Southern Comfort (Southern 2)

“I’ll be done in a minute,” he says, and I just smile at him.

“Can I help you?” I ask, and he just looks at me. “I used to do this when I was younger,” I say, and he just laughs.

“I can’t see it.” He shakes his head.

“Well, I can’t prove you wrong by standing here and watching.” I grab a pitchfork and loosen up the new shavings he just put down. When it’s all done, he just looks at me. “I’m going to go get her some water,” I say, going over to the hose and twisting it for some water. Then I carry the pail of water back in and pour it in her water dish. I walk over to her and rub her neck. “There you go, my girl,” I whisper, and she just looks at me.

“She doesn’t like anyone,” the guy says and walks out of the stall.

“Now, that isn’t true.” I look at her again. “You’re just selective over who you like.” I’m about to say something else when I hear what sounds like five people storming into the barn. I look around, suddenly frantic, and Lady M must sense him because she lets out a high-pitched neigh. When I finally look out of her stall, I see that all the commotion was caused by Casey, who stands at the door of the stall and glares at me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asks. Just his tone pisses me off, and even if I wanted to answer him, he doesn’t give me the opportunity. Instead, he just opens the stall and comes in, Lady M stands between us. “I’ve been searching for you.”

“Well, you found me.” As I walk around Lady M and toward the door of the stall, he grabs my arm, and in reflex, I shrug it off. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem,” he hisses out and then advances on me, while I take steps back until my back is pressed up against the wooden stall wall, and I can’t move anymore. “My problem is that I couldn’t find you,” he says, stopping in front of me, and the only thing I can concentrate on is his chest rising and falling. “I’ve been looking for you, everywhere,” he says, almost hissing, as his hands go on the wall beside my head.

“Well, not everywhere.” I try to say it loud, but it comes out more like a mumble.

“Do you know how long two minutes is?” he asks, and I make the mistake of looking up at him. His eyes are so dark, they look black.

“One hundred and twenty seconds,” I answer him, folding my arms over my chest. “Seriously, I don’t know why.”

“One hundred and twenty seconds.” His voice is almost in a whisper now. “Can feel like your whole life when you can’t find someone.”

“Well, you found me,” I say.

“Yeah.” He gets even closer. “I found you.” We stare at each other, and I’m not sure what to say or what to do. He looks like he has so much to say, yet all he can do is look at me. “I found you,” he says again. He bends his head, and I hold my breath and wait for his lips to land on mine. Even though I want to push him away and say no, my mouth itches to have his lips on mine. To feel safe in his arms. “Don’t do it again,” he says right before his lips fall on mine.

My hands travel to his chest, and I could swear he does a huge sigh of relief when he claims my lips. He kisses me almost like it’s the last time he is going to kiss me, and I have to be honest, it always feels like that. Maybe knowing that this thing between us has an expiration date I don’t know of.

“Casey,” I whisper his name breathlessly, and before I can say anything more, the sound of someone clearing their throat makes us look over.

“So you found her,” Billy says, trying not to smile, and my face suddenly gets heated. I’m waiting for him to push away from me, but instead, he brings me closer to him and kisses my head.

“I found her,” he says. Billy just shakes his head, walking away chuckling.

“That is so embarrassing,” I say, putting my forehead down on his chest. His heart is beating as fast as mine.

“It’s not like he caught us naked,” Casey says, his arms hug me tighter than before. “But seriously.” I look up at him. “Don’t do that to me again.”

“Well, don’t act like a horse’s ass, and I won’t,” I say, and he just glares at me. “Now I want to take Lady M out.”

“Is that so?” he says with a smirk, and I finally realize that he is too good looking for his own good.