Caramel | Rip Wheeler

Caramel - Chapter Twelve

"Fuck." Rip shot up out of his sleep, shaking Maria slightly so she'd wake up. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. Trees, lake, sun. A sun that looked to be almost midway through the sky and was heating up the black plastic truck bed they were lying on. "Hey." He shook her leg a bit, watching as she moaned and groaned herself awake. He was very late to something very important.

"What?" She groaned, her eyes barely open a slit, but when she saw Rip and the fact they were not inside, her eyes widened and she sat up. She grabbed her head, feeling a head rush. "Ouch, too fast." She shut her eyes. "Fuck." She sighed. "I left my damn coat at the bar."

"God damn it." Rip muttered, gathering his belongings in search of his phone. Once he found it, he saw how worried everybody was, asking for his and Maria's whereabouts. "I had to take the boys up the mountain, we're moving cattle for the next week."

She couldn't remember falling asleep, she just remembered laughing and holding him under the stars all night. "Fuck." She mumbled. "Did we have sex?"

Rip furrowed his eyebrows, as if it was obvious. "No." He shook his head. "Why would that even cross your mind?"

"Oh okay, sorry." She shrugged, "Didn't know I was so damn revolting."

Rip glared at her, pausing his movement. "You'd been drinking." He said. "I'd been drinking." She hummed, but didn't respond. He continued pulling his boots on, hopping off of the truck bed after he did so.

He offered his hand so he could help her hop off but she jumped over the side, landing on her feet. He rolled his eyes, knowing everything was going to be back to normal because she was incapable of change.

He set his hat on his head, patting his pockets in search of his keys. "You comin'?"

"Apparently not." She mumbled, causing him to raise his eyebrows with a scowl on his lips. "I mean, yeah. Sure." She walked around, opening the passenger seat. He climbed in next to her, shutting the door behind him. "Are you going to call back and let them know we're okay?"

"No." He shook his head with his response. "We're about ten minutes down the road, they'll see us in a bit."

"Kay." She shrugged, crossing her legs with her feet on the dash. "Can I come with?"

"Where?" He fumbled with the radio, setting it on the news station.

"Your little cattle getaway trip."

"It's a weeks worth riding." He glanced at her then back at the road. "And you hate sleeping anywhere but that bed of yours."

"You don't think I can handle myself out there?"

"Nah, I know you can." He nodded, a teasing laugh escaping his mouth. "I'd hate to see you wrestle a bear." He snickered. "That poor bear."

She looked over at him with a small amused smile as they pulled into the ranch, everybody was waiting with their horses packed and an annoyed frown on their face. They were only about two hours late, but they were still late.

"I'm in trouble." She muttered under breath, noticing John watching the truck pull up with his hands on his hips.

She opened the door when the truck came to a stop. She kept her eyes down at her boots, she felt like a teenager who didn't come home on time.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were?" John scolded sternly with the infamous look of disappointment.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, wrapping her arms around him. "I had too much to drink and Rip took care of me."