Keeping Secrets

...AUSTIN POV...

Now I really did put my foot into that one. I am known for my boyish charm and being fairly friendly around the ladies, but that, well I could barely keep two words together. A woman does not have an effect like that on me, but this girl had my knees weak and had me totally breathless. But let us not forget who she really is and that is a Knightley. They are one of the affluent families in this town that looks down onto men like me.

But I cannot get her face out of my head, she is flawless and holds a beauty beyond compare. I can still smell the lily and just a hint of vanilla that is lingering on my clothes from when I was standing only inches away from her. She is like a breath of fresh air in a field of white flowers on a hot summer's day.

It is women like Summer Knightley that shall be my undoing. I shall not even entertain the thought any further, a love with a woman like that will surely be forbidden. There is no way that Mr Knightley will let such a low class cowboy near his little princess. But...

Well it still does not stop me from playing around. She is only here for a few days and the next time she will come around, she would have certainly forgotten about me. It is the season of being with your friends and your loved ones, a cowboy like me also gets lonely.

And this brings me back here, I cannot believe that I am even doing this. Guess I will just have my second cup for today.

"Hey Mr Sinclair."

"Back already Austin?"

"Yes quite embarrassingly if I might say."

"What has got you troubled son?"

Now I must choose my words wisely for it seems like he and Summer have quite a close bond. The last thing I want to do is step on the toes of the man that makes the best hot cocoa in town.

"Well I kind of want to know about Summer."

"Mmm I see her beauty captivated you."

"It is not just her beauty, there is something else about her."

"She has a good heart Austin, I don't want you to go and break it."

"Mr Sinclair I think there is a bigger chance of mine being broken instead."

"She will here tomorrow morning again."

With that I am quite satisfied that I have achieved what I have set out to do. It would be far better if I asked to see her myself, I might be a bad boy, but it does not mean that I cannot be shy.

But now to get back to reality, the ranch does not run itself. First I need to run a few errands in town and how much joy it brings me to mingle with all these common people around. In saying common people, I refer to all these town folk that look down onto a stranger like me that just seems out of place.

Taking a stroll into town, I can see the eyes of early morning shoppers judge me with every step that I make. One thing I have come to learn, by the time I set my foot onto this road, by the time I get to the other end, there will be a string of them ready to take their best shot at me.

So it is with great effort that I normally try to get these little things out of the way. But what is not a little thing is the very first thing on my list. So I find myself walking into Diana's flower shop just as she is about to open for the day.

"Good morning Diana."

"Ah Austin it is so good to see you again. How is things at the ranch?"

"As good as ever, you know I have old Billy keeping a close eye on everything for me. Some days I wonder what would happen without him."

"Never tempt fate, sometimes you might get what you want, but more often not."

"Between you and Mr Sinclair, you are probably the only two people that actually understands me in this town."

I watch as Diana goes to scribble in her order book for today. She is one of the very few people in this town that knows more about me than the average person does. There is certain people that you can trust your secrets with and she is one of them.

"Are we doing the normal bouquet this time?"

"No can we do something a bit more intimate for this one, it is kind of an anniversary of sorts."

"Same address?"

"Yes same address, but preferably before Christmas day."

"Of course Austin, I will make sure it gets there on time."

"Well take care, until next week."

With that I exit the flower shop and start making my way up further the street. The wind is a bit icy this morning, there is not many people hanging outside their shops as they normally do. But wait it does not stop her to make her appearance. I am pretty sure that Joanne from the post office has told her that I am on my way.

And not a minute too soon I find myself on a collision course with her. Now I am not a man that is rude towards woman, but sometimes they just don't seem to understand what no means. And as she opens her mouth I wish that she never did.

"Morning Austin."

"Yeah morning Lucy."

"I heard that you are in town."

"I am sure you did."

"Where are you off to this morning?"

"Anywhere that you are not."

"Sorry, what did you say?"

It does not matter where I tell her I am going, she is still going to invite herself with.

"I have to go to the barber, you know do that nose trim thing."

"Oh I was hoping that you would be going to the coffee shop."

"And why is that?"

"I just thought that you would have a coffee with me."

"I would rather chew my arm off."

"What did you say?"

"I said I might even trim my beard."

"And if I thought that she might get the message, then I am fairly mistaken. She only just pushes it one bit further."

If you can't do coffee, then maybe dinner?"

"Yeah, I am sure that you will eat me up alive."

"I really did not hear what you said?"

"I said maybe another time. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to the ranch."

Much to my delight, Miss Barbie doll turns around and leaves to go crawl back into the salon she escaped from.

With that, I make my way back to the truck, as I am safely back inside, I sigh in relief, today I missed the prying eyes of people like the Knightley's. And for the first time since this morning, her beautiful face dances around in my memories and I cannot help but smile. The warm fuzziness that I feel creeping up inside of me catches me completely off-guard. The last time I felt like this...I shake my head and shake the thought from my mind.

But even though those memories threaten to surface, I keep the smile that I hold for Summer on my face. I need to stop and check myself for a minute, this girl is going to bring this cowboy to his knees.

As I pull up into the ranch, I see that Billy is waiting on the porch for me. By the look on his face, it does look like something is terribly wrong. The truck does not even come to a stop and I am running in leaps up to him.

"What is wrong Billy?"