Brooke can't stop smiling and laughing as she turns up the radio in Gary's pickup.

"I can't believe you agreed to this let alone came up with the idea!"

She laughs and shrugs. "I told you there is a lot you don't know about me yet. Besides I'm not such a good child that I don't know how to have a little fun. I just keep it in a reasonable range of crazy."

He throws his head back and laughs heartily. "You know what? I like this crazy side of you!"

Looking in the back seat she asks, "Do you have any blankets in here?"

Again he laughs. "Do I look like someone who has blankets running around in his back seat?"

"Good point." She shrugs and rolls her window down. The air is still plenty warm, but it has cooled off since the sun is on its way down.

He rolls his down as well and drapes his arm around her shoulders. "You know what though? I think I do have a jacket or two back there somewhere."

"Is that one of those hard core Texas cowboy things that you always have a jacket with you even in the dead of summer?"

Pulling her a little closer to his side he nods. "I guess you could say that. I like to think of it that I am prepared for anything that way." He grins and winks at her.

"Are you sure you are prepared for me?"

A grin rolls across his lips and he glances down at her. "Sweetheart, God gave you to me because He knows you are more than I can handle, but He wants to teach me to be the man you need."

In just a few minutes he pulls off the caliche road and cuts the engine. He reaches in the back seat and pulls out two of his jackets and grins at her. After opening his door he extends his hand to her and watches as she slides out of the cab. Throwing the coats in the bed of the pickup he reaches back in the cab and cranks up the radio. To Brooke's surprise he slips his arm around her back the other one under her knees and lifts her into the bed.

"What's the matter Sweetheart? You not expecting that?"

Gazing at him with the sun going down behind him she feels her heart move to her throat and her hands become a little sweaty. He hasn't talked any different; act any different; or even taken her anywhere totally bazar, yet she feels different. Not uncomfortable or a bad kind of different. In fact it is a happy nervous different.

As she feels him take her hand she only nods as her reply. The start of a new song has her moving towards him and laying her head on his chest. His other hand moves to her him and hers to his shoulder as they begins to sway with the beat of Boots on a Dance Floor by Jon Wolfe.

"You know, I kind of like how this was an unplanned date."

She smiles against his chest. "It's a date, huh?"

Craning his neck so he can barely see her eyes he raises his eyebrows. "Well, that's what I call it, don't you?"

"Yes, Mighty Mouse, I call it a date."

He stops dancing and pulls back to look her in the eyes with raised eyebrows. "Mighty Mouse? Really? That's the best you would come up with?"

Playfully she shrugs. "I don't know, I just thought of it and it kind of fits you."

"No, no, no," he says shaking his head. "No, Mighty Mouse fits Little Lynn, not me. Do I really looks like a Mighty Mouse to you?"

"Okay, when you put it like that it makes a little more sense. But, Honey just doesn't fit you."

He laughs and gently draws her back to him. "I don't, do I? What does fit me then?"

She is quiet for a moment before saying, "What would you think if I actually asked on of my customers?"

He sucks his head back on his shoulders and knits his eyebrows together as he looks at her. "That would be a little creepy."

Rolling her eyes she tells him, "I didn't actually say 'this is what my boyfriend is like what should I call him'! A little Mexican lady came in with her husband and then when she left she said 'guapo' so I asked her what it meant."

"And it means?"

She blushes and leans her head closer to his chest. "Handsome." Her voice is soft and she has a little smile on her face as she says it.

A happy breath leaves her then she sucks it back in as he spins her out from him then back into his chest again. When his hands move from their previous position to one on each of her cheeks she feels heat rise to her cheeks. For a long moment he only stares into her eyes making her heart pound inside her.

As he takes one hand from her face and chunks his hat to the side unexpected panic rises in her. His eyes glance at her lips then settle back on her eyes. What feels like minutes, but is really only seconds later his lips are softly planted on her forehead. The breath leaves her lungs as she takes in the feeling of being wanted; of being loved by a man.

Long before she is ready he takes his lips from her forehead and lays his head on the top of hers. She feels him take a deep breath and suddenly she remembers she has breathed much at all the last few moments.

"Darling, you sure you would want to put up with me all day everyday?" With big soft circles he begins to rub her back.

She wraps her arms tighter around his torso. "I can't think of anyone else I would rather put up with."

He laughs and moves so that he is looking her in the eyes again. "You know we can sit down like we were originally going to do." Looking out to the west he chuckles. "Even though the sun is over halfway down already."

A girlish giggle comes from her making her cheek turn rosy. "I think we have fifteen minutes more to watch the sun go down." She snuggles up against him and smiles. Thank you, Lord, for this evening, for painting the sky so beautifully, for this wonderful man beside me, and for my family back at home.

"You want to know something?" He says, his voice muffled as his lips graze her hair.

She looks up at him and her lips stretch as far as they can. "Of course."

His gaze travels to the orange colors the sun set is displaying. "You know how you asked me what the hardest part of dating your sister's best friend is?" He doesn't wait for any kind of answer. "Well, I have an answer now. With a sister like Jaelyn it is trying not to say or do the wrong thing to either you or her, because if I do I have, not one, but two of you chewing me out."

Staring at him she punches his shoulder lightly. "I don't chew you out!"

"Mhmm," he mutters while looking at her with raised eyebrows and a smirk.

"Okay, maybe I've thought about it once or twice."

He nods. "You're getting there."

The way she bites her lip when she is being silly or is about to burst into those girlish giggles, that make him want to wrap her up in his arms and hold her forever, they make him smile every time without fail. Her smile is like a story book to him. She wears it all the time, even when she is upset, but it changes by what she is thinking. If it is crooked she is up to mischief; if it is beaming wide she is overly happy; if it is small she's putting on a front; and if it is covered because she is biting her lip well then he is in for it.

She rolls her eyes. "If you are going to make me say it," dramatically she sighs, "I might have chewed you out once or twice."
***

Gary plants his hat back on his head and takes Brooke's hand in his. As they approach the door he opens it with his free hand and lets her enter first.

"There they are!" Hannah declares as their feet begin to make noise on the hard wood floors.

Brooke grins and looks up at Gary only to find that his face hold an entirely different emotion. Nervousness.

When they get around the corner where they can see everyone Jaelyn has a sly grin on her face; Tyson raises his eyebrows and grins at Gary; Jeremiah gives Brooke and playfully stern look; and Ward tries to hide his own smile. No one really says anything directly to them, but all go back to a one on one conversation.

Jaelyn makes a bee line for Brooke with a very giddy look in her eyes. "What happened? I want to know every detail!"

Brooke grins as wide as her lips will let her. "It was so perfect!" They move to the kitchen and Hannah joins them. "We danced in the bed of his pickup and watched the sun go down. It was just like I have always dreamed of a romantic night being."

"Aw! Finally, I'm so happy for you guys." Jaelyn claps her hands together rapidly. "It kind of reminds me of when Tyson and I would go for picnics."

Hannah smiles as she watches the two younger girls beam over memories and things fresh on their mind. It all brings back memories for her too, but she doesn't dwell on them for long before she joins the conversation. "Brooke, does he two step or waltz?"

The smile fades from Brooke's face as she cocks her head in thought. "I don't know, it wasn't really either one, we just danced."

Jaelyn and Hannah laugh. Love is definitely hanging in the air, for everyone.
***

Gary is relieved when no one bomb bards him with questions about what happened or where they went or why. Instead they fall into conversation about Tyson's vet practice.

"He needs help, just so that I get to have a guy conversation every once in a while!" Cane throws in chuckling.

Tyson laughs and begins to bounce Alyssa who is rousing from being asleep. "I need help just so I can stop washing my clothes at the office let alone have anytime with my wife and daughter."

Hearing all the talk around Gary can't help the thoughts that run through his mind. What if it get's like that at the ranch? With just me around the work is bound to pile up. I don't want to hardly ever see Brooke. He is startled by Ward's hand on his shoulder.

"Would you mind if I show you something in the back yard?"

Gary stands from his chair and nods with a small smile. "Sure." He takes a deep breath willing his nerves to stay calm.

They make their way outside and settle in chairs on the porch. Ward looks off at the large mesquite tree then at Gary. "I noticed you were pretty quite in there." He shakes his head. "I don't know how to do this any other way than to jump in, so I'm just going to say it. What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Not really prepared for the question Gary doesn't say anything for a moment. He taps his fingers on his knee. "Well, sir, I admire your daughter a great bit; she is one special lady." Pausing he mulls his words over. Honesty is the best treatment, but these next words need to be picked carefully. "I'll be honest, I have mixed feelings about my intentions with Brooke."

Ward stares at him intently with a puzzled look on his face, but he doesn't say a word.

"I would love to spend the rest of our lives together, if that is what the Lord has for us, but I don't know that it is what's best for Brooke. Right now I am the only help on the ranch and it doesn't take a half and hour to get behind." He sighs.

Reaching over Ward claps him on the shoulder. "I admire you for thinking of what is best for Brooke. I can tell you one thing though, the Lord Jesus is the only one that knows the best for any of us, but next to Him Brooke knows best. And right now you are what is best for her. If it's time you are worried about, don't." He nods. "I seen the worried look in your eye while Tyson and Cane were talking. Just remember love can conquer all."

A/N
So her dad?

I am going to skip updating next week. I start school Monday as well as some other things so I am going to stay on the safe side and not promise an update! Sorry! But I will be back with one the 30th.

Thank each and every one of you for reading, voting, and commenting on this books (and my other books)!