by Becky McGraw
The truck swerved to the left, and he yelled, "Shit, Cassie! Stop!" then flung her hand off of him. "You trying to make me wreck the truck?"
"Nah, I'm trying to get you to tell me where we're going."
"Stop messing around. We'll be there in a minute," he told her and grabbed her hand with his to keep it from wandering again. "There, now be good."
She laughed and told him playfully, "Honey, I'm always good. If you'd have let me finish, you'd know that."
"Oh, I'll let you finish..." he shot her a heated glance, his topaz eyes filled with desire. "Right after I show you my surprise."
"I really wanna see your surprise," she purred sexily then leaned up to lick his earlobe.
He growled, "Stop it!"
She laughed and leaned back on the seat and pouted. "Okay, I'll be good."
"Not likely," he glanced over at her and chuckled.
A few minutes later he turned off the gravel road onto a smooth paved driveway lined on both sides by black board horse fencing. She saw beautiful muscular quarter horses of every color happily grazing on either side, their tails swishing to swat pesky flies.
Cassie sucked in a breath and excitement filled her. "Oh, Luke," she said breathlessly and leaned closer to the windshield to get a better look. This place looked pretty close to what she imagined heaven would look like. She smiled over at him. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time, sugar."
He smiled back, happiness shining in his eyes. "You ain't seen nothing yet, darlin'."
"Be still my heart. I swear those are the most beautiful horses I've ever seen."
"They're not as beautiful as the ones you're gonna raise."
Cassie swallowed hard. Her dreams were not nearly on this scale, she'd be happy with three or four mares and a good stallion. But she sure loved seeing her dream multiplied by a hundred spread out before her. It gave her hope that maybe she was going to be able to pull this off after all.
"You know these people?" There hadn't been ranch markings at the entrance, so she had no idea who they were.
"I've been talking to the owner for a couple of weeks," he admitted then she realized he wasn't going to tell her anything more, when he took his hand off of hers and put it on the steering wheel.
They pulled up in front of the huge Southfork-type house and he turned off the engine. The front door immediately opened and a long-legged cowboy with a white straw hat stepped out onto the porch waved at them then hitched his thumbs in his belt loops and waited for them to get out and walk up to the porch. Luke didn't let her walk, he flew around the truck before she could get out and eased her to the ground then put his arm around her waist and half-carried her up to the porch, going really slow to make sure she didn't stumble.
"Luke?" the man asked and stepped down two steps to stand in front of them. He shoved his hand out to Luke after smiling at Cassie.
"Yep. You must be Tommy...thanks for inviting us out," he said and grasped the man's hand in a firm shake.
The tall, leanly muscled cowboy with the kind face glanced down at her, "And you must be Cassie. Nice to meet a fellow horse nut, ma'am," he said with a wink. "Don't look like you're gonna be riding today though," he chuckled his eyes traveling down her legs to her bright green cast.
She gritted her teeth against the disappointment. "Damned ankle," she grumbled.
Luke chuckled and squeezed her side. "You'll get to do plenty of ridin' real soon, darlin'," he reassured her.
She stuck her lip out and leaned against him. "I know, but there're so many beautiful babies out here, and we're not gonna be back when I get this dagblamed cast off."
Tommy piped up, "Honey, you're welcome to come back and ride any time you please," he told her, then looked at Luke, "You bring her back out here when she gets the cast off."
Luke nodded and squeezed her tighter to his side. "So, where's what we talked about on the phone?" he asked cryptically shooting the other man a meaningful look.
"In the far barn. Let me go get a golf cart, I'll be right back," he told Luke with a pat on the shoulder. A few minutes later he drove around the end of the house in a bedazzled golf cart with big knobby tires and a fringed hot pink canopy.
Cassie giggled seeing the good looking, very masculine cowboy driving what looked like a Barbie Buggy. She heard Luke chuckle beside her too. When Tommy pulled up closer, Cassie saw the tortured look on his face accompanied by a wry grin, which kicked up the corner of his mouth. "My baby girl's golf cart was the only one parked behind the house. She loves this thing...rides all over the ranch with it."
Cassie's heart clenched picturing Luke instead of Tommy in the feminine transportation, saying the same words about his 'baby girl'. One she imagined would have her daddy's dark hair and her blue eyes. The little girl would be the apple of his eye and have him wrapped around her little finger. She shook her head to clear away those very appealing, but probably farfetched thoughts. She and Luke were still renewing their old feelings for each other, getting to know each other again. It would be a long time before they were in at that place, if they ever were.
"Climb in if you're brave enough, man," Tommy offered in challenge to Luke and chuckled.
Luke grinned from ear to ear and helped her into the seat beside Tommy, then sat on the backseat. "Have to be pretty secure in your manhood to ride in this for sure," he laughed.
Cassie grabbed the pink-ribbon wound bar beside her when the cart lurched into motion and smiled. This was going to be great, she thought. She looked over at Tommy and said smugly, "I'd ride in it. Your daughter has excellent taste."
Luke chimed in from the back seat, "You would think that. I remember that time you streaked your first pony's mane and tail with pink hair paint saying you were making him a 'My Little Pony'. Cole and I bout died laughing, and felt damned sorry for that gelding."
She shot Luke a nasty look over her shoulder for making fun of her. That pony had looked spectacular when she finished.
Tommy's laughter was loud and boisterous. "You and Dixie would be two peas in a pod!" he hooted and slapped his hand on the wheel of the cart. "I'll have to introduce you before you leave."
They passed several smaller barns and a couple of sheds and he rounded a curve then she saw a huge barn that took her breath away. Off to the side was a large round pen and there was a massive outdoor arena surrounded by light poles reaching toward the sky. "Wow, this is amazing," she said breathily.
If his operation was this grand on the outside of the barn, she could only imagine how fantastic it'd be inside. She saw several other regular golf carts parked beside the far fence, and a couple of workers milling about doing odd jobs.
Tommy slid out of the cart and waited for Luke to help her out, then he waved at a couple of the men before leading them inside the brightly lit barn. When they stepped through behind him, Cassie gasped at the huge indoor arena. Her eyes traveled up to the built-in sprinkler system to wet down the dirt and keep the dust down, and the extra tubing that must be a fly control system.
There were twelve open top stalls lining every wall around the arena. Her breathing sped up and she put her hand to her chest to calm her racing heart. Tommy looked back over his shoulder and smiled at her. "You like it?"
"Like is a very weak word. I think I might be in heaven."
"Yep, you've got the fever," he chuckled then said, "Wait til you get a look at Titan. You better prepare yourself, darlin'."
"Can you saddle him up? I want to ride him for her." Luke asked him.
"Sure thing. Just a sec." He walked down the stall aisle and found a man hosing off the concrete at the end of the row of stalls. Leaning in toward him, he gave the man instructions then pointed at them. With a pat on his back, he walked back over to them.
"Jud will bring him around. Won't be long. I need to go check on a mare in the other barn, I'll be back in a few minutes. Ya'll have fun," he said with a wink at Luke then walked back out the barn.
Cassie grabbed Luke's hand and stared he
r fill at the gorgeous horses sticking their heads out of the stalls staring at them curiously. She'd love to take a trip around the whole barn and scratch their noses and give them treats, but with her leg in a cast that wouldn't be happening.
After a few minutes, she saw a dark-skinned man lead the most amazing buckskin stallion she'd ever seen into the riding arena. His color and markings were striking and his bearing regal. When her eyes met the stallion's, she fell in love. He took her breath away.
Without giving her gimpy leg consideration at all, she walked to the gate and let herself into the dirt-packed arena and walked over to the stallion like she was in a trance. When she reached him, she held his eyes and ran her hand along his jaw. "Well hello handsome, aren't you a gorgeous hunk," she said reverently, and scratched behind his ear, then ran her hand along his neck and down his back feeling his tightly bunched muscles dance under her fingertips.
Luke walked up beside her and laughed, "You're making me jealous, darlin'."
Mesmerized, she put her hand on the horse's rump to let him know where she was then walked around behind him and ran her hands over his other side back up to his head. Her eyes traveled down to his perfect legs and she bent to run her hand down his front leg, then lifted his hoof to inspect it. Gently she let it back down and patted the side of his neck.
"Wow," she said and walked back over to Luke. "This is one fine horse." Longing surged through her, "I sure wish I could ride him...I bet he moves like a dream."
"Let me show you," Luke said and led her back over to the fence where he lifted her up to sit on the top rail. He stood in front of her with his hands on her hips. "You sit right here and enjoy, darlin'."
Her position put her at the perfect height to lean over and kiss Luke's lips tenderly. "Thank you for bringing me here."
His response was a soft smile and a pat on her thigh, before he walked back over to the stallion and took the reins from the man holding them. With athletic ease, she watched him swing up on the stallion's back. Titan stood perfectly still while Luke mounted him then his ears perked and then tilted back a little so he could pay attention to Luke's commands. Exactly what he should have done. His manners were impeccable.
Luke squeezed his sides and the horse moved to the rail walking smoothly. Luke's muscular body moved with him and they looked dynamic together, perfectly in tune. After walking half the arena Luke gave him a leg and he picked up his pace transitioning seamlessly to a slow lope. They were in perfect harmony, and Luke rolled with his movements hardly bouncing in the saddle at all. Both the horse and rider looked happy and relaxed.
Luke loosened the reins and brought him back down to a walk, and Titan didn't miss a beat. The horse was focused on Luke and reacted immediately to his every command. She was just as focused on the incredible picture they made, so she didn't notice when Tommy walked back over and leaned his elbows on the rail beside her.
"What'cha think?" He asked, his voice was smug and proud.
"I think I'm in love," she said wistfully then chuckled. "He's amazing, Tommy."
He grinned like a proud papa and told her matter-of-factly, "I knew you were gonna love him."
"I'm going to start an operation at my daddy's ranch. I'll have to get with you when I get it up and running. I'd love to have him cover some of my mares," she said earnestly, looking down at him.
A strange expression came over Tommy's face and then he told her, "That might not be possible, darlin'."
Disappointment flooded her and her shoulders slumped. "He'd make some beautiful babies. He booked up?"
"Something like that," he told her vaguely then pushed off the railing and told her he had to take care of something else then walked away quickly, seeming as if his tail was on fire.
She glanced back at Luke and saw him lead Titan to the middle of the arena where he circled him four times to the left then reversed direction and circled four more. Titan didn't hesitate at all. Luke put him into a canter right out of the last circle and then performed a sliding stop. It was a beautiful thing to behold, when the horse's back legs slid under him and then he stood back up perfectly still.
She heard Luke laugh and then he patted Titan's neck. The urge to be on the stallion's back was a driving need inside of her. She would definitely make Luke bring her back out here to ride him when she got her cast off. Luke led him back over to her and stopped at the rail. She scratched Titan's nose then looked up at him. "That was so beautiful, Luke. You were amazing with him."
"He's one helluva ride, honey. I can't wait for you to be able to give him a try."
"Yeah, we'll have to come back sometime," she said kind of sadly. Luke swung his leg over the horse's back then dropped to the ground. He walked over to her and stood real close before he looked into her eyes deeply, then handed her the reins.
"Luke, I can't ride him," she told him wistfully.
"He's yours, cupcake...this is your new stud. You can ride him whenever you damned well please."
Blood rushed to her head and Cassie wobbled on the fence, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Luke grabbed her legs to steady her then lifted her down to her feet.
"He's your wedding present," Luke fished around in his pocket then dropped to one knee in front of her. "If you'll do me the honor of marrying me, darlin'. We're a package deal," he said then flipped open a small blue box to show her a small square cut diamond, surrounded by sapphires. His eyes held hope and all the love she'd ever hoped for.
A hollow ringing started in her ears and she grabbed for the fence. "Luke, I think I'm gonna pass out, sugar," she said weakly right before her knees gave out and she felt herself falling.
Passing out was the last reaction Luke hoped to get from Cassie when he acted out the on again, off again plans he'd been making with Tommy for weeks. He'd been talking to him since Bud had first told him what Cassie wanted to do. Well, the proposal had been a recent decision, but he had been planning to buy Titan for her to make sure she stayed in Bowie.
Luke grabbed her up in his arms and sat down on the hard-packed arena floor, holding her close. He gently patted her pale cheeks, and said, "Wake up, baby. Talk to me." His fingers went to her throat where he felt her pulse beating much too quickly. Her skin was hot and clammy, and he got a little concerned her faint wasn't just from over-excitement. He fanned her face, and then patted her cheeks a little harder, before he shook her gently. "Wake up, Cassie Bee."
Tommy walked into the barn right then and then ran over to them. "Oh my god, what happened?" He slid to his knees beside them and felt her face.
"Too much excitement, I think...she's just getting over a concussion," Luke told him and asked him to get a cold rag.
When Tommy stood up to go get it, her eyelids fluttered and then opened. She lifted her eyes to Luke's and put her hand on his cheek. "Yes," she whispered.
Luke whooped then pulled her into his chest for a tight hug. Supreme satisfaction and then love tangled up inside of him making him feel like it was his turn to pass out. He took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"I miss something?" Tommy asked grinning.
"She said yes," Luke said with a relieved sigh.
"How could she turn down Titan?" Tommy told him and they all laughed.
Once Cassie cooled off and got her wits about her, they took the golf cart around while Tommy proudly told them about his operation. She saw some beautiful mares she planned on talking to him about buying, once everything was settled. Everything at the Rocking D was top notch, and she got some great ideas for her own farm.
By the time they left the Rocking D, her head was spinning and she was hot and thirsty, but so damned excited she could barely contain it. She scooted over by Luke on the truck seat and squeezed his arm, putting another kiss on his cheek, probably number fifty since he'd given her Titan and proposed.
