To Rodeo To Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter 32 (Last Chapter)

Caisson takes a deep breath and urges herself forward. Clunk. Her heels hit the wood floor in the shop. After a few minutes her eyes settle on a light blue shirt tucked into dark starched jeans in the very back corner of the room. She can only take a deep breath and hope that the air doesn't leave her lungs.

As if it is in slow motion she watches the blue shirt turn around to revel Gunner's sun kissed face. The smile that slips to his lips makes her smile too. Her stomach churns with both excitement and nerves.

"Come here, Pine Cone," he says in a low voice. His hand is out stretched and inviting her into his strong comforting arms.

Slowly, making sure not to trip over her own feet in the wedges, she makes her way through the shelves to his open arm. "I've missed you," she whispers.

His arms tighten around her and he breathes in the scent of her shampoo. "Oh, Pine Cone, I've missed you more." Quickly and spontaneously he places small little kisses all over the top of her head. The way her hair tickles his nose and pokes at his lips when he does so makes him feel like he has climbed the tallest mountain and reached the prize.

Far too soon in her mind he pulls back from their hug. She pulls him in quickly and places a flying kiss on his lips before letting him go as if nothing happened. When she hears his chuckle she can't help but to laugh as well. Her gaze follows him to wear he turns on country music and takes her hand once again.

"Will you dance with me?"

With a beaming smile she shrugs. "You might have to catch me when I fall in these heels."

Gunner places a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I'll always be here to catch my Pine Cone when she falls. No matter when. No matter where."

Caisson doesn't feel the tear running down her cheek until he gently wipes it away. With a smile and a nod she lays her head on his shoulder as they begin to sway back and forth to the beat of the music. Is this actually happening? It seems so much like a dream! At that thought a smile perks the edge of her lips up. 

Song after song they dance around in a small circle in the confined space of the jewelry store. Back and forth she sways in his arms. The motion lulling her into a deep comfort. His even breathing tells her that, he too, is comfortable.

"Gunner," she says his name softly, but does not raise her head or make any move to change the way they are leaning against one another.

He places a soft kiss on her neck. "Yes, Caisson."

"Where do you think all this is going?"

Quite frankly he is surprised that his feet don't stop moving with the music. His eyebrows shoot up high enough to account for it though. "All what, Pine Cone?"

She sighs in a content sort of way. "You and Colton's rodeo school, our relationship, my business. You name it we have a lot going on."

"That is true," he agrees with a nod and slight smile. "I can't rightly say where any of it is going, because I can't see the future, but I figure it's going in a good direction we can all be pleased with."

Caisson smiles, satisfied with the answer. Momentarily she raises her head to gives his cheek a kiss before putting it right back where it had been before.

After a few more songs Gunner gently pulls himself away from her embrace and turns the music down low. Then taking her hands in his he takes a raggedy nervous breath. With his hands running over one another he stares into her eyes. "Caisson, I know that I haven't been the man you need lately. I have been caught up in the rodeo school and running all over everywhere. But tonight is different. Tonight is all about you. I want you to know a couple of things."

As he takes a deep breath she notices the sweat bead running down his cheek. He wipes it away and smiles into her focused eyes. "First, you need to know that I truly do love you. I love you more than anything on this earth. Second thing is, even though I haven't spent a lot of time with you lately there hasn't been one moment that I have not thought about you and wanted you by my side. And the last thing is, in my spare time I have been trying to find a ring that fits you and who you are, but I just couldn't find one. Instead, I decided I would let you pick your own out."

Caisson can't help, but feel her eyes go wide and her heart begins to beat fast.

Before she can say anything he pulls her in close to him and whispers in her ear, "I know you said you wanted to wait until we know what is going to happen with the rodeo school before we make any big decisions. So, this is just a promise ring for now. The other one will come in time."