Free The Long Ride Home (Cowboys & Cowgirls) by Danielle Lee Zwissler Page B

her face and she was staring at Elena like she was afraid she may miss something.
    “Well, it was…awesome. He was so…”
    “Descriptive?” Cheryl probed.
    “Well yeah,” Elena said, embarrassed.
    “Oh wow. Tel l me what he said! I can’t get Denny to say anything remotely sexy. The sexiest thing he has ever done is shut the door when he uses the restroom. And before you laugh, it’s a big deal when he never does it.”
    “Oh lord! That’s gross. My gosh it’s not like you guys are married or anything!”
    “I know, right? Well we are just very comfortable together.”
    “ Well, Holton and I aren’t there yet.”
    “And to think you two were going to get married! You don’t even know each other. Have you ever walked in on him in the bathroom?” Cheryl asked.
    Elena looked horrified.
    “No! Why would I do that?”
    “Well, it’s going to happen sooner or later, you may as well get it over with.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “ Yeah, totally. It’s practically a couple thing. Every couple sees the other one do the deed in the bathroom.” Cheryl smiled as she picked up a cookie and took a bite. She was awfully calm for having such a personal conversation.
    “ You aren’t kidding? So, you’ve walked in on Denny during all this?”
    “Yeah, of course. Hell, we just leave the door open. We like to talk to each other.”
    “You talk to him while he is taking a crap?!” Elena asked, laughing.
    “Oh gosh! I don’t ever want to deal with that.
    “I can’t believe you had phone sex with him!” Cheryl changed the subject. Elena smiled shyly and Cheryl caught it.  “You are surprising,” Cheryl said.
    “ Holton said that. I was surprised, believe me. He called me a few minutes after I walked into the house.”
    “To do the deed?”
    “No, you moron! He was making sure I locked the doors.”
    “W ell how did you get into the phone sex thing. That had to be weird?”
    “W ell, I sounded muffled and he asked me why. I was getting undressed for bed. I thought I’d talk to him on the phone for a bit.”
    “ You little hussy!”
    “Hardly! ” Elena laughed. “He got all quiet and then asked me what I was wearing…I told him my red lace bra and panties.”
    “Wow! Were you really wearing sweat pants?”
    “Cheryl, you are ridiculous. No, I bought that underwear for him for the honeymoon.”
    “Wow. I still can’t believe it. I mean, could you hear him?”
    Elena was sure she was red now. “Yeah, duh. Listen, I don’t want to talk about this…or Holton this way. I feel very uncomfortable.”
    “Okay, spoilsport! Just tell me one more thing.”
    “What?” Elena begrudgingly asked.
    “Are you two going to see each other again?”
    Elena took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. “He said the 22 nd , but I don’t know…we haven’t talked since Saturday.”
    “Then call him! You know, women can call men now. It’s allowed.”
    “I know that,” Elena laughed. “ But what do I say?”
    “Why don’t you ask him what he’s wearing?” Cheryl joked, but Elena thought that was a pretty good idea.
    ***
    Joe Thomas was out at the ranch early that day, helping tag cattle. Holton was more quiet than usual and Joe picked up on it right away.
    “What’s up with you?” Joe asked, looking at Holton oddly. Holton made eye contact and shook his head.
    “Nothing.”
    “You’re lying. Where were you last weekend?”
    “Sunnybrook.”
    “With Elena?” Joe asked with a smile on his face. “You dog.”
    Ho lton laughed. “I decided to date her.”
    “Oh, look out. Ho lton, you act like you’re one hundred years old.”
    “Someone has to act mature around here,” Holton grumbled.
    “What did you do?” Joe ask ed, noticing the color of Holton’s ears. They were a bright red.
    “We went to the opera.”
    “Yeah? And what else?”
    Ho lton stopped what he was doing and turned fast, taking Joe up by the collar. “Listen here, Joe, I don’t want you talking about Elena in any