To Rodeo To Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter 25

Gunner throws himself in the passenger seat of his pickup with a huff. "You know I have a walking boot now I can drive."

Caisson smiles and closes his door before going around and getting in the drivers seat. "Yes, Care Bear I know, but I am not letting you drive me yet."

He rolls his eyes at her as he clasps her out stretched hand in his. As soon as her slightly smaller and much softer hand is in his he immediately begins to caress the back of it. "Okay then I will just have to live with it, huh?"

"Absolutely!" She declares as she begins to follow the detailed directions he wrote for her to get where he is taking her. 'A surprise date' he told her.

It isn't long before Caisson turns the pickup down a familiar dirt road and she glances over at Gunner who has a smirk on his face. She can tell he is just as anxious to get where they are going as she is. His good leg is bouncing up and down and he continues to look from her to whatever happens to be out the window at the moment and back at her again. The closer to the mountains and the farther into the tall woody trees the more Caisson is confused. First she thought she knew where he is taking her, but now she isn't so sure. "Are we just driving around in circles?"

A deep laughs comes from the passenger seat as Gunner squeezes her hand. "Pine Cone, do you really think that I would just tell you to drive us around in circles for the fun of it?"

She narrows her eyes and glances at him with farrowed eyebrows. "So you are saying we are going in circles?" 

He grins sheepishly and shrugs. "Well not entirely."

"Gunner Pate! You better darn well tell me where in the thunder you are taking me," she barks applying the brake a little too fast jolting them forward a bit.

He leans back against the seat rolled up in laughter. When he glances over at her and sees she is staring daggers at him he continues to laugh while making attempts to pull her closer to him. "You are so adorable when you are mad."

Finally she gives into his gentle coaxing and slides over the console into his lap. "I don't find anything about this funny or adorable," she mutters looking down as not to let him see the great effort she is making not to smile.

"You are pretty entertaining and adorable when you are mad and use all those creative words." He places two fingers under her chin pulling it up until she is staring into his eyes and him into hers. "You are so beautiful."

A deep blush covers her neck and cheeks. "I love you, care bear."

"I love you too my adorable Pine Cone."

She lays her head on his shoulder momentarily before popping it back up and looking around. They are still on a dirt road with many evergreen trees surrounding them. Just like they have been pretty much from the start. "Okay, but seriously where are you taking me?"

Once again he begins to laugh. "I am taking you to a very special place and that is all you need to know. Now then we can continue down this road as we have been or I can take over the driving." The mischief in his voice travels to a glimmer in his eyes as one eyebrow arches in hopeful question.

This time it is her turn to laugh. "Nice try, but that ain't happening." She playfully pokes him in the chest as she scoots over the console and back to the passenger seat.

After about five more minutes of evergreen trees he gives her a quirky grin and tells her 'we are here'. She looks all the way around her and then her gaze lands on him. "I don't see the difference in right here and the last time I stopped, mister smirky pants." 

He holds up one finger to her before shoving the door open and hopping down on his good leg. He smiles as he knows she is watching his every move. In just a few swift motions he is to her door and waiting for her to get out. "Come on, miss curious."

She grins and jumps out onto the hard ground. Cocking an eyebrow at him when he jerks his head to a faint trail that leads into the midst of the big trees she follows him as he speedily ho[s along. Her eye wander from one tree to the next looking for something significant or a clue as to why he has chosen this place to bring her. Finally he stops and she sees a small clearing just on the other side of his hunky muscular body.

"Here we are." He smiles as he steps aside so that she has a better view.

The clearing is on the top of a large bluff looking off into a canyon with the mountains on the other side. Caisson can't help but suck in a breath at the great beauty and creation in front of her. When she finally can tear her gaze away from the mountains she notices that a red plaid blanket is spread out in the middle of the clearing with a basket sitting on one corner. She feels a hand on her left hip and turns to see Gunner standing beside her with a very happy smile on his lips. "You did all this?"

He shrugs his smile never faltering a millimeter. "Well I had a little help from the towns people, but I had the idea. Do you like it?"

"Like it? Care bear, I love it!"

He wraps her up in a tight hug and places a light kiss on her cheek before leading her over to the blanket. Smiling at her he begins to pull containers out of the basket, one at a time. "Strawberries, cream cheese dip, chips, hot sauce, bacon rolled cheese, and cheese rolls. I know it isn't much of a meal, but I figured it would be pretty good."

With every word he says her eyes, and her smile, grow a bit wider with excitement. "Care bear! Those are like all my favorite snacks, thank you." She throws her arms around his neck and places a bold kiss on his cheek.

"You are very welcome, Pine Cone."

They savor the delicious treats, stuffing them in one another's mouths and taking a bite before giving the rest to the other. The time is filled with fits of giggles and deep laughs along with more smiles than a trailer load of monkeys could cause.

After the last strawberry is eaten Gunner pulls Caisson into his lap and kisses the top of her head. "Caisson, I have really enjoyed spending this time with you, but this isn't the only reason I brought you out here."

Contently she snuggles closer to him in the cool noon air. "Okay, what else?"

"Well I have been thinking a lot about what happens after I get my walking boot off and I have come to a decision, but before I take action to make it happen I wanted to run it by you."

She pops her head out from under his chin and looks into his eyes. "Gunner, you are worrying me a bit here. What are you saying?"

Nervously he chuckles and pulls her back flush against her. This isn't something he has come to over night and he is concerned she isn't going to like the idea. "I don't want to be all over the country while you are somewhere cutting triangles out of leather."

Lazily she laughs before lifting her hand to  graze his cheek. "What are you saying?"

"I think this past season was my last rodeo season. You have been working hard to fit into somewhere that just isn't you and I don't want you to become someone you aren't. I know how much you like working with leather and making your leggings and I have been looking into some options myself."

Raising an eyebrow and cocking her head she presses, "Such as?"

He places a kiss on her temple and takes a deep breath. A smile instantly settles onto his lips. "Colton and I are thinking about starting a rodeo school up here."