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Disclaimer: I own nothing except Victoria and her dad and her horses.
Shepards and a Movie Star
"Do you want me to take that to Buck's?" I asked my dad.
"Sure just be home before midnight. Keys are by the door." Dad answered. "And keep the speeding to a minimum. I don't want to have to pay off another ticket for an unlicensed driver."
"I got it." I answered.
"Toria!" Dad snapped. "I'm serious."
"I got it, Daddy."
I grabbed the keys and headed out. It was only a ten minute drive to Buck's but Dad did say I didn't have to be back until midnight. Once I got to Buck's I shut off my car but could hear the same country song blaring from the house. I grinned and walked up to the house finding the back door open. I went inside and came across a dark-haired cowboy I didn't know. Not that I knew that many dark haired cowboys or cowboys around this place but I did know a few of the guys that hung out at Buck's. They usually introduced themselves before they lost to me in a game of pool.
"Well hello there." The cowboy grinned.
"Back off, bud. I'm here for Buck." I answered.
"Come on, babe—" he started.
"I said no," I answered and squeezed past him. He grabbed my arm and I turned to punch him but Buck stopped me.
"Hands off," Buck snapped touching my shoulder.
"Whatever." The guy let me go and Buck dragged me over to the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" Buck asked.
"Paperwork," I said waving it around as I glanced over my shoulder trying to see the party.
Buck grabbed my shoulder and pulled it back towards him. "Your dad knew I was coming over on Monday to deal with that. Spill it, Toria."
"Fine, I want to party and everyone knows your place is the best." I answered.
"You do know I don't like it when you're here. Your father will kill me if he knows."
"He's not my father; he's my step-daddy. There is a difference. Who was that guy?"
"A jockey for the Slash J. They raise bulls and saddle broncs."
"Don't they also race?" Slash J was a racing company that dabbled a bit Quarter Horse racing, we always saw them at the beginning of the racing season at the smaller races, but they never had fast enough horses for the big races. They always had better bulls though.
"Officially yeah."
"So I can stay?"
"20 minutes. Any longer than that and I'll make sure you leave."
"Buck." I whined.
"20 minutes." Buck answered, sternly.
"Fine," I sighed then painted on a happy face and went to dance. I was watching the dance floor when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and tried not to flinch. Then I turned around to face the guy. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before. I shook off my confusion and smiled at him.
"What brings a girl like you to a party like this?" He asked.
"Oh, I don't know, the music? Wanna dance?" I asked.
"How about after that I show you what a real man can do?" He smiled. I sized him up taking in his dark, curly hair and dark eyes. He had a cat-like smile. One that made me think I really had seen him somewhere before.
"Let's start with dancing but I'll let you know right now I ain't going up those stairs." I answered. The only thing that happened upstairs at Buck's wasn't something I did.
"Well what do we have here? Shepard, are you getting shot down?" Another guy asked. This one had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was taller than Shepard and though he still looked the part of a hood he didn't look quite as dangerous.
"I didn't ask for your help, Hopper. I'm as capable at scoring broads as my brother is." Shepard answered.
"Shepard? As in Curly Shepard?" I asked.
"Yeah. My reputation precedes me."
"More like your baby sister. I've been her playmate since I was four. I guess being hit on by you isn't that bad. I am only seven months older than you." I shrugged.
"You know Angel?" Curly asked.
"I gave her the nickname Angel. I was seven and she was five I think. She batted her pretty, big brown eyes and my momma believed she was a little angel and I was the trouble maker. I had to move away though, when I was nine."
"No, you can't be." Curly said.
"Oh, but I am." I smirked.
"She is what?" Hopper asked still standing next to Curly.
"Are you going to dance with me hood?" I asked feeling more comfortable than I had when I walked in. Though I knew I wasn't really in any danger here I also knew there were hoods here and they could get rough.
Curly looked from me to the other boy then a hand landed on my shoulder but it wasn't Curly's. "If he won't, I will." I turned to look at him and it was almost like seeing double.
The differences were like someone had tried to make a copycat but couldn't quite remember what the first looked like. The boy now standing in front of me was at least four inches taller, had a darker look in the same brown eyes, had a scar from temple to cheek, and didn't look like he was trying to be tough. It was almost like he just simply was tough. Almost as if he had been born tough. Somehow deep down I knew this was Curly's older brother Tim. What really had me wandering though was the scar. Part of me wanted to know how he got it. Then I realized I was staring so I looked over my shoulder at Curly.
"You took too long." I said taking Tim's hand and pulled him out on the floor. A while later I looked at him and ran my hand down his face over the scar. "What happened?"
"Doesn't matter," Tim answered then added as though sympathetic, "got busted in the face with a broken bottle." We danced to a couple more songs before a hand gripped my arm and pulled me away.
"I told you twenty minutes it's been nearly forty." Buck said. I looked up at him and grinned.
"Yes, you told me twenty minutes. I said that was fine but I never agreed to leave. Besides what's he going to do to me? I did not put on these two inch heels and short shorts so you could cut off my fun."
"Take advantage of you for starters." Buck said.
"Not the Tim Shepard I know." I answered. "Besides you taught me to handle myself like a knee to a crotch."
"You're leaving." Buck said.
"Fine," I growled. For a guy who didn't do emotion and was better with horses than people, Buck was really looking after me. I shook off Buck's hand and stepped back up to Tim who was sizing me up a bit. "Before I leave though," I said smirking. "Next time you see Dallas Winston tell him his sister says hello." Tim looked at me almost in disbelief but I just turned and walked out.
I got home and walked in the back door to creep up to my room but unfortunately our back door lead right into the kitchen. "Hey Honey." Dad said from the kitchen table. He had looked up from a mug the minute I walked through the door.
"Hi Dad, night." I said. I smiled softly heading for the stairs on the other side of the kitchen and living room.
"Honey, sit." He said, motioning to the chair opposite him. I sighed and sat down. "You know I don't like when you go to Buck's parties."
"I told you I was going, you said ok." I answered simply.
"I never said that. I said it was ok if you took the truck I never said you could go to Buck's."
"Sure you did. I asked if I could go take that stuff to Buck's and you said sure as long as I was home before midnight and kept the speeding to a minimum."
"Does her death hurt you that much?" Dad asked.
"Whose death?" I asked.
"Your mother's. Does it hurt you that much that you have to disobey me?"
"Dad, it's not that."
"Then what is it? My rules? Tell me what it is so I'll know if I have to send you to your uncle's place in Arkansas or what I can do to fix it because going to Buck's is no longer an option."
"I just wanted to dance to something other than line dance music. He plays good country music and Buck taught me to fight. I can handle myself."
"I've seen you handle a 1200 pound horse but handling the kind of guys he has around his parties, I don't want you mixed up in that."
"Don't do this."
"Tore, honey, please." Dad begged. "What if the cops raid that place?"
"I'll bat my pretty blues eyes and Jeff Riker will get me off. You two have been friends for longer than he's been on the police force." I blew some hair out of my face. "You know what? Why don't you just go back to drinkin' and stay out of my life? God knows that's the only thing you've been good at since my mother died. You have four horses that depend on you as their only source of food. You have to move on and take care of them. Mom would be disappointed to see you like this." I shook my head and went up to my room then went to bed. I really wished he would just make up his mind on how he was going to treat me; either treat me like he really cared or just stay out of my life.
"Where we going Ash?" I asked as she headed for the city a few days later.
"The feed store," Ashley answered.
"Why are we going this way then? Last time I checked it was closer to go to the one on Fairway. And we usually take your pop's truck."
"Ok, I need gas and I know there are like two stations between here and there but there's this DX station and it has the cutest guy working at it. I just kinda want to flirt with him."
"If you're dragging me all the way out here then you can at least take me to the Tastee Freeze."
"He's got a buddy. Granted the guy ain't quite as cute but he's still up there. He's got green eyes."
"Just because a lot of the guys I date have green eyes doesn't mean I'm a sucker for them or anything."
"Your last three boyfriends had green eyes."
"Whatever." When we pulled up I saw the guy she liked instantly. I swallowed and looked at her. "All you had to say was that he's a Greek god in human form and I would have backed off."
"He's not that great looking."
"Ash, he could be a movie star."
"Whatever, Tore. Don't you know there's a difference between Greek God and Movie star?"
The guy walked over to Ashley's door and smiled, stopping me from commenting. "What can I do for you girls?" He asked.
"Just fill her up." Ash said.
"You're not from around here are you?"
"Why would you ask?" I asked.
"I've never seen you around and I'm certain I would have remembered two very pretty girls." The boy answered.
"You're sweet." I said.
"Maybe that's why my parents named me Sodapop." He said.
"You're kidding right?" I asked in disbelief.
"Not a bit. Even says so on ... that thing they give you when you're born?" Sodapop asked.
"Birth certificate?" I asked laughing.
"Yeah, that thing." He grinned.
"Tore." Ash snapped.
"Right. Sodapop, have you met my friend Ashley?" I asked.
"Pleasure." Sodapop said shaking her hand. "And you are?" He asked looking at me.
"Toria, but you can call me Tore." I said.
"Tore? Like tore the page?"
"Yep, my full name is Victoria but I prefer Toria or Tore. People who call me Vicky get their nose broken."
"How many noses have you broken?" Ash asked.
"Three. Only one of them was for calling me Vicky though." I answered. Sodapop checked the tank and then hung up the nozzle after shutting it off. Ashley paid for the gas then we said goodbye to Sodapop and went downtown.
After lunch we returned to the DX and I got out of Ash's jeep and walked over to Sodapop. "What brings you back here? I don't need to refill your tank do I?" Sodapop asked.
"No, I wanted to apologize." I said.
"For what?" He asked flabbergasted.
"For keeping your attention from Ash. She's been coming by here out of her way to see you and I come along today and completely ruin her chance to flirt with you. I can't help how easily I get along with guys."
"You weren't ... flirting with me?" Sodapop asked. The boy sounded so confused.
"No, I mean you're really cute, one of the cutest I've seen but well I don't do blonds." I said.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. I don't date blonds. I've never had a relationship with a guy who has been blond that's lasted more than a couple weeks. Not that I find them stupid or anything 'cause I don't I just find myself not lasting that long with guys who are blond."
"Do you have a preference?"
"Not really. The ones that last the longest though are the ones that have green eyes. I don't know why they just do. Look I should be going before I dig myself into a deeper hole but she's interested in you not me."
"Why are you so much better at talking to guys? Is it just a gift?"
"Actually, after my momma died it was me, my dad, our horse trainer, and our jockey. I just understand them better. Besides that I didn't really hang around my mom that much either so I grew up more of a tomboy. Besides it's hard to ride horses in skirts and be girly about it."
"You ride?" Sodapop asked.
"Where I come from, nearly everybody does." I smiled then heard Ashley's horn. "I guess I'll have to tell you about them if I see you again." I shrugged and walked away back to the jeep. Ashley didn't speak to me as she took me home or when she dropped me off but I knew she wasn't all that angry at me.
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