Craving Country Read online

  CRAVING

  Country

  An Anthology

  Craving Country: An Anthology

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: January 2018

  Crave Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  http://www.cravepublishing.net/

  Formatting: Crave Publishing, LLC

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-299-6

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-299-0

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  8 Second Ride

  By Shannon Nemechek

  A Second Chance

  By A. Gorman

  All Along

  By Camille Taylor

  Blue Jeans and Gemstones

  By A.L. Vincent

  Country Road

  By Genevieve Lynne

  Crazy Woman Creek

  By Ryan Jo Summers

  Devil in Dixie

  By Cristina Slough

  Everything Bitterweed

  By Amelia James

  Fallen Star

  By Carolyn LaRoche

  Hog-Tied

  By J.D. Wright

  Must Love Grapes

  By Sara Dobie Bauer

  Tomorrow Always Comes

  By Elsa Kurt

  8 Second Ride

  By Shannon Nemechek

  Chapter One

  As the sun peeked up over the glass mountains and through the curtain of Dakota “Tuck” McGraw’s bedroom window, piercing into his eyes and stirring him awake, it was a clear sign to him that he was late for work.

  “Fuck!” he yelled as he sprang from his bed, grabbing his jeans from the back of the chair and almost jumping into his boots, then grabbing his t-shirt and slipping it on over his head. Running out the door to his truck, he revved the engine and sped away. He couldn’t afford to be late again—he was already on the Flanagan shit list—and if he didn’t get to the Four Leaf Ranch before Liam Flanagan came out of the main house to give out the work details, his ass would be proverbial grass, and right now he needed the job. His veterans’ pay was not cutting it, and the extra money he was earning doing work for the Flanagans would help to get him to Las Vegas if he qualified for the National Finals. So what if he did have to deal with the rancher’s daughter, who he thought was a beyond spoiled little girl who always got want she wanted, even if it meant stepping on everyone to get it? Tuck had already had a few run-ins with daddy’s little girl, and if he didn’t get to the ranch quickly, he would be the one stuck being her bitch the entire day.

  It only took one day with her for Tuck to come to the realization that Jessie Flanagan was in all senses of the word spoiled and a complete bitch. He could not—no, he refused to spend another day with her again. The first time was plenty, and if he had to run and fetch another rum and Coke for her while she laid by the pool half naked, he would quit. Nothing was worth being her bitch even if she was beautiful and built in all the right places. Nothing would get him stuck with her an entire day again. As he turned down the long dirt drive passing under the entrance sign of the ranch, he could see some of the other ranch hands all gathered near the wood fence by the corral.

  “Fuck, not a good sign. Damn it to hell,” he yelled, slamming his fist into the steering wheel. As he pulled up, he could clearly see Liam Flanagan in the middle of the men handing out envelopes and what he guessed were the jobs of the day. Tuck sat in the cab of the truck for a moment debating on if he should just turn tail and quit or just bite the bullet and suck it up and deal with little Miss Spoiled Bitch another day. It wouldn’t be long before the newest rankings would post, and he would know if he made the Nationals, and then he could leave the Four Leaf for greener pastures. It had been his dream since he was a little boy to follow in his daddy’s footsteps…not just as an Army Ranger, but as a buckle-wearing National Finals Rodeo Champion.

  Taking hold of the door handle, Tuck decided he might as well bite the bullet and go on over with the other men and take his proverbial beating and babysit little Miss Spoiled Bitch. As he approached them, they all turned to look at him, then started to clap and hoot and holler. Tuck was a little more than a bit confused when Liam Flanagan walked up to him and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him in for a hug and patting him on the back.

  “Congratulations, Tuck, you made it.”

  Now even more confused, Tuck asked, “Made what, sir?”

  “Why, Tuck, you didn’t hear you made the Finals, son? You’re going to Las Vegas!” Liam Flanagan wrapped his arm around Tuck’s neck with pride, like that of a father. “Boy, you going to the National Finals Rodeo. I hope you’re ready because we’re all gonna be watching on television as you win that coveted buckle.”

  Tuck stood back for a moment and took it all in; it felt good to be admired, hell even envied, but this felt more like what he had imagined his father would’ve been like in this same situation. Tuck’s dad had died when he was younger. His father, Dallas, was killed in Somalia when their chopper crashed soon after takeoff. He was on his way home to Fort Bragg. Tuck was seven months old. His mom made sure that he knew his father even though Dallas was no longer with them. His mom often said that Tuck was his father in every way, which for him was a huge compliment. He admired his father and wanted more than anything to be just like him, so he did the only thing he could—he followed in his dad’s footsteps and did everything he had done and more. He wanted not only to make his mom proud, but he wanted more than anything to make his grandfather proud. He learned all he could from his grandfather, and with the knowledge his mom and grandfather gave him, he went out to make his family proud and make a name for himself.

  Tuck already had a great career in the Army and had earned many awards and decorations for outstanding service to his country. When it came time to re-enlist, he chose to instead go back home to help out his mom and continue his plan to earn what his daddy did, and that was to win that gold buckle. Now was his chance. He made it, and he felt like he was going to vomit; the hardcore former Army Ranger wanted to puke. He now had to prove to himself and the world that he had what it took to be a champion. As he felt it move up his throat, he pulled away from Liam Flanagan’s grip and ran into the bunkhouse to puke.

  Standing over the wastebasket inside the bunkhouse, he did his business, and as he reached for a paper towel that sat on the windowsill next to him, a loud laugh resonated from a corner of the room. When he turned to look, he saw Jessie Flanagan, dressed in Daisy Duke shorts, cowboy boots, and a white tank top, laughing at him.

  “What’s wrong with you, GI Joe? You afraid you can’t cut it at the Finals? Why they let your ass compete is beyond me. I guess they’ll let anyone in nowadays,” Jessie said sarcastically as she grabbed her bag from the table and sashayed out the door, tossing her purse behind her shoulder and swaying her hips back and forth. As she walked past him, he threw the nearest thing he could reach, and the roll of paper towels slammed against the wall next to
her as she opened the door.

  “No need to get violent, Tuck. You’re gonna need this job when you get back as a failure, so be nice,” she said as the door slammed behind her.

  “Oh that God damned woman! Who the fuck does she think she is? She doesn’t know me or know what I am capable of. I swear to the Almighty, if I have to be her bitch today or any other day, they might not find her body.” Tuck grabbed the paper towels off the floor and walked back outside, where the entire crew still waited. His face red with embarrassment, he stood toward the back and waited for Liam to continue his speech.

  “In honor of Tuck making it to the Finals, we’ll only be taking care of the animals, then the wife will be getting a party together for the entire town tonight, so short day men, with a full day pay. Everyone good with that?” Liam waited for a moment, then the men celebrated. “Y’all know what you need to do! Double up and get it done quick and meet back here at eight p.m. We’ll have a live band, an open bar, and the pool is open, so bring your trunks.”

  Then men all scattered in different directions. As Tuck started off toward them, Liam Flanagan stopped him.

  “Tuck, can you come here for a minute? I wanna run something past ya.”

  “Sure, Mr. Flanagan. What’s up?”

  “Son, I need you to do me a favor. That damn daughter of mine is about to drive me stir crazy. Can you do this ol’ man a favor and drive her into town? She wants to go to that new shop on Main Street. I would do it, but I gotta help her momma with preparations for the party tonight. Don’t worry, you’ll get paid a full day’s wages—this is your day. I can’t very well not pay the man of the hour now, can I?”

  What Tuck had feared had come true. Now he was going to have to be Jessie Flanagan’s bitch for the day, then it occurred to him: not much longer. He wouldn’t. He would be a champion, and then he wouldn’t be anyone’s bitch ever again. “Sure, Mr. Flanagan. It’s the least I could do for the fine gesture you’re giving my momma and me. It’s okay that I bring my momma, right?”

  “Well, of course it is, Tuck. Can’t have a celebration for you without your momma now, can we?”

  “No sir, we sure can’t. She would have my ass and probably drive out here, and her and your Mrs. would have yours—then we would both be in a bind.”

  “Tuck, I think, son, you’re right about that. Those two women get together and then we’re all in trouble. Do you think your momma would want to come out and help?”

  Tuck paused for a moment and then said, “Yeah, I suppose she would. She would have us both by the short hairs if she wasn’t included. Oh crap, I still gotta call her and tell her the news.”

  “Oh, she already knows. She’s the one who called me,” Liam Flanagan said with a grin. “She’s damned proud of you, Tuck, as we all are. You’re just like your daddy. He was a great man and one hell of a rider. He would be damned proud of you too.”

  As Tuck listened, he felt a knot in his stomach, and he choked back a tear as Liam told him about his father. Tuck had no idea that Mr. Flanagan and his daddy were so close. It then made him wonder if his momma didn’t have something to do with him getting the job here, but as he listened to Liam’s stories, it all faded. Really didn’t matter how he got the job, he was just glad he had it and was able to hear about his dad from someone other than his grandpa and momma.

  “Oh shoot, I should probably have my mom get Pops. He’s gonna want to come too.”

  Liam Flanagan laughed and said, “Come in the house. I got a surprise for you.”

  Tuck walked up the stairs of the main house and then stood for a moment, deciding if he should just pop his head in or knock.

  Liam yelled to him before he made his decision. “Just open the door and look to your right.”

  Tuck pushed open the door and popped his head inside. When he did, he heard a familiar voice. “Boy, get your ass in this house…You letting the flies in.” Tuck’s heart raced. It was his pops, and he turned to look back at Liam.

  “Well, you best go in before the old man gets up and swats ya.” Liam laughed. Tuck smiled and headed toward the old man.

  Tuck opened the door and met his grandpa before he could get up out of the recliner. “Stay there, Pops—I’ll come to you,” Tuck said. He wrapped his arms around his grandfather and smiled. “How are you, Pops? How is the new place treatin’ ya?”

  “Oh, I tell ya what, boy, I have never seen so much pussy in my life, all beggin’ for me to give it to ’em,” the old man explained.

  “Oh, Pops, I don’t need all that information,” Tuck said, his face grimacing at the thought of old people having sex. “Yuck, Granddad. Please don’t put that picture in my head—that’s just something you can’t unsee.” His grandfather grinned, laughing.

  “Ah boy, it’s all part of life. Get used to it. You’re gonna be as old as me one of these days, and your cock is still gonna work, so work it till it breaks, I say.”

  “Well, it’s definitely something I don’t mind waiting a very long time to see, so I guess I have time on my side.” Tuck laughed as he sat down next to his grandfather.

  “Yes, you do, my boy,” he said, patting Tuck on the leg. “Now tell me all about this Finals business.”

  “Well, Pops, ya know I’ve been riding for a while now, and I guess they saw fit to include me this time around.”

  The elder McGraw looked at his grandson and then rubbed his head like he was still eleven and said, “I couldn’t be more prouder of you than I was of your daddy. You, my boy, have made this old man completely delighted to be able to see my grandson on the television. Well, I could die afterward and die a happy man.”

  “Pops, don’t go checkin’ out on me yet. We still got a little while before the big show.”

  “Oh okay, well, I guess I best stick round a bit longer then before I join your maw and daddy up in heaven then, I suppose.”

  “Yes sir. But I would say you’re probably a bit too ornery to die.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, son,” he said, shifting his hat on his head. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Well, Pops, I have to run Miss Flanagan to town, but I’ll be back soon, I promise. Mrs. Flanagan will take great care of you till I’m back.” Tuck stood up and bent down to give his grandfather a hug before he left. As he approached the door, his living nightmare be-bopped down the stairs toward him.

  “I’m ready, Tack.” She grinned.

  “That’s Tuck.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I prefer Tack. It fits you, Tacky. Tacky and Tidy.”

  Chapter Two

  “Just get in the truck and let’s get this over with. I don’t wanna be here any more than you wanna be here, so let’s get you to town. Don’t expect me to be carrying bags and your damned purse. I ain’t your bitch, and I ain’t your servant, got it?”

  Jessie pressed her lips thin with a grin. “You have to do whatever I say, or I’ll tell Daddy on you.”

  “I think not. Your daddy said drive you into town, not be your servant. I’ll drive you, and if you’re not careful, I’ll toss you out of the truck going fifty-five. Got it?”

  Jessie seemed to huff and puff as she crawled into the cab of Tuck’s truck, crossing her arms in front of her as if she was pouting. She seemed to pout a lot around Tuck. Maybe it was because Tuck wouldn’t put up with her antics, he would just tell her straight, and Daddy’s little girl hated being told what to do and when to do it.

  Tuck started the engine and headed into town. The entire trip he could hear his passenger huff and continue to cross her arms, almost pounding them into her chest. He grinned as he watched her from the corner of his eye as she turned to face the side-window of the truck, trying every means possible to ignore him. It was funny to him that he got under her skin. Today really is going to be a great day. Too bad I can’t put this day on repeat my own Groundhog’s Day. He laughed.

  “What’s so funny, Tack?” She turned to look at him, her blonde hair sweeping over her face as the wind whipped through the
window.

  “Oh, nothin’, just thinking,” Tuck replied, knowing full well she was going to continue to press him. He decided he would just let her stew a bit longer.

  “Fine,” she said with another huff.

  “Ya know, if you keep huffin’ and puffin’ over there, I’m gonna start to wonder what you’re hiding in those panties of yours,” Tuck teased.

  “And what do you mean by that?” she questioned.

  “I’m just sayin’ the way you’re huffin’ over there, I’m beginning to think you’re hidin’ one of those small vibrators in your panties. If ya are, and it’s the remote kind, hand over the remote and I’ll give ya somethin’ to call home about.” He smiled at her, but she wasn’t having it.

  “I am not, and you’re a pig. I’m gonna tell Daddy what you said.”

  “Go ahead, tell him. He probably thinks you need a good fuck too,” Tuck yelled. “If you weren’t such a frigid bitch, then you mighta got fucked a few times. Instead, you wanna go and complain to Daddy every chance you get. You ever think that maybe he gets tired of your bitchin’ just like the rest of us do? You, you are a spoiled little rich girl, and the only ones that would wanna fuck you are the ones that think they can get somethin’ from you. You ever think of that? When’s the last time someone just fucked the shit outta you? Ever? No, I didn’t think so. That’s what you need, Jessie Flanagan, is a good fuckin’. One that will leave you beggin’ for more,” he screamed back at her.

  “Oh, and I suppose you can give that to me, Tuck?” she replied, her eyes looked almost glassy.

  Tuck looked over at her again and caught a glimpse of a tear as it flowed down her cheek.

  “Yeah, I suppose I can. But I won’t,” he replied.

  “And why is that?” she asked.

  “Well, because till you get the ugly outta your heart, no one will be able to touch it. And you, Jessie, have an ugly heart. I hate to say it, but you do. I don’t know who hurt you or why you’re the way you are, but you are, and it’s sad, cuz you are one hell of a beautiful woman, and if your heart weren’t so ugly, I think I probably would try to get with you.”