Another Cold State Line

The sun beat down on my face, burning it more than the Montana sun had. I forgot that California was sunnier than the northern states. As much as I enjoyed the perpetual sunshine, I did need to remember to put sunblock on. I was going to wind up with some form of skin cancer because of this.

Taking stock of what I had done, I decided it was time for a break. The AC in my house felt amazing as I walked back in. It was like all the relief that I needed. I took a huge glass and filled it with water, immediately chugging it. I forgot how hard doing all the work on my own was, especially with some of my injuries.

A knock on the door pulled me away from my thoughts. I had no idea who would be visiting. Tina wasn't supposed to come down with the last of my things until the end of the month. I still had some setting up to do before she could bring what I needed.

"Matt?" I asked when I saw those hazel eyes in front of me. "I thought you left for Huntington Beach already?"

Matt smiled at me. "I didn't mean to just drop in, Hayley. I was about to head back to Huntington Beach so we could start tour. But I was hoping we could exchange all of our contact info so we could talk while I'm away."

I smiled. "Yes, that sounds great!"

He handed me his phone, a gentle smile on his face the entire time. I carefully entered my number, email, and some various social media he could follow me on. I knew Matt though, and if his band had taken off, I doubted the man had any kinds of social media. He would rather play his video games.

"Let me know if any of your tour dates are close to here," I said after handing him back his phone. "I would love to see you guys perform in person. I never did get that chance."

Matt rubbed the back of his neck, a small sigh leaving his mouth. "Yeah, that's one thing I do regret. There were so many things that we could have done... but I understand why you needed to leave. After Jimmy died, all I wanted was to disappear."

"If you ever want to talk about him, Matt, just reach out and call." I picked up my hat and grabbed some sunscreen. "Now, I've got to finish mucking out my stalls. I have a couple new horses coming in tomorrow, and I know you need to get back on the road."

Those dimples flashed and he nodded. We walked together to his car. My eyes widened at the fact that the man actually owned a truck. When I thought of Matt, it was muscle cars that came to mind, not a truck. I drove trucks. I was the one from Texas.

"It was good seeing you, Hayley." Matt pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. "I mean that." He hopped into his truck, and I watched as he drove off.

Once his truck had disappeared, I went back to my barn. My ranch manager, Alexander, was waiting. A toothpick sat in his mouth, his hat resting low on his face. I knew before I even entered the barn that I was about to get a bit of a lecture.

"So, was that the infamous Matt?"

"Yes, that would be him." Picking up a rake, I started to get the stalls cleaned. I really did have a few more horses coming in tomorrow. There was so much I still had to do, not to mention the rest of my cattle was coming in as well.

Alexander threw his pick on the ground. "Right. Well, just be careful, Hayley. Look, we all know how many strides you've made in the last five years. We also know how men can affect your life in good and bad ways." He picked up his own rake. "And you need to tell him about a very important thing."

I sighed. "Alex, I'll get to it. That's a face-to-face conversation."

"So why didn't you tell it to him in person?" He looked at me as he walked out of the barn.

"Because I'm a fucking coward," I said quietly.

Notes

I know another short update, but I HAVE PLANS!