by Crowne, KC
I’d soon find out.
I started to feel butterflies in my stomach again, in anticipation of meeting the hot cowboy in person.
“So, how much longer until we reach the fortress of your childhood?” I tried not to sound too anxious. Or excited.
“We’re almost there,” he said quietly, the strain returning to his voice.
We turned off the pavement and down a dirt road.
“Holy cow balls, this place is enormous!” I said.
Christopher had told me it was a luxury ranch, but I had no idea what he meant by that. I pictured horses and stables and a lot of open fields.
Christopher had explained that the guest cabins had hot tubs with stunning views, which sounded really nice, but I had no idea what to expect other than that.
We drove for what felt like an eternity down the dirt road.
Finally, the way opened before us, and in the distance, I caught sight of the ranch for the first time.
My breath caught in my throat.
“Look at you Richie Rich. I can’t believe you grew up here,” I said.
Christopher grew visibly more tense, gripping the steering wheel of the rental car until his knuckles were near-white.
He stared straight ahead and didn’t say a word.
The expanse of land in the distance looked like it met the sky, which was turning eye-catching shades of purples and pinks and oranges. I felt like I was at a southern spa resort.
I could just imagine lounging in a jacuzzi, glass of wine in hand, watching the sun set over the fields.
It all seemed heavenly.
There was a big, metal gate with the name Rainbow Canyons Ranch spelled out in the brass. The gates were closed, but I could see the main house just inside.
Christopher entered some numbers into a keypad and the gates parted. I most have been drooling like a fool in my seat.
“You lived here.” I knew that was Captain Obvious in me speaking, but I still had trouble fathoming that Christopher lived here and never talked about the mansion. He’d called it a cabin, made it sound pretty humble. And while it technically was a cabin, it was a massive one with what appeared to be three stories.
The owner had spared no expense.
“Yep. For a few years before I went away to college,” Christopher said dryly. “Sure, I enjoyed some tolerable memories here, but behind the walls it’s not as great as it looks, trust me. A lot went down in this place. Pretty much all my uncles live here, so while it’s big and lavish, there’s a lot of people in there. All of them are like my dad; old-fashioned macho types who have no idea what to do with someone like me.”
“That’s not necessary a bad thing,” I teased.
Truth be told, I was starting to get why Christopher felt the way he did about the resort.
I couldn’t imagine sharing a place - even one as big as this - with my entire family. It was hard enough to share an apartment with Christopher.
Or maybe I was just used to the smaller spaces and apartments we had in New York.
“Christopher, why didn’t you tell me your family was loaded?” I joked as he pulled the rental car into the first available spot next to the house. Our tiny compact Toyota looked out of place amongst the four massive trucks lined up. I had to laugh.
“My dad’s family is fairly well-off, yes, but you’ll learn pretty quickly that they’re not flashy, and they don’t live like they’re wealthy. They’re pretty humble about the rich-as-hell thing.”
There was a large pond out front, and the house seemed to be built around it, the flowers and even the walkway twisting alongside, protecting the natural beauty of the water.
I felt like my eyes might be lying, tricking my mind into the ethereal beauty.
“Ready to face the firing squad?”
I shook my head and chuckled. “That’s one hell of a way to talk about your family.”
“Yah, I know. They’re probably really not that bad. I’m just the black sheep, I guess,” he said with a sigh, still not getting out of the car.
“Well, you have me, babe. We’ll get through it together.”
I squeezed his upper arm before removing my seat belt and getting out of the car, hoping he’d follow my lead. It took him a few seconds, but eventually, he got out of the car and took a deep breath.
“It still smells the same,” he said, looking around.
“Like clean, fresh air?”
“Like horse shit,” he sneered, but I heard a laugh in his tone.
In the distance, you could catch a whiff of horses, but I had to really focus on that. Mostly, it smelled clean and fresh. Exactly how it looked.
And I thought it was delightful.
But I knew Christopher was dealing with the dread of being home, so I let it slide.
We headed for the walkway wrapping around the pond. An oak tree hung above us, its majestic size and glorious greenery eye-catching. By my guess, the place had to be a honeymoon destination. Off the beaten path, where you could be mostly alone with nature and the person you loved.
It sounded ideal to me.
But what did I know?
My love life depended on the erotic experiences my gay best friend shared with me, and shows like The Jersey Shore.
I grabbed Christopher’s hand and held onto it, unable to hide the grin that stretched across my face. He glanced at me and asked, “Why are you so disturbingly smiley, woman?”
“I’m just happy to be here. Even if your family is packed with shit tards, I’m still meeting them for the first time and getting a glimpse of your roots, so that’s exciting.”
“Well, I hope they don’t burst your bubble too quick.”
I shot him a knowing smile and blew him a kiss.
Two men started to walk down the front steps of the house. They were tall and burly like Christopher’s dad, one with shaggy, brown hair and the other with a blond tussle on his head and matching beard. They were dressed in rugged jeans and cowboy boots. I could tell right away that they were related – both had the same steely gaze and manly features that I’d seen in the photo.
What made an impression on me was how they carried themselves with strength, taking slow, sauntering steps as if they weren’t worried about a thing in the world.
That and the fact they were both hot-beyond-compare.
Even so, there was still something distinct about that picture of Christopher’s dad.
I couldn’t put my finger on it but, whatever it was, it tugged at me, and made me want to put the image out of my head.
“Howdy,” the first man mumbled.
“This is my uncle, Wyatt,” Christopher introduced. “And the man coming up behind him is Uncle Travis.”
Travis tipped his hat to me.
“You must be Molly,” Travis said, giving my hand a firm shake. “It’s about time Christopher bought a girl home. Must be pretty serious for him to come all this way.”
“Dad summoned me,” Christopher muttered.
Travis and Wyatt chuckled and slapped him on the back, one after the other. Though Christopher was not small by any stretch, his body shook with the force of their blows on his back.
Three others stepped out of the house - one man who was accompanied by a younger woman and an older woman, whom I presumed to be Christopher’s grandma. She was the matriarch of the family and one of the few people he was looking forward to seeing again.
“That’s Chance,” Christopher said. “My dad’s youngest brother. And that’s my aunt, Emily. As you can tell, we’re pretty close in age. And with them is—”
Before he could finish, the older woman said, “Everyone just calls me ‘Mama G’ – you go ahead and do the same, my dear.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mama G,” I said, offering my hand to her first. She seemed pleased and offered me a firm shake in return. I was stunned by the sturdy grip in the petite older woman’s greeting.
“Your dad is around here… somewhere,” Mama G said to Christopher.
/> I started to feel those pesky butterflies in my stomach again.
“You’re earlier than expected, and he wanted to fix something in the stables before you arrived.”
“Oh...it’s fine,” Christopher said dryly, brushing it off. “We’ll see him eventually I guess.”
“Oh yes, of course.” Mama G offered a friendly smile with a look of reassurance to her grandson. She had to have known about the friction between them.
Mama G was nearing seventy, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. She looked tiny next to her giant sons. She was even smaller than me, and I was rather petite at around 5’4”. My guess was Mama G had to be around five feet even, if that. How she managed to have giants for sons was beyond me and God bless her for carrying each one of them for nine months at a time with her small frame.
“Can we get some help with the luggage?” Christopher asked, pointing toward the car.
“Sure thing,” Wyatt said.
All three of them followed us to the car. Christopher opened the trunk of the car just as someone behind us let out a snort. “Are you stayin’ for a week or moving in?”
As I turned around, I saw that my instincts were right and it was Christopher’s father in the flesh.
My heart jumped into my throat.
The oldest of the Walker men, Silas. The man was no doubt the same one in the picture, and somehow managed to be even hotter in person.
Looking at him for the first time in person, my cheeks started to feel warm and I was losing confidence in my ability to stand up right.
I couldn’t help but scan his features all over again. He had the same chiselled features as Christopher and dark, mysterious eyes. He looked like an older, more rugged version of my closest friend.
If anyone thought the others were handsome, well, Christopher’s dad took the cake.
He was tall, a shearling jacket over his wide, V-shaped upper body, a white T-shirt on underneath with the hint of solid pecs peeking out from the top.
And his face… so freaking handsome.
He had those same steely eyes, that wide jaw.
He was all man, through and through.
Reminding me of one of those Marlboro cowboys from those old ads, the kind who’d be gazing off into the sunset – except without the gross cigarette.
My pussy clenched at the sight of him, my eyes going down to his big, strong hands as I wondered what it’d be like to have him put them all over my body.
In person, I could make out that his face wasn’t baby smooth like his son’s. He had a trimmed, dark beard with greys sprinkled throughout. His hair was cut short, close to his head, and the same dark brown as Christopher’s but with greys there as well.
His eyes met mine, and I felt as though my heart stopped. I dropped the bag I’d lifted from the trunk.
Smooth. Just smooth.
“Hi, Dad,” Christopher said, rolling his eyes my direction so only I could see him. The gesture was a little much, but I didn’t say anything.
His father stepped closer to us and stopped, never taking his eyes off me. “Welcome home, son.”
He then proceeded to pick up the bag I’d dropped like a fool.
“Sorry. Molly, this is my dad. Dad, this is Molly.”
“Call me Silas,” his father offered, his voiced moved through me in a way I shouldn’t have enjoyed, but I did. It was like it was deep and bass-filled enough that I could feel it in my bones.
And there was something powerful and intimidating about him, a strength he projected without even having to try.
I’d never been the type of girl to blush, but I was helpless standing there before him and looking back into his deep eyes, I was helpless.
I’d hoped he hadn’t notice the rush of warm hue to my cheeks.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Walker.”
“Ma’am, its Silas. My dad was Mr. Walker,” he said, his voice feeling like it could shake the earth at our feet. He offered the slightest hint of a grin.
“Sorry. Silas.”
I’d never had any trouble speaking before, but my voice seemed to catch in my throat and my words came out like croaks. I cleared my throat, hoping that would help.
“I’m pleased to finally meet you. Christopher rarely has many words to share, unless it has to do with you,” Silas said, with a sexy chuckle.
“Thank you,” I said, not sure if I actually said the words or merely whispered them into the air.
Or in my damn head.
To avoid standing there looking like a complete and total fool, I reached into the trunk and grabbed the only bag left - my makeup case.
“Aren’t you going to help her, kid?”
“Sorry,” Christopher said, his arms already full with his own bags.
“It’s fine. I’ve got this,” I said,
Silas sighed and extended his arm towards me.
“Please, I’ve got it. No woman will carry her own bags while I’m around.”
Damn that was hot.
I couldn’t help but appreciate my best friend dad’s southern chivalry.
Still, I felt like a complete asshole for checking him out.
Bags in hand, Silas turned and headed back toward the house.
His ass in those jeans was something dreams were made of. I had to check to make sure I wasn’t drooling.
Cowboy… take me awayyyy. The damn song played in my head again– and at this point I had no doubt it would be playing on repeat.
“Molly, you coming?” Christopher asked, taking me out of my reverie.
“On my way,” I stammered, hurrying to follow him.
He gave me an odd look as I joined him at his side, walking into the house. The inside was just as impressive as the outside, if not more so.
There was a spiral staircase that looked like something from a southern plantation. We walked up those stairs, following Silas and his brothers.
I was practically too distracted by the view of Silas walking to notice the backdrop but somehow managed to take in both exquisite views.
We reached the second floor that had a hallway with so many rooms it almost felt like a maze leading to Christopher’s old bedroom. The house was something else. We were in a Texas log cabin, sure, but on the inside, it felt more like something out of antebellum South Carolina.
Gorgeous, patterned wallpaper was on both sides of us, paintings of landscapes here and there in the halls. And the house had a handmade feel to it, like it’d been built by someone with love, someone who really cared about making a home.
I’d gotten so used to ultra-modern condos in New York built for anonymous rich folk that I’d almost forgotten people used to construct homes themselves, with their families in mind.
“You two can stay here,” Mama G said, smiling sweetly. I had no idea she was still behind us, that she’d made the trek up the stairs.
“Thank you,” I said, even though it hadn’t been necessary.
Silas opened the door and we all stepped inside. And I was just amazed that we could all fit into one bedroom.
But we did.
Quite comfortably.
“This room is bigger than our apartment, I swear,” I said, taken by surprise.
“Sure does,” Christopher grumbled. “Thanks guys. We’d like a chance to relax a bit, if that’s okay? It’s been a long trip.”
“Of course,” Mama G said, taking Silas’ arm. The other brothers had already put the bags down and shuffled into the hallway, but Silas seemed to be standing there in protest. He had warmth to his eyes as he looked at Christopher.
Something told me he missed his son deeply, but struggled to say the right words.
“Dinner will be ready in an hour, Christopher. Can you please let our guest know how everything works?”
“How everything works?” I asked, confused.
“Mama G rings a bell when dinner’s ready,” Christopher told me. “We all eat together. It’s kind of a thing around here.”
I smiled brightly at her and sa
id, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Mama G gave me a wink, and then proceeded to pulled Silas from the room, shutting the door behind them and leaving me alone with Christopher.
“Finally,” he said, collapsing on the bed. “I thought they’d never leave.”
“They seem nice,” I said. “Your grandmother is super sweet and…”
“And my dad’s uptight, right?”
“Well, I don’t know him enough to say but I can feel the tension between you two. And I guess he has a bit of a straight forward side to him.”
I didn’t mention how I could get over his rough side, on account of how his ass fit in those jeans. If I was honest, I was surprisingly intrigued by his dad’s personality. It was hot to see a man take control like that. And coming from an independent city girl that was saying a lot.
I kept my mouth shut because mentioning all that wasn’t quite appropriate in that very moment.
I sat down on the bed beside Christopher. “Just so you know, I’m a bit of a bed hog.”
“I know, I’ve seen you in your bed,” he said. “I never knew such a small girl could take up so much room until I met you.”
I punched his arm playfully. “Hey, now…”
He rolled over and pulled out his phone. A smile spread across his face, then he began typing away.
I rolled over with him, lying beside him. “What’s with the grin?”
“Remember I told you about that guy Tyler I went to high school with?”
“Yeah, that gorgeous football player who came out only after you left town. Why?”
“He wants to get together. Like meet up for a drink.”
“Oh wow, when?” I asked, intrigued.
“Tonight. But…no, I can’t leave you here with my family alone.”
“Go, Christopher,” I urged. “You always talked about how he was your dream guy. Maybe this is your chance.”
“Really? You think I should?” I could tell he was conflicted. Christopher could be a little self-centered at times, but even he was aware enough to see that leaving me with his family after just meeting them all at once might’ve put me in an awkward spot.
“I do,” I said, nodding emphatically.