She looks up at me. "I'm sorry," she says. "If you're feeling whiplash, you're not alone. There's this battle going on inside my heart."
"You want to tell me about it?"
"I just said I was swearing off cowboys all my life and now here you are, picking me up from the rain. Taking me to this dance, winning that basket in such a big declaration. I just, I want to resist you, but you're making it pretty damn impossible."
I smile at her, a feeling of hope rising inside of me. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you stop resisting this idea of hating cowboys and give in to one?"
"What would giving in to you look like?" she asks.
"It would mean we don't have to stop at one kiss. Not if you don’t want to. We could take it further."
"You mean you want to eat some more cherry pie?" Her eyes now are different. There's a need in them, a hunger. She licks her lips.
I let out a soft grow. "Damn, you're driving me crazy, Laura. You got to know it." I move her around the dance floor, this time drawing her so close I know she can feel every inch of me. She gasps as she realizes that thickness is my cock.
"Maybe we should get out of here," she says.
"We just got to the dance," I tell her.
"I know, but I think I just wasn't sure what you really wanted and so I was scared to admit what I needed."
"And what do you need, Laura?"
She swallows, her eyes full. "You," she says. "The one thing I swore I wouldn't have. Turns out you're exactly what I want."
I don't wait anymore. I'm not asking for her to reconsider or think this through. I want to get out of here, be alone with her. Knowing I can't waltz right through the barn with my hard-on as it is, instead, I choose to lead her through the back exit into the dark night.
Her friend Sarah runs up to her. "Hey, where are you headed?"
"I'm just leaving with Cole."
"You okay?" Sarah asks.
Laura nods. "I'm perfect," she says. "You go have fun. Cole will take care of me."
"In that case, have a good night," she says.
"Oh, I know I will."
In the truck, anticipation rushes through me. Once I turn the car on, I look over at her. "Where do you want me to go?"
"I was thinking we could go back to Meadowbrook Lane. You could show me where you're planning on moving one of these days."
I smile, loving that that's where she wants me to take her. As we drive through the dark roads, I look over at her. "You sure you want more from me, even though I'm not a mobster or in a biker gang?"
Laura laughs softly. Our windows are unrolled, the Texas night sky offering a sweet breeze. "I read those books for a fantasy, as a way to escape. But this," she says, reaching for my hand, "this is real life."
When we get to Meadowbrook Lane, we get out of the car and I show her around. "There's not much to see," I admit as she takes in the empty, expansive land.
"Is that your foundation?" she asks. "For your house?"
I nod. "It sure is. Want me to give you a tour?" I turn on the flashlight on my phone, and with her hand in mine, I walk her to where the front porch is going to be. "This," I say, "is where I'm going to have a few rockers, maybe a swing."
"I like that," she says. "A big porch is essential for reading." Her fingers lace with mine and she nestles against my shoulder.
"Oh, I know. I see you curled up on your aunt's front porch every day."
"You’ve been watching me?"
"You know I have," I tell her with a smile. "And through the front door," I say with mock grandeur, "is the hall. I figure there'll be a pile of shoes here for the kids and jackets hung on a hook."
"You planning on having a family?" she asks.
I shrug. "That's my wish at least. My hope. I don't have one of my own. My ma's gone. I don't have any other family, so one day I hope to make one for myself."
I feel Laura stiffen next to me, but then she lets out a long sigh. "I like that, Cole. I think you'd be a real good dad."
"Those words mean more to me than you know," I say, telling her the truth. "I don't think anyone's ever said something so sweet to me in my whole damn life."
She turns to me then, wrapping her arms around my neck, standing on her tippy toes. Her arms around me feel better than any picnic basket I could have won. This moment is one I wish could last forever.