“Today was your big day. My mind’s been on you, darlin’.”
Oh, how she loved him! She went up on her toes and kissed him. “I love that. I promise to call next time.”
“How’d it go?”
She nuzzled Pugsly against her chin and said, “It was fantastic.”
Nick got down on one knee to love up Annabelle and said, “You did fantastic, little lady? That’s our girl.” He petted her with both hands on either side of her neck. “With a handler like your mama, you can’t go wrong.” He pushed to his feet, unaware that he’d once again melted Trixie into a puddle of goo, and said, “I want to hear all about it.”
She told him about the meeting as they took care of Annabelle and set her free in the dry lot with the other minis, taking a few minutes to give them all a little attention. As Trixie gave Snickers some love, she watched Nick with her minis, and she knew it wouldn’t matter how interested or supportive her family was in her business; it wouldn’t be the same as coming home to the man who had been there with her, and for her and the horses, since day one.
When they left the horses, Nick scooped up Pugsly and slung his other arm around Trixie. “It sounds like it went great, but how did you feel about it besides that? Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?”
“It was everything I’d hoped and so much more.” Like us. “It felt natural to handle her and to talk with people about Rising Hope. I don’t think it could have gone any better.”
“That’s fantastic. Would you mind holding Pugsly for a minute? I need to grab something from the barn.”
“Sure.” She took Pugsly and sat in the grass. He looked up at her, and she said, “I’m going to miss you guys when I leave. I need you to do me a favor, Pugs. I know your big, bad daddy doesn’t want anyone thinking he’s anything less than superhuman, but I think he’s going to miss me, too. I need you to take care of him for me.”
Pugsly put his front paws on her chest and licked her chin.
She stroked his back. “I’m taking that to mean that you’ll do it for me. I love you, Pugsly.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And I love your daddy, too, but don’t tell him that. We just got past the girlfriend-boyfriend thing.”
A few minutes later, Nick walked out of the barn wearing his shirt with his guitar strapped to his back, leading Ghost, a white mare, and Midnight, a black gelding, saddled up and ready to ride. Midnight had insulated bags hanging from the horn on the saddle, and Ghost had rear saddlebags.
Trixie pushed to her feet with Pugsly. “Are you going somewhere?”
“We are, darlin’. I haven’t done a great job of showing you how special you are to me, so we’re going down to the creek for a picnic.”
“We are? I love that!” She nuzzled Pugsly and said, “Did you know your daddy was so romantic?”
Nick shook his head. “It’s just a picnic.”
“There’s no just, my humble cowboy. It’s a romantic picnic with my boyfriend, who planned it and packed up the horses. Those are the things dreams are made of.”
“Don’t get all weird on me.”
Too late.
AN HOUR LATER they came to the end of the trail, where it met the creek. The scent of damp earth and romance filled the air as they dismounted and walked the horses to the water’s grassy edge for a drink. The creek was wide and deep, surrounded by tall oaks and prickly pine trees. The sun slid out from between the clouds, spreading light over the slow-running water.
“This is one of my favorite spots,” Trixie said as Nick pulled a blanket out of a saddlebag and spread it out in the grass.
“Why is that? Because it feels a million miles away from the rest of the world?” He set his guitar on the blanket and headed back to the horses for more picnic supplies.
“I do love that it feels far from reality, but it’s one of my favorite spots because it was the first private place you shared with me.”
His brow furrowed as he handed her a plastic bag filled with food. “How do you figure?” He went around Ghost and pulled a plastic bag from the other insulated pouch. “I think my house is pretty damn private.”
“That’s true. I meant outside of your house.” He’d brought her to the creek about three years ago, when they’d been out trail riding. She followed him back to the blanket. “Why did you share this place with me? Actually, why did you let me stay at your house when you don’t let anyone other than family stay there?”
He took the bag from her and began setting out their picnic. “You were cool, and you needed a place to stay, and I knew if you were with me, you’d be safe. Sit down and relax.”
He went back to get something else from the saddlebag without meeting her eyes, and she felt like there was more to that story, but she sat down, taking in the thick sandwiches bundled in clear plastic wrap and the ziplock bags full of chips and grapes. There were also two oranges and two bottles of iced tea.
“You thought of everything,” she said as he sat beside her.
He handed her a small package wrapped in tinfoil. “Including your favorite raspberry chocolate chip cookies. But from now on, I’m leaving the baking to you.”
“You made me cookies?” She unwrapped the tinfoil, her heart exploding.
“I got the recipe from your mom. Sorry they got a little broken.”
You called my mom? She picked up a piece of cookie, falling harder for him by the second, and said, “Broken makes them easier to share.” She put the cookie in his mouth, and then she kissed him. “I don’t care what you say. You’re the most romantic man on this planet, and this is the best date I’ve ever been on.”
He laughed. “We just got here.”
“So? Look at all of this. You made us lunch, you baked me cookies, and you took me to my favorite spot. It couldn’t be more perfect.” She ate a piece of the cookie. “This is even better than my mom’s. I guess since you can bake, you don’t need me to bring you goodies anymore.”
He hooked an arm around her neck, hauling her in for another kiss. “Darlin’, you stop bringing me goodies, and we’re gonna have problems.”
He kissed her again, tasting of sweet happiness.
They talked as they ate, tossed grapes into each other’s mouths, cracking up when one went down her shirt and another bounced off his nose, and after they finished eating, Nick played the guitar.
Trixie swayed to the music. “Sing something for me.”
“You know I don’t sing, darlin’.”
“You do sing, and you have a great voice. You just won’t sing in front of people.”
He winked and started playing “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” and Trixie sang. He laughed when she forgot the words and made up her own. She sang loud, pretending to have a microphone, and got up and danced around as he played song after song.
She plopped down beside him and said, “We make a great team. We should go out on the road, touring. I can see it now. Our names in lights.” She looked up at the sky and held up her hand, moving it to the right as if she were reading a sign. “The Cowboy and His Girl.”
“I don’t need my name in lights.” He set down his guitar and lay down on his back with his head in her lap, putting his hat over his face. “Siesta time.”