Love on the Ranch

  Chapter Nine

  I made it back to the house by six thirty. That would be enough time to change for dinner. Not sure what the attire would be for our meal, I opted for something casual. I did not want to be too over or too under dressed.

  Blake had not given me any details, so I figured I would meet up with him in the living room. He was there waiting on me when I came in the room. Looking absolutely scrumptious in a pair of dark jeans with the most decorative belt buckled I'd ever seen, and a crisp white button down shirt, Blake approached me with his hand extended.

  "You look lovely."

  "Thank you."

  He kissed my hand, his lips gently brushing against my skin. That tingle I felt in my spine was unfamiliar. Just a simple kiss on the hand made me feel giddy.

  "Tonight, we will go out to have a little dinner at one of my favorite spots. If that is alright with you."

  "I would love it."

  Blake finally let my hand go. "I thought since your car was going to be finished soon that I should take you out on the town."

  "That sounds wonderful." I did not want to tell him yet that I was not going anywhere. There would be plenty of time over dinner for that.

  Topping his head with his black fancy cowboy hat that matched his black boots, we set out.

  "I hope that I'm not overdressed."

  His eyes took in the view, looking over every inch of my body. I was wearing a skirt that flared at the knee, a white button down collared top, and a pair of cowboy boots that I'd purchased at the boutique.

  "Not at all. I think you look sensational. And I love the fact that you've purchased some authentic boots."

  "I figured 'when in Rome'."

  I was actually pretty excited to get out around town. Hoping that it would be a chance to get to know that place that I was going to temporarily call home. We took his truck and headed out. Life here seemed so simple, so easy. It felt like I was starting to find my groove.

  The evening air was still warm with a dryness that I was not used to. In Louisiana, there was always a thick humidity that hung in the air.

  "Where did you say that we are going?"

  He glanced at me out of the corner of my eye. "I didn't."

  And I knew very well that he hadn't. I just hated surprises. Shortly, we pulled into a gravel parking lot of a place that appeared to be vacant. Not wanting to ask any questions, I waited to see what was next.

  Blake came around to my side of the truck, opening the door as a gentleman should. With care, he held my hand as I stepped down, and then he closed the door behind me.

  "Right this way."

  I felt like he was leading me down the plank. There was one faint lamp post in the parking lot that barely shed any light on the area. If there was someone waiting to rob us, they could easily jump out from the shadows and catch us off guard. And the fact that there was no one else in the parking lot did not help. There were some other cars parked, and that was the only thing that helped me feel a little more at ease with the situation.

  Blake knocked at the door. Someone peeked through the slot in the door. No words were said, Blake just stepped into plain view. The slot closed and there was the sound of a few locks being undone.

  "Well now. So good to see you, son."

  Blake shared a hearty handshake with the gentleman.

  "Luke. Good to see you. Thought I would get away from the ranch and have a night out on the town."

  Luke's attention turned to me. "And it looks like you have the perfect company to do that with."

  Blake turned my way. "Luke, meet Christy. She's new to town and I thought that it would only be appropriate to show her how we have fun around these parts."

  Luke put a large hand on Blake's arm. "That is a wonderful idea."

  I stepped inside so that Luke could close the door behind us.

  "Christy, it is a pleasure." He nodded with a smile.

  "The two of you go ahead in and enjoy yourselves."

  Blake tipped his hat and took me by the hand. The hallway was dimly lit and I started to wonder if there would ever be any light to see exactly what was going on around me.

  The answer to that was behind the door in front of us. Swinging it open, we were met with music blasting and laughter. Rustic charm; wooden tables, low hanging lights, billiard tables, and small tables that could only possibly seat two people.

  Blake's face lit up when we arrived; making it obvious that he had been here many times before. He looked around for a moment and then led me over to a table that was in one of the more dimly lit sections. The table was in a section that had booth like seating on one side of the table and a chair on the other.

  He held his hand out and I slid into the booth. He slid in next to me and I had to close my eyes for a moment to get my mind together. This was the closest that he'd ever been to me and my head was swimming.

  The waitress came over and plopped down one large pitcher of water and one pitcher of beer, and two mugs. She did not even take a drink order. She sat a basket of peanuts on the table and then walked away.

  "Is that a live band?"

  "Always," Blake said, cracking a peanut shell.

  He poured us both some of the ice cold beer. I took a swig and felt better as the liquid started to warm me inside. The waitress came back and asked to take our orders. We did not have any menus.

  Blake took the liberty of ordering for both of us. By the time he finished, I thought maybe there were other people coming.

  "Who is going to eat all of that?"

  "I thought that maybe we could just sample a bit of everything."

  The music was making me dance in my seat. I was snapping my fingers, tapping my foot to the beat.

  "Would you like to dance?"

  "Would love to."

  Blake held my hand as we got up. There were a few people sitting on the side where we were and we had to navigate through the section where the billiard tables were set up. By the time we made it to the dance floor, there were several couples swinging, twirling about.

  We jumped right in, finding our own groove. The upbeat tempo was fun, and Blake was a great dancer. He spun me around, dipped me, and twirled me back in to his arms. I could not stop laughing. It was more fun than I'd had in a long time.

  We had to have danced for about six songs straight before we decided to have a seat. By the time we got back to the table, I had forgotten all about the food we'd ordered.

  I was not as hungry as I was when we arrived, but I did eat some of the chicken fingers and I had never been one to turn down some artichoke dip.

  "Let's get a round of billiards in before the night is over," Blake suggested.

  "Oh no. I'm afraid that I'm not too good at that."

  "I will teach you. Come on."

  We found an open table, and he set up the game. I watched as he broke, shooting expertly. He ran down the rules of the game and I was still not so sure that I could be as impressive as Blake was.

  My first shot was a disaster. Blake stood near the corner pocket, quick reflexes catching the ball that skipped from the end of my stick to bounce on the table and nosedive over the edge.

  "Hmm. Try again."

  I was not sure that I wanted to. "Will I have to pay to replace those balls if I break one?"

  He tossed the ball in the air and caught it with a chuckle. "I don't know. I don't recall that ever happening. Go ahead and try again."

  "I would rather watch you go again. Maybe I'll learn your technique better this time."

  "Watch carefully."

  That was exactly what I was doing. Watching carefully. As Blake leaned over with expert form, he concentrated before calling the shot and taking it. Perfectly, he sunk the ball in the pocket, leaving me stumped as to how he could make it all look so easy.

  Saved by the bell, the band started playing one of my favorite songs.

  "What do you say we go hit the dance floor once more before we leave?" I asked.


  He smiled, knowing that I was over trying to make the billiard thing happen successfully. "Whatever you want, pretty lady."

  The music was up tempo until we got to the floor. Then it changed to a slow song, but Blake would not let me go. Instead, he pulled me in to his chest, holding me first by the hand as he led our dance. There was nowhere that I could go from there. I closed my eyes and let him lead as I moved with him. It was instinctual to slide my hands over his shoulders as he slid his hands around my waist.

  Right there, we were enmeshed with one another. It did not seem to matter that we had not known each other long. The only thing that seemed to matter was how we were feeling in that moment. I rested my head on his chest, feeling secure in his space. Broad shoulders and chest, he wrapped his arms around me, as I inhaled the scent of his woodsy cologne. I was not even sure that I could hear the music anymore. There was this rhythm of our own that we made and nothing else around us mattered.

  Time froze. Being held securely in Blake's arms, I did not want to move. When he leaned in, his soft breath on my neck, I closed my eyes and let things flow. My heart was racing; my mind was unable to compute what was going on as quickly as it was happening. I decided to let go and just feel, live in the moment.

  In that moment, he planted small, soft kisses on that quiet spot at the nape of my neck. That spot that no one seems to know about, but is perfect for kisses. Breathless, my knees went weak. I opened my eyes to see his baby blue's staring into mine.

  For the first time, I realized that the music had changed and gone back to something more fast paced. Blake spun me out, twirled me around, and brought me back into his chest. He leaned over, dipping me. When he pulled me back up, his lips met mine.

  The kiss was an explosion of all of the budding feelings that had been growing between us. His tongue danced on mine playfully. And when he pulled back, he slapped me on my behind.

  "Come on, beautiful. Let's get out of here."

  I opened my mouth to speak, but I could not get the words out. Dizzy with delight, I could not piece together how things had gone from zero to sixty in ten seconds flat.

  We went back to the table so I could grab my purse and Blake threw some bills on the table to pay for the meal and the tip. Blake was practically dragging me outside.

  We said goodbye to Luke, who let us out. It was hell keeping up with Blake's large strides. We made it across the parking lot to his truck. He squeezed my hand in his, backing me up against the frame of the vehicle.

  I knew well what was next. His kisses were rushed at first, as if there was not all of the time in the world to kiss me. His hands began to move up, massaging my arms, then my shoulders as he leaned in to me. His body was so massive against mine. Blake took off his hat, placing it on top of the truck and with no words, he kept the kisses coming.

  His mouth over mine, I let go as well. His tongue tangled with mine, his hands gently massaging the space in the small of my back. As quickly as he began, he stopped, leaving me to try my best to catch my breath.

  "Blake." When I spoke his name, it sounded more like a whisper. He caressed my cheek, kissing my lips lightly.

  "I've been wanting to do that for a few days now. I hope you don't mind, Christy."

  Shaking my head, I replied. "No. I don't mind. I've been wanting you to."

  I could not believe I had just confessed that to him.

  "Good. We're on the same page. Now let's go. I want to show you something else."

  He opened the door for me, and I slid into the seat. Watching as he walked around to the driver's side, placing his hat on his head, I was immediately aware that I was smitten by this cowboy. There was so much to me that was still a mystery, but then again, I had not given full disclosure as far as my life was concerned either.

  "Where are you taking me now?"

  "A little place I've always loved to go when I need some peace and quiet."

  It was obvious that he was sharing these things with me, these little slices of his life and I was appreciative for that fact.

  The stars were so clear in the sky and the moon hung overhead, looking so close that it felt like I could touch it. The air was sweet and warm and the ride was quiet.

  We pulled up at a waterfront. The moon reflected on the water's surface, glittering in the ripples. There was no other light but the moon and two lamp posts in the lot where we parked.

  Blake went around to the back of the truck and appeared with a blanket and a basket.

  He opened my door. "Let's go." Extending his free hand, he waited for me to take it and walk with him.

  I had no idea where this was all going to end up tonight. The soft summer breeze was inviting and spending the evening with Blake by the shores of the lake seemed like the perfect way to end the night.