“Thanks,” she said, as she climbed in, feeling the warm black vinyl beneath her hands.
She watched him walk around to his side and once inside she said, “So, how old is this truck?”
Tyler’s lips twitched and she saw the corner of his mouth form into that crooked grin that took her breath away. “Ol’ Betsy here is a 1971 Cheyenne Chevy. She was my grandpa’s and I’ve spent some time restoring her to her original beauty,” he said proudly as he gave the seat a light smack. He looked over and saw the look on her face as she took the truck in. “Does she not fit your taste? I bet you’re more of a Mercedes type of girl, am I right?” he asked as he backed out of her apartment complex and down through the heart of the city.
She huffed at his comment, and said, “I like her, it’s just I’m not really a truck kind of girl. I prefer cars, personally, and no, they don’t have to be a Mercedes or anything like that.” Paige looked at him as he drove, trying to figure him out and why he wanted to take her out on a date; it was obvious they were complete opposites. He was a country boy who liked old trucks and she was a city girl who didn’t like to get dirty. Even though she had never considered dating anyone like him, she found herself really attracted to his rough character. She could tell that he could be harsh, but in a gentle way. His words could be rough around the edges, yet he seemed like a gentleman. He was rugged but incredibly handsome. She found herself staring and tore her gaze to the road ahead.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, as she fumbled with the strap on her purse. She was so nervous she felt like it was her first date, ever. She was tense and knew she was putting that vibe off but she couldn’t help it. It had been so long since she’d been interested in anyone.
“I am taking you to this nice little restaurant called The Rooftop, it’s out of the city a little, but they have really good food and a great view.”
“I can’t wait. So, what do you do for a living?” she asked as she watched him drive. She couldn’t figure out what type of work he’d do but he seemed like the construction type of guy.
“I own my own fencing company, I took it over from my dad after he pased away.” He gave her a look and then added, “I bet you were expecting an answer like that, right?”
Paige blushed, knowing that he was somewhat teasing her but that he was also being serious. “Actually my first guess would have been a construction worker,” she said and started to ask another question when his phone went off.
He sighed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and then looked over at her, “Sorry, but this is my neighbor so I should probably take it.”
“Hey, Brent, what’s up?”
Paige watched him, wondering what was going on as his expression darkened and an aggravated look suddenly took over. She began to wonder if everything was all right when he hung up the phone and stared straight ahead, seeming to contemplate something. She frowned as she asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Well, we have a change of plans now,” he said, and Paige felt her spirits drop. She hoped he wasn’t making an excuse to get rid of her. “My neighbor called to let me know that my horses have gotten out so I need to go round them up.”
“Oh, okay. Well, that’s all right, we can just plan for another night,” Paige said, as she tried to keep her tone light hearted, she didn’t want him to know she was disappointed.
He glanced over at her, one eyebrow raised as a mischievous look played on his face.
He is up to something, she thought and was suddenly uncomfortable as to what was on his mind.
“What?” she asked, as she stared back at him.
“Are you up for some horse wrangling?” he questioned, a smirk lightly touching his mouth.
Paige was suddenly speechless. She had never been around a horse, how was she going to help? She looked down at her black sandals and dressy shirt and envisioned herself covered in dirt and smelling like an animal. She crinkled her nose, but then the thought of saying no to him and going home sounded horrible. She drew in a breath, deciding to do something that was out of her element. She liked Tyler, he was different than she was, different than any guy she’d been around and she wanted, for once, to do something that pushed her boundaries. Plus, the night had just started and she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him, yet.
She met his eyes and thought she saw hope and need staring back at her. He wanted her to come with him, she could tell. She drew in a deep breath, deciding to go for it, “I have never been around animals, but I’d love to help you.”
She smiled as his eyes lit up and he turned Ol’ Betsy around and veered down a side road, away from the comfort of the city. She looked out the window and wondered what she’d gotten herself into.
Chapter 12
They pulled into a long driveway that led up to a two story, old, white, country house. Paige eyed his house and the rolling field that sat directly behind it. The field seemed endless and she was surprised to find that it was beautiful out here. The rolling fields were blanketed in lush green grass, the red barn was rustic and picturesque, and the house, with a beautiful wrap around porch, looked tidy and inviting. When she pictured him living on a farm, this wasn’t what she had envisioned. He was a single country guy and her thoughts had ventured toward messy with an overgrown landscape.
Tyler stopped in front of the house, put the truck in park, and said, “So this is it, my little slice of heaven.”
“It’s breathtaking,” Paige said, as her eyes scanned everywhere.
“Now, you don’t have to be nice. I know you aren’t into the country type of atmosphere. I want you to be honest, Paige. I know we don’t know each other that well, yet, but we can’t get to know each other if you hide your feelings. You don’t have to pretend around me, it’s not my thing,” Tyler stated, his gaze lingering on hers and holding it there.
“I am being honest. Just because I prefer the city life, doesn’t mean I don’t think this place is beautiful. I don’t think anyone could come out here and not be captivated by it.” Paige turned towards him, her eyes meeting his as she wanted him to know that she was sincere and she felt his knee lightly brush hers. She watched him look down at it and she stiffened, feeling the energy between them ignite in the small, old truck. A thought suddenly struck her as funny, interrupting the vibe that they were suddenly putting off. “So you own your own fencing company and your horses got out? Have you not been taking care of your own fence?”
Tyler scowled at her, his eyes turning dark and sullen, “You know, when you work all day doing your job, your work at home is always the last to get finished. It’s a proven fact. I put up fence all day so when I come home, it’s the last thing I want to do or think about.”
An amused look developed on Paige’s face and she said, “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” And then something caught her eye to the left as she saw something dart past some trees. “Um, is that one of your horses?” she asked, as she pointed in the direction.
Tyler exhaled, “Yep. Are you ready to get dirty?”
Paige blanched as she stared at him, wondering what he meant. What was she supposed to do? She didn’t know a thing about horses. She heard Tyler laughing, shaking her out of her worried thoughts. “Don’t worry, I won’t have you doing anything crazy. I’ll just need someone to help me walk them into the barn once I catch them. Their tame so they won’t cause you any problems. Do you think you can handle that?”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s not hard,” Paige said, as she thought about all the patients she’d fought with to try to get medicine in them, or get them to take a shower. Leading a couple of horses back to the barn couldn’t be any more difficult than that. Those were her worst days of being a nurse. She hated forcing someone to do something but it was always something that they needed. She followed suit as he got out of the truck and headed towards the house.
“Here; you’ll need to put these cowboy boots on just in case one steps on your foot,” Tyler said, as he thrust a pair of old brown boots at her th
at were similar to his own.
“But they won’t, right, because that’s got to hurt like hell,” she asked as she slipped the boots on, cringing as the dust flew off them. She never thought in a million years that she would be sitting on a farm, putting on a pair of dusty boots. She knew her friends would have given anything to be here to witness this and to get pictures to show off.
Tyler laughed, “Not on purpose, but accidents happen. Just wait here while I go get some halters and lead ropes,” he said, as he stepped off the porch and towards the barn.
A few minutes later she saw him jogging back towards the house, halters and lead ropes slung over his shoulder. “All right, let’s go!” he said, as he led the way.
“How do you know where they are?” Paige asked, as she caught up with him.
“My neighbor said they were in his field, they always go there when they get out. You know, the pasture is always greener on the other side, type of deal.”
“Right,” she said, as she quickened her steps to keep up with him. As she watched him walk, she was amazed at how rugged he truly was. The guys in the city that she’d dated couldn’t compare to him. A lot of them were almost as prissy as she was and seeing Tyler out here in his own little world, looking sexy in dirty cowboy boots, scruff covering his face and just the two of them in the open field, she couldn’t help but wonder what she had been thinking all this time with city boys. She was oddly at home out here. She had never felt that way about the country before, so she knew it had to do with being with him out here. He made it all seem so right.
“There they are,” Tyler exclaimed, as he pointed directly ahead of them.
Paige looked up and couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Five horses were standing on a hill, grazing. She looked over at Tyler, “Will they run from you when you go to catch them?”
“Nah, their good about not doing that.”
They slowly walked up the hill and Paige sighed as she looked down at the dirt that was caking on her boots and saw the weeds accumulating on her black shirt and dark jeans. She had never gotten so dirty on a first date and she couldn’t believe he didn’t think twice about this. She looked up and saw him stomping through the field as he headed in the direction of the horses.
Once they got to the horses, she stood back a little ways, not sure what to do around them. Her animal experience was next to none. She watched the confident way Tyler went up to them, petting one of them on the neck first and then slipping the halter on. The horse didn’t make a move to run or bolt and she found herself admiring the gentleness of his touch and wondered how that would carry on to the bedroom. She immediately chased those thoughts away, not wanting him to see the desire in her eyes she was trying her best to keep hidden. He just made it so hard to keep those thoughts away.
“All right, here,” Tyler said, as he handed her two lead ropes. Paige stood there dumbly, a look of fear taking over her face.
“What?” she asked.
“I can’t lead all five horses to the barn myself. Just walk, they’ll follow, they’ve done this before,” he said as he shoved the lead ropes into her hands and then she couldn’t believe him when he jumped on the horse bareback as he attempted to lead the other two on each side.
“One on each side, Paige, you can do it,” he said with a smile.
She blew out a breath of air, trying to release all the anxiety she was holding in. “I know, Tyler, just give me a minute. I’ve never been around such big animals before,” Paige said as she tentatively reached up to rub one of the horses on the neck, trying to get acquainted with it. She jumped when it turned its head and started sniffing her. “He doesn’t bite, does he?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“Maybe,” Tyler teased and she glared at him.
“Tyler, it’s not funny, I’m terrified.”
She looked up when she heard him roaring with laughter, holding his stomach as he gripped the horse’s mane with one hand and the lead rope with the other to keep from falling off.
“What’s so funny?” she asked hotly, brushing her sticky hair out of her eye.
“I can’t believe you’re so scared. It’s just a horse, he doesn’t bite. Boy you are a prissy city girl,” he said, still laughing.
Paige frowned at him, hoping he’d see that his comment stung, but he didn’t act like he cared in the least bit. He nudged the horse forward and Paige quickly gathered the lead ropes she was holding and got between the two horses to follow behind him. As she led the horses, she eyed them cautiously, waiting for them to make a move. But they followed along, completely at ease and behaving themselves. She began to relax after a few minutes but relief flooded her when she saw his barn up ahead.
The sun was beginning to set and she saw he had a gorgeous view from his house. A thought of her sitting on the porch and watching the sunset with him sometime floated in her mind. She shook her head, not sure why she was thinking so much. Kyleigh had told her to not take it so seriously and here she was picturing herself sitting on his porch, holding hands as they sipped iced tea and watched the sunset together, like a married couple. She sighed, telling herself to calm down. She didn’t know what was up with her, she hadn’t pictured herself in that scenario for a long time, but there was something about this place, and about Tyler, that made her mind wander in that direction.
“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking her out of her lingering thoughts as they stopped in front of the barn.
“Yeah, I’m fine. They were really good. My toes are intact,” she said, as she looked down at her feet and smiled.
She watched Tyler jump down from the horse with ease and open the large door leading inside the barn.
“We’ll just lead them to the back where I have a smaller holding pen, until I can fix that fence tomorrow,” he called over his shoulder.
As Paige followed him, she took a quick glance around the barn and was shocked that he even kept the barn neat and tidy. Rakes and shovels were hung neatly in order on the far right wall. Hay bales were stacked against the left wall. The concrete floor had been recently swept and the tack room had everything hanging on hooks with saddles below. She began to wonder if he had a touch of OCD like her, because she’d never met a single man who was this orderly.
Once they got to the holding pen, she watched him closely as he gave her a lesson on how to undo the halters. She stood beside him and couldn’t help but watch him instead of paying attention and found herself noticing small things about him. Like how he barely tucked his tongue in his lip while he concentrated. And while doing that, his dimples stuck out just enough to where they were noticeable. She saw the small scar that sat above his eyebrow and wondered how he got it. She had the urge to run her finger along it, just to feel a small piece of his history.
“Are you paying attention, Paige?” he asked, his voice turning serious.
“Yes,” she said abruptly, as she turned her gaze back to the horse. She didn’t have a clue what he’d just said, but didn’t think it mattered because she didn’t have any plans on being around a horse, again. She liked them and thought they were stunning animals, but she preferred to keep her distance.
He turned to face her and she was suddenly aware of how close they were. He carefully studied her face, his head angled slightly as he leaned it against the arm that rested on the horse’s neck and his eyes travelled here and there as he took her all in. His hard eyes softened the longer he stared at her and she noticed how they were brown in the middle and lined with a green shade. She was at a loss for words and quickly tore her gaze away as she ran her hand across the horse’s neck.
She was about to say something to break the silence when the horse turned around and nudged her in the stomach. Paige started laughing as she gently pushed the horse away and then her laughter abruptly stopped when she looked down and saw the smeared dirt and grass across her jeans and her arm. She felt the anxiety rise within her but did her best to push it down. She would not let herself have a panic attack in front of Tyler over
a little dirt from a horse, he’d think she was crazy. Maybe she was but she couldn’t help that certain things pushed her buttons.
Brushing her arm off against her already dirty jeans, she smiled and reached up to casually pet the horse. Getting this dirty without a way to wash off was something that had always caused her a lot of stress, but today she’d just have to deal with it. She usually found a way to avoid going out of her comfort zone so she’d never have to worry about something like this happening.
Tyler eyed her carefully as he let the horse go, “You okay?”
Paige felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and said, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just not used to getting this dirty, but believe me, I’ll live.” She laughed, hoping she sounded as certain as she was trying to portray.
Tyler scratched his head and laughed, “Paige, you’re not the first girl I’ve been around who’s afraid to get her hands dirty. But you don’t have to lie about it; I told you I like honesty, no sugar coating.”
Paige blew out a frustrated breath and felt herself wanting to tell him her problems and that was something she had never let herself do with a guy before. She usually didn’t let herself get close enough to someone to the point where she had to put herself out there, but with Tyler, she almost felt safe to express her feelings. She bit her lip and said, “It’s a little more than being afraid. I have a little anxiety problem about getting dirty or getting germs on me. I have a love affair with my hand sanitizer. I like to be organized and have everything clean; it makes all the tension I’m feeling go away, if only for that moment. It’s crazy, I know, but it just makes me feel better. In a way, it makes me feel like I’m in control of my life, which always seems to be going sideways, for some reason.”
Where Forever Lies Page 10