as she looked out the window.
"I'll check it out when we get back. If not I'll call the mechanic."
"For now you'll have to be my chauffeur," she smiled.
"Anything for you baby doll," I winked as we crossed the bridge of our small town that led to the highway.