“To us,” he said.
“To us,” I said and took a sip. “Oh, that’s good. I don’t know why champagne is generally only drunk on special occasions. I think I’m going to change that. I’m going to start having champagne more regularly. Steak dinner? Champagne with it. Sushi? Champagne with it. Chocolate cake? Champagne with it.”
“You’re crazy in all the right ways. I love you, Blaire.”
Ryan was being very serious tonight. “I love you too, Ryan. You’re in an incredibly romantic mood,” I said. “It must be the effects of Hawaii. It tends to do that to people. Either that or you’ve had too much sun today.”
“Nah, I don’t need Hawaii to be romantic. I just need to be around you. You make me so happy, Blaire. You’ve changed my life completely. Now, even when it’s night, I still have sunshine in my life. I love you, Sunny, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I don’t care where we are, be it in the middle of a farm in Wyoming or on a beach in Hawaii; as long as I’m with you I’m happy. Blaire Sunny Kaplan, will you marry me?”
I hadn’t been expecting that. No wonder Ryan had been acting so strangely these past few days. I kept wondering what was going on but figured he was just settling into island living. It all made sense now. And everything about this proposal made me happy.
“Yes!” I said. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I would love to marry you.”
“You’re the only person in the whole world that could make me forget about fighting. Only you.”
I smiled. Tears were streaming down my face. “My father would’ve loved you, Ryan. He would be so happy to know that I married a fighter.”
“Even though I’m not a fighter anymore?”
“You’ll always be a fighter. You fight for what you want in life, and you get it. That’s a fighter in my eyes.”
“There’s something else I want. Something that you probably want too.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I asked.
“Dinner.”
I chuckled. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Is it a liquid dinner tonight?” I said and held up my glass. I didn’t actually care whether we ate or not. Right then, the only thing that I could think about was that Ryan had asked me to marry him.
“Not exactly,” he said. He got out his phone and quickly made a call. “We’re ready,” he said into the receiver.
“Ready for what? Who was that?”
“You’ll see.”
Five minutes later a man was walking up to us carrying a tray with a silver cover over it. Ryan took the tray from him and placed it down on the blanket in front of us.
“Ooh, this looks fancy,” I said.
“Lift it up.”
I lifted up the lid and burst out laughing. “Hot dogs! This is amazing.”
“Not just any hot dogs, by the way.”
I gasped. “No way. Are you serious? Are these really the same hot dogs from Seattle? But—how?”
He laughed. “I called them and told them about my plan. I flew them here.”
“You flew the chef here to make these?”
“I sure did. Which means, not only are you getting hot dogs for dinner, but you’re getting them for breakfast and lunch tomorrow too.”
I giggled. “I’m so excited,” I said as I reached over for one.
“Wait, are you more excited about the hot dog or about the fact that you’re going to marry me?” Ryan asked.
I looked at the hot dog and then looked at Ryan. Then I looked at the hot dog again. I laughed. “It’s a close one. But you win!”
“Most people would see that as an insult, but I know how much you love those hot dogs,” Ryan said.
I grinned at him. “Hot dogs and a marriage proposal all in one evening. I’d like to officially declare this the best night of my life.”
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DIRTY COWBOY
By Alycia Taylor
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Alycia Taylor
Chapter One
Brady
It was Monday. So, as usual, I was up before five. Not that it being Monday really made much of a difference—I was up that early even on my days off. Even when I promised myself I would sleep in. I couldn’t help myself. My body had just grown accustomed to waking up early. People who thought that ranch life was easy had it all wrong. It was busy work, and I went to bed exhausted every night. Thankfully, I loved it. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else. Especially now that I’d gotten involved in rodeo, something I never would’ve considered doing a few years ago. It was Harold, the owner of the ranch, who had introduced me to it. He often held contests at his farm and made some extra money from it. Not that Harold needed money. He claimed the rodeo was good business for him, but I was sure it was mostly just a matter of him wanting a hobby.
I was sitting in the kitchen enjoying my coffee when there was a knock at my door. It was still relatively dark outside, and I jumped in fright. I grabbed my shotgun, opened the door and immediately pointed the barrel of the gun out. I put it down when I saw my brother, Grant, standing in front of me.
“Whoa! Are you crazy? You’re really taking your name a bit too literally these days,” Grant said.
Shotgun. The nickname had been given to me by the motorcycle club my father ran. He and my other brother, Ian, were big into the motorcycle business. At one time in my life, I’d been part of the club, too. Even though I now wanted nothing to do with the club or the bike shop my father and brother ran, the nickname had stuck. Although, being out at the ranch, Grant was the only one around who called me that. Thankfully, the longer Grant stayed out this way, the more the nickname was being dropped. I’d noticed him calling me Brady more and more often these days.
I chuckled. “Sorry about that, but what the hell are you doing here at this time of the morning, anyway?”
“I’ve run out of milk, and I didn’t want to wake Emily.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes, but inwardly I was smiling. Grant had lived with me when he’d first moved to Wyoming, and after years of living by myself, it had been nice to have some company. Although he lived right next door, it sometimes felt like we barely saw each other at all. He used to help on the ranch often, but he worked full time with the fire department these days.
“Come on in. Why don’t you just have some coffee here? I doubt Emily will wake up anytime soon. I’m about to have some myself, anyway.”
“That sounds great. Thanks, man. Yeah, she’s fast asleep. She starts work at eight thirty, so she doesn’t even get up until about seven thirty. Can you imagine ever sleeping in until that time? It seems crazy to me. Although, she seems to think that waking up at this time is crazy. In her opinion, we are the nutty ones, not her.”
“I guess we are. It’s just so normal for us. Hey, why are you up this early? You’re not on the ranch anymore. Do you have to go in so early?” I asked as I poured him some coffee.
He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t. And even though I don’t work at the ranch anymore, I just naturally wake up at that time. It’s like ingrained in me or something. I don’t mind, though. It’s still my favorite time of the morning. And I’ve taken up jogging lately, which is perfect to do at this time of day. I’ll go jog, shower, and make food and Emily’s only just waking up at breakfast time. She’s always amazed that I’ve done so much already.”
I laughed. “So, you don’t m
iss the gym?” I asked. Grant had been a huge gym rat when he’d lived in Arizona. At one time in his life, it was the only thing he could talk about. I remember how he used to laugh at me when I told him how ranch work was the equivalent of three gym workouts a day.
“Oh hell, I don’t miss it at all,” he said and laughed. “Man, I was obsessed at one point. Remember? I thought about joining one here. Some of the other guys at work go, but I just don’t want to anymore. I get enough of a workout on the job, and I love my morning and evening jogs now. Don’t have to pay any membership fees for that.”
“You’re an outdoor guy now. I think you always were. So, how’s the wedding planning going?”
“It’s going well. I think we’re going to do something very low key. We both don’t want anything too extravagant. I’ll be honest, right now we haven’t done much planning, but we’re both not worrying about it too much.”
“That’s good. I hate those big fancy weddings. I mean, it’s just one day out of your whole life.”
“That’s exactly what we said. We’ll still do something. But right now we’re thinking more along the lines of a small party, maybe at the ranch or something. I mean, that’s where I proposed.”
“Oh yeah? That’s cool. So, you won’t go back to Arizona for it?”
“Nah. Our life is here. This place means a lot to Emily, and it means a lot to me too. I feel more at home here than I ever did in Arizona.”
“I’m glad. It’s good to have you here, Patriot,” I said, using his old motorcycle nickname.
He grinned at me. “I can’t thank you enough for everything that you did for me when I moved here. Although, I’m sure you’re glad to have your space back again.”
“Oh yeah. I did a little dance of joy when you left. I threw a party for one,” I said sarcastically. Then I smiled. “It was nice having you here. But yeah, I’m fine by myself too. You know what I’m like.”
“So, no girlfriend?” he asked.
I groaned. “We’re not going to have this conversation again, are we? You do realize that’s one of my worst conversations to have.”
“I saw Terra the other day,” Grant said, completely ignoring my protests. “She met some other guy, and he seems to really like her.”
“Oh yeah?” I shrugged. “Good for her.”
“Really? So, you don’t mind?”
“Mind? Why would I mind?” I asked. Terra was Emily’s best friend. Grant and Emily had obviously hoped I’d fall in love with Terra, but it hadn’t happened. I’d slept with her once, and while it had been amazing, I knew she wasn’t the one for me. Not that I truly believed someone out there was waiting for me, but if I did, I knew it wouldn’t be her. And I had no ambitions to make something work just for the sake of it.
“I don’t know. I thought you had a good time with her.”
“Trust me; I did have a good time. But it was just sex. Nothing else. You know, some people are okay with being on their own. I think I’m just one of those people.” I’d said it so many times that I was finally starting to believe it myself. I really was happy being by myself.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Better to be by yourself if you can’t be with the right person,” he said. “Anyway, enough of this. Since when did we both get so contemplative? Must be all this outdoor life. Gets my mind working all the time.”
“Yeah, that and you’re living with a woman now,” I said, and he laughed.
Once Grant was gone, I finished my breakfast and made my way over to the ranch. The moment I got there, I saw the owner, Harold, sitting on the porch drinking his tea. He was a big man, with a penchant for drinking too much beer, and impossible to ignore. He didn’t work on the ranch himself anymore, but I knew that he missed it. He was always just stopping by to see how things were going. I loved working hard, but sometimes I couldn’t wait for the day where I could just sit with my coffee on the porch and have a quiet morning.
“Brady!” he said when he saw me. “How’s it going? You’re nice and early.”
“Hey, Harold. I’m always here early. What are you doing here at this hour?”
“Ah, I thought I’d come have some tea, breathe in the fresh air and all that. I have a few things that need to be done, but I figured I’m come and see you in person. It’s good to get out.”
“Yeah, it’s nice out here. Well, whatever you need done, just let me know.”
I stood there for a while, leaning against the railing while Harold finished his tea and told me what I needed to do for the day. It was nothing out of the ordinary, and all things I would’ve done without him being there. I knew that Harold was just bored at home, and needed something to do. He claimed to be happier now that his wife wasn’t around anymore – a nagging old hag, he called her – but Grant had told me once that he really did miss her. I’d been surprised that he’d told Grant more about his life than he’d told me. I’d always considered Harold a close friend of mine, but it was easy to see that the relationship didn’t run deep.
And yet, I enjoyed his company more than I did with most people. He was a good man, with a hearty laugh, and a love for the great outdoors. I wasn’t much of a people person, and I think Harold knew that about me. I think in many respects we were very similar. Which was why, despite the superficial conversations we had, he still felt like more of a father to me than my own father ever had. I often wondered how life would’ve been if he really had been my father.
“Don’t worry, Harold. I’ve got it all figured out. So, what are your plans for the day?” I asked.
“My plans? If only I had any. I think I’ll go into town and get some supplies. I’ll drop them off with you later. Is there anything you need?”
“I can’t think of anything offhand. You probably know what I need more than I do. Why don’t you join us for lunch later? Trace is coming over for some rodeo practice. And you know how much that guy likes to show off.”
Harold laughed. “He sure does. Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll tell him that he needs to be better. That will rile him up.”
“Yeah, do that. He thinks he’s the best.”
Harold shook his head. “That boy. He’s very different from you and I, isn’t he?”
“Oh yeah. He’s a party animal. He keeps trying to get me to go out with him, but I couldn’t think of anything worse.”
Harold pulled a face. “Oh, same here. Thankfully, I’m old enough to use my age as an excuse. He’s never going to let up on you.”
I groaned. “I know.”
“Well, my boy, thanks for coming in so early. I appreciate all the effort you put into this ranch. Take a break sometimes, though. I won’t mind.”
I laughed. “Oh yeah? I bet you never took a break when you worked on the phone.”
“That’s true! Well then, I’ll see you and Trace later.”
“See you later. I’ll have a cold beer waiting for you.”
I smiled as I watched the old man hobble off. Grant had once told me that there was no point in him having so much money if he didn’t have anyone to share with it. I’d waved off that comment. I remembered the conversation clearly.
“Oh yeah? I’d rather have money,” I’d said.
“What are you going to do with it, though? It makes no sense to me at all. Anyway, Harold is not as happy as he pretends to be.”
“Harold is the happiest man I know,” I insisted.
I’d always believed that statement to be true. Harold had always told me how happy he was now that he was alone in the house, and I believed him. But now, looking at him walk wearily toward his car, I wondered how much I really knew about the old man. For the first time in my life, I thought that he looked lonely. But that didn’t mean that I was lonely too. I enjoyed working and living by myself. And there was nothing wrong with that.
Chapter Two
Sloan
“Good morning. Sloan speaking,” I drawled into the phone. I’d gone to voice lessons a few years ago, and ever since then, I’d learned how to speak in a s
low and sexy way. It was important to seem like you were always in complete control of your life, no matter who was on the other side. They’d also taught me to never sound like I was in a hurry, and to never sound stressed, even if was.
“Sloan, darling. It’s Victoria. Tell me you’re free today?”
“It entirely depends on why you’re asking,” I said. Victoria might be my best friend, but I wouldn’t rush off to be with just anyone.
“Well, I woke up bored and figured there was only one thing to do today to get me out of this slump.”
“Shopping?” I suggested. I knew Victoria well enough to know how that she handled all her problems in life with spending money.
“You got it. So, are you in? We can stop off for skinny lattes on the way too.”
“I don’t know. I’m in an incredibly lazy mood today.”
“Sloan, have you seen the back page of HER magazine?”
I sat up. “No. Why? Am I in it?”
“Not only are you in it, but you’re wearing the same shirt that you wore the week before when you were in HIGH and HEELS magazine. And I think you might be carrying the same bag.”
I groaned. “Darn. I thought I could get away with it. I think I might be wearing the exact same outfit. I just really liked it. And I guess at the time I figured it didn’t matter. I mean, it’s just an outfit; who cares?”
“It’s just an outfit? Sloan, you know that the entire world cares. You’re their little darling right now, and they all look up to you. Anyway, you should mix and match. I told you. I think it’s time we went shopping for some new clothes. What do you think?”
“You convinced me. Be here as soon as you can. We can go to the new mall that opened up down the road.”
Trace squealed. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Make it an hour; I’m still in bed.”
I put the phone down and rolled slowly out of bed. I couldn’t believe that I’d been spotted wearing the same outfit twice in such a short span of time. The media could be ruthless, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I suddenly started seeing articles about how I couldn’t afford anything else. Victoria kept telling me to keep a keen eye on all the magazine, newspapers and online articles on a daily basis, but I sometimes found it a bit too overwhelming and exhausting. It was especially difficult to read a bad review, even if it was hogwash most of the time. I tried not to let them bother me, but it wasn’t easy. You had to be liked to be in this business. I needed those good reviews.
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