Harley sat on the back porch moodily plucking random tunes on her guitar, softly humming while she watched the sun slowly sink in the sky. The days were getting longer, but the cool bite of spring still lingered and she welcomed the crisp breeze that floated up occasionally to teasingly play with her long, loose locks.

Although the sight before her was gloriously peaceful and serene over-looking the back meadows, Harley couldn't help feeling melancholy. As the evening tried to melanize the day, so did the sad thoughts in her head. She missed her family and had been suffering pangs of homesickness ever since hearing their voices this afternoon.

Not to mention she had been rehashing the ghastly events of the feed store fiasco. She sighed miserably. What would Travis think of her now? On the bright side, he did come out to the truck to check on her wellbeing. That was a good sign right? Or maybe he felt sorry for her and was only being kind considering she had just been thoroughly painted as the town harlot by Rafferty.

Harley's heart plummeted. It was probably misguided pity that had him offering her a spot on his team, like the gawky kid picked last for dodgeball. She shook her head as humiliation seeped all the way into her bones. She probably misunderstood his look of relief as disappointment when she refused his offer.

Hanging her head, she squeezed her eyes closed against the tears threatening to fall. All her bravado of earlier, disappearing into the dusk. She didn't stand a chance to win the heart of a man like him. Who was she after all? She was a big nobody. A washed up rodeo has been, with nothing but a wall of awards to keep her warm at night.

Even if she could worm her way into his affections, Rafferty had proven he was going to be relentless in his desire to be rid of her. It would be stupid for a man with the kind of respect Travis had in this town to open himself up to ridicule just to be with her. And, to be honest, she couldn't blame him for it.

She lifted her eyes, searching the horizon for answers. Her dad's voice cajoled her in the back of her mind. She could almost hear him whispering in her ear. "Play for me, darling," and she smiled as her heart ached for him.

Her father had always loved to hear her play and sing. Together they had spent endless hours just like this night, sitting out on the porch picking songs and filling the night with their voices raised in harmony. On several occasions, he had tried to encourage her to do something with her music talents, but Harley had stubbornly refused.

Her heart lay with him and the Gypsy Rose and always would. She had no desire for fame or fortune and the only stage she wanted to stand on was the one attached to their back porch. The wind swept around her, lifting her hair, making the silky threads dance in the breeze. "Sing for me." Hearing the faint request, she bent her head and began playing a sweet melody by Dolly Parton called Eagle When She Flies.

Travis stood in the shadows of the porch, not wanting to disturb the lovely picture sitting before him. When he had pulled into the driveway, he had a moment of panic from the stillness which had greeted him. He assumed he would be run up on the hood of his truck by the storming death troop, but as he exited, not a peep could be heard.

He looked around and saw her truck parked along-side the corrals, so he knew she was home. The eeriness of it all sent his heart to pounding and he strained his ears for any sound that would give him a clue as to what he was facing as tingles of unease worked their way up and down his spine.

Suddenly, the soft strains of a guitar reached his ears and he curiously followed the sound. He found himself at the back of the house, freezing in his tracks when he came upon the beautiful vision sitting in front of him.

Harley was perched on the edge of the top stair leading down to the backyard bathed in the translucent evening glow from the last fingers of sunshine before they disappeared over the horizon. Her hair was a silken curtain falling around her shoulders and down her back to her waist, giving her a look of untamable beauty.

She had changed from her jeans of earlier to a multi-tiered turquoise broom skirt, splashed with big embroidered blooms in bright, vibrant colors and a red long sleeved knit top which she wore off her shoulders, showing red beaded straps glittering in the fading sun.

Adorning her waist was a leathered cowhide Concho belt with nickel Conchos and inset with turquoise stones. The turquoise theme continued on with a huge cluster bracelet boldly encasing her left wrist and stamped silver cuff on her right. When she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he could make out large silver hooped earrings glinting in the waning light. She was a sight to behold in her bright outfit, literally making him have to remember to draw air into his lungs.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, she never heard his footfalls as he walked closer. Travis stuck to the shadows and leaned up against the wall, just absorbing her exquisiteness. He watched her raise her face up and stare out towards the meadows. The receding light captured the longing look in her magnificent eyes, framing her face and revealing her resplendent features to his greedy gaze.

"Sing for me," Travis softly whispered. Not knowing why exactly, but needing to hear from her lips what had caused the look upon her sweet face.

He held his breath thinking he had just given himself away, when she began to strum the guitar in her lap. She closed her eyes and then the most dulcet sound he ever heard reached his ears. The melody wrapping him in warmth while the power behind the lyrics touched his heart.

She's been there, God knows, she's been there

She has seen and done it all

She's a woman, she knows how to

Dish it out or take it all

Her heart's as soft as feathers

Still she weathers stormy skies

And she's a sparrow when she's broken

But she's an eagle when she flies

Overwhelmed by the intensity he felt, Travis closed his eyes. Her hypnotic voice caressed his soul and she pulled him deep under her spell as the words of the song gently floated around him. Opening his eyes, he marveled at her talent. She was lost in her song, gently swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Her eyes closed and the sedate look upon her face as she sang made him long to reach down and take her in his arms.

Gentle as the sweet magnolia

Strong as steel, her faith and pride

She's an everlasting shoulder

She's the leaning post of life

She hurts deep and when she weeps

She's just as fragile as a child

And she's a sparrow when she's broken

But she's an eagle when she flies

Part of him felt like a voyeur intruding on a very private and personal moment and he knew he should probably leave, but his traitorous body wouldn't budge an inch. Her voice held him in place as if she had bound him.

She's a sparrow when she's broken

But she's an eagle when she flies

Oh, bless her, Lord

She's an eagle when she flies

The last notes of the dynamic song echoed off into the distance as he watched a tear escape from under her lashes and slid down her rosy cheek.

I miss you daddy, Harley thought to herself. The sound of soft clapping broke through her retrospection, startling her. Gasping, she whipped around only to find Adonis standing in the shadows, watching her.

Woo-boy...he looked HAWT. Thudding in her chest from her scare, her heart thundered loudly in her ears at the sight of him. Feeling her mouth fall open, she made a conscience effort to close it as her eyes drank him in.

He was leaning up against the side of the farm house wearing a white, long sleeved shirt that stretched across his wide expanse of chest. The first three buttons were undone, allowing a tantalizing peek of his smooth sun kissed skin underneath. His crisp linen shirt was tucked into a pair of jeans which hugged his lean hips and a black belt threaded through the loops with that now so familiar silver belt buckle adorning the front.

It wasn't one of those obnoxious type belt buckles like some cowboys choose to wear. Harley could never understand the need to wear such ostentatious hardware on the front of your pants. What? Did they think they were walking talking billboards or something? The only thing they advertised to her was tombstones. Tombstones for dead dicks.

Right now Adonis was advertising nothing but pure male sexuality, making Harley's mouth water and giving her a strong desire to participate in a long drawn out consumerism session. She blinked her eye's several times to make sure he wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

Nope...he actually stood there looking good enough to nibble on from the tip of his black hat to the points of his polished boots. She couldn't see his face due to the shadow of the fading daylight and cowboy hat he always wore pulled down low giving credence to his bad boy ambiance.

He took a couple steps away from the wall and the delicious smell of him assaulted her senses. He smelled of soap, cologne and that scent which could only belong to Travis. It was a delightful mixture of the great outdoors, leather and brawn. Intoxicated by the smell, which was wholly him, Harley inhaled deeply until she saw little spots of light dancing in front of her eyes.

"Umm...what are you doing here?" She managed to mumble out as a heated flush rose over her face from his close proximity. What was it about this man that always short circuited her brain waves?

"I came to see you, sunshine."

His deep voice resonated in her ears, causing a divine shiver to ease down her spine. Embarrassed by the fact her breathing had to be audible, she tried to control the wild percolation of her heart.

"May I sit down?" he gestured to the step next to her.

Harley was at a loss for words, so she just bounced her head up and down and nodded. Biting down hard on her bottom lip to stop the moan from escaping, she watched him fold his glorious body down onto the step next to her. The feel of his thigh brushing hers, sent a sensational sizzle throughout her body. The air between them fairly crackled and Harley's mouth went dry.

He nodded at her guitar she had grasped tightly in her lap like a drowning person would latch onto a life-preserver. "That was beautiful. You have a lovely voice."

"Ah...thank you."

"It touched me," he whispered, leveling her with those dreamy blue eyes sending a molten rush of heat down to her belly and lower.

Harley gulped. She would like to touch him, alright. "You know what they say about music," she stuttered as her face burned from his balmy gaze.

He raised an eyebrow. "No. What do they say about it?"

"Music calms the savage beast," Harley whispered.

Suddenly, she realized what she just said and implied. Groaning under her breath, she blushed scarlet and focused on the guitar in her lap, wondering if maybe she should beat herself over the head with it a few times.

His deep chuckle reached her ears. "Really? Am I that much of a beast?" he teased.

"I didn't mean that," she amended quickly, glancing up at him taking in his amused smile. "You're not a beast." Harley started to nervously chew on her bottom lip and turned her gaze back to her hands. Nothing like insulting the man you wanted a relationship with. Good going moron!

"Oh, but I can be, sunshine."

She could hear his deep throaty chuckle, but she didn't dare look at him. Not trusting herself, she studiously concentrated on her lap.

"They don't call me Mr. Asshole for nothing, darling."

Was that humor in his voice?

"Harley, look at me." His voice was soft and commanding as she felt his fingers gently lift up her chin until her eyes met his smoky gaze. "I don't want you to hide from me. I like looking at you."

He softly ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek and cupped her chin. The tender look in his warm gaze spiked up her heartbeat and she held her breath to keep from panting. Was he for real...or did she fall asleep on the porch and dream him, Harley thought dizzily.

"Why are you here?" she whispered more to herself than to him.

"Because you have bewitched me, all I can think about is you."

I wanted to take this time to thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this installment of When Roses Collide, and that you'll consider giving it a vote. I can't tell you how much your support means to me and how much it motivates me to keep going.

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If you find any errors along the way, don't be afraid to point them out and I enjoy any recommendations or critiques you may have. As always, I will try and update once a week, but if you don't see an update here, check out my other story Bending Steele and FANGED. Thanks again!