Stable Boy

"Did Pete say who you remind him of by any chance?" she asked now feeling much less concerned.

"No, ma'am. And I don't intend to ask because I don't want to hear a name like Al Capone or Ted Bundy."

Parker laughed nervously when he said the very name she'd just been thinking of as though he'd been reading her thoughts.

"That would be a little harsh, don't you think?" she asked.

"I try not to do too much thinking around here, Mrs. Blackman. Things go a lot smoother when I just follow orders."

He cinched the saddle up for the filly just like he'd done for her gelding.

"We're all set, ma'am," he told her.

He walked with her back to Dawson's stall and asked, "May I help you up?"

Parker took his extended hand and thanked him as he gave her a boost.

Like Pete, he tipped his hat then went to get Joey. As he did, Parker suddenly found herself trying to understand how someone—anyone—could take the rap for something so serious. That kind of love, even for one's own mother, was very uncommon, and she was quite sure she wouldn't have so willing were her own mother involved. The strength of character needed to not blame her for it even now was extraordinary.

She set her thoughts aside for the moment as she prompted Dawson to move out. Even though she and Joey were right next to each other day and night, Joey was clearly happy to see her companion. She caught up to him and nuzzled her neck up to his as they walked.

"I had no idea they were so affectionate," Austin remarked.

"Everybody needs love, right?" Parker said in reply as the sadness of her own personal experience welled up inside her.

"That's very true," Austin agreed. "I don't know your husband, Mrs. Blackman, but I think I'm a little envious."

There was that smile again. When she was much younger and single, she, too, believed married people were always happy. And how could it be otherwise? Being with the person you loved the most meant being able to talk and share and experience life together 24/7. It all seemed so romantic and so perfect. And for the first couple of years or so, it had been.

For the last couple of years it had been anything but romantic let alone perfect. A part of her wanted to accept it as the inevitable ebb and flow of life. The yin and the yang.Taking the bad with the good. Yet another part of her knew she could never accept a 'new normal' like this for much longer. Were her husband only gone when he was away but there for her when he was home, that would at least be acceptable and certainly understandable. But he was 'gone' even when he was home and that was neither acceptable nor understandable.

"Things aren't always as they appear," Parker replied rather quietly.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him reaching toward her and Parker reflexively recoiled.

"Sorry!" she said just as quickly.

"No, that's okay. My reputation precedes me," he said dryly.

"Austin, I truly apologize."

"I was just going to show you something," he said. He reached out again then said, "May I?" He held up both hands to show her they were empty.

"Um...okay," Parker said wondering what was going on.

This time, his hand just brushed her ear. He pulled his hand back and showed her a silver dollar.

"Oh, my goodness! How did you do that?" she wanted to know.

"I've been doing magic tricks since I was five. I was agreeing with you that things aren't always as they appear. That's all. I didn't mean to scare you."

She could tell he was trying to hide the pain of being hurt when he was only really trying to be friendly. Parker was carrying around enough guilt and sadness over the state of affairs at home, and she didn't need anymore. And yet she'd flinched for no reason other than because certain thoughts had been placed in her head.

"Again, I apologize," she told him.

She forced herself to look at him then said, "You have to show me how to do that sometime."

Then for the first time in a very long time she found herself genuinely smiling. No, it didn't hurt that Austin was very good looking, but it was much more than that. For now, at least, out here on the trails, Parker felt...free.

"So I'm assuming this is just temporary for you. Do you have any long term plans for the future, Austin White?"

"Yes, ma'am. I most definitely do," he told her as they plodded along.

Several seconds went by in silence before Parker got up the courage to ask what those plans might be.

Austin turned toward and flashing that amazing smile her way said, "If I can rob a couple of banks then maybe I could..."

Parker stopped her horse and said, "Okay. I deserved that."

"I really do have plans, though," he told her. He'd stopped Joey, too, as they talked.

"So...are you going to share them with me?" she asked.

"Tell you what. See that clearing up ahead?"

Parker not only saw it, it was her favorite part of the ride. There was a beautiful open area with a large meadow and she almost always stopped there to let her horse graze.

"If you can beat me there, I'll tell you."

There was that incredible boyish smile again.

"Oh, it is so on!" she said as she kicked Dawson in the sides.

"You're gonna need a head start!" he hollered as he dug his spurs into Joey's sides.

The young filly hadn't felt spurs before and she bolted after Dawson who was a good six lengths ahead.

"Ha!!" he yelled over the sound of hooves then hit her with the spurs again.

Parker looked stunned when she saw Austin, who was bent low, go flying passed her. She saw him use the spurs again and hollered, "Hey! No fair!" but Austin and Joey were now several lengths ahead of her and her steed.

In fact, Austin had time to stop and turn Joey around before Parker even arrived.

"What took you so long?" he teased, grinning from ear to ear.

Parker pulled next to him without turning the horse around, and trying not to smile said, "Cheaters never prosper!"

"Cheaters? Who's cheating? I just used all the tools at my disposal," he announced triumphantly.

"Uh-huh," Parker said pretending to be upset. "And just when I was beginning to like you."

He smiled then told her, "Well, it's kinda hard not to once you get to know me."

"Oh! Aren't we just full of ourself today?" she said still playing the victim role.

"Come on. I'l still share my plans with you even though you—LOST!"

He was laughing so hard Parker couldn't help but laugh, too.

Austin dismounted then offered Parker a hand. When she got down she turned around and was less than four inches from Austin's face.

"Oh. Um...hello there," she said surprised by the way being so close to him made her feel.

Austin smiled again, tipped his hat and only said, "Ma'am."

He stepped aside as Parker turned Dawson around while Austin led them into the clearing.

"We should probably tie them up, don't you think?" he suggested.

"I never do," Parker informed him. "I don't think they'll run off.

"You're the boss," he told with another smile. "There's a nice spot right over there if you'd like to sit down and talk."

He was pointing to a large stump, the only remnant of a once-majestic Douglas fir tree.

"That sounds nice," she said as she wrapped the reins around the horn of the saddle.

The horses began happily munching the green grass and pink clover as the humans sat side by side on the well-worn stump.

"It's really nice today," Parker said.

"I love this place when it isn't cloudy," Austin offered.

"The meadow or..."

"The area," he explained. I grew up in Southern California. We lived out in the Mojave Desert until I was ten."

"Talk about a change in scenery," Parker told him. "What brought you up here?"

"My dad was killed in a helicopter crash during this huge training exercise they held at the Marine base in 29 Palms, California."

"Oh, my God. Austin, I am so sorry," she said. Her hand moved to his forearm almost instinctively as she sought to somehow comfort him.

"Me, too," he replied matter of factly. "My mom fell apart after that. She grew up around here so we moved up to Seattle a month later since we couldn't live in base housing anymore. She started drinking and then came the drugs. She burned through the $100,000 in life insurance benefits in less than two years and that's when the men started showing up. Lots of them. I was too young to really understand what was going on, but I put two and two together pretty quick—drugs cost a lot of money."

"You poor boy," she said without thinking.

He glanced at her then at her hand which was still resting on his forearm.

She pulled it away as though his look was electrically charged. She apologized for that, too, before Austin spoke again.

"Anyway, that's the short version of how I ended up in the Great Northwest and how I ended up in jail."

"It was only juvy, though, right?" she offered trying to be supportive.

"I've never been in a real jail or prison and don't intend to, so I really can't compare the experiences. I just know I like freedom a lot more than confinement—of any kind."

Parker had pulled her hand back, but she knew her heartstrings had been pulled, too.

"So what about you, Mrs. Blackman. Did you grow up around here?"

"Oh, no. Not even close. I grew up in northwestern Florida."

"Pensacola area?" he asked surprising her.

"Closer to Eglin, but yes, Pensacola wasn't too far away," she told him.

"I always wanted to be a Marine just like my dad, but they frown on guys like me so..."

"Hey, I'd like to hear about your plans, Austin. If you still feel like sharing, of course."

Parker wanted to change the subject as she found herself deeply empathizing with this young man who'd suffered so much—and from all accounts—unjustly.

"Oh, sure. I almost forgot seeing as how I kind of whooped you bad in our little race."

He turned toward her and smiled, and Parker momentarily forgot where she was, why she was there, or how shitty her life had become. She was...transfixed...by his incredible smile and those very green eyes that were looking at her from under the brim of his cowboy hat.

She recovered quickly though, and playfully elbowed him in the side.

"Smart ass," she quipped.

Austin laughed which made her laugh again, too.

"It feels so good to laugh!" she said without thinking.

There were a few awkward moments of silence before Austin said, "If you want to talk about it instead, that's fine by me."

Now flustered Parker said, "Talk? There's nothing to talk about, Austin. Everything is...fine."

She turned away as she spoke so Austin turned back around, as well.

"Mrs. Blackman? I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do know when a woman is hurting. The pain doesn't have to be physical, either. The emotional kind is every bit as real and hurts just as bad. So...if you ever decide you need someone who 'gets it' to be a kind of sounding board or whatever, I'd be happy to sit and listen."

Several more seconds passed in complete silence before Austin decided to take a quick look in her direction again. A quick glance was all he needed to see the tears running down her pretty face.

Now it was Austin who acted instinctively as he turned his body so that they were shoulder to shoulder. Slowly and rather tentatively, he raised his right arm and gently placed it on her shoulder.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Austin knew how to listen and sat there patiently waiting for her to speak.

"I had this...this dream...of how being married was supposed to be, you know?"

She rested her head on his shoulder then continued.

"I can honestly say I've done my best to be a good wife. I've examined my marriage a thousand times searching for things I missed; things I did wrong or...didn't do. No one's perfect, but I've tried so hard."

He felt her body shake as she began to cry. He put his other arm around her, but never said a word. He just sat there and held her and let her cry.

It didn't last long. It was over in less than a minute. He didn't know the details, but he knew she was hurting and that sometimes, a woman just needed to cry. A man would get drunk or lash out and start a fight, but a woman could release some of her pain—at least temporarily—through her tears.

"You okay?" he finally said.

"Yes. Or...I will be," managed to say. "After I recover from the embarrassment of falling apart in front of a total stranger. If I ever recover."

Austin released her as she wiped her eyes the best she could with her bare fingers. He offered her a kerchief he carried as another cowboy prop, and she thanked him for it.

"We should probably be heading back," Austin said as he stood up avoiding looking at her.

"Oh, right. You have a curfew don't you, Cinder...fella," Parker said just before blowing her nose. A weird, honking sound came out and as hard as he tried not to laugh, Austin couldn't help himself.

"Stop!" Parker said in a hurt, pouty kind of way. "It isn't funny."

"It kinda was," Austin said as he looked over at her and smiled.

Parker looked up at him, and just his smile made her feel so much better.

"It kind of was, wasn't it?" she admitted.

"Ummm...well, I've never heard anything quite like it before, so...yeah, it was a little bit funny."

She went to return the kerchief but he told her to keep it as he extended his hand to help her up. She took it but wouldn't look at him.

"I've made quite the first impression, haven't I?" she said as she held his hand as they walked toward the still-grazing horses.

"As a matter of fact you have," he told her.

"Oh, sure. The old married woman is a complete basket case."

"No. For your information, I have to admit I've been rather taken with you, Mrs. Blackman."

"Ha! That's a laugh. With what part? Let's see. First thing, I told you to stop walking toward me out of an irrationally-based sense of fear. Oh, then I assumed you were..."

"Assaulting you?" he said almost playfully.

"Okay. Based on the way I nearly fell out of the saddle when I thought you touching me, I'd say t hat's fair," she admitted. "And then when I should have been supportive of you when you shared some of your past, I sat there and lost control and blubbered like a little girl about my problems."

"That's not quite how I saw it," he told as he handed the reins to Dawson to her before helping her back into the saddle.

He mounted Joey then as they headed back said, "I see a very beautiful, very young-looking woman..."

Parker made a snorting sound then said, "Younger looking? Oh, wow. You better get some glasses."

"I see just fine, Mrs. Blackman," he told her. "And I stand by my statement 100%."

He smiled at her and she felt her eyes welling up with tears again.

"If you start crying again, I won't be able to finish telling you how amazing you are," he said trying to lighten the mood. "And you are, Mrs. Blackman. You just needed a friendly shoulder to lean on. That's all."

"More like cry on, but yes, it was very nice to finally be able to say a part of what I feel all of the time."

She looked over at Austin and told him, "You're pretty amazing yourself—cowboy."

He smiled again, tipped his hat and said in a corny southern drawl, "Why thank ye, ma'am."

It was so bad Parker couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, but don't quit your day job, okay?" she warned him.

They were almost back to the stables when Austin said, "I never did get to tell you about my real job."

"Oh, my goodness! Austin, I am so sorry! You were going to tell me and then I had my...meltdown. Now I really feel terrible."

"There's always next time, right?" he said as the pulled up next to the building.

"Next time. I'd think I like the sound of that," Parker said sincerely as he dismounted.

He came around and helped her off and as she stood directly in front of him again she looked up into his eyes and told him, "I promise to let you talk next time."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Mrs. Blackman," he replied.

There was a brief moment of highly-charged tension between them before she said, "And I'd very much like it if you'd call me Parker from now on."

Their eyes danced momentarily before Austin smiled and said, "Yes, ma'am."

He stepped back, tipped his hat again then led both horses back into their stalls.

Parker stood there watching him walk away, and had never felt more confused in her entire life. She also experienced the most rapidly-changing cascade of emotions she could ever remember. She thought about walking down to the stalls just to thank him again but wasn't sure that was all she wanted to say. Then again, what else could she say? Instead, she turned around to leave and nearly ran into Pete.

"Oh, my gosh! You scared me half to death, Pete."

"Sorry. I called your name a couple of times, but you must not have heard me," he explained.

"Oh, um...yes. Um...maybe I was a little preoccupied or something. What's up?"

"I was wondering how things went with my new hand. Any problems?"

"No. Not at all. He's actually a very hard-working young man."

"I told you, right?" Pete said with a smile. "In spite of his past, I sure wish he'd stay a while. I could really use the help."

"Oh. Is he leaving soon?" Parker asked trying to keep her voice calm and steady.

"I'm not real sure. I hear he's a pretty good poker player and if he does well in this big tournament next month, I don't see him stayin' here for what little I can afford to pay him."

Pete told her again he was glad things went well and that he looked forward to seeing her again soon.

"Yes. Same here, Pete," she told him.

On the ride home, Parker felt reasonably sure this poker thing must be what Austin had promised to tell her even though he had won the race fair and square. Still, she had no idea how winning some money in a poker tournament could be enough to make much of a difference. Then again, what she knew about poker couldn't fill a sewing thimble so she made a mental note to do some online research. Not that she cared, of course. It was just a matter of simple curiosity. And for the time being, that explanation, as weak as it was, satisfied her.

She had a small tuna salad and half an apple for lunch which was about par for the course. Among the many things she did as part of what she considered her part of making her marriage work was to keep herself in the best shape possible. She ate well and did yoga three days a week as well as pilates two times a week. Her naturally blonde hair was always nicely styled and she had to admit there was a strong resemblance to a much-younger Joan Lunden.

"Not London," she said out loud to herself before also laughing about the exchange with Austin.

She rinsed off her plate and put in the dishwasher before pouring herself a cup of coffee. Brushing and flossing would have to wait until her caffeine fix was met.

She sat down in front of the desktop after putting the coffee mug on a coaster. She opened the web browser then typed in 'Seattle poker tournaments 2017'.

She spent quite a while looking and learned there were local tournaments at various Indian casinos virtually every day of the week. Even so, nothing stood out as any kind of major event so she tried again leaving out Seattle in the search parameters.

She quickly found links to things she'd never heard of like WSOP and WPT, and after scanning both sites saw that there was a major tournament in Oregon slated for five weeks from Tuesday. Parker still didn't know whether or not that was the tournament Pete had in mind, but she clicked on the tournament link to the event in a place called Coos Bay.

It cost $5,000 to enter the tournament and that alone shocked her as she tried to imagine Austin having that kind of money laying around. Perhaps he played in these local tournaments and had done well enough to save that much, but she still thought that was an outrageously large entry fee. But she had to admit she knew very little about this very interesting young man she couldn't get off her mind.