We make it out to my car and Able steals the keys from me before I have a chance to offer for him to drive. My uncle Bo gave this car to me. It’s a nicer than most of the students here will ever be able to afford. Able just likes to see how fast he can get it before I scream at him to slow down.
“One of these days you’re going to get put in jail for racing,” I say as he revs the engine.
“I’ll tell him you made me do it.” He reaches over, tickling my side until I squirm away from him. “Sorry my uncle didn’t buy me a sixty G sports car. The men in my family work hard for nice cars. And they don’t give them away.” He laughs, still trying to tickle me while I fight him.
“Hey, that’s not fair! My uncle worked hard for his money. And this wasn’t bought for me, it was handed down when he upgraded.” I pet the dashboard. “Plus, your uncle would buy you a truck and a flannel shirt. And apparently you don’t wear buttons sooo....” I smirk at him and his eyebrows raise to the top of his forehead. “I think your dad looks good in his flannel.”
“What!” he shouts, quickly removing his hands from tickling me. “Aw, dude, no. Come on.” Cringing, both his hands grab the wheel. “Just for that.” His foot hits the gas and my car rockets forward.
I shriek out a laugh and buckle my seatbelt then glance over at him. He’s smiling, solely focused on the road and handsome as hell.
“So after school are you moving home to keep up with the family business?”
He chuckles nervously and runs his hand through his hair. “I’m supposed to. Don’t really want to.” Shrugging, he glances at me. “I still really want to join the army but my mom lost her shit at that idea and my dad nixed it pretty quickly. They expect me to go back home and happily take over my Uncle Jack’s company like I’ve always wanted that or something. I never wanted that. I really don’t want to, Annie.” He sighs like he does when he’s getting stressed. It’s rare Able gets stressed over something like this, but I’m always there to calm him down. “But I don’t want to disappoint them either.” A desperate blue-eyed gaze meets mine.
“Your parents are good people, Able.” I reach over and take his hand like I would any other time he needs calming. “They want what makes you happy. They’d never force you to do something you didn’t want to and they’re not going to disown you if you decide construction isn’t your thing.” I know the feeling of not wanting to let your parents down. But the difference is that I want to take over the Ranch. I want to go home and be in charge. Able...doesn’t. “What are you going to do if you don’t take over?”
He snorts. “Is it bad we’ve been in college for almost three years and I still don’t know what I want to do? I’d be happy just like...I don’t know...settling down and working a modest job. Just being happy, ya know? I don’t need a party every day and won’t die if I don’t travel the world. I wanted to join the army. I like guns.” He chuckles. “I like the thought of combat. Defending our country. But I won’t break my mom’s heart so I’m not going to do that. I have no other goals.” He shrugs and shoots me a quick glance. “I’m a loser. I know.”
“You’re not a loser,” I snap. “Don’t say that about yourself. You’re in your last year at a kickass college and haven’t failed out.” I smirk. “It was close there for a while but you got your shit together and you’re going to do amazing things after school.” I give his hand a squeeze, realizing I’m still holding it. But he’s got a good grip on mine, too... “You're going to end up happy, Able. Don’ let your family guilt you into anything else. What about your sister? Can’t she take over the business?”
“Which one?” He smirks. “I don’t know what my sisters want to do with their lives. I should probably go home and visit. Me and Renee are only six years apart, but I don’t think she’s ready to think about her future. All the other rugrats only care about breakfast cereal and cellphones. Not sure any of them care about the fam business yet.” He smiles over at me, that handsome smile beaming. One day he’ll get his shit together and figure out how to nail the dating thing. One day he’ll make some woman really happy...
“Yeah. My siblings are all over the farm. I’m not sure why my parents had so many. I was the only one they really needed.” I giggle, trying to push aside the worry and sadness that Able’s going to have an amazing family some day and refocus on my future. A future of farm animals and cowboys that like to do stupid shit.
“Dude, one day you gotta take me there. I won’t wear a flannel, but I’d love to try and ride a horse. Or a bull.” He laughs. ”Your uncle can show me how it’s done.”
“Oh man,” I laugh. “No. Uncle Bo won’t let anyone in town near a bull. His kid tried to head to the next town over one time for a small town rodeo competition and Bo about lost his marbles. I’ve never heard so many curse words yelled at a kid before.” I laugh. “But he’s just like his daddy, always tryin’ to find trouble.” I grin at him. “I’ve been told stories of how him and my dad used to do some stupid shit on the farm and it makes me wonder how we’re making it so sheltered. You know my mom won’t let my little brothers go to the lake to swim without her there?”
He’s cracking up by the time I finish and I furrow my brows, not sure what I said that’s so funny. “I fuckin’ love when you do that!” He slaps the steering wheel.
“Do what?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“You’re so focused on the story.” He stops to catch his breath. “God, it’s cute. I’m sorry, Annie.” Reaching over he rubs my hair a little. “You’re adorable sometimes. But you have the thickest southern drawl I’ve ever heard, and my family’s from Tennessee.” He’s laughing hard again.
“Oh god,” I whisper, trying to tuck the accent back where it belongs. I can feel my cheeks warm with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, not trusting my own voice.
I’ve worked my hardest these last few years to not sound like an uneducated hick. I hate that the accent does that to someone. It can sound sexy as hell on guys, but the minute a small, country bumpkin girl like me starts talking with an accent, all credibility is lost.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s cute as hell.” He grins and rubs my shoulder a little. “First time I heard it I was so confused. Why do you hide it? It’s kind of sexy.” He shrugs, his hands back on the wheel.
“For starters things can’t be cute and sexy at the same time. It doesn’t work that way,” I mumble, hating the delicious feeling in my gut from him saying something I do is ‘sexy’.
With raised brows he looks over at me. “They can’t? You ever been in a guy’s head? Trust me. They can. Cute, sexy, beautiful, pretty, all at the same time and they each mean different things but they all can apply to a woman he’s...into. Ya know? Like if I were into you, you’d be all those things to me. Hence making you perfect. Not you, but you know what I mean. Like that’s how dude’s brains work. But anyway, go on with your logic of why you have to hide the cute and sexy accent.” He rolls his hand.
“Uh...” I stare at him for a minute, studying his face. So he doesn’t like me like Jimmy said? Huh. “I uh... It’s just, it makes me sound uneducated. And I'm taking over a ranch worth millions. I need to sound educated. That’s all.” I don’t like talking about this subject. I don’t like bringing up why I hide certain parts of me. They’re a part of me for a reason. And I love those parts. But people in big cities...well...they don’t.
“Did you really just say that?” He’s pissed. “Who the fuck ever told you that? ‘Cause I'll beat their ass right now. We’ll head south right this minute so I can kick that red neck’s ass. Who the fuck made you think that? Nothing, and I mean nothing you do makes you sound or seem uneducated. You’re probably the smartest person I've ever met. Like seriously. Twenty years from now I could see you running for president or something crazy.”
“Calm down, Cujo. No one ever told me that. It’s just the impression I get. And trust me, no one back home feels that way. The accent’s only hidden here. And around big city folk.” Fuck, there it went again.
“Well I’m offended. I thought we were good enough friends you could be yourself around me.” The smile on his face tells me he’s teasing, but he’s right.
“So you’re sayin’ you want this nice country twang in every conversation, then?” I bat my eyes at him after pulling out the thickest most natural tone I could. “Because, doll, I can do that.”
Laughing, he puts the car in park and unbuckles, jumping over the console. “God I love it!” He attacks me with tickles making me scream. “Laugh in a southern twang.” He has me pinned until my squirming accidentally makes me slam his head against the side window and we both stop.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” I blurt, gripping where he just whacked the window. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles, staring into my face and when his eyes drop to my lips I quickly look out the window. “Does it annoy you I tickle you all the time?” He shifts back over to his side and pushes open the door. “’Cause I just realized that’s probably really annoying.” He rubs the back of his neck, seeming to think something over.
“No,” I say. “I’ve never thought it was annoying. It’s...” What is it, anyway? “It makes me happy, I guess.” I shrug and furrow my brows, trying to figure out why being tickled so much doesn’t annoy me like it should. Looking at Corben’s place, I cringe. “It annoys me that your friend doesn’t know how to clean up his lawn, though,” I mumble.
Beer cans everywhere.
“The guy just had a party. Cut him some slack.” He starts picking up the litter and I try to help but I almost grabbed a beer can in a pile of puke.
“Gross,” I mutter, walking up to the porch. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Hey.” He grabs my wrist with his free hand. “You didn’t have to come if you didn’t want to. You coulda stayed with Kate. Or we coulda did something else.”
“No I couldn’t have.” I pat my purse holding my note pad. ”Corben was at the party last night. Maybe he has answers.”
“Oh...yeah. We’re still on this.” He clears his throat and pulls open the door for me.