Today is the BBQ at Sage's place. We didn't go to church today, so I asked Jason to text me when they were ready for us.
Kayla was up tossing and turning last night. Her ankle was bothering her, but after some medicine, and icing it, she finally fell asleep. I wanted to let her sleep in, which she did until after ten this morning. She woke up panicked about sleeping the day away, which was absolutely adorable. It didn't seem to help when I reminded her that she needed the rest.
Now in my truck on the way to Sage's, she’s staring at the scenery as we pass.
"As much as possible, I want you to sit and put your foot up. Everyone will understand, and I'm sure the pregnant ladies will join you. I don't want you to overdo it again."
"I’ll ice it at least twice. Does that make you happy?" she asks with a smirk, indicating she has no intention of doing so.
"I'll make sure Sage knows you need to be off your feet, too."
"Come on, it's not that bad!"
"Kayla, this is the second biggest ranch in the state of Texas. Let that sink in. This place is huge. There is a ton to see and do, so your cute little ass is going to park it in a chair and take it easy!"
When what I said sinks in, I take a deep breath. Shit, she is going to freak out, isn't she? But she hasn't said a word, so I risk a glance at her and she has a smile on her face.
"You think my ass is cute?" she jokes.
I just groan. If she only knew what I’ve been thinking about when it comes to her ass, she'd be horrified to sit in the car with me.
"Every part of you is cute and you know it," I tell her.
Kayla isn’t the kind of woman who fishes for compliments. She’s one of those women who knows she’s pretty but has brains and doesn't rely on her looks. When she got offended about Jason and Nick thinking she was sent to seduce them, that kind of sealed the deal for me. After that, I wanted to be around her even more.
"Well, it’s different when you say it." Her voice is low, and she’s looking out the window while talking to me.
It's probably best that she can't see what her words do to me. That she can't see how her simple confession made me hard. I shift in my seat and try to think about stitching up one of the rancher's legs that were sliced open last month. Thinking about it seems to do the trick, making my cock go down, though my head doesn't forget that we are in very dangerous territory here.
While she is here now, and as much as I want her to stay, I need to be careful because she will leave. Her life, her company, and even her family are in Dallas. She’s a city girl, through and through, and Rock Springs will be too small for her. So, I can't let myself go there. I just can't.
I turn on to a second dirt road that leads to the ranch gate.
"Lots of dirt roads around here," she says.
"Yeah, Sage's ranch is the only one here, so the state has no incentive to pave it. The family pretty much maintains it. When we had the blizzard Christmas before last, they had to plow their way back into town."
"I remember the blizzard,” Kayla says. “The whole city shut down. People were afraid to drive. I was in the office for four days straight before I could drive home."
"Didn't you watch the weather before going in?"
"Yes, but I was supposed to be home before it started. Then I got tied up with a meeting in China and by the time I was ready to go there was already over an inch on the ground, and I didn't have snow tires. My dad told me to stay. Thankfully, the couch in my office isn't bad to sleep on. Also, I have a mini fridge with food for my lunches, and I was able to work undisturbed because we never lost power."
"Did you at least take some time off after that?"
"Yes, I went home. Took an hour long bath and slept all day, took a second day to relax and read, and then was back at it again by day three."
I just shake my head. The woman is driven, I’ll give her that.
Pulling into the ranch, I go towards the left to Sage's place where the BBQ will be.
Kayla asks,"Why is the driveway split?"
"This used to be two separate ranches. Their parents live to the right, and the one on the left they bought about ten years ago. It's Sage's family's land. A long story, but they combined the ranch and the kids all moved in over here. As they got married, they fixed up the cabins on both sides of the property. It's a big family."
I pull up as close as I can to where everyone is, and Maggie comes rushing over to Kayla's door.
"I've got her. You go park your truck!" Maggie says, taking Kayla's hand.