Once Upon A Rodeo

Chapter Sixteen - [The Visit.]

The sun was just beginning to set.

Brantley and I were among the masses of people making their ways back to their vehicle. We were hand in hand, and Brantley had a large stuff giraffe he had won for me. It was nearly as tall as I was.

"Most girls would probably pick a bear," I had said, wrapping my arms around it and attempting to drag it over the counter. Brantley pulled it out of my hands, carrying it much easier than I had.

"You're not most girls," Brantley had said quietly, just loud enough for me to hear. I looked at him, but his tone wasn't teasing. I couldn't read the look in his eyes, but I could tell what he said was a compliment. I blushed, fumbling over my words and unsure what to say.

"Giraffes are my favorite animal," I muttered.

"Thank you," I said quietly. We had been quiet for a couple of minutes, shuffling among the crowd to get to the exit.

"For what?"

I looked up at him, the butterflies erupting once again in my belly. As much as I had come to expect them, they still somehow always caught me off guard.

"For tonight," I said as we crossed the street. "It was wonderful."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but the night isn't over yet."

"It's not?" I asked.

"We've got one more spot."

"Where?" I asked.

"Now that," He said, turning to me with a mischievous grin. "Is a surprise, sweetheart."

We reached his truck and he put the giraffe in the backseat, before opening the door for me. He started the drive to wherever we were going, not bending when I tried to get hints.

He turned down some backroads that I hadn't yet been down, taking some turns and climbing uphill steadily as we did so.

"Are you taking me back here to kill me?" I asked, nervous laughter bubbling up in my throat.

"Not yet, sweetheart," He teased. "But I do want you to close your eyes."

I did as he asked, knowing him asking me of this would probably be worth it. I felt the truck go even more uphill, and my curiosity went up with it. When the truck finally came to a stop, he told me to still keep my eyes shut.

I heard him get out, and a moment later he came around my side and opened the door for me. After unbuckling my seatbelt, he helped me down. Grabbing my hand, he led me a few dozen steps forward.

"Okay, open them."

I opened my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. Below the cliff we were standing on was the entire town of Hudson. The sun had fully set, and all of the lights of the business and homes were scattered across our breathtaking view.

"Wow," I said, exhaling. "This is...beautiful."

"This is a place I've been coming to since I was old enough to drive. It's a place I come to get away from it all. It brings me a piece of mind."

I turned to him, rather dazed. Standing up on my tip toes, I brought my hands around his neck and kissed him. He was a little bit surprised, but after a moment he kissed back just as fervently.

"What was that for?" He asked when he pulled back, tugging me against him. I rested my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"For bringing me to a place that brings you peace."

For a long moment, we stood like that. In each other's arms, quiet as we looked at Hudson; the place that had quickly become my home. He smelled like cologne and woods, a scent that I found intoxicating. When we finally broke apart, he kissed me again before getting in his truck and backing it up so the tailgate faced the cliff.