A CowBoys Rose

13

Sam's P.O.V

Its been so long since I've had to dress to impress someone. I'm close to burning this damn tie!
I look at my hair and comb it to the side... I look like a damn kid!
I brush it back and it looks better... But-"
"Your fussing"
"Of course I'm fussing! I'm having dinner with the most beautiful women I've met! And I can't even dress myself! This was a bad idea! What am I going to say?! What do I do? Can I hold her hand?" God damn tie! "Oh Trudy! Help me!"
Trudy laughs and comes over to me, doing the tie around my neck "this isnt a bad idea! Your just nervous... That dinner you've prepared smells incredible by the way! And now I know you have a hidden talent! You! Can start cooking once in a while!"
I laugh "if she likes it. I'll be cooking more than once in a while"
She smiles "I like miss Caroline Sam... And I'm very happy you've gone for her. I'm very proud of you"
"Now! That's both of you to say that to me today! I might just cry!" She slaps my arm and straightens my shirt "so! How'd I look?!"
"Very handsome...now get! Or you'll be late!"
I nod "yes mame!"
I grab my hat and head on downstairs. Daniel just coming in the front door. He looks me over "good luck" and walks away... Has hell frozen over?! I look back at Trudy who looks as shocked as me. But! I have a women waiting for me. I don't have much time to worry about him! I run into the kitchen taking the crock pot and the bag I'd prepared.
I wonder if she's as nervous as me? Probably not. She seem so calm all the time.
Trudy grabs my arm and pulls me down to wrap her arms around my neck "good luck Sam"
I laugh "thanks... Well! I got to go!"

I pull up to the ranch and tie  the horse off "Samuel Gibbons! You do clean up well!"
I laugh "yeah, well, I have a pretty lady to...impress..." I turn to her standing in the door and have to take my hat off. She's stood there in a pale blue dress, her hair nicely flowing with a blue bow clip in her hair... She looks... "God! Miss Caroline... You look..." No words are good enough! "I... I'm speechless! You look beautiful!"
She smiles and she actually blushes! "Thank you... I uh... I just... Give me one minute!" She laughs and rushes back in the house. Oh god! How am I going to be able to find a sentence when she's looking like that! This is going to embarrass me! I know it! I'm going to fail! And she'll never see me the same way! Shit!
"Ok. You ready?!" She beams up at me with a pot in her hand
"Yes maam. Let me take that for you" I take the package and put it beside my crock pot. Offering my hand "ma'am!" She smiles and takes my hand, stepping up on the cart "thank you sir!"
I smile up at her "sir? I think I like that!" I mumble as I walk around the cart. She can call me that all she likes! "Alright! You ready?"
"I'm ready!"
"Great!"

The ride there's quiet. I'm not sure either of us know what to say. I just hope she feels the same right now and its not uncomfortable! "So! What's for dinner?"
"Now that! Is a surprise! Cooked it myself"
"No!"
I laugh "full of surprises... But! I cooked it. So... You'll have to be honest... But maybe not to honest. I have these little things called feelings. Their very sensitive!"
She laughs to the point she cant breath properly and it makes me chuckle with her "you- you have feelings?! Honestly! You wouldn't have guessed!"
"Oh! Now see there you've gone done it! One of them little buggers have just died inside!"
She laughs more "I'm sure it'll be lovely" I damn hope so! "Where are we going?"
"Here" I look ahead at the lagoon. Candles and a blanket sits by the water... This is to much! Damn! I put to much thought into this! She's going to hate this!
"Oh my god... Sam!" Oh damn! Idiot! I should have just cooked at her ranch! "This is beautiful!"... Come again? I look up at her and she stands, eyes wide "you did this?"
"Well... I-uh... Yeah"
She smiles down at me "this... This is the most wonderful thing anyone's done for me!"
Oh thank god! "You mean it?" She nods and beams ahead "I'm not used to all this... Romantic stuff. But I hear Trudy cooe over them books of hers... I wanted to put the effort in" I jump down and walk around to her. Offering my hand up to her.
She heads over and beams back at me. I'm glad she's pleased. I take the crock pot and the case she brought "are you hungry?"
"I haven't eaten since that lunch earlier! I hope you have a lot in that pot!"
A women who can eat as well. I keep finding things that make me glad I asked her out here!
I sit down and watch her look out at the water. I start a match and light the candles "this place is beautiful"
"I used to fish up here with my dad. Its been a long time since I've come here"
I lift the pot lid and she rushes over to me "come on then, what have you Cooked?"
"Its a ... Oh god what did she call it... A... Not a crock pot-"
"A hot pot?!"
"That's it!"
"I didn't think you had those here?"
"We don't. I asked around what kind of meals the English eat and Miss Gloria has this old recipe book that her great grandmother left her"
"And you did this for me?"
Oh god "well... Yeah... I wanted to do something special for you. I think you deserve it"
She stares at me and leans over. And I dont move! I'm not! Damn moving! She can show me what's past limit! And she kisses my cheek. Her warm lips sit there and she leans back smiling "what was that?"
She chuckles "I think it was a kiss, but word it how you'd like... Thank you Sam"
I look at my plate and I'm not going to lie, the idea of this meal confuses the hell outta me! How do you eat this? I look over at her and she cuts into it and eats it without so much as the juices dripping. She chews and frowns. Oh god! Its bad! She doesn't like it! "You made this?"
"No! I'm taking no blame! I lied the whole time!"
"Thats a shame! Because who ever made this puts the cooks at home to shame. This is incredible!" She puts the fork back in her mouth slowly... dear god!
... Ah shit! "Of course I made it. And uh... I'm not going to lie. You English have some weird tastes. Miss Gloria said something about a toad in the mud?!"
She chokes on the food, laughing. What I say?! "Toad in the hole... Yes, dont judge unless you've tried it"
"I have no time on eating toads"
She laughs loudly and shakes her head at me "if I promised you that it was very nice. Would you try it if I made it?"
... Oh god! "I... I... Well... I dont know how to say no..."
She laughs and takes a drink of the port She brought with her "then you'll have to trust me. Next time we have dinner. I'll cook and show you a toad in the hole"
"Next time huh?" I take a fork of food and put it in my mouth... "God damn! This is good! Im in the wrong dang business! I need to open up one of your fine... What is it you call them? The restraints?"
"Cuisine?"
"Thats it! Mmm... I surprised myself!" I smile over at her "I tell you what! If your English meals are like this! Name it what you want! I'll try it!"
After dinner she takes the case and opens it and a cake is sat there. No frosting, no fruit or jam.  Well, theres a glaze... Did she do it wrong? It looks mighty plain. Its alright. She doesn't have to be a baker.
She smiles over at me and cuts a slice. Handing it over to me... The top sticky "thank you Miss Caroline"
She points the knife at me, a threatening look in her eyes "what have I told you?"
I chuckle "my apologise Caroline"
"So, Sam, I feel like you know more about me than I do you. And ive been incredibly rude to not enquire about you"
"Not much to tell. My father took sick of fever 16 years back. My mother... Well truth be told she work herself into the ground... I didnt realise until I found her hanging from a tree"
"Oh my... Sam I'm so sorry!"
"No... She was... She was losing her mind. I could see that, but... I tried getting her help but we couldn't afford it. So I started doing all the jobs on the farm so she didnt have to. And she felt so much guilt that she tied herself up... No one could help her at that point Caroline"
"But you had to find her"
"I was thankful it was me... If it had been Trudy or Daniel... I could deal with what I found. I couldn't deal with trying to help them"
"And your future? What do you want from that?"
I smile "you know what. Nothing"
"Nothing?"
"Nothing... You can't be disappointed if you dont want something and you don't get it... It would be nice to get married and have little boys and girls running around. But... I won't want for it in case it doesn't happen... As Daniel keeps reminding me, I'm not a young man anymore"
"Oh what a load of rubbish. You can't be more than 28?"
"27... Its not often you see someone my age get married Caroline, unless hes widowed and remarrying"
"I suppose thats true"
"I know what I dont want"
"What's that?"
"I dont want to be alone"
She goes quiet and looks down at the cake she's made. I guess I should at least be polite and eat it. The conversations turning down anyway.
I take a bite and its light and spongy. And actually. Full of flavour... "Is that... Is that lemon?"
"Yes its a lemon drizzle"
"A lemon drizzle?" Hmm! "This is very good Caroline!"
She smiles "say that again"
What? "Say what?
" drizzle"
"Uh... Drizzle?" Why?
She chuckles "I like the way you say it... So what do you think?"
"It seems were both full of surprises"
I look up at the sky and smile. Its been a long time since I've come out here and enjoyed this. She looks up at what I'm look at and gasps.
"Oh my goodness"
"Its beautiful isn't it"
"Its... Its what I was promised" promised? She lies back and just smiles up to the stars.
I lie back but watch her in amazement. She's so settled there. But then I notice the gleam of a tear role down her face "Caroline?"
"Its nothing Sam, dont worry yourself"
... Dont worry myself? Come on Sam! Your no coward! I take her chin and turn her to face me "I do worry for you... Every day I leave"
Another tear roles down her cheek and she smiles to me "how haven't you found a women Mr. Gibbons?" She whispers to me.
"Maybe I just had to wait to find my women"
"Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"Ive never... This is strange to me"
"Me to" I finally get close enough that our noses are touching and she closes her eyes. My arm finds her waist and I pull her towards me "ive never felt like this for anyone Caroline"
Her breathing fans my face as my fingers caress her cheek.
I tilt my head and I find her. The warmth of her lips on mine! Its past everything I expected her lips to be. And I feel her lips perk to mine!
I lean back and stroke the hair from her face "I uh... I didnt plan on that happening? I'm sorry Caroline!" She opens her eyes to me and their still teary. I took it to far! Ive ruined everything! "I'll uh... I'll start-" I jump as she rushes at me. Her lips on mine again. God damn! My hands reach up into that beautiful hair of Hers, holding her to me "miss Darinton. I need to stop!"
"Why?" She whispers.
"Because... I dont want to... I dont want to be indecent in front of you"
She gasps and sits up "oh my... I'm so sorry Sam! Oh... What must you think of me!" She jumps to her feet.
"What? No! Caroline!" I get up and chase after her "Caroline! Stop!" I grab her arms and turn her to me "Caroline! What's the matter?!"
"I'm a Harrlot! I'm just one of those women!"
"What?! No! No your not! Caroline stop!"
"No! I couldn't stop, I should have-"
I grab the back of her neck and stop her talking with my own lips. She gasps but calms down "you couldn't stop because you enjoyed it Caroline... Not because your a harrlot" I smile down at her "you've done nothing wrong Darlin'! nothing at all" I stroke down her face "I lied Caroline... I want everything... And I want it with you! Ive never imagined a life that involves someone else... But... Every time I look at you... I see you fitting into my life more and more" She looks up at me wide eyed "your the only women I've ever wanted a life with"