To Rodeo To Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter 27

Gunner looks across the pickup cab at Caisson with a confused expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Those demanding people in my house are my parents," she growls her jaw set tight and her fingers curling in and out of a fist.

With a dumbfounded look on his face he simply stares at her for a long moment. "Oh my goodness! I'm fixing to give them a piece of my mind!"

As he starts to push his door open she grabs his arm tightly. "Gunner," her voice holds warning. "You are suppose to be the level headed responsible one right now, so get yourself back in here and calm down. I need you to keep me calm."

With a sigh and an understanding nod. Hurriedly he flips up the console and pulls her to him. "I'm sorry sweetheart I didn't mean to leave you to handle this by yourself and you won't be. Let me get my thoughts in line and then we can go in there and I promise I will be by your side no matter what."

Laying her head on his shoulder she smiles. "Thank you, Care Bear."

"Do you want to pray together?"

Her face lights up at his words and she nods vigorously. Thank you Lord for answering my prayer! "I do, very much."

Smiling he plants a soft kiss on her forehead. Then taking one of her hands in his he bows his head. "Thank you Father God, for this wonderful day. I ask that you give both Caisson and I patience. Lord, take control of our tongues so that what we may speak will be your words and not ours. We love you Lord. In Jesus name, Amen."

Caisson plants a kiss on cheek and gives him a very soft and genuine smile. "Thank you Care Bear, you have no idea how much that means to me."

Gently he leaves a kiss on her lips. "Oh, I think I have an idea by that smile on your lips."

She places her light pink ones on his rough ones in a light kiss before sitting back with a sigh. "I can't procrastinate forever. Let's get this over with."

As she turns to open her door he pulls her back to him. "Pine Cone, I am going to be right beside you the entire time, okay?"

Smiling lightly she nods and places a kiss on his cheek just as he pushes his door open with his good foot. "Thank you, Care Bear."

Just as he steps on the ground he turns around and places her hands in his. Gently he pulls her down to the ground in front of him. "Anything for you, my love." After a quick kiss on her cheek he squeezes her hand and begins to hobble towards the door of her cozy house. Cautiously he turns the door knob. Behind him she lets out a deep breath and nods.

Not more than a few seconds after they step into the warmth of the house a loud clattering can be heard from the living room. Shaking her head Caisson begins to lead the way to the sound of very upset voices. When her gaze sweeps over the scene in her living room she lets out an audible groan. A ceramic bowl which she had kept paper clips in is now shattered on the floor with the colorful paper clips in the middle of all the mess. Her mother is yelling at her dad who is standing with a picture frame in his hand as if he has no idea what is goin on. On the other side of the room Gunner's parents stand with annoyed and worried looks on their faces.

Calmly, Caisson places two fingers in her mouth and lets out an ear piercing whistle making the Pate's cover their ears. As soon as the sound fills the room everyone's head snaps towards her and silence fills the afternoon. "What in the tarnation is going on in here?" Although her voice is steady it is raised and the sternness in it is evident.

At this point Hope and Greg have moved beside Caisson and Gunner and are whispering to him. "I assume y'all know these people?" His dad asks him with a quirked eyebrow.

Gunner rolls his eye slightly and nods. "Yes, they are Caisson's parents."

Both his mom and dad's lips form a perfect 'o' before they clamp their mouths shut and watch as the intruders scramble around for a logical reason for the mess on the floor and their unannounced arrival.

"How did you even find out where I live? Not once in the past four years have you taken a care as to where I live or that you might want to come see me." A deep breath and a squeeze of her hand from Gunner are the only things that keep her from losing her cool and letting them know exactly what she has thought for the past ten years of her life. 

Her dad shrugs with the picture frame still in his hands. "It was pretty easy, we just looked on your website and came to where your shop was. You know you should really move it so that people don't know where you live and work. Living out here is bad en-"

Gunner doesn't give him enough time to finish his word let alone his speech. "Sir, I think it is a great place that your daughter has built from the ground up. With all due respect if you can't speak positively to Caisson I will have to ask you to leave."

A dumbfounded look rests on both of her parents faces while Caisson, his mom, and his dad hold back smiles. As sure as she smiles Caisson also finds happy tears threatening to be seen. Not in a very long time had someone stood up for her and never has anyone had the guts to stand up for her to her parents. If only Colton could have seen that, she thinks her smile returning.

"Uh, umm, we just wanted to let you know that Fallon Taylor said she would love to help you get a head start on barrel racing as soon as the NFR is over in a couple weeks," her mom speaks her voice settling out once she begins to speak of the rodeo.

Gunner wraps his arm around Caisson tighter as he feels her get ready to blow a cork on her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Beck, I think Caisson has made it very clear she does not want to compete in the rodeo. Her business is flourishing. Not to mention, the great efforts she has gone to in the past couple of months to take part in the rodeo. Somethings just aren't for certain people and we have to except that. If you ever take the time to look past the fact that your daughter has no desire to be involved in the rodeo you will see that she is a very hard working, determined, funny, loving, caring, not to mention beautiful young woman. If you choose to put anyone, especially your daughter, down for any of those qualities you need to take a long look at yourself and figure out who you are, because those are qualities we all need."

Caisson wipes away the tear that has slid down her cheek and stands on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You are so sweet, I love you," she whispers before returning to her natural height.

He looks down at her with a smile on his face. Then moving each of his hands to her cheeks he captures her lips with his in a slow loving kiss. "Nobody is a brighter star than my amazing Pine Cone."