To Rodeo To Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter 30

Gunner flops the welding helmet over his eyes and begins to weld the hinges for the gate onto the bucking chute. His dad is down to help him out with the project for a while. They have been at it for two weeks and have rebuilt two bucking shoots with two to go.

As he lifts the dark screened helmet off of his eyes his dad grins at him which in turn makes him cock one eyebrow. "What are you thinking over there, Pops?"

A shrug comes him his dad's shoulders as a chuckle escapes his lips. "I was just wondering when you are going to wake up to what the rest of us already know."

"And what does that mean?"

Greg looks at his son with knowing eyes. "God gives us someone to help us along on the right path and for us to do the same with them. Do not let your help mate, as the bible says, pass by you."

Gunner watches his dad walk across the soft dirt and out the gate. His mind starts turning. What did he mean don't let her pass by? Was Caisson thinking of leaving? Shaking his head he tries to clear his mind. After all, not two days before she instructed him to be at the rodeo school at three o'clock for a painting session.

Lord Jesus, I have no clue what is going on. Please guide me.

Once again he flops the welding helmet over his eyes and gets back to work. The chutes seem to be going up faster than he thought, but then again not many moments have passed that someone hasn't been out working on them. The longer he himself works on them the more he falls in love with the idea of teaching kids the sport he loves and being just down the road from his woman.

Once he is done with the task in front of him he looks to his dad with a smile and a glint of mischief in his eye. "I'm going to head out for awhile, if that's alright."

Greg grins. "I suppose so."
***

Caisson hums as she scurries around her house gathering, paint cans, brushes, and rags. All the while trying to get her hair into a low bun that rest at the base of her neck. Her alarm failed to go off earlier that morning, so her busy day got off to a late start. Practically ever since her feet hit the floor she has been like a rat with a cat on its tail.

In just a few short minutes she has everything loaded in her pickup. Before she can leave she runs to the barn and pours out oats for her horses before opening the gate to let them exercise themselves. As she pats Joe she smiles and breathes in his scent. "We need to go for a ride when I get done with all this craziness."

The gelding nods as though he understand and completely agrees. Then he nudges her towards the gate leading outside the barn to her pickup.

She giggles and pets his nose one last time. "Okay, okay. I'll try not to be late."

After closing the gate securely behind her she runs to her idling pickup and hops in with a smile on her face. She hums along with the radio the few short minutes it takes her to drive to the soon to be 'Beck- Pate Rodeo School'.

With everything piled in her arms she begins to stumble her way through the wide red gates and over the soft plowed dirt. She peers over the paint cans just to be sure she is still headed in the right direction and not about to bump into anything.

"Here let me get some of that off your hands!" Greg declares as he uses his mile long strides to reach her quickly.

Smiling she allows him to take the stack of pain cans from her hands leaving her with the brushes and towels. "Thank you, very much."

"You are quite welcome! I suppose that my son is suppose to be your painting partner."

Cocking an eyebrow she answers, "You say that with such dread I'm half afraid to ask what he's doing."

Greg simply shakes his head. "I haven't a clue where he ran off. He said he would be back in thirty minutes or so."

Only a nod comes from Caisson as she tries to contain her disappointment. Gunner had promised he wouldn't miss their 'painting date' because he has been spending so much time fixing the chutes up. If she is being honest with herself, everything that has been going on has her a bit down. Even feeling abandoned by her man. Caisson! Seriously stop with all the negativity. "I'll go ahead and get started," she says lightly while trying to get her thoughts back to the sunshine and rainbows they had been before.

"Alright, I'm going to see if I can get this chute done before I call it quits for the day," Greg tells her with a smile.

With a genuine smile she says, "That sounds like a plan."
***

Gunner glances at his watch and his eyes grow wide. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbles. Slamming the box back on the counter he waves to the store keeper and scurries out of the store. Not only is he completely late for his painting date with Caisson he is just a few minutes shy of missing their coffee chat afterwards.

His door has barely banged shut before the engine is running and he shifts to drive. He pulls out of the parking lot and pushes the speed limit as he directs the pickup out of town. When he pulls into the rodeo grounds he sees her pilling things in the bed of her pickup with a disappointed expression on her face.

"Cais! Pine Cone, I'm so sorry, I lost track of time," he hollers as he jumps from the seat and onto the packed dirt of the parking area.

She looks up as if just then was the first time she had noticed him. With a quickly shrug she says, "That's alright. I have to meet a customer in town to look through ideas tomorrow, so I won't be able to make our last painting session. I hope that's okay."

He can hear the lump in her throat and he can't help the sigh that escapes him. "Okay, what about going out for supper tonight?"

Slamming the tail gate she strolls past him. "I have smothered steak in the crock pot."

"Oh okay."

With her hand on the handle to her door she looks over her should and says, "I'm eating at seven o'clock." She jerks the door open and pulls herself in. "Sharp!"

Dumbly Gunner watches as she backs out and the wheels turn over the roadway. Forcing his legs forward he enters the arena to see the first chute completely painted brightly with blue. On the right top corner of the gate a large red number one is perfectly shaped.

Before he can waist another minute he jogs back to his own pickup and heads towards Colton and Tiffany's house, where he is currently staying. He has barely cut the engine before his feet hit the ground in a high speed walk towards the front door. Quickly he bypasses Colton sitting on the couch with Grace curled up in his lap and heads the laundry basket of clothes in the floor of his room. 

Suddenly Grace appears before him holding out a bright pink button up shirt. "Auntie Caisson likes this one," she tells him with a wink before dropping it at his feet and scurrying away with a giggle.

Shaking his head Gunner takes the shirt and a starched pair of Wrangler jeans with him to the bathroom.

After his shower he gets dressed, combs his hair into place and shaves the small stubble that has begun to grow on his chin. When he is satisfied with his appearance he grabs his black felt hat and his keys and is out the door once again. Just as he pulls the door to behind him he hears Colton yell, "Good luck!"

Gunner chuckles as he gets in his pickup, once again, and starts the mile and a half to Caisson's. He turns the radio up to try and drown out the mocking voices in his head. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Philippians 4:13," he quotes to himself as he pulls up in her driveway.

Three wraps on the door and he takes a step back. Within seconds it is opened to reveal not quite what he had been expecting. Caisson is dressed in baggy grey sweatpants and a loose tee shirt that hangs down to her mid thigh.

Neither one of them can help the laughs that come from them as they give each other a one over. "You are a bit over dressed for this fine dining, but I suppose I will allow you to join me anyway," she jokes as she steps aside so that he may enter.

===
Guys I'm horrible! I can't even get the update on here in time! Sorry!