Tamed and Free

Chapter 11: Both

"He-Hey." Deacon finally said as he mentally shook his head clear.

Gatlin walked over to the table, "You didn't have to set the table." She noticed the mushrooms, "Or cook food. I was going to surprise you."

Deacon smiled, "You did, with the beautiful dress." He bent down to pick the new puppy up while she sat in one of the kitchen chairs, "Now, don't get mad but I found something by my truck today while picking up more groceries. I hope you don't mind." He sat the puppy in her arms.

"A puppy!" She exclaimed as she pet it. "Does she get along with Beau?" She scratched behind his ears.

"Oh yeah." Deacon sat at the other chair that he had set. "I put the little girl down and she ran to Beau. Beau sniffed her and watched her eat." He was already fixing his plate to his liking.

"So is she yours or..." Gatlin questioned.

Deacon had just put a mouthful of the roast in his mouth, "She can be ours. If you want."

Gatlin looked up from the puppy with puppy like eyes herself. Her cheeks went red from shyness. "Are you asking me to be with you?" She asked him quietly.

Deacon finally swallowed and looked at her. His face immediately went red. "Yeah... I mean... That is... I would.... If you..." He stuttered, frantically trying to find the words. "I mean I figured the kiss last night, the sparks, meant we were."

Gatlin's smile got bigger, "Okay. Well I want to name her Dixie. Seems fitting." She put Dixie back in the floor and they watched her go over to the dog bed with Beau.

"Dixie it is. Now let's eat."

Deacon and Gatlin began eating dinner and talking about their days. Gatlin told him that she cleaned the house all day while Deacon explained he didn't really know what she ate but tried to get things that they would eat. Both of them cutting up. As they were cleaning up their plates, there was a knock on the door.

"You invite someone else over?" Deacon joked.

Gatlin looked confused and scared, "No. I didn't."

Deacon saw the look, "Mind if I answer it?"

"Not at all." Her eyes were huge and her body was like stone. Deacon went over to the door and opened it.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

This man that looked like he had to many beers and Deacon didn't know how he got up the stairs was in the doorway. "Who the hell are you?" He screamed in Deacon's face.

"Deacon. And you?" He heard Gatlin whisper the name Jeff.

"I'm the owner of this barn and this land. Where is my damn daughter?!" He screamed in Deacon's face, his breath reeked of beer.

Deacon looked over at Gatlin who was slowly trying to curl up into a ball. He could only see the back of her but the tense body language was all he needed. He turned to look at the man, "She is finishing up her dinner. I don't think she wants to talk to you." He said in a protective voice.

"That's too damn bad. Tell that little bitch that-"

"I will not tell a bitch anything. But if you would like me to tell this beautiful young lady anything, I will be happy to." Deacon was stern.

"Fine. Tell Gatlin that her biological dad would like to spend the day with her tomorrow." He mumbled and then louder, "And that if you are staying with her then she needs to let her mama know."

"I will do that." Deacon shut the door back and went straight to Gatlin, wrapping his arms around her. "You did hear him didn't you?"

She nodded her head. Then took a deep breath, "I have to work tomorrow anyway." She got up and gathered all the dirty dishes. "Would you like to pick a movie or something for us to watch with our boys now?"

Deacon grabbed what she couldn't, "I don't mind helping you clean up. But hey," He turned her to him, "I will stay as long as I need to if you are that scared of him." He began helping her with dishes.

The tension in the air from Jeff seemed to die away as they washed and dried the dishes as well as getting into bubble fights from the soapy water. The laughter was music to the walls of the home they were in.

Just like in the movies, after they put the dishes up, the couple cuddled on the couch. Gatlin gave Deacon the remote as Deacon covered both of them up with the blanket made of his tartan.

"This is a beautiful blanket." She said as Beau got behind her legs and Dixie between them.

Deacon put his arms around her and picked a movie from them to watch, "Thanks. It's my tartan." He pressed play on the exorcism movie.

Both of them feeling they could do this every night.

Deacon woke up to the sound of not only his alarm but another at five in the morning. He turned his alarm off on his phone and rolled over to the other. He saw Gatlin slam her hand on the alarm clock and get up. "Morning." He said groggily.

"Morning." She answered back, equally as tired. "You work today too?"

He got to the edge of the bed as she was doing her morning routine in the bathroom, "Yes, but I don't have to be in till nine. What time do you got to be in?" He was beginning his routine in the bedroom. Dressing himself in one of the gray shirts with a blue paid over shirt and jeans with his boots.

"Nine." She answered with a mouthful of toothpaste and her toothbrush. She spit it out and walked to the bathroom door. "But I go see my mama before I leave. Do you mind taking Dixie with you to work. I take Beau with me at the ranch, but I don't know if your uncle would mind you taking a dog."

"I'm sure he won't mind. So breakfast?"

Deacon headed to the kitchen and made eggs, grits, and shrimp for breakfast, throwing the food into two bowls and grabbing the glasses for grape juice. Gatlin finished getting dressed by adding a salmon colored tank top from a local restaurant to her soft blue plaid over shirt with her jeans and work boots. She had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail. She walked into the kitchen and ate with her new boyfriend. They made plans to take the dogs to the dog park after work since they both got off at five and then later Merida invited them to dinner at her place.

During the middle of breakfast, Gatlin handed a small, velvet bag to Deacon. "I kind of need you to have this now." She said.

Deacon turned the bag over in his hand, "What is it?"

"Open it." She said with a smile forming.

He opened the bag revealing a key that had pink camo painted on it with a mushroom keychain. "What is this?"

Gatlin grabbed her keys, revealing a key with a mountain scene painted on it to him, "I figured since you are staying here, you might want to have your own key. That is my spare key though. We can go tomorrow or during our lunch breaks to get one you may like. But for now, this is yours."

He looked up and and kissed her lips. "Thanks. We can go today if you want. But this is amazing. Thank you Honeysuckle." He called her that last night while they were getting in bed. It made her laugh so he figured it could become his own little nickname for her.

"Sure. Meet at the hardware store? We can go get the key and go get lunch." She kissed him back to feel the electricity still running through her body. He put the key in his pocket. "I'm guessing you don't like pink?" She asked teasing.

Deacon stared at his bowl, "It's not that. It's just that-" He started to explain.

"I'm kidding Honey Bee." She put her arm on his bicep. Last night, after he called her Honeysuckle, she called him Honey Bee and explained the Blake Shelton song to him. And the names stuck.

They started talking about if they needed to pick anything else up from the store and how much they each enjoyed their night last night. They both felt like it was normal, something they should always do together. After eating, Gatlin checked her watch.

"Breakfast was amazing. I will see you tonight." She kissed Deacon goodbye while getting up from the chair, "Bye Honey Bee." Grabbing her keys and bag, she turned to Beau, "Come on Beau, work time." Putting her cowboy hat on, they headed down the stairs for work.

Deacon washed all the breakfast dishes and done his bathroom routine. He made her bed, or their bed for the week, and picked up around the home. He looked at his phone, it was eight thirty. He grabbed up Dixie. They both went out the door, locking it behind him.