The Cowboy's Prize

Chapter 15

"How many more dates before we can do that for real?" Scott whispered after a moment of blissed out silence.

"Two more..." I said, my voice trailing off with regret flooding my senses as I realised my own rules would make us wait, even though Scott was all I could think of.

"What say we make the next one something interesting then, something we'd never ordinarily do and something that involves other people so we aren't tempted to break the rules." His voice trailed off into silence as his thoughts took him elsewhere.

"What did you have in mind?" I whispered, wishing I could be open to breaking the rules, but knowing I never would.

"What's something you've always been afraid to try?" He asked softly, "Or maybe you didn't feel comfortable doing?" He added as I blinked taken aback.

"Afraid?" I asked with a question in my voice.

"Nervous?" He amended with a teasing tone.

"Is it manly to admit your fears now?" I asked responding to the smile in his voice.

"No, probably not." He said as his voice broke and I just knew he was smothering a laugh with his free hand.

"Listen....." I managed before he snorted into the phone. My jaw dropped as I let out a surprised giggle.

"Come on Princess, I'm not demanding something all caveman-esque or anything." He said with a rush. "Just something you've never done with anyone else. Something that will be new for both of us." Scott asked and sent me a photo of him making an air kiss with his eyes closed.

"You Dork!" I responded with a giggle.

"Live a little." He replied with his own chuckle. "What do you have to lose?"

"Only my life!" I exclaimed as I said the first thing that came into my mind as that particular expression burst from my lips. "Hot air ballooning!" Then smacked my hand over my mouth as I thought about heights and falling to my death from the sky.

"Done!" He said, delight in his voice.

"Shit...really?" I asked as he sent me a string of blue hearts.

"Totally, I know a guy." He replied and then asked me to send another picture.

So I sent him a picture of my pillow.

"Tease." He said.

"Yep." I answered.

"Get some beauty sleep Princess." He said, "You're going to need it if I can get us a seat on the next flight."

"What do you mean?" I asked with confusion.

"You have to be on the ground and ready to fill the balloon at 5.30am." Scott admitted and then hung up laughing as I screeched with horror.

"Hell no." I yelled at the no longer responsive cell phone then burst out laughing. "If you can get me up at that time of morning, it must be love." I said out loud to blank screen and then really thought about the words that had just left my lips.

What was this thing that was happening? Did I trust him to be there through everything? Could I trust him to stick around if I told him everything about what had happened with Alastair? Could I let this new person in my life distract me from my dreams? Would he even care about my ambition? I knew he had his own and that reminded me of his risk taking side.

Could I stick around while he tried to kill himself winning the tournament that I knew he should have been preparing more vigorously for? We hadn't exactly spoken about his training which I knew he was fitting in around our time together. He seemed so solid, dependable and real. Not some faker who would run as soon as things got tough. But was that just my impression or was it real?