WRANGLING STARS CHAPTER 6: āUnder Pressureā
āAlright, ya ready?ā Jessie calls out while leaning over the bed of their red pickup truck; rusty from decades of heavy use. Inside were ten crates full of chicken eggs, carefully padded to keep from any breakage during their descent into town. āYes, but what are we doing again?ā Buzz asked, leaned over the truck bed in the opposite direction with his heel balanced on the hitch. āJust deliverinā some eggs to the market. Itās one of the main ways we make any money around here.ā Buzz nods at her, eyeing Jessie as she double checks every little nook and cranny to make sure nothing will slip out. She was chipper as ever this morning, like nothing happened at all last night.
Buzz is about to hop in the passenger side before Jessie stops him. Her eyes are bright with that mischief he had grown all too familiar with in this short span of his time on the ranch. āYou wanna drive?ā āWhat? Really? I still donāt know the area that well, Jessie.ā She shakes her head. āIāll direct ya! Usually Bo does but sheās busy.. and they donāt really like me driving.ā She admits with a slight embarrassed flush to her cheeks. āHow come?ā He asks while slowly moving over to the driverās side. āNo reason!ā She just smiles and skids her way in the passenger side. She wouldnāt have admitted to Buzz that she drives like a bat out of hell; which is especially bad with their precious cargo. Buzz shakes his head with a smile before hopping in. Jessie immediately gets to work flicking through radio stations while Buzz starts up the truck.
Buzz absently listens to each station she moves between while beginning the tedious drive into town. His eyes widen a bit when something familiar enters his ears, āWait! Go back. I love that song..ā Jessie cocks an eyebrow before backing up, the speakers filled with the sound of Queenās āUnder Pressureā. Buzz smiles at the road while Jessie smiles at him. āYou like this? I didnāt take you as the kinda guy that likes music.ā Buzz was now the one blushing from embarrassment. āYeah.. itās been one of the main things keeping me going. I love it.ā āI do too!ā Jessie laughs before turning up the volume. They give each other a look before beginning to absolutely sing their hearts out. Both were extremely out of key, but they didnāt care. They were having fun as they continue their journey.
Already in town, standing outside of the Sheriffās station in was Woody. A cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he eyes the town around him. People walking through the streets, chatting up a storm and heading to shops and their jobs. Woody wasnāt alone, standing alongside him with a cigarette as well, was Slink. His deputy. He was given that nickname decades ago, to the point nobody remembers where it came from. But thatās how he was known in town. He was a lot easier to get along with than the sheriff himself, others passing by occasionally waving in his direction. They were having a conversation of their own, Slinkās eyes wide.
āYou actually bought the ring?! How much did that set you back?ā Woody didnāt give him a straight answer, dismissively waving his hand. āDoesnāt matter. Sheās not gonna say yes.ā He folds his arms with a huff. āWhat makes ya say that? Youāve been dating since freakinā high school, man! She wouldāve left ya by now if she didnāt love ya.ā Woody rolls his eyes. He was right, but he didnāt want to admit it. āI think sheās mad at me.ā This makes Slink dip his head, looking up at Woody. āWhat did you do now?ā Woody instantly stammers, taking another hit from his cigarette before continuing. āI didnāt do anything! Sheās just mad that Iām not really gettinā along with our new.. farm hand. I guess, I donāt know. Sheās confusing!ā Slink rolls his eyes at Woody. Trying to get a straight answer out of him was like trying to saddle an unruly bronc. āWhatās the matter with this one?ā āSome fuckinā space-case named Buzz.ā He says his name like itās some poison word before shaking his head. āHeās strong enough but..ā He gets quiet for a moment. āBut?ā Slink repeats him, trying to urge him to continue. āHeās looking at Jess.ā This instantly makes Slink freeze himself. āOh, shit. Are you sure?ā Woody shrugs. āI donāt know.. I saw how he looked at her. I know that look.ā Slink rubs the back of his neck, trying to give this stranger the benefit of the doubt. āMaybe this oneās different Woody. You canāt put every guy at the ranch in a box.ā āOh, yes I can! I know how guys like him are! Sheās gonna get hurt again, I just know it.ā Woodyās hand is shaking as he stomps out his cigarette on the ground under his boot. āWoody, your last farm hand was a piece of garbage. An asshole that got ran out of town with a gun at his back. The chances of that needing to happen again arenāt as big as you think.ā Woody folds his arms and turns his head away. āWeāll see about that.ā
Heās about to pull another cigarette out of his mouth when the door next to them slowly opens. Popping her head out was a much shorter woman with bouncy brown hair. āGi-Gi. Whatās wrong?ā She turns her head the other direction. āThere you are! Iāve been looking all over for you. You got a call from Ms. Peep inside.ā Woody nods. āOkay, Iāll take it in my office. Thatās odd. She never calls me at work. Iāll be back.ā Slink shrugs as Woody heads inside the station. He puts out his own cigarette when something catches his eye. The Prideās pickup truck heading down the street. It stops and out hops Jessie first, stretching her arms over her head before getting to work unloading the back of the truck. Out came Buzz not long after, hurrying over to help her out. This was the first Slinkās seeing of this new guy Woody complained about. But, he didnāt seem at all how he described. Heās smiling, reaching a hand out to help wherever he can. Him and Jessie are laughing, genuine laughs. Jessie was easy to get along with, she could make anyone laugh.. but this was different. Slink knew this all too well. He shakes his head while adjusting his glasses. They adjust just in time to see Jessie lose her balance a bit a nearly fall over behind the truck bed- if it wasnāt for Buzz being right behind her and quickly steadying her sides with lightning fast reflexes. He can faintly hear their conversation down the road. Heās asking over and over if sheās okay, wanting that reassurance before he releases her from his hands. Slink chuckles to himself. āWoodyās such an idiot.ā
Woody emerges from the station a few minutes later, his hat dipped down to conceal his eyes. He says nothing as he leans back against the wall beside Slink. He snickers. āOkay, Smokey and the Bandit, why does your hat look like that?ā āNothing. No reason at all. What are you talking about?ā He was trying so hard to hide the fact his face was extremely red. He wouldnāt even look Slinkās direction. āSo.. what did Bo want?ā He tries to ask and Woody quickly clears his throat. āShe was just.. checking in. By the way, Iām going home at noon.ā Woody quickly adds without waiting for Slinkās protest. āSeriously, man?! We have patrols to do!ā āIāve got business to attend to on the ranch. Urgent.ā āBut-!ā āThatās an order, Slink.ā Slink huffed, knowing he couldnāt protest. āWill you at least be at the bar tonight? Itās Saturday.ā āYou know I will be.ā Woody smirks just a bit at his friend.
They start to walk down the front steps as Woody turns his head to see his pickup truck. He knew Jessie would be delivering eggs this morning. Theyāre headed to go say hi when something makes Woody knit his eyebrows together in anger. He sees Buzz hopping in the drivers side. āWhat the- is he driving my truck?! Every DAY I have a new reason to hate this guy!ā Slink eyes Woody with a shake of his head. āYouāre too old to be acting like a teenage girl over a guy being in your truck. It was probably Jessieās idea anyway.ā Woody tried to calm down. āIām not old.ā He changes the subject quickly, focusing on the wrong thing. āMhm. Tell that to whatās under your hat.ā Slink smirks as Woody growls at him. āFuck off.ā
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