by Gigi Thorne
In case wannabe Jimmy from the Daily Planet didn’t get the picture, he slung his arm around her shoulders and gave the wide-eyed reporter a smirky grin.
She almost knee-jerked into damage control before remembering she officially signed off as Samantha Hayes, and unless she was fulfilling some contractual loose ends, she didn’t really give a hoot what anyone thought. And as for the people milling about? Yeah, they also didn’t give a shit about what Hollywood had going on.
Realizing Wyn’s territorial presence meant his one-on-one time with her was over, the reporter tried an end run around her cowboy, only to end up empty-handed.
“Excuse us, won’t you? Sami’s got shit to do.”
He whisked her away with his formidable presence, made all the easier because she was laughing up a storm. “Excuse us? Sami’s got shit to do? Bwah ha ha!”
“Eh, he’s okay. His paper did a piece on the guest ranch last year. I just don’t want some fuckwad peckerwood coming around here thinking he’s gonna catch a glimpse of some celebrity starlet.”
She hugged him around the waist as they walked along. “You do know I’m done with all that, right? Samantha Hayes, America’s golden girl, only exists as a name in some legal papers and contracts.”
“Babe, I’m okay with whatever you do – as long as barefoot and pregnant is at the top of the priority list.”
“Are you threatening to put a baby in me?” She tried to put an outraged zing on her question, but even the suggestion of them having a kid together turned her to mush.
“Mom and April are already planning a baby shower.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.”
He hugged her and dropped a kiss on her head. “You could start by saying yes when I propose – next time. I cannot believe I have to do all that again.”
She toyed with him because hey, why the hell not? He kind of deserved it.
“Would it bother you if we had a baby and weren’t married?”
“It’s not what I want, Sami, but I’ll take whatever comes as long as we’re together.”
He pulled her by the hand behind a pick-up truck parked next to the tent. She was on him before he made his move. Opening her mouth, she invited a deep kiss that made her head swim. She grabbed his sexy cowboy butt for balance.
The kiss dissolved into laughter when the band playing at the far end of the enormous tent broke into “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.”
Johnny Seth and the Country YeeHaws had been around since she could remember. They played at everything. Johnny was a master blacksmith and his band a cross-section of country boys, young and old.
“I saw you talking to Johnny earlier.” He arched a brow, and she met the challenge without blinking. “You’re going to perform, aren’t you?”
Her hands at his waist stroked up and down the sides of his muscled torso. “I might have a thing or two to say to the guests. Musical notes may be involved.”
“Why do I have the feeling that something is up?”
“Oh, god,” she squawked. Grabbing his handsome face in her hands, she delivered a smacking kiss and then pushed off his chest. “Of course, something’s up! How could something NOT be up? It’s me, remember?”
Throwing her head back, she laughed with pure delight. He was in for one hell of a surprise.
Oh, by the way” – she snickered – “I couldn’t help but notice when I was copping a feel of your ass, that you have something in your back pocket. Tell me Wyn, is that grandma’s ring?”
“Fuck, yeah!” he answered with an incredulous look on his face. “I’m prepared, babe. Whenever you give the signal, I’m there locked and loaded. I’ll take the damn thing with me into the shower if I have to. Never know what’ll happen when a country girl wants to conserve water.”
Mmm. Speaking of showers … “We’re going to christen that gorgeous bathtub at the bunkhouse – maybe even later tonight. We’ll see.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
He squeezed a handful of her ass.
She did the idiot grin for the both of them.
“Okay, here’s how it’s gonna go, big guy. I need to calorie load. Make sure I have what it takes to remain standing to the end. Dad laid in enough Jack Daniels to pickle half the state’s population. Before the drinkin’ starts, I’ll need to eat.”
“Yeah.” Wyn sniggered. “We’ll be doing the JD shuffle before the night’s out.”
“You can shuffle, darlin’ – I’ll be bringing the bump and grind.”
* * *
Goddamn, she was hot. Smoking, fucking hot. Wyn couldn’t take his eyes off Sami as she made the rounds – stopping to shoot the shit with everybody. It was great seeing her where she belonged – here, with him, in a place where people knew the girl long before she became a superstar.
He caught Brad Colton staring a hole through his head, not once but several times, and wondered what was going through the man’s mind. A sliver of worry swirled in his gut. A decade ago, he’d asked Brad’s permission to propose to Sami. Was he supposed to re-apply? How did that work?
Another pair of eyes watching him closely belonged to his mom. She had a shit-eating smirk that made him keep checking to make sure his zipper wasn’t down or a wad of paper stuck to his boot. The sense that she knew what Sami was up to didn’t bother him so much as it piqued his curiosity.
“Yo, big brother. You still talking to me?”
Wyn turned slowly and gave Burke a dead stare. “The only reason you can still walk is that I like your mom.”
“Ha, ha, ha.” Burke punched his arm playfully. “You’re such an asshole, Wyn, but I love you too.”
“Don’t push your luck.”
Shocking the holy hell out of Wyn, Burke smacked him on the head.
“Newsflash, bro. Dad was on board with me forcing the issue, so maybe you save of that shitty ’tude for him?”
“Say what? Dad gave you the all clear?”
“God, you’re dumb. Yeah, Erwyn. We conspired behind your back. Look, I know Sami showing up without warning didn’t give you time to get your head on straight but Jesus on a canvas! You with the bitching and moaning got old right away. When you two started with the hickey reveals and a whole lot of bad attitude, we had to do something.”
Burke leaned in. “Dude, she had a right to know. Waiting for the perfect time to explain your side wasn’t going to end well. We figured if I did the deed and she needed to be mad, she could be pissed at me.”
When he put it that way, it did make sense.
Wyn made a snap decision and acted on it without pause.
“Takin’ a wild guess here but I’m thinking I’m gonna have my hands full for the foreseeable future.”
Burke laughed and thumped him on the back. “Ya think?”
“Anyway, ya douche, you did really good with the campground proposal, and I can see it’s an idea that sparks your interest. Time to grow up, little brother, and assume a more significant role with the Triple T. The ranch is your birthright too. So the campground project is all yours. When the papers are signed, and we can move ahead, you have my support to do whatever you want.”
“Seriously?” Burke sounded flabbergasted.
“Yeah. All yours. Like I said, I’ll be a bit busy making those grandbabies Mom is harping about, and since you’re a confirmed man-whore, that leaves the grandkids up to Sami and me. Pencil me in for the nine-to-five office grind, but my days of overnights and riding in the guest rodeos is over. Your turn, shithead.”
They did a fast bro-hug and went their separate ways. He started searching for Sami but kept coming up empty.
* * *
Oh god, oh god, oh god. Sami hopped up and down, shook her hands, and swung her head on her neck to release the tension building inside. Everything was riding on the next half hour. Jacked up and nervous, she used every stage fright reducer in the book to get herself under control.
Johnny saw her – the band was on a break – and
hurried over to talk.
“You got this, Sami?” he asked with a broad smile.
She chuckled and gave him a quick hug. “Pfft. Can do both songs in my sleep. It’s the other part that’s got me jumpy.”
“Aw, no worries, honey. Wyn’s a good man. Your instincts are solid. It’s as the sign says, County Gals Get Shit Done.”
She laughed, thinking about the sheet she and April designed early this morning using leftover barn paint and four or five jars of mix and match colors from the last time Millie’s got a paint job. It was barely dry when they hung it behind the makeshift stage. When it was her turn in the spotlight, April would pull a cord, and the stage banner would be revealed.
“He has no idea.” She snickered.
“Great! If there’s a universal truth about cowboys, it’s that every now and then, it’s good to turn the tables. Teach some of these good ole boys some goddamn humility.”
“Thanks for doing this, Johnny.”
He grinned. “Thanks for saying you’d sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to my granddaughter at her tenth. Scored me a shit ton of granddad points!”
The Yeehaw’s drummer walked over, twirling his sticks. He was a ranch hand at Burnt Knob who she never met before, but he seemed really nice.
“Ms. Colton? Can I ask a favor?”
Johnny sniggered. “Don’t embarrass me in front of the pretty lady, Tom.”
She shushed him with a giggling nudge and told the drummer to ask away.
“Yeah, um, the first song? My girlfriend will be down front. She’s the gal in the Yeehaw T-shirt, and I was hoping you’d maybe give her a shout-out from the stage. Just finished getting a nursing degree and started working with the travel clinic. Gracie is her name, and she sings that dang song all the time.”
“So your Gracie – she’s a good girl?”
Tom barked with laughter. “Fuck no. I mean, yeah, of course, but oh shit. You know what I mean.”
She found his bumbling reply charming and absolutely, one hundred percent cowboy standard.
“Leave it to me,” she told him with a wink.
“Let’s do this,” Johnny hollered. “Tom, go give Brad the signal and round up the rest of the boys.”
Sami took a deep breath.
“Country gals get shit done,” she chanted to herself as she put on her stage persona and got ready to grab the microphone.
* * *
Wyn took a spot at the side of the stage where he could see her the minute she came around the corner. The excitement of the crowd was palpable, and his heart was thumping like a bass drum.
Brad walked up to him and squeezed his arm. “I’ve got only one thing to say, boy.”
He swallowed hard and waited for Mr. Colton’s words of wisdom.
“Better buckle up ’cause my girl’s about to blow the lid.”
Without waiting for his reaction, the guy started laughing and kept on walking. He took the two stairs up to the stage and headed for the microphone.
“Howdy, everyone!” He took off his Stetson and waved it at the crowd who waved back and hollered.
“Thanks for being here to welcome my little girl home! Y’all know what a proud dad I am. My Sami stayed true to her roots and did ALL of us proud!”
Wyn was thrilled by the booming applause to Brad’s statement.
“And now she’s come home to write the next chapter in her amazing story. It takes balls, big ’uns, to walk away from fame, but ya know what? Sometimes what’s still out there is a whole lot more meaningful than a beach house and a bunch of shiny trophies.”
Every person went apeshit with thunderous applause.
“Now we’re in for a treat because you’re gonna witness something that y'all will be talking talking about in the years to come!”
Wyn clapped as hard and as loud as everyone around him.
“Buckle up, cowboys, shoo the ladies to the dance floor, and give it up for Sami Colton!”
Johnny’s band came onto the stage and then from behind the curtain strode Johnny Seth leading Sami as though she was royalty. Holding her hand high, he walked her to the mic and gave a low bow as the crowd went wild. She curtseyed and gave him a cheek kiss before turning to the audience to wave hello.
He was so damn proud of her he could spit.
She grabbed the microphone off the stand and started shouting greetings to the crowd. The plain backdrop fell away, and a colorful banner that declared country gals get shit done brought a roar of approval from all present.
He grinned and shook his head in wonder.
She’d changed clothes and put on a short white dress with bare shoulders and bell sleeves. Her dirty blond hair gleamed in the stage lights. The sexy cowgirl boots had actual bling and made her legs look dangerous.
Yeah, tonight was shaping up to be a helluva night.
“Thanks for being here!” she yelled. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, with y'all.”
He whistled and clapped as everyone around him looked his way and grinned.
“This is gonna be short and sweet. With the help of Johnny and his Yeehaws, I’ve got two songs for you! This first one is for the ladies, especially Gracie,” she said with a finger point into the crowd, “and a certain confidential cowboy who better listen up!”
The band ripped into Carrie Underwood’s hit “Good Girl” as every female present rushed forward to scream, sing along, and dance.
He grinned and grinned and grinned. Watching Sami belt out the song after publicly calling him out and the significance of the title made him glad there was a ring in his pocket.
Rocking out because she made it impossible to stand still, he high-fived a couple of guys and gave his dad a salute. Brad Colton was watching Sami, but the second she wrapped it up and started bantering with the crowd, he felt the man’s eyes on him again.
“Whew! That got the blood pumping, huh, ladies?”
Burke rushed forward from the other side of the stage and handed her a bottle of Jack Daniels. He leaned close and whispered something that earned him a punch to the arm and her raucous laughter.
“Okay, come on!” Sami crowed. “Who’s got a shot glass?”
Thank god she didn’t start guzzling from the bottle. He wanted her at least half sober later.
She had a shot. Johnny had one as well. They conferred about something and then she retook the mic.
“I’ve only got one more thing to say.” She looked directly at him with a tremendous smile.
The Yeehaw fiddler started first. Familiar notes filled the air and then it hit him at the same time the drums began. She chose a Bon Jovi standard that let him and the whole world know that “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”
He got into her growling delivery and let the lyrics sink into him. She hijacked a rainbow all right! With just two songs, she laid it all out for anyone with questions. He was so fucking happy he nearly crapped his pants.
Everyone was bobbing up and down at the end and holler-singing along.
When the last note faded and the crowd settled down, the band melted into the shadows, but Sami remained. She wasn’t finished, and he couldn’t wait to see what came next.
“So listen, about that thing behind me.”
Everyone looked at her and the backdrop as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder.
“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the whole getting shit done thing, and you know what? There’s something I need to do.”
She came to the edge of the stage and shielded her eyes from the light when she picked him out of the crowd.
“Oh, my fucking god,” he mumbled. “Sami, what are ya’ doing, girl?”
“Wyn Thomas – drag your fine cowboy butt up on this stage. Got something I wanna ask you.”
All the women murmured, “Oooh,” and a couple of the guys shouted, “Run!”
With the eyes of nearly everyone they know watching what he did and what she said, Wyn picked his way through the crowd and hopped on stage. She crooked h
er finger and called him closer.
When he was by her side, she made quite the show out of inspecting him like a side of beef. At the end of this little performance, she pretended to swoon, fanned herself, and accepted outstretched hand slaps from the women in front of the stage.
His ego was on maximum overload when she finished mugging for the crowd.
That was when he saw Brad Colton, April, and his mom and dad arm in arm at the side of the stage. All their faces were lit with joy.
“In the spirit of getting shit done,” Sami cooed. “I wanna know just one thing.”
He arched a brow and waited. If this was how she wanted it to go down, he was more than happy to oblige.
“Will you marry me?”
A collective gasp followed by shouts of, “Say yes, say yes,” filled the air.
He looked at the crowd – at his parents – at her dad and April – and exploded with happiness that they were here to see this. The moment was as much theirs as his and Sami’s.
He smirked. “Well, I don’t know. Will barefoot and pregnant be part of your vows?”
She looked shocked and then stomped her boots as she doubled over laughing. “Wyn,” she bellowed. “Really? My dad is right there.”
“Got the shotgun ready, honey!” Brad hollered to the delight of the assembled crowd.
He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love. The past ten years sucked, but he knew in his heart they weren’t ready the last time. Her coming home and him finally owning his part in what happened gave them the chance they needed.
There was never any doubt he’d say yes.
“Yes, Sami Colton, love of my life, I will happily marry you.”
She shrieked and jumped into his arms for a tonsil inspection that got the crowd groaning.
When they separated, he snickered. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?” she asked – genuinely curious.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a jewelry exchange in this arrangement?”
She crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “Why yes, Wyn. You are right. There is a jewelry requirement.”