Cassie

Rating: PG.

Disclaimer: no one besides Cassie and her family belong to me, no infringement intended.

AN: My apologies for any grammatical mistakes and colourful spelling errors. Oh, and I really don't know much about horses so thanks to Sah for the help on that, and sorry if anything is incorrect. Thanks also to Cougar. She got me writing this story again and also helped with this chapter!

Cassie was up at five, had a quick breakfast and made her way to do chores. She'd milked the cows and carried the fresh milk into her mother, who was mending and watching over Natalie, Cassie's three year old sister.

Then Cassie and Becca mucked out the stalls. They filled the stalls with fresh hay and when they were finally finished they collapsed into the clean hay to catch their breath. Becca went to stand; Bullet, Jack and Bonnet were tied to the fence outside and Cassie heard them nicker.

"I'll do it," she pushed herself to her feet.

"But your wrist," Becca said sitting up.

Cassie shrugged, "it's feeling better."

Becca looked relieved.

Cassie strode out of the barn into the hot sun, and fanned her sweltering face with her hand. The family's three horses were tied to the hitching post and grazing on the tall grass that grew against the barn. Cassie ran her hand up along Bonnet's back, and unhitched her from the rail.

Bonnet nuzzled Cassie's hand, looking for carrots. She stroked Bonnet's muzzle. She was the Weston's oldest horse and her mother's favourite. She untied Jack next, her fathers Clydesdale.

"Come," she said and led both the horses away from the barn to the pasture. Bullet nickered indignantly at being left behind. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Cassie muttered. She unclipped Jack and Bonnet's leads and they were content with grazing on the sweet grass.

Cassie untied Bullet and led him to the pasture. She slipped in the gate and unclipped Bullet's lead. He broke into a canter, relishing his freedom. Cassie latched the gate closed and pulled the ribbon from her hair.

She tied it back at the nape of her neck and tried to decide if she should stray inside for a cool drink to put off cleaning tack. She saw Becca making her way to the house to help her mother with the wash.

'Might as well get it over with'. Cassie sighed and made her way to the barn. Cleaning tack wasn't her favourite job but it sure was better than mucking out stalls.

Cassie felt sticky and dirty; she just wanted to finish her chores so she could wash up and get dressed properly.

She rotated her left wrist. Over the past two weeks it had been healing nicely, Cassie's father told her she should wear the bandage for another week just to be sure.

She went to retrieve the bucket of soapy water that waited to be put to use on the saddle that lay on the saw horse. She slumped onto the stool and dipped her rag into the water and began to scrub at the crud that had built up with constant use.

She scrubbed at the pommel and then dipped her rag back into the water, as she went to put it to work again it slipped out of her fingers and landed on the dirt floor.

Cassie bent over to retrieve the rag, then stood up. She bit her lip and was just about to grab another bit when a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. Cassie looked down--warm, male hands.

Cassie screamed and turned sharply, wrenching herself out of the strangers embrace. She cried out as she stumbled over an upturned milk pale and landed on her backside.

She heard a laugh, a very familiar laugh.

Cassie's face turned three shades of red and she couldn't decide to be embarrassed or furious. She got to her feet and smacked Cole's arm--hard.

"Ow," Cole rubbed his arm.

Cassie smacked him again. "Don't do that," she turned her flaming face back to the tack and shook her head.

"That the only welcome I get?" Cole teased peering over her shoulder.

Cassie shot a scathing glare over her shoulder, right into Cole's grinning face. Cassie rolled her eyes and was about to retort when Cole cut her off. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a tight hug, lifting her off the ground.

"Cole Younger!" Cassie shrieked, "Put me down!" Cole chuckled and spun her a fast circle, Cassie struggled against him, "put me down!" He rested her on her feet. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair had come loose from the ribbon. "Let me go," Cassie said.

"Why?"

"Because," Cassie's voice caught in her throat, she looked up into his eyes. "Because," she repeated, Cole rose his eyebrows; waiting. Cassie narrowed her eyes, he was enjoying this too much. "Because I'm hot and I'm dirty," she finally managed to reply.

"And you smell," Cole said matter-of-factly.

Cassie gritted her teeth, "you..." she growled, "you..." She saw the mirth in his eyes and muttered a very unlady like word. He finally let her go laughing. "You haven't changed at all," she muttered. Well yes, in fact he had but she wasn't going to admit it.

"You have," Cole replied, "I didn't think there'd be a time I'd ever see Cassandra Weston in a dress."

Was that all he noticed? It had been four years.

Over the years Cassie had blossomed from an awkward sixteen year old, into a 'beautiful woman'. Cassie always blushed when her father teased her about it. She'd also let her hair grow out, and it fell past her shoulders.

'Why should he notice. Stupid thick-headed...' Cassie fumed. Cole was leaning against the door frame, with that insufferable smirk on his face.

She gathered the clean tack into her hands and hung them on their hooks.

Cole watched the line of her back and the way her neck curved when she worked, she had grown up while he was away.

She knew he was still watching her. Cassie picked up the pale she'd tripped over and set it right side up. She braided her hair before she finally caved and looked at him.

"What!?" Cassie demanded.

"You know you really have grown up since i last saw you." His eyes flicked down to her muck boots and made their way slowly back up to her face.

Cassie swallowed, no one had ever looked at her like that before. She folded her arms, "very good Cole you've finally grasped the concept of time....people do grow over four years." Cassie retorted, trying not to blush.

Cole didn't even blink, over the years he had perfected way's of saying exactly the right thing to set Cassie off. He'd made quite a sport of it when they were fifteen. But he also knew Cassie was a big girl, and that she could dish it just as well as she could take it. Cole grinned and stepped away from the door, he walked over to her.

"Let's just say that those four years have done some mighty fine work on you. Well, considering what they had to work with."

"I can see," Cassie's voice wavered slightly, "that you're just as intelligent as ever." She snapped. 'Why do you always do this?' She wondered. Cassie snorted, and shook her head. 'Better to just walk away, before you hurt him'.

"Hey," Cole called out just as she reached the barn door, "you comin' by tonight?"

"What for?"

"For the privilege of dancing with me of course."

"Somehow, I think that's a privilege I can live without." Cassie flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"You'll come."

Cassie turned and met his eyes, "what makes you so sure?"

Cole held up his hands as if it was the simplest answer in the world. "Because I'm irresistible."

Cassie closed her eyes, just when you thought someone couldn't get more full of themselves, Cole Younger came along.

"I got to get back," he said nonchalantly. He walked past and winked at Cassie, "see you tonight." She felt his hand on the small of her back and he slipped it down.

Cassie's eye's widened in shock, she opened her mouth to say something, but found for the first time in her life she was speechless. She watched as Cole mounted his horse and rode down towards the main road.

Finally she found her voice.

"Damn him."



All righty! Let me know what you think but no flames please!