27 "rubber gloves"

"My my my! Ain't it William Dutton!" Travis, the horse trader hollered. I rolled my eyes as my arms laid flat on the wood of the fence posts. Travis sat on his horse next to his friends. The bunkhouse sat a little farther down the fence away from me. "Daddy finally let you out of the cage huh?" Travis has made fun of me ever since I was 10. He was also mean when he teased me. Usually a tease is out of fun, but this was out of the amusement of torture. I didn't reply to Travis, I never did. I was much too scared of retaliation. "Ah. But he's still got your tongue locked up huh? Did he throw away the key? Didn't your mama ever teach you manners? No help. Hey how are you to your guests" He rode his horse closer to me. I kept my eyes down. "Hey. Scar face. I'm talking to you. What's wrong with you huh?" He snapped his fingers at me.. "Tony Montana!? Hellllooo scar face!" He snapped some more. I glanced up at him to just have him leave me alone "I was just looking at what was going on... I'm sorry..." I peeled myself from the wooden fence post to leave but I was quickly called out. "Willie Willie willlie! Baby! C'mere! You're of age right? How old are you baby hm?" He cocked his finger for me to come closer. I don't know why I did. He rubbed his rough fingers along my cheek, sweet and gentle... "..twenty three" I whispered. "Huh?what?" He moved my chin up to look him in the eyes. "Twenty three" I said a bit louder. "Woooowe! Have I told you how beautiful you look latley!? We got fresh meat over here boys!!" He looked me up and down like a peice of meat waving in a tree infornt of some bears. "Tell me Hank Williams. Are you a virgin? Saying you never leaves this damn ranch you must be. Right?" He was really interested Almost in a desirable way. I was embarrassed. I looked over as rip as he trotted up with a smile not hearing a word of what Travis said. "The he'll you doin here trav!" He held out his hand as he shook it. "You haven't been here in awhile huh" "Dutton called. Wanted to try out a few horses" Travis answered. "Sounds good to me. Show me what you got" him and Travis trotted to the side lines. Near the bunkhouse. "Will! C'mere" rip called to me before I followed his voice quietly. "Duttons horse isStill limping" he pointed to the hirse across the arena as he slipped a tooth pick out of his mouth. "Thought you said you fixed that shit!?" He yelled. I frowned quickly hearing his loud voice. He never yells at me. Ever "uh.. uh yeah. I wa sweating on X-rays..he.. he shouldn't be out of his stall" I watched the horse then glanced up at rip on his own horse. "Then why the FUCK! is he out here huh!?" He was screaming at this point. I was taken aback. "I don't.. I don't know" I watched him a bit clueless. I was more confused than anything. "You just gonna Stand there or are you gonna bring the fuckin horse up!? Jesus Christ!"  I was quick on my feet. I went to the horse to gently walk him back while looking at rip for a quick moment. I held my head down when walking past. I wasn't sure what I had done to make him angry. I was worried. But I wasn't going to even try to ask him now. My face was red hot. I was so unbelievably embarrassed I wanted to cry. The entire bunkhouse was laughing. I did something wrong again I just didn't know what.  I was quick to walk away though. The last thing I wasn't we to do was drive anyone else mad. I had other buisness to tend to in the barn.m anyways. For the past two weeks my father's horse had been limping so bad he had became unridable. The men keep discussing putting him down, but I know it's fixable. I just couldn't figure out why yet. The vet tech in my town had dropped off X-rays that I had requested. I found the envelope of said strays where she said she left them. Gently I shimmied the pages out of the envelope. I gently held the X-ray up to the light coming from the barn doors. Ah Ha! A long foreign object lodged deeply in the horses hoof. I was on a mission now. Patiently the horse stood as I yanked the nails out of his horses shoe one by one to eventually pry the steel shoe off. The horse was a prize possession of my fathers. The horse was just about as old as I was. I think two years younger. He was used to me clinging to him and harassing him as I normally did so as a child. So as you can imagine he allowed me to chip away at his feet until I could a see a large flat head screw, lodged deep into the horses hoof. "Easy boy" I whispered as the horse attempted to kick its foot away from my teeny body. It was very painful for him. I suddenly hear a slam come from behind me. I set his leg down as I glanced at jimmy whom was kicking buckets and punching stall doors. He was madder than I've ever seen. I shook my head as I began to glove my hands "that's why I don't ever go near that guy" I say. "What?!" He panted with frustration. "That guy. Travis... I never go near him. He does nothing but run over anyone he can. He has a lot of money and he's good at his job.. makes him think he's a big shot" Neatly I peeled open every medical tool I needed from their sanitary covers. I placed each tool on a steel tray that was also sanitary. "I'm desperate for the money!" Jimmy complained. "Money? Money for what?" I looked up at him while held my hands out in an untouchable way. "Some guys in the past. I owe them a lot of money. I need to get them the money by the end of the week" jimmy sat on the bucket he kicked. I furrowed my brows. "Jimmy if you need some money just ask. I'll lend you some money" I say. "I'm not taking your dad's money" he scoffed in an almost offended manner. I sneered "It's cute that you think I have any access to my old man's momey" I stepped infornt of him with my hands still out. "You don't?" Jimmy looked confused. I laughed slightly a bit astonished that he would think so"my father would rather jab his own eyes out than to give me a damn hand out" "But he's your dad" jimmy was shocked a bit that I wasn't just a spoild rich brat like my sister. "He hates me. Why do you think Travis and the rest of the bunkhouse get away with doing the things they do... it's because they know my father wouldn't give a damn And my siblings always encouraged it" I shrugged my shoulders "I have some money put aside. I'm willing to help you". I smiled sweetly at him. My smile eased jimmy's posture it seemed. "Ten thousand?" Jimmy stated. My jaw dropped "TEN THOUSAND!? I gasped. Jimmy scurried close to me with his hand along my lips "shhhh. No one needs to know"

"I'll help you. I'll just need a day or so to get it. Okay?" I whispered to him. He was close against me when he lifted his hands from my speaking lips. "You'd do that for me?" Jimmy questioned. "Of course I would.. I like you Jim" with my hands still staying sanitary by staring at my sides, I watched him closely without touching him. His hand held my cheek as the other loved my hip. "I'll pay you back every penny. Every paycheck will go to you. I promise" he was speaking sweet to me, so gentle and kind. It made me gleeful. "I trust you with all my heart jimmy" I whispered into his chin. "That means a lot.." he said   "I'd hope you could trust me too" I I said quietly before he deeply kissed my lips, so devoted and harsh while being so kind. Those gloves meant nothing to me anymore. I held my hands along his jaw to just hold his kiss for just a moment longer. Jimmy pulled away with hot cheeks. He was flustered. I was even more hot. "I'll get it to you by tomorrow night. Okay?.. just give me a little time"

.....

"How much are we taking" my father held his glasses at the Ridge of his nose as he sat at his large royal desk. "How much? What for?" My father asked again as he leaned forward on his desk  he was no longer interested in his papers. His job could wait. "Ten thousand.. for.. for a reason I can't explain but it's really important" i was sweating bullets. I hated asking my father for things. It was almost like a dreaded feeling. Almost like I was so scared he would yell. I hated when his voice rose.  My father looked sickly.. but more angry. "The hell do you need that much for!?" His voice was trembling my legs and lubricating my palms. "..it's personal" I spoke very quietly. I tried to stay calm, to keep the eggshells alway from my steps. "If I give you that money I am not paying for your collage" he was serious. He was stern. He stood up to lean his hips on the front of his desk. I looked down at my feet to avoid the tension "...that's fine.. I will find another way to pay for it.." I liked jimmy that much. I wanted to see him smile again.. I truly really wanted a relationship for once With somebody other than a damn animal. "I'll give you 8. I'm not paying for your collage. I don't have that kind of money right now" John said as he stepped closer to me.  I bowed my head some more "yes daddy..I understand. Thank you.." my father placed a check in my hands that I would later take out in cash to give to jimmy to help him. I would also go onto working myself nearly to death to pay my dues. "This better be worth it" my father said... it better be worth it.