Country winds, p.7
Country Winds, page 7
Ellie smiled at Tucker. “She likes you. I’m sure you’ll be wearing some of her love.”
Tucker set the cat on the floor, and sure enough, white hairs clung to his black shirt.
“Hold on.” Ellie grabbed a lint roller and ran it over the front of Tucker’s shirt that stretched across his muscular chest. She sighed at the thought of touching all that hard flesh. “There. I should have warned you.”
Tucker looked amused. “She’s a sweet little thing.”
A colorful quilted jacket hung on the back of a chair, and Ellie grabbed it. “It’s been cool in the evenings, so I might need this.”
He gave a nod. “Good idea.”
Ellie said goodbye to Hailee and walked out with Tucker. The door locked and bolted, he escorted her to his big king cab truck, which had four wheels in the rear, perfect for pulling horse trailers. The dually was black, with a light coating of dust that couldn’t be helped, given that he lived on a ranch and drove along dirt roads.
The drive to WestWorld in North Scottsdale took about forty-five minutes from her home. The grounds were teeming with people anxious to see many of the world’s finest Arabian horses. Almost 2,000 Arabian horses would compete throughout the week-long show.
They made their way through the crowds into the arena, where some events were being held. When Ellie looked over the program for what would be going on in this arena, she was surprised to find English, Western, and Arabian events rather than just English. She scanned the program and discovered that the three styles were mostly used at shows like this.
The Western dressage championship was next—the English and Arabian dressage would be held once this competition was over.
The first contestant, seated in a Western saddle, rode her prized Arabian mare into the arena. Ellie caught her breath at the beauty and majesty of the graceful beast. Her elegant lines were beyond compare, and her coat shone in the light. But most of all, how the horse trotted into the arena was enough to take anyone’s breath away. Ellie had heard that Arabians love to show off, and she could now believe it.
As the show progressed, Ellie chatted with Tucker, unable to restrain her enthusiasm and excitement.
“I never realized how big this show is.” She held up the program. “There are so many competitions I’d love to see, but there is no time to watch more than a handful.”
Tucker nodded. “It’s much bigger than the Western events where I show my best horses.”
Ellie turned to him. “I’d love to see your horses compete.”
He rested his arm on the back of her chair. “One of these days, I’d be happy to take you.”
She leaned back in her seat to see if he’d settle his arm around her shoulders. He didn’t, but she swore she could feel his warmth.
The English dressage competition began after the Western event, and the champion horse and rider were announced. The riders used English saddles, making the horses look even more elegant, if that was even possible.
Ellie applauded and cheered with the audience throughout the day. She was so excited to be here that she could barely contain her enjoyment without letting it spill over. She might talk his ear off when they left.
After the dressage events, they walked through the vendor area, which was far more upscale than anything she’d ever seen at any horse show she’d ever been to. Lavish jewelry, works of art, and lovely clothing were sold among the over 200 vendors at the show. There was no way they could visit them all, but Ellie dragged Tucker to each one that interested her. He watched with amusement in his expression as she looked over fine purses and scarves and admired exquisite jewelry. She loved fine art, so she visited some of the booths and others featuring silver and lead crystal items, as well as handblown glass.
When all was said and done, she purchased a gold chain with a lovely chocolate diamond set with smaller white diamonds in a rose-gold pendant, along with a matching bracelet.
She had considered a handblown vase at one booth and a crystal sculpture at another, but decided against them because she hadn’t wanted to carry anything. The necklace and bracelet boxes fit neatly into her purse.
At a Western art booth, Tucker bought a painting of a cowboy on the back of a bucking bronc, so realistic you could almost see the horse's movements. He arranged to have it shipped to his ranch.
Ellie and Tucker continued to stroll down an aisle with more booths. “That painting is perfect for your home.”
He nodded. “Have you ever eaten at Honey Bear’s BBQ restaurant in Phoenix?”
She shook her head. “I’ve heard of it but never made it there.”
“Are you up for a late lunch at Honey Bear’s?”
“Oh, yes.” She held her palm to her belly. “My stomach is demanding BBQ now that you’ve mentioned it.”
He flashed a grin. “You’re in for a treat.”
* * *
Tucker enjoyed looking at Ellie, no matter what she was doing. While she watched the Arabians compete, her face remained lit up with excitement. She shopped with the kind of enthusiasm that many women show when looking at something they love.
She was incredibly beautiful, and her personality only made her more captivating. Now and then, she would imitate an actor or a character with a spot-on impersonation. She kept him interested and amused, and he thought he’d always enjoy it, no matter how long their relationship might last. Since he’d met her, he’d imagined what it would be like to always have her with him. That was something he’d never experienced before.
She had a full-time career, and he wondered how she felt about slowing down and starting a family. He was too far ahead of himself, but he couldn’t help but imagine a future with this intelligent, fun, and beautiful woman.
The drive to Phoenix from WestWorld in North Scottsdale was a good forty-five minutes, but at least it was a Saturday, so they wouldn’t have to deal with Phoenix’s rush hour, which was hell to be stuck in.
Honey Bear’s, close to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, served Tennessee-style BBQ and had been around for almost forty years. It had become a fixture in Phoenix.
When they arrived, Tucker and Ellie picked one of the white tables with red bench seats in a corner. Ellie sat at the table while Tucker went to the front counter to order. He returned with two pulled-pork sandwich meals, along with collard greens, “Cowbro’” beans, fries, and coleslaw for sides, and two Cokes.
She spooned the sides onto her plate. “I am so hungry that I could eat yours and mine.”
He pointed to his plate. “I’ve got two, and I’m willing to share.”
“Nah, I told you I only wanted one sandwich.” She smiled as she picked up hers. “The sides will fill me up just fine.”
She took a pretty good bite of her sandwich and chewed with obvious enjoyment. Tucker ate his while he watched her and wondered what she would look like while they were making love.
The thought just about knocked him off his seat. Where the hell had that come from? He had to focus on something else.
He cleared his throat. “Tell me about your social media business.” He took a bite of his sandwich and waited for her to respond.
She swallowed and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I started it about seven years ago when I helped out a friend and found I enjoyed it and was good at it. Now, I have a long list of clients and my own YouTube channel, where I provide tips and tricks for social media. It has garnered a great following and more clients.”
He took a healthy swallow of Coke, then set the cup down. “You must keep busy.”
“Too busy.” She sighed. “I can’t complain, but I will hire someone, and it won’t be soon enough. With the voicework I’ve been doing, I’m having a terrible time keeping up.”
He raised a brow. “Voicework?”
“I’m a voice actor.” She smiled. “I’ve been doing it for three years, and I’ve recently started being cast more frequently, making it even harder to keep up with my business.”
Her voicework career piqued his interest. “What does a voice actor do?”
She swallowed her bite. “I do voices for animated shows and movies. I started with anime and have flown to Japan a few times. I did a major motion picture, which will be out this fall.” Her excitement in her work was evident. “I was also selected to be the main character's voice in a Lara Croft-style game called Myth Hunter, which will be out in less than a month.”
“You’re always doing voices.” He thought about it. “You’re a natural.”
“Thank you.” She picked up her cup. “I’ve been doing them since I was a little girl—I would make my toy horses, dolls, and stuffed animals talk to each other.”
He grinned at the thought of the little girl she’d been. “I can see why you’d feel overwhelmed.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” She sighed. “I should have hired someone a while ago—I’m being torn in two. But I love both, so I don’t feel like it’s a hardship. I need help so that both careers get the attention they need.”
Her schedule gave him pause, making him wonder how she could fit a relationship, much less children, into her life.
“I keep busy with one career.” He shook his head. “Can’t imagine having two.”
“We’ll see what happens when I have help.” Ellie gave a sheepish grin. “It’s hard to turn over something you’ve worked so hard to build. Tanner thinks I should consider selling the social media business. I hadn’t seriously considered it, but maybe I should. There is something to our twin connection, and he’s always looking out for me. We look out for each other. I think he might be right. My schedule would slow down, which I think I do need.”
“It’s a big step.” Tucker studied her, glad to hear she was trying to ease the pace she was keeping now. “Give it some time to chew it over. If and when you decide to sell, you’ll know you’re doing what’s right for you.”
Ellie nodded slowly. “I’ve got a lot to think about.”
“Tell me how you got involved in being the heroine’s voice in the game.” Tucker’s interest had been piqued. “Myth Hunter, am I right?”
“That’s right.” She tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. “They came to me. The producer heard me on a short film I did, and he said he loved my voice and thought I’d be perfect for Myth Hunter.” She shrugged. “I auditioned, and next thing I knew, they offered me a contract through my agent.”
“You mentioned you’ve done voicework for anime in Japan?” He wrinkled his brow. “I assume that means dubbing English?”
“Yes, dubbing.” She pushed away her plate and folded her arms on the tabletop. “I learned Japanese from a friend in high school and learned more through Rosetta Stone and the Duo app. I’m not fluent, but I understand and read it well and am not too bad at communicating verbally.” She said something in Japanese and then translated. “Fall down seven times, stand up eight. That’s a popular Japanese proverb and my approach to life.”
“I’m impressed.” Tucker sat back in his chair. Ellie kept surprising him. “I speak Spanish well, but that’s my only foreign language. Do you speak any other languages?”
“I have a knack for them.” She nodded. “I’m fluent in Spanish and German and not too bad with Italian and French.”
“You told me you want to visit relatives in Hamburg and Berlin one day,” he said. “Communicating with them won’t be a problem for you.”
He didn’t recognize a word as she spoke her following sentence in German. She smiled. “It’s one of my mom’s favorite sayings. It translates to ‘Life is no pony farm,’ which means, ‘Life can be challenging.’”
Tucker chuckled. “She’s got that right.”
“I just started learning Swedish.” She shifted in her seat. “I’ll get back to you when I’ve got that one down.”
“Why Swedish?”
“I want to go there in the future.” Her eyes had a faraway look. “Maybe I’ll take a Baltic cruise and visit other Scandinavian countries. Oh, and I want to go to Estonia while I’m there. I hear Tallinn is gorgeous.” She sighed and met his gaze. “What about you? Are you interested in traveling?”
He nodded. “I’ve thought about traveling to Great Britain and Europe, but never sat down and made plans.”
“Life gets away from a person, doesn’t it?” She leaned forward. “Just think of all the adventures you could have. Three of my cousins spent their honeymoons in Europe. They went to different places from each other, and they all came back with wonderful stories.” She smiled. “I’m quite envious.”
“I’m sure you’ll make your dream of visiting Europe happen.” He returned her smile, thinking about going on a trip like that with her, if things went the way he hoped they would. “Are you ready to head home?”
She glanced at her watch. “I didn’t realize so much time had passed.” She looked at him. “Spending time with you makes me forget everything else.”
Tucker nodded. “I feel the same way.” He eased up out of his chair as she stood. He gathered the empty containers and drink cups, carried them to the waste bin, and disposed of them.
Yeah, he could spend hours with Ellie, but it felt like it would never be enough.
* * *
Ellie had a delicious feeling as they walked out of Honey Bear’s, and she was high on the pleasure of spending time with Tucker. The night was cool. He retrieved her quilted coat from the back seat of the king cab and helped her into it.
He opened the passenger side door of his vehicle and closed the door when she was settled inside. It was a big step onto the running board to get into the dually truck, and she appreciated his gentlemanly efforts.
The drive from Phoenix to Chandler passed quickly as they chatted. They talked about local happenings in King Creek and Gold Canyon. The former was a small town, but the latter was even smaller.
He glanced from the road and looked at her. “Do you miss living on a ranch?”
“Sometimes.” She thought about it. “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
He flashed a smile. “I knew you’re still a country girl at heart.”
Ellie studied him. He was interested in her enough to see if she’d consider living on a ranch again. One thing you couldn’t do was part a cowboy from the country, as their roots ran deep. So, she needed to decide if she’d be willing to create a life there again. It was a decision she had to make before their relationship went any further. It wouldn’t be fair to continue if that wasn’t a path she was willing to follow.
Truth was, she could imagine herself living in the country with Tucker and starting a family one day in the future. The thought filled her with warmth. She wasn’t sure why she was having such serious thoughts about the man so soon, but there it was.
When they reached her community, he parked, opened her door, helped her down, and walked her to her front door. They were both quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking.
Should she ask him inside to continue the evening and have a drink? But would he think that would be an invitation to take it farther than she was ready to go?
But they could just talk, right? Nothing more. He was a gentleman, so she knew he wouldn’t pressure her.
They reached her doorstep. She faced him, her back to the door. “Would you like to come in?” She stumbled over her words, feeling utterly off balance, her confidence deserting her for the moment. “It’s fun talking with you.” God, if that didn’t sound lame.
He braced one hand on the doorframe, caging her in. He held her gaze, his eyes dark and smoky. “It’s not a good idea.”
Her heart stuttered as he ran his thumb along her lower lip, and tingles raced through her. His voice was a low rumble as he spoke. “Before I go, can I kiss you?”
A surge of pleasure made her almost lightheaded. “I’d like that.” Her voice was husky as her self-confidence returned. She moved closer to him so their bodies touched.
He lowered his head, and she shivered as she slid her palms up his chest and clasped her hands behind his neck, waiting for him to complete the connection. His breath was warm as it brushed her lips. Anticipation made her heart beat faster before his mouth met hers.
Her sigh of pleasure flowed through her limbs as a hum of desire rose in her throat. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she answered, returning his kiss with intensity, tasting him as he tasted her.
Everything about him intoxicated her. She’d read somewhere that a woman had to be attracted by a man’s scent, which was so true with Tucker. She couldn’t get enough of him. He filled her up.
They kissed for what seemed like hours, but it must have been minutes.
Tucker parted from her, leaving her breathless as he stared into her eyes. “You are the most intelligent, funny, interesting, beautiful, and sexy woman I’ve ever met.”
His words sent warmth spiraling through her belly. The first thing he’d mentioned was her intelligence. The last was “sexy.” The man kept winning her over with everything he did and said.
“You know just the right words to say to me.” She smiled as she rested her palms on his chest, his heat melting her. “It’s nice to be appreciated for more than my looks.”
“Honey, there is so much to you. That list doesn’t begin to say it all.” He skimmed his knuckles along her cheekbone. “The more I get to know you, the more I appreciate you. You are one surprise after another.”
“Just you wait, darlin’.” She spoke like a Southern Belle and batted her eyelashes.
He chuckled. “I’d better go, or we’ll be kissing all night on your doorstep. What would your neighbors say?”
“Who cares?” She smiled. “Kissing me all night out here doesn’t sound bad at all. It sounds wonderful.”
His lips curved into a grin. “You are my kind of woman.” He straightened and rested his hands on her upper arms. “Are you available next Sunday for a horse ride and a picnic? I can take you up to see the petroglyphs.”
“I need to fly to L.A. the next two weekends for voicework on a new project, and then it will be complete.” She placed her hand on one of his hands that lightly gripped her arm. “Are you available later in the week after next? I can arrange my schedule and have that Wednesday afternoon free.”
