I shut my door and quickly changed into some jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.
When I got downstairs, I heard my parents talking to their best friends in the kitchen. I tiptoed around the corner and hustled down the back hallway to the garage. I went out the garage and jogged over to my truck. Thankfully, I’d parked down by the barn, so no one was blocking me in.
The next thing I knew, I heard Heather laughing as she was running to the truck. When I turned, she jumped into my arms.
Oh my god, my ribs. I couldn’t help it. I let out a grunt.
“Oh my god! Oh shit, shit, shit! I forgot about your ribs. Oh, Josh, I’m so sorry!”
I laughed and pulled her back to me. With one look into those eyes, I forgot all about the pain. I kissed her quickly before I picked her up and carried her over to the passenger side of my truck. Once she was in, I jogged around to the other side and got in.
As I pulled out of the driveway, I saw my parents standing outside the garage door, smiling. I gave them a quick wave and headed off to the back pasture.
I parked the truck in my favorite spot and turned it off. I looked over at Heather and smiled. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“I thought we were going for a ride?”
“We did. This is my favorite place to come to when I just want to relax and think. Wait until you see the stars. ” I rolled down the truck windows and turned up my iPod. “Come on, the sun is going down. They’re gonna start popping out!”
I jumped out of the truck and went over to help her out. I took her hand and led her to the front of the truck. “Climb up,” I said.
“Up where?”
“Onto the hood of the truck. ”
“You want me to climb up on the hood of your brand new truck? And do what?”
I let out a laugh. God, she’s so damn adorable. “Just lie back and look at the sky, princess. I promise it’ll be worth it. ” Then, I stopped and stared at her. “Have I ever brought you out here?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Nope, this would be a first!”
Perfect.
I wasn’t sure how long we were on the hood of my truck, just talking. We talked about everything from the grades we made in high school to our first fight. I couldn’t get enough of her. She cried once when she started to tell me about her parents. I hated that she had to live through it all over again, just to tell me once more, but I wanted to know.
Everything about her was…amazing. She was beyond perfect in every way.
“I still can’t believe Jeff talked you into buying a Ford. You loved your Dodge so much. ”
I sat up on my elbows and looked at her, stunned. “Wait, Jeff said I wanted to get a Ford because my Dodge was having a hard time pulling my trailer with the furniture on it. ” I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach.
Heather let out a laugh. “Your Dodge pulled your trailer just fine! Jeff always teased you about your truck, and…” She stopped when she realized what was going on. “Oh no, Josh!” She giggled.
“That dirty, rotten, motherfuckin’ asshole. I’m gonna kill him! I’m. Going. To. Kill. Him. ”
Heather couldn’t stop laughing.
I just sat there in shock. I let that bastard talk me into a Ford truck. “I trusted that motherfucker. And Gunner! Why didn’t he say anything?”
“Probably because they both love Fords,” Heather said with a shrug.
I leaned back and looked up at the sky. I was tired of talking. I just wanted to enjoy this time with her.
Then, I heard Jason Aldean’s “Talk” playing through my speakers. So perfect. I grabbed her hand and slid us down the hood. “Dance with me. ”
She smiled and walked into my arms. I pulled her in closer to me and just held her as we danced under the stars.
“I want to make love to you so damn bad, princess,” I said in her ear.