2 comments/ 23407 views/ 9 favorites Mustang Romance Ch. 01 By: leejames Introduction: The Nightmare Hoof beats. Pounding, echoing loudly through rain. Texas tornadoes swung all around, but the hoof beats were louder than any windstorm, louder than her heartbeat. Darkness swirled everywhere, illuminated by the lightning in the sky every few seconds. She just had to get to the farmhouse, before something happened. She shut her eyes, clinging to the black beneath her, feeling his mane whip into her face, the powerful flanks sucking in air and expelling just as quickly through flared nostrils. She kept herself tucked low, trying to aid him in his mad, furious dash, but he could only travel so quickly. Her cabin was a mile from the main house, and on horseback, in a dead gallop, it still took too long. She saw the lightning, knew it was getting closer, and felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as one tremendous bolt found the resting place it had been seeking. She tried to squeeze her eyes shut, but could not help but stare, despite how skewed her vision was by the rain. The farmhouse was ablaze. And she could hear him screaming... Amy shot up from a dead sleep, panting and covered in sweat. Always the same, this dream. It never went away, it never got better. She sat up in her bed for a few minutes, breathing hard and trying to get control over her wildly beating heart. Dreading going back to sleep, she padded softly over to the couch and sat down, curled up in a blanket. "Will these dreams ever end?" she said aloud as she fought back tears. Doctors, therapists, everyone had told her they would subdue, in time, but they only seemed to become stronger. She sighed, lying her head down on the pillow, and thinking back to when it had all began. Chapter 1: Internship Please note that this story is meant to take a while to develop, it will not rush into anything quickly, so if you're looking for that type, it's not here.  Thanks! Amy slammed her books down on the table, hard. Maybe too hard, because they landed in a heap and spilled onto the floor. Too irritated to pick them up, she wondered over to the couch, flopping down in a huff. College may have been a blast, but her graduate program was turning out to be a night from hell. There was never time to do anything but work; she had to teach five labs every week, in addition to her research and full-time job. As if that wasn't enough, she'd just received notice of where she would be interning at. That was actually a drop of good news, it was the location she'd requested, but its announcement had been accompanied with a 65 page thesis that was due at the end of the term -- 6 months! She sighed, rolling over onto her back, and grabbing a package of Pringles. Munching away, she tried to close her eyes and forget that she had a plane to catch in the morning. ***** If there was anything Amy hated, it was flying. Breathing a sigh of relief as they finally landed, she made her way towards the pick-up station. She'd expected it to be hot in Texas, but this was stifling. It was September, and she'd been told the heat would have subsided a little, but she'd trade anything at that exact moment to get back to her Colorado climate. Ah yes, crisp cool mornings, pleasant, breezy afternoons, and chilly, rewarding evenings. Letting a small sigh of desire escape, she looked for the man that had been sent to collect her. The ranch she would be completing her internship at was the best in the state; they had set aside a substantial amount of acreage just for the Bureau of Land Management, for use as a wild horse reserve. That was what she was here for, and that was hopefully what would land her a job working for one of the top equine associations in the country. She'd completed two internships with different equine discipline clubs during her undergrad course work, and an additional one with a equine publication agency, but they had said she needed a complete thesis to fully begin a career there. Once she had it, and it met standards, she'd be offered a full-time job immediately. Stifling a small smile, Amy thought back to all the clothes she'd gone without, all the meals she'd skipped, and all the luxuries she'd passed up to get to the place she was. She was the one who'd gotten herself to this dream, she'd earned every penny to pay for every bit of it, and no one, no one, would keep her from this goal. She'd simply worked too hard to let that happen. ***** Levi sighed to himself; this was definitely not what he wanted to be doing right now. Cleaning up the stables was his main chore, but he most certainly had no interest in doing it so some prissy grad student could come in here and mess everything up. He'd even argued with his boss, informing him that she wouldn't be anywhere near the stables, but he'd been rebuffed and sent back to work. Huffing, he threw another bale of straw down from the loft, grateful for the manual labor to take the edge off. The last thing he was interested in was babysitting a know-it-all for the next six months. No doubt she'd have no idea what she was doing and he'd have to walk her through everything. Although he wasn't the top ranch hand, he seemed to get stuck with all the idiots all the same. Just that dazzling personality, he thought to himself with another huff. Since arriving at the ranch 6 years ago, Levi hadn't changed much. He'd been used to working hard before, but working off the back of a horse all day moving cattle did something to a man. His muscles were lean, and rugged, and he wasn't cut, because he didn't work out, but the hard manual labor had wiped any trace of fat from his form. He kept his hair short, shorter than the rest of the cowhands, but longer than anyone else in his family, though now he couldn't be sure, because he hadn't seen any of them since he'd come here. His hair was blonde, it'd once been brown, but hours in the sun had changed that, and his eyes were a good-natured green. He usually looked humored, except when he was angry or irritated, which was the case right now. He sighed as he heard the truck pulling up, and peered out the barn doors, preparing himself for the worst six months of his life. ***** Levi tried to keep glaring as the girl stepped out of the car, but he found it impossible to keep that face once he saw her. When Luke grabbed her luggage, she immediately jumped forward to get it herself, showing him that she was capable of being more than a stuck-up princess. Luke didn't look happy about the interference, but he handed the bags over anyways. Levi caught a good look her while she looked around, not noticing him standing in the shadow of the barn. She was tall, and leggy, like a newborn colt, and she had just as wild of a look about her. Her skin was ivory pale, and covered in freckles, and her figure didn't really make a man wonder much, she didn't have an hourglass shape or particularly large breasts. Still, he could tell right away from that figure that she did a lot of riding, and not just ranch horses, but the fancy, competitive ones he'd grown up seeing. Her fiery red hair hung in messy waves to the middle of her back, and he found himself wondering what it'd be like to hold onto that hair as he thrust into her. Shocking himself with such thoughts, he realized she was staring at him, too, and he turned and walked away to hide his growing...interest. Luke quickly regained her attention and began steering her towards the main house, trying once again to take her bags, though she still politely refused. ***** When Amy had realized the cowboy staring at her, she'd been entranced as well. Looking like a picturesque model for the Wrangler catalog, he'd been gorgeously tan, with sun-bleached blonde hair that stuck out from a beaten and abused cowboy hat, a long-sleeve button-up with the sleeves rolled, and the dirtiest pair of jeans she could remember seeing. He looked, essentially, like a Western wet dream. One she definitely wouldn't mind having. When he'd realized she'd caught him, he'd moseyed on back into the barn, and the ranch hand that had picked her up had once again started hitting on her. She was sure Luke had the possibility of being charismatic, but he was trying a little too hard, and she could tell how bad he wanted her. Still, she let herself be steered into the large house, amazed at the architecture and grandeur. It wasn't particularly enormous, but it was so well-cared for and so picturesque Texas, she couldn't help but be enamored by it. She was led into the kitchen, where a stout woman with crazy hair piled on top of her head turned to see who had entered. She had a pleasant, no, a beautiful smile, and she scooped Amy into a hug without missing a beat, gushing instantly. "Why, it is so nice to meet you! We've been talking all week about your stay with us! Can't tell ya how excited we are!" Amy, barely able to breathe at this point, was released. She bit back a laugh and turned to see a tall sinewy man sitting behind them, and found herself thinking of Virgil from Tombstone. From the clothes to the height, to the facial expressions to the mustache, this was definitely a walking example. She laughed out loud in a loud guffaw, unable to hold it back, when he introduced himself. "Welcome to the Ranch, my name's Virgil." At her laugh he raised his eyebrows slightly, but she could sense the good nature behind it. The woman, who introduced herself as Jill, cut in, "Everyone responds that way when Virg introduces himself! Don't mind that expression on his face, he's just giving you a hard time." She glowered at him and he gave her his most innocent, "Who, me?" expression in return. After a bit of chatting, they invited her to stay for dinner, after which Levi would show her to her cabin. Luke protested, but Virgil held up his hand, and Amy quickly learned that that meant no arguing. Luke complained under his breath and walking out the door, slamming the screen behind himself. Amy turned back to the friendly hosts before her. "Who's Levi?" She asked, more curious about the cowboy who'd been standing outside the barn when they pulled up, but she didn't mention him, in hopes of not raising suspicion. Jill, slowly turning something cooking on the stove, turned to glance at her before returning to her cooking. "Oh, he'll be along for dinner, you'll meet everyone, then." ***** Even though he'd wanted to, it was impossible to ignore how tense Luke was when he stalked into the barn. He walked over to Levi, who was busy removing cacti pins from one of the gelding's hocks, and lowered his voice, conscious even when angry of how spooky a hurt horse could be. "Dude, Virg is having you show that new fine piece of ass where her cabin is tonight. You better not start getting any ideas about what you want to do with her, I don't care where Veronica comes into your life. Just don't touch Amy. She's mine and I'm going to get that honey before her time here is up." Without waiting for a response, he stalked out, leaving a clueless and mostly speechless Levi behind. He knew why Luke had left so fast, Levi was a good 5 inches taller than him, maybe even taller than that. He stood, putting the doctored horse back in his stall, and leaned against the gate, thinking. The last thing he wanted to do was show that little brat where her cabin was. At the same time, his body stirred to life when he thought about all that long red hair and the wildness in her eyes. He was irritated with Luke for talking about her that way, a girl like that didn't need to be broken, she needed someone to run alongside her, letting her be as free as she was meant to be. Startled once again by his thoughts towards Amy, Levi started heading towards the farm-house, hearing the dinner bell echo loudly throughout the canyon. Mustang Romance Ch. 02 Dinner was passed pleasantly enough, much better than the last four years of dinners that Amy had grown accustomed to. The whole dining room was a mass of conversations held across the table, across the room, even across the house! Laughter and warmth was so heavy in the air, that to an unacquainted soul, Amy suddenly felt like her life had been empty without these new friends. Cowboy after cowboy had strode into the house, and she had been pleasantly surprised by the drop of countenance in each handsome ranch hand's face as they evaluated her. She'd been hit on plenty of times before, her Irish genetics allowed for that, but she'd learned long ago that they never meant anything, and never went anywhere. From these wranglers though, it seemed different. Was everyone in Texas this genuine? So now she was seated at a giant table, with benches in addition to chairs, with twenty or more people. Amy couldn't begin to imagine how Jill cooked for all these men. Virgil sat at the head of the table, with Jill on his right, of course, and on his left the chair was empty, supposedly for a niece that would be joining them shortly. Amy was about halfway down the table, with a Mordecai across from her, a Joey and a Hank beside him, and that insipid dripping cowboy Luke next to her. On her other side was an empty chair, reserved for Levi, whoever that was. She kept looking for the cowboy that had been by the barn, but so far, no show. Amy was only half-listening to Mordecai and Hank arguing the finer points of how to properly pull up the cows and rotate the pasture. Apparently, though the ranch was vast, the cows that were kept on it were moved throughout the different pastures regularly, and although to her August was so unbearably hot, in Texas, it would be considered fall weather with the onset of October, and time to rotate the cows once again. Hank tried to explain to her the importance of doing this, to give the grass a chance to rest and allow new growth, and keep the stock tanks full and healthy. Amy nodded at all this, feigning ignorance. She had rotated horses on and off pastures for years, but knew better than to argue with a seasoned ranch hand. They were, after all, from different worlds. Luke kept trying to offer her more food, talk to her about herself, though he constantly would refer to his own person in an air of making a great impression, though his manners only served to put her off further. Joey stayed mostly quiet, though he caught her eye a couple of times and smiled understandingly, if not sympathetically, at her. She was about to excuse herself, not able to take the insistent conversation of Luke, when she heard the chair beside her pulled out. She looked at Luke's face to see it drawn, and pissed off. That raised her apprehension some. She turned about in her chair slowly, and sucked in her breath so audibly that all four of her dinner partners looked at her hard, eyebrows raised and a smirk on their tanned faces. The sexy cowboy by the barn looked down at her, an arrogant smirk on his face as well, his eyes appraising her obviously and without shame. She wrinkled her nose a little at the egotism of it. She stood up, slowly, and came to nearly his height, which gave her a sense of satisfaction; she was only a couple of inches shorter than him. However, that put her almost level with his eyes, which made her feel a little less confident in her earlier thought. He took her hand slowly in his, but firmly, and tipped his hat just a little before taking it off. "Levi, pleased to know ya." Her eyes almost bugged out of her head. This was the cowboy supposed to show her to her cabin? Go figure. "Amy, it's nice to meet you as well." He held her hand a moment longer than necessary, and the effect was electrifying. She thought he felt it too, but his eyes gave nothing away, and she pulled her hand away and sat. He sat only after her, incredible manners for a mere ranch hand. Pulling up his chair to the table, Levi immediately began piling the generous helpings onto his plate. She watched him, enamored for a moment, but the chattering around her had begun again, and she had merely to sit and listen as they all tried to pull her into five different conversations happening at once. She felt something against her leg, and a fever shot up from her thigh to her throat, and her cheeks flushed an incredible shade of scarlet, which was fairly obvious on her fair complexion. She looked over at Levi sitting next to her, but he was eating, and didn't seem to notice her in the slightest. His hand, however, squeezed just above her knee ever so slightly in acknowledgement, and she flushed still deeper at the liberty he was taking in touching her, only knowing her name. Good manners indeed! She should've pushed him away, protested in some fashion, but the feeling he was giving her in just a mere touch was so addicting so immediately, she didn't try to fight it. Luke was prattling on about something, and she realized he must have supposed her coloring for him, for he grew more bold and arrogant as he spoke, though no less complimentary, and had she been of a lesser inclination, she would've been flattered and even silly over such attention. She realized that Levi's hand was drawing her out of this ridiculous conversation and possible inclination on purpose, his arrogance and confidence in his prowess was infuriating, and to be in the middle of such a caveman dispute, though unknown by one party, was so irritating that she almost stood up to take leave of the table. Levi must have sensed this, somehow, for his hand inched higher to her mid-thigh, and she felt a burning between her legs beginning to build, and she couldn't help but fidget. Amy noticed that Luke wasn't really even noticing her at this point in his monologue, and she stole a look at Levi, to find him staring right in her eyes. He'd been touching her for at least twenty minutes now, but this was the first time he looked in her direction at all. She burned even hotter for him as his green eyes, though lighter than her own, burned with unrestrained desire. She barely knew him, and he her, but their physical chemistry was impossibly high, and growing higher by the minute. She wondered if his caveman battle may have been more than what she initially thought, for surely his eyes were reflecting what was in her own. In all her revelations, she didn't notice that Luke had stopped talking, and was glaring at Levi so vehemently, daggers may well have sprung out of his eyes and flown across her to blind her passionate interest. They were not speaking, indeed they hadn't spoken yet but to introduce themselves, but were staring at each other, both wondering if their own eyes reflected what the other's held, when there was a heated welcome at the head of the table, and a woman took her seat beside Virgil. The niece, no doubt. Amy turned to look. If not for her own beauty, and pride, her jaw may have dropped. Though fake and modified, the girl was gorgeous. She had long, straight blond hair that hung all the way down her back, and her eyes were the lightest blue Amy had ever seen. She was thin, and tiny, so petite she hardly looked like she was related to Virgil at all. She had all the beautiful jewelry that Texan princesses always wore, and she was so bedazzled, she could've just come from a shoot for Cruel Girl jeans. She sat, flitted her hair over her shoulder, and talk once again presumed. Mordecai leaned across the table. "That's Veronica. She's Virgil's niece. Shows western pleasure horses; she's won Nationals three times." Amy's eyebrows rose. She knew exactly who this Veronica Raliston was, she'd seen her in enough commercials and ads to recognize her anywhere, though Western Pleasure was not her discipline. She turned to face Luke as she realized he was speaking. "...besides, and she's Levi's girlfriend, don't forget that part." Luke spat out, looking smugly at Levi. He wasn't disappointed. Levi's grip tightened on Amy's thigh, his face turning red. "I told you a million damn times Luke, Ronnie ain't my girlfriend and she never will be. I don't know how any clearer I can make it. You're like a goddamned schoolgirl prattling on all the time about something you don't know nothin' about." His hand became even more possessive, but when Amy looked him in the face, and his eyes looked down at hers, his expression cooled considerably. Amy's eyebrows were still arched, but at the soft look from him, one she wasn't expecting at that, she smiled. She was rewarded with a small but glorious smile from him, and Luke fumed silently behind her. This, he thought, would simply not do. After a few minutes time, with Amy growing antsier by the moment, dinner was coming to a conclusion, and Levi was rising to escort her to her cabin. Amy knew she shouldn't be so nervous about him helping her out, but the fire between them hadn't dimmed, and he had kept a hand on her leg all night, claiming her immediately, and she knew it. Virgil walked over to them before they had even stood. "Now y'all both be up early in the mornin', we gotta take our little cowgirl here to the auction." Amy's eyebrows arched yet again, and she was getting worried they were going to get stuck that way. "Auction?" "Yep. Got a big mustang round-up sale tomorrow. We gotta go get you a horse to start your internship, little lady." Amy's eyes bugged out of her head. That had NOT been her plans, fooling around with a wild mustang. A wild cowboy, on the other hand... She stole a look at Levi. He looked arrogant, as usual, and amused, which was a very becoming expression on his face. "Sure thing, boss man. See ya at dawn, then." Amy stared at them both, but made no complaint, which satisfied Virgil, and surprised Levi. He was just going to have to wait for that mustang to see what his new little filly was all about. Somehow, he didn't think he'd be disappointed. Mustang Romance Ch. 03 Chapter 3: The Auction The light streaming in through the cabin window would've been enough to wake Amy up, if it wasn't for her growing excitement. She couldn't believe that they were going to buy a mustang today, an animal so different from the thoroughbreds she was used to. She yawned and stretched, her lithe body kicking off the covers as she did so, and Amy let her mind wonder back to the previous night's events. Levi had driven her to the cabin that she'd be living in for the next six months, it was about a mile from the farmhouse but the stables were in between. He'd been pleasant enough, making small talk, giving her a run-down of what she could expect tomorrow, but he hadn't mentioned anything about what had been going on at dinner. Amy had her confrontation all ready to go, but by the time she'd worked up the courage, they were pulling up to the cabin. Levi was out of the truck and to her door before she could open it, and he took her hand to help her out, the sizzle when their fingers touched sending a shock up her arm. There was definitely some physical chemistry between them. Levi sighed softly, trying to banish his thoughts. He couldn't believe he'd been such a dick during dinner, acting like an alpha wolf instead of a gentleman. Something about Amy raised some primal part of him, a desire he'd kept buried for years. He hadn't meant to get so possessive of her, to touch her at all, but his hands, and perhaps a part lower than that, had a mind of its own, and he hadn't done anything to restrain that. So when she took his hand to get out of the truck, it was all he could do not to shove her up against the side of the Ford and take advantage. He took his hand back quickly and stalked to get her bags out of the bed, he could NOT lose it on this girl. Amy smiled at him, just barely, and grabbed one of the bags as he unloaded them, shaking herself mentally. She wasn't this dumb school girl; she wasn't a damsel in distress. She'd worked her ass off, doing everything for herself since she'd moved out of her alcoholic mother's house at 14, and to just let this guy change all that with a look was ridiculous. She was harder than that, tougher than that. She followed him up the steps to the cabin door, and he unlocked it then dropped the key into her hand. "Well, here it is." He walked easily into the cabin and dropped the two bags he carried onto the bed, and then switched on the lamp on the bedside table. When he turned, Amy was standing right behind him, not two feet away. He heard her suck in her breath, and couldn't help but grin; he was getting to her too. He closed the distance to one foot, and smiled when she didn't move away. Her beautiful freckled face was flushed, her chest heaving, the flush moving down her throat to creep under her shirt and crimson her breasts, he was sure. He leaned closer and took the bag from her hand, setting it down on the floor without really looking. Amy couldn't believe she was letting this happen, but she didn't really care at the same time. Levi's face was so close to her, she could smell his natural scent clearly, his pheromones like a drug to her. He smelled of horses, and sweat, of wildness and the wind at your back. She knew he was going to kiss her, hell, she WANTED him to kiss her, and she tilted her chin towards him just a little in an unconscious invitation. Just as he closed the remaining foot between them to descend his mouth onto hers, she blew the whole thing. "What happened at dinner?" Her voice was breathless, strained, but the question came out just the same. She was mortified. Levi's mouth stopped just inches from hers, her lust-filled voice asking him the question he'd been avoiding since they left the house. Amy opened those gorgeous eyes and looked at him, her deep green pools confused and embarrassed, and the spell was broken; he remembered himself. Taking several steps back, he shook his head, as if to clear a fog, and hastily repositioned his hat. "Well, looks like you don't need a hand gettin' settled, so I'll just, uh, go. I'll be here at sunrise to pick you up." And with that he hurried out the door, not bothering to close it. Amy stared out after him, cursing herself and grateful for the interruption at the same time. She just didn't know which one she felt stronger. ***** There was a shadow over her, she could feel it. Amy turned and tossed, trying to get the shadow to move, but it wasn't budging. She suddenly remembered where she was as her sleep fog cleared, and knew there shouldn't be anything there. She opened her eyes and then shrieked, shocked at what was in her room. She must've fallen back asleep while she was daydreaming, because it was well after sunrise, and Levi was standing in her room, staring at her with unbridled desire on his face. Amy snatched the covers back up, covering her black panty and tank-clad body. She always slept in little clothing, but she didn't usually have gorgeous wranglers standing by her bed, looking like they'd found the Promised Land. "What are you doing in here?" She squeaked out, her face red with anger. "I'm- I'm sorry. I knocked and knocked but no one answered, and we really can't be late. I – I'm sorry." He didn't look a bit sorry. Amy was pissed, but she didn't have a response. Levi didn't look like he was going anywhere. "Do you mind? I need to get dressed." That arrogant smirk from the night before returned. "Nah, you go on ahead, I don't mind at all..." She huffed angrily, kicking off the covers and standing up, aware of how the smirk disappeared from his face. Good, she thought smugly as she walked over to one of her bags and leaned over to grab the cut-off shorts she'd packed. She knew Levi was still in the room, still staring at her, but she tried her best to ignore it. She wasn't a tease, she didn't care about games, but after how he'd left last night, she kind of felt like playing that little game, turning the tables and seeing how he liked it. Apparently, he didn't like it at all. Amy heard him walk up behind her, but before she could do anything, he had spun her around and pinned her against the wall, one hand holding her wrists secured over her head, the other fisting in her messy waves, just like he'd imagined the first time he saw her. Her breath came in short little pants, and he loved the smell of her pheromones, so intoxicating to him, like she was made just for him. The vanilla scent she released was making him drunk, and before he could get himself back under control, Amy let out a little mewling noise of desire, and that did him in. Amy had mere seconds to register what was happening when Levi's lips crushed against hers. They were rough but full, and his breath was delicious, his taste was heavy and delightful on her mouth. Her belly tightened and her legs rubbed together, instantly aroused by his advances. Levi couldn't believe he was losing his control like his, or that she was letting him. Her taste was like honey, it was just as overwhelming as her scent, and he knew he could easily let himself take her right there. The primal call inside him roared in triumph, and the blood in his head drained down to his cock, and his erection was rubbing against her belly. This seemed to only encourage her more, and she rubbed her belly against him, her hips gyrating on their own, and he could only imagine how wet she was. Her arms shook against his hand, but he didn't think she was really trying to get away. Amy had lost all her senses, she was drunk off of him, and when she felt him against her, his length stiff and impressive, she became aware again that she was just in a lacy tank top and panties. Her body responded to his easily, and she couldn't help the way she was writhing against him. Totally inappropriate, so wrong, but neither of them cared. All that mattered was just easing the physical chemistry that boiled between them; breaking the sexual tension that had been building since they'd seen each other less than 24 hours ago. Levi suddenly snapped, and it seemed Amy did at the same, for they both pulled away from the other, totally breathless, flushed. Levi immediately released her hands, and Amy moved away from both him and the wall, and stood awkwardly staring at him. "I'm sorry Amy, I...damn it." He stopped, unable to spit out what he wanted to say. She was staring at him with a look of lust and apprehension. He moved to the door. "I'll just wait outside. Take your time." He stalked back out of the door, and Amy sunk down on the bed, shorts in hand, but her mind a million other places. ***** They had driven up to the farmhouse in silence, sat down to breakfast with the whole group from last night, then hooked up to the trailer and followed Virgil and Jill into town. They'd both tried to attempt small talk, but no words were coming out, so they'd settled for just driving in silence, old Brooks and Dunn songs blaring on the one radio station in town. Levi had his arm casually slung over the bench seat, his hand barely resting on Amy's hair, but she'd noticed how he'd wound his fingers through a few of the stray tendrils. It made her giddy like a 15 year old. Besides, she thought to herself, didn't she deserve a chance to feel like this, for once in her life? To be the damsel, to feel the giddiness, to not have to be a badass, to just have fun? Levi just couldn't help it, although he didn't know what to say, he couldn't keep his fingers off of her, he just had to be touching her. They rode to town in an easy silence, and though it should've been awkward, it was like they'd done this a million times before. Neither one brought up that morning, but both were okay with that. In about thirty minutes, they were pulling up to the county livestock barn. This weekend was the round-up, and about 150 mustangs were for sale. Amy followed Levi in to the barn, her eyes everywhere at once. Cowboys covered the place; there were what seemed like a thousand people there. Levi reached back and grabbed her hand, she was going too slowly and they almost got separated. She grinned down at the ground and he grinned back at her, his eyes dancing, and then continued to pull her to the front office, where they met Virgil and Jill and got their bidding number and the program. The program listed all the horses available to be purchased, and the information about them. Virgil told Amy that in half an hour, the bidding would start, so she better get started looking right away. The group found a spot on the bleachers and started pouring through the program. Virgil, Jill, and Levi all had an opinion of what kind of mustang she should look for. "You need a gelding..." "A short gelding, they're easier..." "And make sure it's a nice color, he'll sell better when you're done that way..." "Don't get a sorrel..." "Get a sorrel..." Amy shook her head, trying to focus on the program she and Levi were sharing. Surely there would be something in this auction right for her. She looked at a pretty appaloosa, but he was only 12 hands, and that was just too short. Next she liked a blue roan, but he was only 2, and that was too young. She looked and looked, all the while getting advice about which one to choose, and finally the half hour was up, and the auction started. The first group of horses was under 2, and though there was one she liked, it was too young to start breaking. The second group was mares, and she didn't pay any attention to that. She'd ridden enough horses to know she didn't want a mare. The last group would be the geldings, so the stallions came next. Levi shook his head, and leaned over to her. "Don't even waste time with this group, you don't want a stud..." Amy wrinkled her nose a little and watched as only five studs were brought out. The first was a gorgeous bay, with three white stockings and a huge blaze. He was pretty calm for a stud, and she smiled to herself. Virgil looked over at Levi. "There ya go, son. That's the horse for you." Levi leaned forward and studied the stallion. He was beautiful, if not a bit short at only 15 hands, but a fine size for ranch work. He thought over the mare he'd just finished out, she was a good mount, but not really very challenging. He smiled and nodded at Virgil. The older man nodded back, and when that horse came up for bid, Virgil's number 16 won him. Jill clapped her hands excitedly, and Amy smiled. It was an incredible horse. The next stallion came up to the block. He was a rangy chestnut, not very impressive. He went for little. The following two, a gray and another chestnut, looked a little better than the second, and they went for a decent price, considering how little mustangs go for anyways. Finally, the last stud came to the front, and Amy sat straight up. The horse was dancing at the end of his stud chain, and his nostrils were flared with excitement and fear. He was jet black, blacker than any horse Amy had ever seen. He was huge, a towering 16.2 hands, and he had no markings at all. His mane was long, falling down to his chest, and his tail dragged across the ground. His entire body was muscled and lithe, he was a solid rock. Levi had noticed the look on Amy's face, and he followed her captivated gaze to the horse in the ring. A real devil, obviously, that horse looked like he'd just as soon kill his handler as his own mother. He looked back in Amy's face in disbelief. "That's the one..." Amy said breathlessly. "You've gotta be kidding, Amy." Levi said, images of her dead corpse in the arena flashing through his head. "Amy that horse is loco, he'd kill you!" She snorted, sounding just like the horse. "No he wouldn't, that's the one, that's the horse I want. Please..." She turned to face him, her face pleading. He knew when he saw that look that he was in trouble, he'd never be able to tell her no when she gave him that face. "Please, Levi. I know that's the right one." He looked over at Virgil, who was shaking his head. "Don't do it son, that horse is crazy." Levi sighed. "I'll help her, Virg. C'mon, give the gal a chance." Jill smiled, bemused. Virgil shook his head again, but he'd come to trust Levi's judgment in the last two years more than any of his other hands, and he didn't plan to change that now. Grudgingly, he raised his number, and he won the horse on the first bid, amid murmurs. No one else was crazy enough to bid on that animal. Amy actually squealed when they won, and she clapped her hands together and bounced in her seat. The smile she gave Levi was so glorious, so beautiful, that it made him think it was worth getting his neck broke, just to see that look on her face. She grabbed him around his waist and squeezed. "This is great, Levi! I can't believe it! I haven't had my own horse since my dad..." She stopped and faltered for a minute, then turned and smiled back at him, the moment gone. He smiled back and put a hand against her cheek, and she pushed against him and basked in the glow for a moment before they looked back at the auction, the geldings were coming out and Virgil wanted three more to take home that day. ***** They stopped at a burger joint on their way home, the only one in town. All in all it had been a great auction, they'd bought a roan, a chestnut and a gray besides the two studs, and Virgil was pretty pleased overall. The trailer he and Jill were hauling held the three geldings and the bay, and Levi and Amy's trailer held her black. That had been a royal nightmare, getting that horse loaded. They'd had to drive him in through the chute, because there was no way anyone could get close enough to him to load him. Virgil had shaken his head, Levi cursed under his breath, but Amy held steadfast to her conviction. She knew what she could do with that horse, and she was going to prove it to them all. Finally, they'd just sedated the stud and run him into the trailer, and he was standing in there quietly, for now. ***** After dinner was finished, everyone piled back into their trucks and headed on home, Levi's free hand wrapped in Amy's hair once again, both humming silently in contentment. When they pulled up, Joey, Mordecai, Hank, and Luke came meandering up to help them unload. Veronica was there too, wearing designer...everything. She sauntered up to Levi as he hopped out and walked around to get Amy's door. "Hey Levi, where have you been all day?" Levi sighed, she knew the answer to that. What she was really asking was why he hadn't invited her along. He opened Amy's door and helped her out without answering. The two women squared off and faced each other. Veronica's nose wrinkled a little. Amy stood 6 inches taller than her, and it was intimidating. Amy's smile, however, was genuine. "Hey, I'm Amy. I've heard so much about you, I followed you in all the magazines when you won Nationals last year!" Veronica flashed a smile, but it was decidedly false. "Of course you did." With that, she turned on her heel and sauntered off. Amy stood staring after her, confused. She looked at Levi, but he just shook his head and grinned at her in his easy way, and she smiled back. Just the light in his eyes melted her. "Let's go get that devil of yours." He grabbed her hand as he pulled her to the back of the trailer, and she giggled despite herself. All the cowhands noticed, including Luke, who growled under his breath, and Veronica, who turned a shade of purple. They ran the mustangs out in an arena off the side of the barn. The four went in easily, but the black was freaking out, pawing and snorting, his huge black body quivering and angry. They ran him into a separate pasture, the one reserved for visiting studs, with 7 foot tall pipe fencing and an electric wire. He ran around and around it, his speed incredible. Amy leaned against the fence, watching him. The other cowhands wondered over from the first group to look at him. "The boss was crazy to bring this devil home; he'll never amount to anything but dog food!" Luke looked over at her and gestured to the first pen where the other new horses were. "So which gelding is yours?" Amy shook her head, and the wranglers all raised their eyebrows. He was about to persist, but just then, Levi came stalking back over, and the rest of the hands moved off to get the mustangs settled, including Luke, though sullenly. "Don't listen to them, Amy. I don't know what you have up your sleeve, but I do know that you wouldn't have asked me to stick my neck out for you if you didn't have a plan. It'll be fine, you'll prove them wrong." Levi wasn't sure how much of that small speech he could rely on, but the look Amy gave him was enough to reassure him. "You'll see, Levi. They'll all see. This horse is going to go places." And with that, she turned and headed back in the direction of her cabin, Levi smiling after her. She was a hell of a woman. The black snorted loudly and bucked, and Levi stared back at him. He just hoped that that hell of a woman was a match for this hell of a horse.