Page 25 of Forgiveness
For all she knew, Flux wasn’t even there—
Shit!The rugged biker stood outside one of the bull pens talking to his boss, his usual bandana tied around his head instead of the token cowboy hat that almost everyone preferred in the rodeo. One hand was in his pocket and the other balanced him against the fence post. He looked more worn down than usual, his stance slightly off. His boss nodded once, Flux did his version of a nod, and then his boss headed off in the other direction.
“Hey, stranger, how’s your day going?” Maggie made it sound as casual as possible, and she stayed where she was so she didn’t overwhelm him.
“Fine.” Flux sounded monotone, and he didn’t even look in her direction before he started walking off somewhere else.
“Hey, are you okay?” Maggie pressed her luck and followed behind him, trying not to take it personally that he was giving her the cold shoulder. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he didn’t even turn to acknowledge her presence.
It was entirely possible that he was having a bad day.Yeah … that’s it.The problem was that Flux wasn’t being subtle in ignoring her as she fought to catch up with larger than normal strides. This was getting a bit ridiculous. Maggie made a noise of frustration that she sure as hell didn’t try to hide from him.
It wasn’t like she was being overly clingy or weird about their night together—she hadn’t even brought it up at all. All she did was ask him about his day as politely and non-threateningly as she could, short of the silent treatment, which was what he appeared to be sporting with her at that very second. It was childish and beneath him to just keep walking while she followed behind him, and she felt like a pathetic doormat loser doing it.
“You know what? Fine. When you feel like talking, you know where to find me. I hope whatever crawled up your ass dislodges itself soon,” Maggie said, stopping about halfway across the yard before she headed in the opposite direction.
Maggie entered into the covered back area of the fairgrounds, paused to retie her hair back, and tried not to take personal offense to Flux’s behavior. After all, hadn’t she wanted a man who could go about his business without stalking her day and night after they’d had sex? Wasn’t she the one who said if they got together it would be a one-time thing with no strings attached?
It appeared her wish had been granted and she’d gotten more than she’d bargained for—and then some. There was no reason for his rebuke to hurt. She would try again later, and if he still wanted to be an ass, well, she’d learned her fucking lesson, hadn’t she? With a bucket of reality mixed with resolve coursing through her veins, Maggie went to retrieve the items she needed for Odysseus and put her head back to where it should have been in the first place.
Men were distractions. So long as she could keep her head in the game and her heart in the ring while she rode Odysseus, nothing else really mattered in the long run. She should be cherishing every single day she got to do what she loved for a living. Nothing else would ever be as important—certainly not a one-night stand with the rodeoLothario.
As the day went by, Maggie’s anger grew and Flux’s rebuff ate at her, so by late afternoon, Maggie stalked away from the stables in search of Flux. It was so obvious that after the awkwardness by the bull pens, he’d gone out of his way to not see her. Each time she’d caught a glimpse of him earlier that day, he’d disappear and that pissed the hell out of her. As Maggie looked around for the rugged biker, she kept telling herself that he wasn’t important in the grand scheme of her life, but she knew that was a damn lie.I screwed up big time last night.She brushed the sweat from her brow and marched forward. There was something about their night together that made her feel all mushy inside andthatburned her ass to no end.
I want to spend more time with him.The thought took her by surprise and her gasp bounced off the concrete walls. Whether Flux wanted to admit it or not, there was a strong connection between them and it’d been there from the moment they’d danced that first night at the bar.And I ran to him after Chet upset me. I didn’t go to Larissa or Sandy. Ugh … I’m sick of all this shit.Just thinking about Flux created a mess of opposing feelings: warmth and affection spread through her while hot, vulnerable rage burned in her belly.
No one, absolutely no one, disrespects me on my turf.As the bull pen area drew nearer, pride told her that Flux was like any other man she went toe-to-toe with over the years, just a guy who needed some verbal sense slapped into him.Once I’m done saying my peace, he can ignore me all he wants and I won’t give a shit. I’m stronger than that. So the sex was mind blowing. My feelings are clouded by that. I just desire him and wouldn’t mind a repeat performance. I’m mixing affection up with pure lust.Of course, she shut down that damn inner voice of hers and kept walking.
With the mental pep talk invigorating her, Maggie pinned her shoulders back and strode into the stables. She had one more thing to do before she could seek out Flux, although it was more for her own well-being than her horse’s. She always kissed the tip of his nose for luck, and before confronting Flux, she felt like she needed all the luck in the world.
“… see, shit’s never fuckin’ easy. Connections? Fuck it, you know?”
Maggie halted in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she murmured under her breath, worried she was hearing things that didn’t exist out of her own anxieties.
“What the hell am I doing talking to a motherfucking horse?” Flux groaned and she heard a loud bang as if Odysseus had stomped his hoof down in agreement.
Maggie swallowed and inhaled a deep breath.Why’s he with Odysseus? And he’s talking to him. Has he lost it?She heard Flux murmuring, but it was too low for her to make out any of the words. She slowly approached Odysseus’s stall, figuring that she should make a noise or something. As much as she didn’t want to ruin the moment and take him by surprise, he would probably keep yapping and she needed to talk to him.
Maggie coughed then heard the shuffle of footsteps then silence. Turning the corner, she saw him standing in front of Odysseus. “Flux, what’re you doing in there?”
