Brooke shakes her head with a half smile as she watches Gary stroll away from her down the hallway from his bedroom. Oh, the mess he described over the phone is by no means an exaggeration. True to his word, the bed is heaped with clothes as well is the hamper in his closet. It is amazing that he has clean clothes! The floor is in need of a good vacuuming not mention a general organization.

She can hear his heavy footsteps coming back down the hall and can't help a cheesy smile. His face the entire time has been like a little boy following his mom around the house he was suppose to clean. She makes her way to him and leans up against his toned chest.

Draping his arm loosely around her he says, "I see you haven't run away yet."

Giggling with a glimmer of happiness hanging in her eyes she shakes her head. "I already told you I'm not running away."

"I know, I know." He kisses the top of her head, like a horse's tail swishes a fly, on a moments touch. "So, the broom, vacuum, all that is in the closet by the back door. I can show you on my way out if you want."

Before he can continue she pulls back and looks up at him. Her eyebrows are knitted together and her head is cocked to the side slightly. "Where are you going?"

He laughs with a twinkle in his eye. "To pull your car out, silly." As the words rolls from his lips he tickles her ribs for a moment.

A blush overtakes her cheeks. "Yes, of course, I forgot." She places her hands on his chest and leans back just enough that she can look into his eyes. "However, don't take too long, because you are putting your clothes up." A mischievous smirk plays with her lips and her eyes move from his to picture on the wall behind him. "I think you are old enough to do that."

Not missing a beat Gary puts two fingers under her chin bringing her eyes back up to stare into his. Then in a low voice he says, "What about when I marry you?"

Deep color covers her neck and cheeks as she begins to feel hot. Her eyes search for anything but his to look at. The deepness and longing in his voice doesn't go unnoticed. "We haven't crossed that bridge yet." Her voice is barely audile and no matter what he does she refuses to look up to meet his gaze, even if it means closing them altogether.

Her response does nothing short of make his smile stretch his lips as far as possible. A light kiss on her cheek and a chuckle has him stepping back and down the hall with her in tow. "There is the closet with all the cleaning stuff in it," he says pointing to it while putting his hat on his head. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay, see you later." She watches him grin as he closes the door behind him. "Man, it's going to be hard to get much work done when he is around," she mumbles to herself with a shake of her head.

With her mind set to work she takes the broom from the closet and begins to sweep the kitchen. Mainly dirt and dry grass accumulate in a pile with only an occasional piece of food. It doesn't take her too long before she is dumping the contents of the dust pan in the trash can that sits in the corner by the fridge. It itself looks mighty grungy.

Next she turns to tackle the dishes, but not without first putting music on from her phone. She has all her favorites compiled on a playlist. They include all of Cody Johnson's Got To Be Me album, Willow City's song With One Voice, The Older I Get by Alan Jackson, and Josh Ward's A Cowboy Can.

The music starts to fill the air as she begins to fill the sink with scalding hot water. Just as the sink is almost to the point she wants it she turns the water to cold to cool it down just enough to keep it from burning her hands. Then she puts water in the other sink to rinse the dishes. Finally she begins to put plates and silverware in the sink.

Thirty minutes later the dishes are shining in a drain board and her hands have wrinkled like prunes. She laughs as she remembers how she used to beg her mom to stay in the bath 'just until I turn pruned' she would say.
***

Gary steps up the three metal steps into the cab of the John Deer tractor. Cranking the engine he let's his mind slip to Brooke. He chuckles as his mind replays her reaction to the comment he hadn't plan to say. No matter what she does she tears him up inside, in a good way. She makes him want to pull her tight up to him and whisper that he will never leave her.

With a smile still shining on his face he moves the bucket up so that it won't drag the ground and then shifts to drive. The old green tractor lurches a bit before rolling smoothly down the dirt road. About halfway between his house and where the car got in its predicament he spots Mrs. Carol's SUV rolling down the road his way. He smiles, shifts to park and climbs down.

Just about even with him she stops and rolls her window down. "Gary, who's car is that back there?"

"Brooke's, she came to-" he hesitates for a moment. "She came to help me with a few things. I'm just going to get it out now."

Mrs. Carol's face lights up. "Oh that's great! That's she here I mean. I do assume she is at your house?"

He nods. "Yes ma'am."

"Good! Y'all come on down for supper tonight, will you?"

An idea pops into his mind. "Yes ma'am I'm sure we can do that. I have a question for you while it's on my mind."

She nods. "Okay."

"Would you mind if Brooke stayed with you for a night or two?" Much as he doesn't want to admit it he can feel slight color slipping to his cheeks.

A knowing grin takes place on her face. "Of course!" She holds up a finger, the grin now gone. "Gary, I really do hate to tell you this right now, but the water trough by the road about a mile east of my house had water spraying everywhere this morning. I went ahead and turned it off, but forgot to tell you."

He nods with a sigh. "Alright, thank you. I'll go over and check it out after a while."

"Oh no! It will last them until tomorrow and that have that other one they can get to. You can look at it tomorrow and Brooke and I can have some girls time." She winks at him reminding him of a spunky grandma on some movie.

Laughing he shakes his head. "I see your idea there. Thank you though, I'm sure Brooke will enjoy that."

In a few short minutes they have finished their conversation and he is back on track for his mission. The tractor jerks to a stop as he applies pressure to the breaks. "Come on, baby doll, don't quit me now," he mutters easing it into park while the engine sputters. Leaving it running he jumps out and gets the chain that hangs on the hooks on the bucket.

He crawls under the car mentally shaking his head. Who makes a car that can't even get over a few ruts in the road. He does have to admit Brooke looks pretty cute in it though. Laughing at his own thoughts he secures the chain around the back axel before climbing out from under the car. Skillfully he hooks it on the tractor bucket before climbing back in the cab.

Using the levers he lifts the bucket up before putting the tractor to reverse and ever so slowly backing up. He watches intently as the car rolls back. When he pokes his head out the open door and hears the scraping he mutters, "Dern it."

He stops the tractor and lowers the bucket at a loss for what to do now. Getting out he surveys just how much damage it might cause to go ahead and pull it out as it is. From what he can figure it will mainly be damage to the bumper. He shrugs. "It's plastic anyway."

Shaking his head at himself he pulls his phone out. Although he isn't that fond of the car it is Brooke's, so she should call the shots. His end of the line rings a couple of times before there is a rattle of noise and her sweet, "Hello."

"Hey sweetheart, how's it going?"

She laughs. "It's getting there. I think the bigger question is how is it going for you?"

He sighs and wipes the sweat form his brow. "Well, this isn't as easy as I thought it might be. If I pull it out how I have it now your front bumper is pretty much going to be shot, but I'm not real sure how else to get it out. If you don't want to do it this way I'm sure I can find another way."

A groan comes from her end of the line. "That little thing really isn't any good for out here is it?"

He chuckles. "Not really."

"I don't care how you get it out. You just may be taking me and it home."

A twinkle strikes in his eye. "Well in that case let me think of the most destructive way. No, not really. I'll see what I can do." He pauses before saying, "Maybe this is a good excuse to get a newer set of wheels."

"Okay, okay, I get your hint. I know you don't like it, but it was my first one to buy by myself."

He smiles tenderly even though she can't see him. "I know, and I know it has a lot of memories for you." He adds quietly, "And a few for me."

A light pops into her eyes as she laughs a little. "It seems to be giving you lots of chances to be a knight in shining armor in the last year or so."

His eyes turn deep and he wants nothing more than to reach through the phone and wrap her in his arms. "I'll give it credit for that."