Chapter Seven
Graeme knew he was behaving like a man who was crazily in love but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He believed Cullen was a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. There was nothing else he wanted more than to bring a smile to her face and to see her happy.
Their relationship was progressing at a breakneck speed. It seemed like Cullen finally accepted it was something she couldn’t fight against. On the ranch, in front of the other employees, they were professional, careful, but when it was just the two of them, then the sparks flew. Often, she came over to his place after dinner and they spent many nights making wild love. He didn’t feel comfortable staying at the farmhouse because of Jackie’s presence.
Graeme wasn’t a shy man, but he liked to give respect where it was due. Surely, Jackie wouldn’t be totally at ease with the idea of her daughter sleeping with a man right under her nose. He understood, and although Cullen didn’t say anything, he could tell she preferred to come to his place. It was an arrangement that worked out fine. He enjoyed an excellent relationship with Jackie and with others who worked on the ranch.
Like it or not, he’d found his home, and this was the best place to be.
He decided to up the ante. When Cullen came over after dinner to watch television with him, he put an arm around her shoulders and nuzzled her neck. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Why don’t we do something special?”
She moved away from him, so she could stare into her eyes. “What do you have in mind?”
Graeme had been working on this idea for some time. “It’s a surprise. How about I pick you up tomorrow at ten?”
“We have work to do in the morning,” she countered. “Nothing comes to a stop on a ranch.”
“I know, but I think one day we can relax the rules a bit and let others take care of things.”
She sighed. “I’ve got some paper work to do. How about we meet at eleven?”
“Okay.”
“We’ll be going out in the car?”
He smiled. “I’ll tell you when I see you.”
She turned to face the TV and changed the channel. “Alrighty then. I’ll look forward to it.”
They watched TV for a while and then made love on the rug. It was a beautiful, tender moment and although Graeme wanted her to spend the night with him, she went away because she wanted to make an early start. He didn’t mind. There was some preparation he needed to do anyway. He’d never done something quite like this for another woman, but for Cullen, he wanted to make an effort.
He loved her.
Yes, love.
Graeme wasn’t as yet sure if she was there yet, if she wanted the same things he did, but soon he would find out. His heart kept pounding and he found it difficult to sleep after she left. At six in the morning, he was up and ready to go. First, he made the preparations he wanted and then he went into the farm office. He completed some paperwork and then checked on the progress of the new barn. It would soon be ready. This reminded him that they were due to leave to buy the cattle next week. Once they made the purchase, it would take another two weeks for the cattle to be delivered and from then on, their lives would get even busier.
Cullen was already interviewing potential workers who had the necessary experience and drive to tend the cattle for them. They would also need more ranch hands, and it would be better if some of them stayed on the job. The next project was to build more cottages on the east side of the farm. Things were rolling and before they got too heated, he wanted to put the final touches to their relationship.
Maybe he was crazy to pursue a woman who seemed so determined to keep him at arm’s length, but Graeme was never one to sit back and let things happen to him. He was a doer, and this was just his style. When he wanted something, he went after it, and he wanted Cullen—loved her even. He was honest enough to admit to himself that he’d never loved another woman as he did her. It wasn’t just about the sex—and although that was great—what he needed from her was stability, commitment, and love.
The thought that she might turn him down made the tension he’d already started feeling in his stomach to increase. Perhaps if she wasn’t on the same page, he might not be able to work with her because each time he looked into her eyes, his heart would break.
But this wasn’t the time to think of such dark thoughts. What he wanted to do more than anything was to give himself the permission to do things the way he felt and not how he thought. When it came to Cullen, his mind and heart were always at war because he yearned to do so much for and with her, but he always ended up pulling himself back. He’d become desperate to win her love, but it had nothing to do with his need to be with someone, but rather with his need to be with her…Cullen.
At 11 o’clock sharp, he was at the farmhouse. He rang the bell.
She opened the door. Seeing King and Sauron, their two horses, she lifted an eyebrow. “We’re going riding?”
“Yes, we are.” He smiled. “Don’t worry; it’s not far.”
Cullen opened her mouth as if to question him further, but instead she snapped it shut. She shook her head as if she changed her mind, stepped down and took the reins of her horse.
After he helped her mount, Graeme mounted his horse and together they rode off, with him leading the way. He had a destination in mind. He’d scouted it already, and it was perfect for what he planned.
The ride reminded him of the first time he’d gone to see the ranch with her. Probably the time when he first fell fast in love with her. No woman ever won his heart at such a great speed. Actually, he didn’t remember ever feeling so crazy in love with anyone ever before. The women who came into his life before were all compassionate and beautiful, but they couldn’t hold a candle next to Cullen.
Cullen was exceptional.
Without her, he couldn’t imagine a life, at least, not a happy one—and now all he had to do was to convince her to grant him a space by her side.
What if she didn’t love him in return? If she told him she wasn’t thinking along those lines, he wouldn’t know what to do. No. Once again, he forced himself to veer off the path of such negative thoughts. Instead, Graeme concentrated on the way her hair bounced under the hat she wore, and the grace she emanated as she handled her horse, and the way the sunbeams danced on her as she rode.
They reached the stream that veered off from the main river. It cut through the ranch and meandered away. He’d found a shady spot under two trees that were nearly joined together. The carpet of grass that grew underneath was thick and lush. On the bank of the stream were wild flowers of various hues and shades. The perfect spot for a picnic, and before he’d picked her up, Graeme had already brought the picnic basket.
Seeing it, she halted.
He rode ahead a little to check her expression. Much to his consternation, she looked a little dizzy. “I thought we might do a picnic.”
She lifted her eyes to gaze at him.
Then he realized she was overwhelmed. Score one for him.
“You remembered my perfect date?”
His lips curved in a smile as he dismounted. Then he came forward to help her dismount. “How could I forget?” Her body slipped into his arms and then he gazed into her lovely eyes. Graeme then bent his head to brush his lips over hers. He stepped away. Holding her hand, he tugged her forward. “Come on.”
They took off their hats and set them on the picnic mat that he’d already spread out earlier.
Cullen gazed around. “It’s a beautiful day for a picnic.”
“Yes, the weather cooperated.” Graeme opened the basket and took out a bottle of wine and two glasses. She held the glasses while he opened the bottle and poured the wine. They clinked the glasses and each took a sip. “I couldn’t advertise my plans to your mother, so I prepared the food. I hope it’s good enough.”
“What did you make?”
“Sandwiches, oven-baked chicken, cheese, and stuffed mushrooms, along with some fruit and a salad.”
“Wow! Consider me impressed because that’s more than I can cook.” Cullen giggled. “Never learnt it from my mother. Sure, she tried, but I was always more interested in the farm and horses.” She took another sip. “Now my sister, Shayne, she can cook.”
“I don’t think a prerequisite for being a woman is your ability to cook,” he stated. “Or that a man needs to drive well and be able to fix every door and window in the house.” His lips quirked in a smile when she gave him a stunned glance. “Sorry. I just have an issue against people assigning gender-based roles. In my house, my mother was the one who cooked and cleaned but my father helped whenever he could. My mom had a full time job, and she couldn’t do it alone. My father understood that, respected it, and supported her.”
“Your parents must’ve been crazy in love.”
“They were. I suppose that’s the main reason I felt the need to move away from there. Wherever I looked, there were memories of them, and it was painful to think about their early deaths.”
“I’m sorry.” She put a hand on his arm. “It hurts not to have family around.”
He took a big sip. “Yes, it does but I’m glad that I found my way here. This is my home now. Cullen…” It was now or never. If he didn’t do so now, the words he wanted to say would always bubble and simmer in his heart. He gazed into her eyes. She looked so happy, so carefree, that he lost the courage. If he told her, and she wasn’t thinking along the same lines, he would lose these precious moments. “I’m glad you came here with me.”
“And I’m delighted to be here with you,” she responded.
The moment was gone, and the words were still inside him, but he didn’t mind. There would be plenty of opportunities to say what he wanted later. After all, none of them were going anywhere. He opened the basket and took out the food. They shared a good meal and spent the time telling stories about their childhood to each other. He had to admit that her parents did a fine job of raising three girls. They all seemed to have had a great time running wild on the farm and pulling pranks on each other.
“I remember one day when Shayne and I put a snake in Paige’s bed,” she recalled. “Her scream brought every ranch hand who was within a mile of the farm house.”
“And the snake was…”
“…Not real, of course.” She laughed and her eyes glittered like jewels. “My mother grounded us for a week.”
“I was an only child, so life was peaceful and well…perfectly boring when my parents weren’t around, but since I was growing up on a ranch, there were always one or two kids around. I spent a lot of time with the ranch hands and the animals. Learnt everything early on,” he admitted.
“It’s a different life. Shayne always dreamt of going to a big city and making a life there but I’ve always known I would stay here.”
“And your sister’s happy in the big city?”
A shadow crossed her face.
Graeme then felt as if he’d intruded on something personal.
She gulped down the rest of her wine. “She’s having some troubles lately, but I know her. She’ll land on her feet. That’s what she does.”
He didn’t want to pry into her personal issues, especially when she appeared reluctant to talk about them. “Your parents have raised strong girls.”
“Yes, they have.”
The meal progressed smoothly. He enjoyed spending time with her. It was one of the best dates he’d been on, and Graeme was quite sure that better things would follow. All he needed to do was be patient and soon, he would have exactly what he wanted…Cullen’s heart.