Caleb mimicks her movements, also dismounting and going to sit next to her. He could feel her heat next to him. He smiled, knowing that it was just them.

Cass tucks her knees towards her chest. She takes off her fedora, letting her hair flow freely, the curls swaying gently in the breeze. She closed her eyes for a long moment, taking in the last of the warmth for the sun as it approached further to the horizon. The stars just starting to twinkle in the sky. She opened her eyes to see Caleb smiling at her. "So... tell me about you then?" Cass smiled back, pushing herself into Caleb.

"Um, well, my family is.....interesting to say the least. My parents divorced before I was born, my mother still pregnant with me, and my father was physically abusive. I started hanging out with my high school crowd so much that I merely used home to sleep and keep my things somewhere. The day I turned 18, my father kicked me out, saying I was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He threw my stuff at me along with money for a car. I was surprised he would care about how I got around, but later found it was a mere 5K. I went to the nearest used car lot and picked up my truck there for $2500. The other half of the money I used for buying a beat-up paint mare. The one I have now, Splash. We traveled, learning the ropes of rodeo and ranching before I was offered a trial spot at a local fair. I won top from watching and practicing with the older guys, easily becoming their competition rather than their student. We won again and again, but I kept having this fear something would make my father come to a rodeo, find me, and hurt Splash. It's a wierd fear, but it's the truth." He said, playing with a leaf.

Cass went quiet but listening intently, her eyes turning empathatic at his life story. "I'm sorry..." She said quietly, almost not auidble over the sound of the breeze playing with the grass on the hill side. For the first time in her life she didn't know what to say. She waited patiently for Caleb to continue and then she parted her soft lips to speak "Splash... She really is a lovely mare. You're lucky to have her in your life" Cass looked at him again, her green eyes twinkling.

(Heading off for a bit)

"Thanks." He said, hearing her apology. "She is. And now you're here too." He added, looking in her eyes. He leaned over and placed his hand on hers

(Ok I'm off to bed anyway)

Cass smiled weakly, the heat rising in her cheeks as he took her hand. "I should probably go..." Cass said, rising to meet Salem. She felt a slight panic erupt in her chest. She mounted him and turned to steer him back to the barn. "I'm sorry" She called out.

"It's fine." He said when she was gone. "Idiot. She wouldn't want you. Idiot." He muttered, mounting and loping back to the ranch

"Idiot." Caleb said to himself. He unpacked Splash and gave her a peppermint. He walked up to the house and sat away from Cass, not daring to talk to her.

Cass briefly met Caleb's eyes. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She continued to eat her food on her plate.