For Her, He Will

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Rodeos and Ramblings

Oakley looked at her reflection in the mirror in the bathroom. She couldn't remember the last time she had curled her hair, but she smiled seeing how it fell past her shoulders to the middle of her back. Her black turtleneck was tucked into a long denim skirt, belted at her waist.

Oakley reached up and touched the necklace around her neck, a gift given to her last Christmas from her mother. It was a pretty turquoise half-moon-shaped pendant with smaller orange stones surrounding the chain. Oakley wasn't big into jewelry, the ring Kayce had given her really the only thing she wore, but she missed her mom today for some reason...so she chose to wear it.

She needed to call her parents more often.

"Oaks?" Kayce called out, walking into the bedroom and then the bathroom.

"I'm ready," Oakley said, meeting him at the doorway.

"Damn," Kayce eyed her up and down. "We should go to the rodeo more often if that's what I get to see you in."

"We still need to pick up Tate," Oakley rolled her eyes. "Keep it in your pants, cowboy."

"I think that's the meanest thing you've ever said to me," Kayce smirked as his eyes followed Oakley back into their bedroom.

"Red or black?" Oakley asked, holding up two different boots.

"Black," Kayce said, his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his jeans. "You're feisty enough today it seems."

"Red it is," Oakley smiled as she slipped the red boots onto her feet.

They made their way out to Kayce's truck. After they picked up Tate from his grandfather's place, they headed to watch Jimmy in the Darby Rodeo. Kayce shut Oakley's door for her once she was up in his truck. But when Kayce was driving past the main house a figure walked out.

"What's he want?" Kayce mumbled and Oakley looked over to see John waiting for them.

Kayce pulled up next to where John was standing and rolled his window down.

"Darby?" John asked and Kayce nodded.

John glanced at Oakley before he nodded his head.

"Room for one more?" John asked.

Kayce looked over at Oakley and it surprised her. She reached over and held his arm on the console before looking at John with a small smile.

"Of course," Oakley nodded. "We've got to pick up Tate first."

"Alright if they follow?" John asked, nodding to an SUV Oakley hadn't seen before which was running.

"Who's they?" Kayce eyed the SUV.

"My new security," John sighed.

Oakley's grip on Kayce's arm tightened. She knew the colorful words probably swirling through Kayce's mind right now.

"Tate will love hearing about them from you," Oakley smiled.

"Good," John opened the backseat. "I need some grandson time myself."

Kayce sent Oakley a look that said he wasn't too pleased with this, but Oakley patted his arm as he pressed down on the gas once John shut his door.

**

"Then they poured blood over us," Tate said.

"The fuck?" Kayce asked quietly from the front seat, making Oakley smack his arm before turning around in her seat to look at Tate.

"Blood?" She asked him. "They poured actual blood on you?"

"Well," Tate glanced at John. "It smelled a little fruity if you asked me."