Chapter Two – Vivianne
Vivianne
The moment I saw Ladd Wilde earlier today, something inside of me came to life.
He was beyond handsome, and it was evident from the tight jeans and T-shirt he was wearing that he was physically fit.
He didn’t have one of those overly built bodies, but he had just enough muscles to make a girl look twice.
When he walked over to me, his blue eyes were made even bluer by the white cowboy hat.
I actually felt my heart race in my chest as my friends gasped and shrieked when he headed our way.
“I still can’t believe he just walked over like that and asked you out!” Mollie said, while she twisted my hair up and pinned it in place. “Are you sure you don’t want me and Luke to join you?”
“It’s fine. I know one of the guys he was with. He’s in one of my classes.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, Vivianne.”
I sighed and turned toward her. “Stop worrying. I’ll be fine.”
The doorbell rang, and my stomach lurched with excitement. “That’ll be Ladd!”
Mollie rolled her eyes, then smiled. “He is really cute.”
“He’s more than cute,” I called over my shoulder. “He’s a handsome cowboy!”
“Hopefully he’s packing a full load!” she shouted back.
I laughed and shushed her, but quickly got myself under control before I opened the front door.
Standing before me was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on.
His hat was in his hands, and his dark hair looked as if he’d run his hand through the strands a dozen times, and I loved that.
You could tell he’d styled it, but the hat and the fact that he’d clearly run his fingers through it gave the glossy hair a slightly messy look.
Tonight, he was wearing jeans, a white button-down shirt, and even a tie.
“You look handsome,” I commented before I even realized I’d spoken.
He laughed. “Thanks. You look stunning.”
I glanced down at my floral dress. I had my favorite sandals on as well. When I looked back up at him, his eyes seemed to be on fire.
“Thank you.” I stepped back and motioned for him to come into the house I shared with three other girls. “Ummm, if you don’t mind, let me grab my purse and sweater. It’s warm out now, but I heard it’s supposed to cool off this evening.”
He didn’t say anything when he walked in, just glanced around, running the brim of his cowboy hat through his hands in a nervous gesture. There was something sweet about him being just as nervous as I was.
I quickly grabbed my things—then came to an abrupt halt when I saw Mollie talking to Ladd. She was jabbing a finger into his chest and wearing her best mom expression.
“Oh gosh,” I mumbled as I quickly made my way back to save him.
“Do you understand me?” I heard Mollie ask.
Ladd seemed amused and was clearly trying not to smile. He held up his hands and nodded. “The rules have been laid out clearly enough for me to understand.”
“Good,” Mollie said before turning to me. “I’ll be home all night, so if you need anything, you can call.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Mom.”
That time, Ladd did chuckle. He opened the door for me, and I walked out first. We made our way down the sidewalk, and I glanced around for his car.
“It’s such a beautiful night, and the restaurant I wanted to take you to isn’t that far. I hope you don’t mind walking.”
I smiled. “I don’t mind at all.”
He held out his arm, and I felt my cheeks blush as I slid my arm through his. “What a gentleman.”
“My father would box my ears if he ever saw me not treating a lady as one should be treated.”
“Some might say that’s old fashioned.”
Ladd stopped walking to look at me. “Do you think it is?”
I looked away, as if giving it some thought, then focused my gaze back on his. “No, I actually think it’s really romantic.”
He laughed. “No one has ever told me I’m romantic.”
“Then I’m the lucky first.”
When he winked, my heart fluttered.
Once we started our walk again, Ladd began to ask questions.
“What year are you in?”
“Junior? You?”
“The same. What are you majoring in?”
I smiled. “English. When I was in high school, I had a dream of writing a book, and that was my original plan for the degree. However, now I think I’d like to teach English.”
“High school?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I can remember my fifth-grade English teacher the most, and I adored her.
She was the reason I fell in love with reading, and she’s maybe even part of the reason I wanted to write a book.
She used to have us keep a journal, and we had to write in it every day.
On Fridays, we used to have what she called ‘free write’.
She would always tell me how entertaining my entries were, that I was clearly a storyteller.
Looking back, I think I used that time to escape reality. ”
I wasn’t sure why I shared that last part, and was thankful when Ladd didn’t ask what I meant by it.
“Why don’t you want to write a book now?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think I’ve just placed that dream on the back burner.”
We walked for another minute in silence before he asked, “Where’s home?”
“Colorado Springs. What about you?”
“River Falls, Colorado. It’s a small town west of Granby. If you blink at all when driving down Main Street, you’ll miss the whole town.”
I squeezed his arm. “I’ve always wanted to live in a small town.
Colorado Springs isn’t as big as Denver, but it’s not small either.
I want to live somewhere that’s so small, everyone knows everyone.
You walk into the grocery store, and people are greeting you by name.
Where there isn’t even a stoplight on Main Street! ”
Ladd laughed. “River Falls is out for you, then. We have exactly one light on Main Street.”
I felt my smile grow bigger. “Do you love it there?”
He nodded. “I do. We have a lot of tourists who visit our town, both in the summer and winter, due to the river, which the town is named after, River Falls. Grand Lake is a large lake nearby, and the ski resort in Granby. If you enjoy white-water rafting, snowshoeing, or fishing, then you’d love it there. ”
“I’ve never done white-water rafting, but it’s on my list of things I’d like to try.”
“What else is on your list?”
I exhaled. “Riding a horse, especially in the winter. Well, learning to ride a horse at all. Hiking up a mountain. Learning to fly-fish—that’s a must. Riding in a car down a one-lane road with the windows rolled down and Fleetwood Mac’s song ‘Landslide’ turned up as loud as it can go.”
Ladd stopped once again and looked at me. “Will you marry me, Vivianne?”
Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “You hardly know me.”
“You just described my dream woman.”
My brows rose. “Did I?”
He grinned. “You did.”
I chewed on my lower lip for a few moments before I said, “I tell you what, Ladd Wilde, ask me one year from today.”
“One year? That’s a long time to wait, Viv.”
My stomach swooped at his use of a nickname. No one had ever given me a nickname, not even my parents.
“It is a long time, but I think it’ll be worth the wait. And somewhere in the back of my mind, a year from now, I think we’ll be worth the wait.”
His eyes searched my face before they landed on my mouth. I swept my tongue across them instinctively, and Ladd slowly lifted his gaze.
“Your eyes,” I whispered. “They almost look silver.”
A wide smile took over his face. “They change colors.”
“They change colors?” I asked on a laugh. “What other colors are they?”
Ladd slowly shook his head. “Uh-uh…not so fast. You’ve got a year to find out.”
He reached for my hand and laced it back through his arm as we started walking once again.
“What do your parents do for a living?” I asked.
“They own a cattle ranch. My father is the third generation to run it.”
“Is that what you’ll do when you get back to River Falls?”
“I’ll help with running it, sure, but I’d like to open up a sporting goods store.”
Surprised, I glanced at him. “A sporting goods store? What does your father think about that?”
He laughed, and I found I liked the sound of it. “He’s supportive, and he’s given me a couple years to make a go of it. If things don’t work out, then I promised I’d work on the ranch full time. But they will work out. I can feel it in my bones. I’m not going to give up until it does.”
“You’re determined, then?”
Ladd smiled. “I am.”
“And your father is supporting this decision?”
“He is,” Ladd said, a smile on his face. “Both of my parents are. I have three other brothers, so it’s not like my father needs me running the ranch to keep it going. But ranching is in my blood, I can’t imagine not being a part of it in some way.”
“You dress the part. So what you’re telling me is you’re actually a full-on cowboy? Not someone who is cosplaying one?”
“Yes, ma’am. Some say I’m the wildest of my brothers.”
“Is that so?” I grinned.
We walked in comfortable silence before he asked, “What about your parents?”
Forcing myself not to change the tone of my voice, I glanced at a building as we neared and asked, “Is this where we’re eating?”
Ladd looked up and nodded. “It is.”
“I adore this place!” I said, smiling at Ladd.
A wide grin appeared on his face, and he laughed once again. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait a year, Viv. Maybe not even six months!”
I could feel my cheeks heating, and somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that whether it was six months or a year, if Ladd Wilde asked me to marry him at any point in the future, I would say yes.
Things between Ladd and me took off like wildfire.
Whenever we were both free, we spent our time together.
Picnics, long walks, or simply sitting in the library studying for a test. I hated that I had to work so much, but it never bothered Ladd.
If we had a free moment, we took advantage of it.
Every second we spent together was cherished by both of us.