Nice Shootin' Tex

by Cyndia Rios-Myers

  She nodded at that and waved. I then took my leave. Going back to my own house, I went straight to my guest room and began painting. I painted grey skies over a barren patch of my dad's ranch. I painted an empty log that Mara and I used to sit on while we gossiped. I painted the front door to Mara's house in grays and blacks, wondering if I would ever see it again. Just then my phone rang.

  "Hey pretty girl," said Daniel's voice on the other line.

  I sighed in relief at hearing him.

  "Hi. How are you?" I sadly asked.

  "Uh-oh," he replied. "What's going on over there?" He asked.

  I told him everything about Mara and Arnold - although way from my childhood friendship to her, during her courtship to Arnold and its demise. I finished with the morning's visit.

  "I hate sounding like a contrived cliché here, Lauren, but people change. Relationships change. You pick up new people along the way who bring such...light and happiness to your life." His voice sound so impassioned with emotion; I was moved to tears. "Sometimes you have to leave other people behind to make room for the new."

  I wondered if he was talking about Mara anymore, or if he was talking about me and him. Who had he left behind to make room for me, I wondered. Who would I leave behind to make room for him? Sadly, I felt the answer to that question in my bones. I think that he must had heard me sniffing.

  "You okay, pretty girl?"

  I sighed. "I'm better, now," I honestly confessed as I thought of his warm brown eyes.

  "I love you, Lauren," he said in a thick voice.

  I couldn't stop the tears that came at the sound of those words.

  "I love you, too," I replied through my tears.

  "Alright. I'm on my way. I'll be at your house by midnight."

  I sobbed even harder at the sound of those words than I had over his confession.

  "Okay," I said, descending onto my couch. "Good. I can't wait."

  Late that night, we drove together to my dad's ranch. I had made us a late dinner at my place - Beef Stew. Daniel sang its praises. I did the driving in my truck as Daniel rested from his long drive in my passenger seat. After parking, I gently kissed him awake. He groaned and kissed me back.

  "We are here, handsome man."

  He groaned at that. "That's a wonderful way to be woken up, though," he added with a smile.

  We held hands as we entered my dad's house, ready to tackle some hogs for a job. My dad and Arnold did a double take when they saw Daniel.

  "Daniel? When did you get here?"

  He looked as his watch. "'Bout two hours ago."

  Arnold nodded at that and went back to putting his boots on. My dad kept staring at Daniel though.

  "Get used to it, Luke. If I'm not standing next to her, I'll be right behind her or on my way."

  My dad's eyes widened at Daniel's profession along with those of my brother's. My dad nodded and stood up from his position on the couch.

  "Fine. Let's get it all out in the open, then. You serious about my daughter?"

  "I am."

  "How serious?"

  My heart slammed in my chest as I heard their back and forth.

  "As serious as it gets, Luke. I'll say no more than that for now."

  My dad let out a breath that at its culmination, made his stature shrink down just a bit. He stared at me for a few seconds before turning to Daniel.

  "You ready to hunt some hogs?"

  "Absolutely," replied Daniel with a smile.

  Chapter 27

  That night marked the beginning of our taking turns together, going back and forth between his home in Mescalero and my home in Olney. We were never apart which was beautiful.

  He finally made love to me weeks later in his condo. All he asked me was if I was ready. Blinking back tears, I replied that I was. He was so masterful and so commanding in his lovemaking in his large bed that night. He was very articulate and clear about what he wanted; he made me tell him what I wanted from him too. Never had lovemaking been as good as it was with him. He was also very energetic and very...amorous. Frequently, he would take me upstairs with him in his condo - during the middle of the workday - where he would thoroughly seduce me. I thanked God for the heavy walls and thick floors between his condo and his office. We did the same at my home in Olney. Sometimes he would stop me in the middle of a painting and would take me right on the floor of the guest room. I thanked God for the acre that my home sat on as I yelled his name out time and again.

  "I love you," I whispered to him with a smile as we finished our lovemaking one evening on his couch.

  He smiled back at me and kissed my mouth.

  "I love you too, pretty girl."

  One day, as we drove from Mescalero back to Olney, we talked about what I could do to keep busy at his office while he did his own work.

  "Actually, I had an idea," I said with a bashful smile as I turned to face him on the bench seat.

  He smiled as he continued to stare at the road before us.

  "Spill," he replied.

  "Well...I was thinking that maybe I could teach women how to shoot. You know. Hold a women's shooting classes at your office - or maybe somewhere nearby."

  I watched as his smile turned into a furrow on his brow.

  "What do you think? Is it a bad idea? I could help Chris and the others with the hogging instead."

  He shook his head and patted my leg.

  "No. I think that women's shooting classes is a great idea, Lauren. We'll be able to bring foot traffic to our store that we wouldn't have had before you. Plus, the season of American Sharpshooters with you on it is going to air soon. That would be great marketing."

  I smiled at his praise.

  "You think so?"

  He nodded. "I know so. It's a brilliant idea. We can teach gun safety to anyone who walks through our doors; having a cute, blonde woman who is not afraid of guns would definitely take the fear factor out of it for many."

  We laughed and smiled as we made plans of what I could do in Mescalero. I was so excited. For some reason, with perfect clarity, I focused in on my surroundings at that very moment. Daniel wore a brown t-shirt that buttoned down a few inches from his neckline. He wore dark blue jeans and black boots as well. The late afternoon sky was going from a light blue to a middle, sea colored blue. I had a maroon t-shirt dress on with my brown boots. His dark brown eyes were deep as he looked at me. I watched as he smiled and went from staring at the road to me and back to the road again.

  "You know, I wouldn't have to explain myself so much with all of this back and forth from Olney and back – if we were married. You wouldn't have to explain yourself with the back and forth either. Who questions married people? No one does."

  My mouth dropped open in shock as I stared at him. My hands went to my face as the enormity of the moment hit me.

  "Stop the truck," I said.

  "What?" Daniel replied.

  "Stop the truck!" I nearly yelled.

  He did as I requested, stopping the truck on the shoulder of the highway.

  "What is it, Lauren?" he asked as he put the truck in park.

  I blinked my eyes, trying to dispel the tears.

  "You have a question to ask me," I said in a thick voice. "You need to ask me that question. I need to hear it," I said as a tear dropped from my right eye.

  His face lost all humor then as he gazed at me with such devotion in his eyes. He then reached for my hands with his own.

  "Be where I am, Lauren. Be where I can find you with my voice. Be where I can find you with a glance. Be the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning. Be with me forever. Be my wife. Will you marry me?"

  I was sobbing like a baby at his words. The love of my life was asking me to be his wife. I released one of my hands from his and dried the tears on my face.

  "Yes."

  He quickly undid his seatbelt before pulling me into his arms.

  "I love you," he gruffly said to the side of my neck.

 
"I love you too," I sobbed back.

  After more loving words and a few kisses, we got back on the road. We stopped in Lubbock on the way back to Olney. I cried some more when I realized he was taking me to a jewelry store. Once he put the princess cut diamond engagement ring on my left ring finger, I sobbed some more. He laughed every time I sobbed, but it was a sweet and indulgent sort of laughter.

  On the road from Lubbock to Olney, we began to talk about wedding plans. His eyes kind of glazed over once we got past the details of the location.

  "Lauren...go ahead and do all of the planning. I don't care. Just know that this won't be a long engagement. I want you to be my wife in the next few months."

  I smiled as I acceded to that easy request. Once we were at my house, we celebrated our engagement with lots of lovemaking followed by a late, late dinner. We followed that with more sex in my bedroom.

  Daniel's fingers traced circles over my skin as he lay next to me.

  "So do you think your dad will shoot me when he sees this ring?"

  He asked the question before grabbing my left hand into the light and glancing at my ring. I smiled as I looked at it too.

  "No," I responded with a smile. "I don't think that this will come as a surprise to anyone. But even if he does, know that I am a better shot than he is. I've got your back."

  His smile disappeared as he dropped my hand. He looked down at me with such a tender look in his brown eyes.

  "I know you do, Lauren."

  We kissed for a few minutes before I felt his knee separating my thighs again. I was sore, but still my nether parts moistened. Seconds later, he was deep inside of me. I closed my eyes as I moaned out loud. He felt so good inside of me. I imagined what our bodies looked like together - his beautiful copper skin over my fair skin and I felt a tremor deep within me. Daniel responded to it with a groan before he started moving over me with increasing speed. My hands went from grabbing the bed sheets under me to his stroking his back as I begged him for the release that I so wanted. That only served to fuel his passion as he plunged into me, time and time again, deeper and deeper each time. Finally, I felt myself cresting over a wave of passion as I finished around him. He followed me only seconds later, dumping his seed deep within me in time with his tremors and his moans.

  "I love you," he muttered to my ear as his body collapsed over mine.

  "And I love you," I whispered back.

  We fell asleep wrapped tightly in each other's arms. I woke up happy, so deliriously happy the next morning. I had a beautiful man by my side that loved me and wanted to make me his wife. I couldn't wait for that. Daniel must have sensed my excitement because he groaned.

  "Go back to sleep."

  "I can't! I have a wedding to plan!" I excitedly laughed back.

  He laughed too. "Oh. Here we go."

  After discussing who we would tell first for the next couple of minutes, I let him go back to sleep. After putting my robe on, I walked to the kitchen and grabbed my cell phone and called the first number on my mental list of who to tell first.

  "Hi Lauren," said Laura with a yawn. "It's like seven a.m. You okay?" She asked with mounting concern.

  "I am!" I replied with a smile. "I just woke up next to my fiancée and thought that it was a beautiful morning, so I decided to call -”

  My words must have dawned on her because she stopped me with a squeal.

  "Oh my God!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!" She yelled into the phone, making me laugh out loud.

  Just then Tim' voice came over the phone - he must have still been sleeping next to her.

  "Lauren? Are you okay? Do I need to bring a gun? I'm on my way right now," he said in a worried voice.

  I then heard Laura's voice talk to him sweetly. "She's okay, Tim. More than okay. Daniel proposed to her. They are getting married!"

  "Oh my God," he said, repeating his own bride's words.

  "Hey," I laughed. "Congratulate me!"

  He laughed on the phone then. "Congratulations, Lauren. That's wonderful."

  I started sniffing on the phone out of happiness. It was wonderful.

  "Thank you. I'm so happy right now. But please - don't tell anyone else. I've got some more calls to make."

  I then heard fabric rustling over the phone.

  "We won't tell a soul," said Laura. "By the way, we are on our way to your house with breakfast!"

  I laughed. "Okay!"

  "Did he get you a ring?" She asked.

  "Of course he did!" I laughed back.

  She squealed some more. The next person I called was Greta. We'd gotten very close over the past few months. I helped her with that administration part of running her fledgling hogging business and she helped me learn what the traditional ways were for the Apache nation. I knew that I could also trust her with a secret.

  "It's early, Lauren," she groaned into the phone.

  Still, I knew she wasn't angry.

  "I know it is, but I have something to tell you. You have to keep this a secret."

  I heard mattress coils groan as I assumed that she was sitting up.

  "I'm listening," she said in a quiet, but serious voice that made me wonder.

  It then occurred to me that maybe she wasn't alone. I instantly pictured Chris in my head as I'd recognized that they were getting closer as of late. I'd tried to tell Daniel about it one morning at his shop, but he shut me down before I could get a word out.

  "No, Lauren. I do NOT want to hear about who my sister is doing. She stays safe and clean. That's all I've got to know."

  "Are you alone?" I quietly asked.

  "Are you alone this early in the morning?" she asked, full of attitude.

  I sighed before replying.

  "No. Your brother is still sleeping."

  "Eeew. I so don't want to picture that."

  I laughed out loud.

  "Look, I don't care who is in your bed - I just don't want anyone else but you to know what it is I have to say."

  She groaned at that.

  "Fine, fine. Hold on a sec." I heard the sound of muffled talking coming from my phone and I figured that she was probably covering the microphone part of her phone as she spoke. I then heard the ruffling of fabric followed by the sounds of a door opening and closing.

  "Okay. Speak now," she intoned.

  I couldn't stop the smile that erupted over my face.

  "I'm going to be your brother's wife."

  I heard nothing but silence on her side of the line for a few seconds which was immediately followed by the sound of her squealing and thumping on the floor. We both laughed out loud at her reaction. I sincerely thanked her for being so excited to have me as a sister. I then promised her that not only would she be a bridesmaid, but that she could help me out with picking out a dress.

  "But listen - tell no one else in your family about this. That's for Daniel to do, okay?"

  "Okay, okay. You know me! Oh my God! I'm so happy!!!! We need to talk about bridesmaid dresses..."

  I got off the phone once I promised her that her vote would be heavily considered in all of the reception planning. Looking at the clock on the wall, I knew that I only had about twenty minutes before Laura and Tim would come over with breakfast. After biting my lip for a few seconds, I dialed Mara's number. It rung two times before she picked up.

  "Hi Lauren. Are you okay?"

  Tears rushed to my eyes at her concerned tone of voice. She had been my best friend, once. Now, she was just a friend that might be changing into just someone I used to know. Still, I would tell her because I owed that to her.

  "It is Mara. And I'm okay - much more than okay, actually," I replied with a smile. "I'm engaged."

  That was met with silence.

  "Really? To who?!!!" She said, sounding excited.

  "To Daniel," I said with a smile.

  She was quiet for a second.

  "Daniel. Is that the Apache?"

  My excitement suddenly plummeted.

  "Yes. Yes he is," I said in a strong voic
e.

  "I don't mean to offend you, Lauren. I'm just surprised, is all. You only just met him a couple of months ago."

  "Actually, that's not true. I've known him for about eight months."

  "What?" She said, full of surprise.

  "I met him at the competition, Mara."

  I could almost hear her scratching her red head of curls.

  "You mean the same one with Trevor Garrett?"

  "The same," I replied.

  "Oh..." she replied, letting her voice trail off.

  I sighed and shoved my blond hair off of my face. It was a mistake to call her, I knew.

  "I'm sorry I bothered you, Mara. I just wanted you to know that I was getting married. I'll talk to you some other time."

  "No, Lauren. I'm happy for you," she insisted. "Congratulations," she added.

  Still, it was too little too late.

  "Goodbye Mara, and good luck to you."

  I then hit the end button and set the phone on my kitchen table, next to Daniel's own phone. Sadly, I opened the door to our bedroom and pulling the covers over me, climbed back in bed with him. He moaned and pulled me close to him.

  "You've got way too much clothing on Mrs. Serrano."

  Immediately, I smiled. The sight and feel of him did so much for me. His words did even more.

  "Who did you tell?"

  After telling him about how well the conversation went with Laura and Greta, I told him how it went with Mara.

  "Why did you call her?" he asked as he kissed the back of my neck.

  I turned around to face him.

  "Because she used to be my best friend. We used to talk about the men we would marry. I just thought I'd tell her about my happy ending."

  "But look at you now. She brought you down."

  I sighed. He was right.

  "Don't push things with her, Lauren," he said as he caressed my arm.

  His hand went from my arm to my neck and then my chest. I watched his eyes go molten as he pushed open my robe, revealing my chest. I almost let him cup my breast when I remembered about Tim and Laura. I laughed as I covered up my chest again.

  "What?"

  "Tim and Laura. They are bringing breakfast over for us."

  "What? Ugh...," he groaned leaning on his back again. He then flipped over again and looked at the clock.