Chapter 12
TWELVE
KARL
Reality sucks. I want to be in the stands with Nancy. Scratch that. I want to be back in my trailer with her with no chance of anyone interrupting us.
She said yes. No, wait, she said, “Marry me tomorrow.”
The judge is standing at Daisy’s rear, and I use the opportunity to look over to where Nancy’s sitting.
When she sees me, she gives a little wave.
I want to point at her and let everyone know that the woman right there, the one without any makeup, her hair in a messy ponytail, and wearing the most understated outfit, is my girl.
I want to hand Daisy over to whoever is closest, run to her, take her by the hand, and lead her to the truck so we can drive to Niagara Falls right now to get married in some twenty-four-hour chapel.
I don’t even know if she’d want to get married in a cheesy chapel.
What if she wants a proper church wedding?
“Sire?” The judge asks, and I snap back into the ring.
Fuck, the number one rule is to keep one eye on your cow and one on the judge, and I had both of mine on Nancy.
I fumble through my answer, then the next one, and catch Matt’s concerned gaze on me. When the judge moves on, I let loose a sigh of relief and do my best to concentrate, but the distraction up in the stands proves to be too much for me, and I find my eyes on her more than on Daisy.
Shockingly, when all is said and done, I walk out of the ring in third place for the class and with the reserve champion ribbon for the entire show. Matt smirks at me as we head to our section, the elaborate grand champion ribbon fluttering triumphantly on Patty’s halter.
Nancy’s leaning against the wash stall and looking totally opposite of how she looked when I walked around the corner earlier. It’s déjà vu, but leveled up.
She pushes off and meets me halfway. “Nice ribbon,” she says, wrapping her arms around me and leaning in for a kiss. When she starts to retreat, I pull her back in to steal another one.
“You’re incredibly distracting,” I tease.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
“Totally worth it.” I release her only to have her reach down and take my hand, walking beside me as I take Daisy back to her stall. This is moment is better than any damn ribbon.
“What happens now?” she asks, leaning against the doorframe while I divest Daisy of the halter and give her a good scratch.
I lean across from her and slide my hands into my pockets. “Depends.”
“On?”
“How serious were you about marrying me tomorrow?”
A blush creeps into her cheeks, and I wonder if she blushes anywhere else. She tips her head, a sly smile appearing as she steps into the space between us. “Surprisingly, very,” she confirms.
“Then, I suggest we jump in my truck now and head to Niagara Falls for the night. In the morning, we can go to city hall to get a license, and from there, we can decide which terrible chapel we’ll say our vows in.”
“Okay,” she agrees then winces and I wait for her to tell me she wasn’t serious. “I should probably go to my hotel to get my things. I don’t know what my sister will do with everything when she gets back there tonight.”
“She’s that mad at you?”
“I left her without a groom on a competition day. She’s definitely that mad at me.”
Pulling her to me, I drop a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go as long as I get to go, too.”
She’s got my hand in a death grip as we head toward the elevator at the Royal York. It’s the fanciest hotel I’ve ever been in, and I feel remarkably out of place in my jeans and button-up.
“I feel like I should be in a top hat and tails to be in this place,” I whisper when the elevator doors close.
Nancy wedges herself in the corner and drags me to her.
“It’s all a facade. Underneath it’s old and crumbling.
” She goes up on her toes to kiss me while she untucks my shirt and begins to work her hands underneath.
Chills crisscross along my skin where her fingers graze.
“Unlike you,” she says, dropping to her heels and smirking at me.
I’m about to take advantage of being alone with her when the doors open and we’re on the move again.
When she stops outside a door at the end of the hall, I kiss her neck as she fumbles with the key. “Patience,” she teases, turning the lock and pushing into the room.
This isn’t a double at a Days Inn. There’s an entire seating area and two beds through an arched entry.
While Nancy heads to the closet and grabs a suitcase, I wander around in awe.
My family isn’t poor. My parents have always made good financial decisions, but we've never stayed in a place like this.
It never made economic sense to them. Why stay in a hotel suite when the cows could have higher-quality feed?
Or, we could graduate from university debt-free.
When I join Nancy, she’s emptying drawers into her suitcase. “I didn’t realize people used the drawers in a hotel.”
“My mother would be mortified if we left our clothes in the case,” she grumbles as she leans into the closet, and when she reappears, she’s holding a long yellow gown.
“That’s beautiful,” I say, coming up beside her. “I bet you look stunning in it.”
Her nose scrunches. “I hate it.” She scowls at the dress.
“Same, it’s hideous. Chuck it out the window.” She snorts and hangs the dress back up.
“My mother had it made. I was supposed to be wearing it last night. Did you know she wasn’t even aware that I hadn’t shown up?” She closes the door and walks into the bathroom.
I follow, eager to remain close. “Holy crap,” I barely get the words out. There’s a massive glass shower and a bathtub for ten. I stare at the tub, imagining it filled with bubbles, Nancy leaning back, waiting for me to join her.
“I’m going to miss the tub, I think,” she says sadly from where she’s zipping up a small toiletries bag.
“I’m upset I’m missing you in it,” I confess.
She takes my hand and leads me back to the bedroom. “We’ll get a room with a better tub tonight.”
“Yeah?”
“And the very best bottle of…well, something.”
“For the record,” I say, guiding her to sit next to me on the bed. “I don’t need anything fancy. I only need you.”
She looks at me for what feels like a millennium, and then her hands are on my face, and her lips are ghosting across my own, teasing me until I slide my hand into her hair and hold her to me, losing myself in the kiss until we’re both on our sides.
When she breaks away, panting, sometime later, she lies on her side, watching me as I catch my breath.
“Where will we live?” she asks.
“The farm. My parents have a small cottage on the edge of the property. It’s not big, but it’s cozy.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs. What’s yours?”
“Cheese,” she says, without a second thought.
“Generic cheese, or is there a specific kind?”
“I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like,” she says, tracing her finger down the side of my face. “I’m not a very good cook,” she admits, wincing.
“You don’t need to be a good cook. You don’t even need to cook. I can cook,” I tell her. “You should taste my peanut butter and jam sandwiches.” She laughs. “Also, I’ve got the ratio of water to Mr. Noodles figured out… hint, the package lies.”
“That’s good to know. I look forward to our meals of PB and J and noodle soup.”
“I look forward to meals of you.” Her cheeks practically glow with a blush. “I bet you taste fucking delicious,” I whisper.