"We could do it."
"Do what?" his words taste like nicotine.
A lit cigarette smoldering between dry lips.
"Run away." her chin digs into his shoulder.
"Why would we do that?" more nicotine and a cloud of smoke to mix with the dust storm kicked up by the tires on his truck.
She slumps against him in a heavy sigh; "Don't you get tired of living this way?"
"What way?" he looks down at her - wondering how on earth she could think about this? "You got it good here, baby."
"But, my life has been planned for me." tears sting her big blue eyes but she blinks them away. "I'm just a brain, Jacob. I'm not a whole person while I'm here."
"You don't need me to be a whole person, Cassie." his reminder is sharp, a knife, where she'd been expecting a gentle touch. "Especially me. I'm not goin' the places you are."
"What about Texas?" Cassie's eager to change topics, eager to lead him away from being so hard on himself.
"It's dusty and hot." Jacob laughs dryly, "Lots of horses."
It's an odd sight to think about - his beautiful city girl in a world of ranches and trucks and horses and near constant sunshine. But, he can also picture it so well. All fresh-faced and disheveled red curls flying through a sticky heat on horseback. Actually, Jake rather likes that idea. He likes the idea of freedom and the perception of innocence it offers. "I like horses." Cassie smiles into the sleeve of his t-shirt, the deep blue one, she always says brings out his eyes. "They seem calm. Intelligent."
"Some of 'em." he sort of wonders where this is going, but another part of him is content to let her take it wherever she pleases, because they'll wind up there, anyway. "Some of 'em are wild. Buckin' and kickin' and gallopin' for miles. Not caring."
"Sounds like you, Cowboy." her gentle teasing coaxes a smile from him.
"Nah."
"You're wild." Cassie giggles a little. "But, I love you, that way."
"I think I'm bitter." tobacco and smoke have burned his voice to a rough rasp of a sound that contrasts with hers in a manifestation, of sorts, of their differences. Not that she would ever see that. "I've been living life, driftin' from one dream to the next, so when I finally have something good, I constantly wait to be disappointed."
"You think I can find someone better?" she understands immediately. She hates that he thinks this way, but she does get it. He's never going to get it, it seems. Never going to understand that as long as he looks at her with those blue eyes and he sees more than her brain, he sees her heart and her emotions and the never-ending stream of thoughts and wants and dreams that fill her head, then he'll always be enough.
"I think you can do whatever you set your pretty little head to, sweetheart." Jake grins indulgently. "I don't understand why you hang onto me when you could have anyone you want."
"No, Jake." she shakes her head in vehement protest. "I couldn't. I'm not much more than a brain to most people. My parents - they treat me like a science experiment. I don't have real friends because when your parents want a robot, not a child, a social life is out of the question."
"And, I'm no good for you, Cassie." Jake argues, even though he knows he's losing.
"Yes, you are." Cassie slides off of his tailgate and wedges herself between his knees, wrapping her arms around his neck. "As long as you see me - the Cassie with a heart and feelings and dreams and you see Cassie the person, not Cassandra the brain, then you are the best. You are more than I could ever hope for in this world, Jacob."
"Darlin' - "
"I know." she leans her forehead against his, framing his face with her small hands. "I know it's going to be hard but you've got a brilliant mind just like me. I think we could both use a fresh start, a place to be ourselves, not what people expect us to be."
He just sighs.
Oh, how he wants to.
Jacob Stone would love nothing more than to pack her up in his truck and leave this life in the rear-view mirror. But, what would she be giving up? Could she really just throw it all away on a guy like him? A good school, a shot in hell at having more than he's ever had in his life - for a him? Why on earth would she ever want to? She seems to have it all, the world on a string, but she doesn't want it.
"Are you sure?" he eyes her skeptically, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her close.
"Yes." Cassie nods, her eyes widening hopefully.
"Texas, huh?" it's barely a grunt, but she seems to understand it.
"I've always wanted to ride a horse." she confesses shyly.
For the record, Jacob cannot remember when he became such a pushover for this girl. But, it is with a deep breath that he says; "Go home, Cassie. Get what you need. I'll pick you up at nine."
...
The horse seems to purr, blowing eagerly, hooves thudding in anticipation of finally being free from the confines of the trailer. A black thoroughbred with three Kentucky Derby wins in his impressive biography and one previous owner with an animal cruelty charge pending in North Carolina - the stallion is in need of a fresh start and Cassie had been eager to give it just that and Jake, a start on his dream of filling their ranch with horses. It'd been a bit of a pain in the ass keeping it a surprise from her husband, but the adoption process had gone relatively smoothly and Jake never suspected a thing.
Until, today.
The minute the trailer had pulled in, she had drug him from the house, squealing with excitement. Now, though, he's not quite sure he understands fully, but if those papers in her hand are what he thinks they are - his wife just brought them one step closer to what they had been working towards for ten years, now.
"Cassie?"
She takes the lead rope from the handler, bids him goodbye, and leads the horse to her husband. "You said that you wanted to fill this ranch with horses. Wanted to give them the same fresh start that we got when we came here."
"So...?" Jacob drawls, wanting a little more clarity.
"So, this big guy has three Kentucky Derby wins under his belt, or, uh, saddle." Cassie thumbs one of the horse's ears, and the animal is all to happy to lean his head into her small frame and let her love on him as much as she will. "One of his last races was a claim's race and the man who claimed him wasn't very nice. He seemed like the perfect start for your dream."
"You're absolutely right." he brushes his thumb along her jawline. "He is perfect. Just like you."
"You gave me my dream, Jacob." Cassie smiles shyly. "It's time you have your dream."
She is his dream.
The ranch is great. He loves the simple lifestyle and God knows they'd worked everyday since they'd settled in Texas ten years ago, to get where they are. But, none of it would have ever meant a thing without her there. It hadn't been easy. Hell, sometimes, it had only seemed to get harder but they had eventually made it. Along the way, she'd asked for his last name, and he'd given it to her with a ring and a promise of a lifetime together.
"Thank you, Mrs. Stone." Jake breathes, leaning down to kiss his wife.
"You're welcome, Mr. Stone." Cassie giggles against his mouth. "Hey Cowboy?"
"Yeah, darlin'?"
"We made it."