Chapter Seven
Grady loaded Onyx into the trailer with some other horses. He patted the horse’s neck before walking out. He saw Maverick coming toward him leading two horses. One was his horse, Cisco, and the other belonged to Parker.
“I’m glad Parker’s going with you. Last year you were pissed the entire time,” Grady teased him.
“I know. I’m happy she likes riding now, and she loves this horse.” Maverick rubbed the palomino’s neck.
“He’s a good horse. I’ve already loaded Onyx, so I’m heading to the helicopter pad to go over it before we all take off.”
“You couldn’t convince Savannah to go?”
“She said she couldn’t close the shop for two weeks. She hired a woman but with it being tourist season, Savannah didn’t want to leave her alone.”
“I get that.” Maverick grinned. “I guess you’ll be pissed this time.”
“Man, that’s not even funny because it’s true.”
“I can’t get over you with her. She must be something special.”
Grady sighed. “I’ve never felt this way before, Maverick. It scares the hell out of me, but I can’t stop thinking about her. She is special.”
“It’s about time. You just hadn’t met the right woman yet.”
“I guess so. All I know is, I want to see her every day.”
“You’re in love.”
“Whoa, I wouldn’t go that far. We’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks.”
Maverick chuckled. “Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that. Look, Grady, it’s not that scary. If she makes you feel half of what I feel for Parker, it’s great. I can’t imagine not having Parker in my life.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. She loves you.”
“I know she does. Just let it take its course, but I’ve never seen you this happy while in a relationship. That’s love.” He led the horses into the trailer.
“Love?” Grady muttered, then shook his head. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that.
As he flew the helicopter over the herd later, he spoke into the mic.
“There’s two stragglers behind the pine trees on the left of you, Maverick.”
“Got it.”
Grady grinned as he watched Maverick move Cisco through the pines, then herded them out into the field with the help of his Australian shepherd, Blue. Sometimes he missed riding with the men, but a lot of times, Warren didn’t go on the drives because he was busy with the business side of the ranch.
Turning the chopper around, he checked behind the men. It was hard to see with all the dust the cattle made. The men wore handkerchiefs over their mouths and noses to keep the dust out, but at times, it was so thick, they didn’t help.
Once they reached the pasture where they were leaving the cattle, Grady landed the helicopter, then made his way to the chuckwagon. He was starving.
“Hey, Eustice, how’s it going?” Grady said to the cook.
“Good, Grady. I’ll get you a plate.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Load it up for me, please.”
Grady looked around and saw Maverick and Parker sitting on a log together. Maverick had himself a good woman and Grady was happy for him. He hoped things worked out for him and Savannah. He missed her already and it was only the first week. He needed to see if he could send her a message. Service was spotty up here.
“Here you go, Grady,” Eustice handed the plate.
“Thanks. I appreciate you.” He took the plate, walked to the log where Maverick and Parker sat then sat beside Maverick.
“Damn, are you hungry, Grady?” Maverick asked him.
“I didn’t eat breakfast, so yeah, I’m a little hungry. Parker? What do you think of the cattle drive?”
“I’m having a ball. It’s so much fun.”
Grady chuckled. “It is.”
“Shay kept telling me not to miss it.”
“Where is she and Wes?”
“She said they were going to the creek to wash up.”
“It gets a little dusty,” Grady said.
Parker nodded, then cut into her steak. “I want to do this every year.”
Maverick grinned at Grady. “This from a woman who swore she’d never get on a horse.”
“Savannah says the same thing.”
Parker looked at Grady. “She is super sweet. You’d better not break her heart.”
Grady chuckled. “Yeah, she already threatened to cut off some valuable parts if I do.”
Parker laughed. “Good for her.”
By the end of the second week, he was going insane. He’d tried to call Savannah a few times, but service was in and out and calls got dropped more often than not. He’d tried sending a text message too but it showed that it failed to send.
“Hey, Grady.”
He turned to see Maverick striding toward him.
“Yeah?”
“Is it alright if Parker goes up in the chopper with you?”
“If she wants.”
“She says she’d love to. She’s never been in one.”
“Great. She’s not going to panic on me or throw up, is she?”
Maverick chuckled. “If she does, just set it down.”
“How about you go too?” Grady smirked.
“Not in this lifetime.”
“Pussy.”
“You got that right. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground.”
“You ride a horse.”
“That horse isn’t flying.”
“I’m just saying your feet aren’t planted firmly on the ground when you’re on a horse and you’ve been thrown several times.”
Maverick grinned. “But it’s not that far to fall. Up there is.”
Grady chuckled. “Alright. Yeah, she can go, but I’ll put her on the ground if she gets hyper or sick.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll let her know.”
As Grady made his way to the helicopter later, he saw Parker running toward him and shook his head.
“Thanks for letting me go with you,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am. Let me help you.” He held her hand while she grabbed the handle, then sat in the seat. He strode around the front and climbed inside.
“Strap in, then put the headphones on.” He pointed at them. She smiled as she put them over her ears.
“Do I have to push a button to talk?” she shouted and Grady chuckled.
“Yes.” He showed her where it was. “But you don’t have to shout. I can hear you fine.”
She laughed and pressed the button. “Sorry. What if I want to talk to Maverick?”
“I can hear you,” Maverick said and Grady could hear the laughter in his voice.
“Are you ready?” Grady asked her.
“Why don’t you have to press a button?”
“For pilots, the button is usually embedded in the control column, allowing them to speak without having to take their hands off the controls.” He looked at her. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Grady started the engine and lifted it in the air. He chuckled when Parker squealed out a laugh.
“Oh, my God! This is so cool,” she said as she stared down at the ground.
“You should get Maverick up here.”
“Ain’t happenin’ and stop filling her head with nonsense,” Maverick said.
Grady and Parker laughed, then he turned the chopper to head back toward the herd. He glanced at Parker to make sure she was alright, but she had a huge grin on her face. She was looking down at the cowboys herding the cattle and spotted Maverick.
“Hi, baby,” she said, making Grady laugh.
“I think she’s talking to me, Maverick,” Grady said.
“Fuck you.” Maverick gave him the finger.
“We have a few stragglers to the right of you, Maverick. About six of them.”
“On it.”
Grady watched him ride his horse into the wooded area, round the cattle up, and move them back to the herd. Grady saw Parker smiling as she watched him. He shook his head.
“You have got it bad, woman.”
Parker looked at him and grinned. “I do love my man.”
“He loves you too,” Maverick said.
“Just shut the hell up. You both make me sick.” Grady chuckled as they both laughed.
A half hour later, he landed the chopper, removed his headset, and told Parker to wait for the blades to stop before getting out.
“Maverick would kill me if something happened to you. Once they stop, you can get out.”
“Okay. Thank you for taking me up, Grady. It was fun. You need to get Vanna in here.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything. All he’d been thinking about was seeing her again but he also couldn’t stop thinking about Maverick mentioning love. Grady wasn’t sure he wanted to be in love.
“Like you have a choice,” he muttered.
“What?” Parker asked.
“Nothing. You can get out now.”
“Oh, okay.” She unhooked her seatbelt, opened the door, then jumped down and ran to Maverick, who caught her and kissed her lips.
“Damn, do you want to go that route?” Grady sighed. He did miss Savannah but did he want the commitment? He never had before. Once they returned, he’d give it some thought. Tonight was their last night here. They were heading back to the ranch tomorrow.
Once everyone was finished with eating, most of them sat around the firepit. Some were roasting marshmallows or making s’mores. Grady walked away from the group so he could text Savannah. He didn’t want to chance making a call in case he lost a signal.
Hey, sweetheart. He sent.
Hi! Are you having a good time?
I’d be having a better time if you were here.
Next year.
Is that a promise?
Yep!
He chuckled.
Parker said she’s having a ball.
I forgot she went. Did Shay go too?
Yeah. Everyone’s getting ready to get some sleep. We’ll leave here early in the morning.
Good. Can’t wait to see you.
Same here. I miss you, Savannah.
I miss you too.
We’re leaving tomorrow morning. Why don’t you go to my place tomorrow after you get off work?. That way, I’ll have something to look forward to.
I don’t have a key.
It’s not locked.
Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow evening.
Can’t wait.
Same here. Be careful. Bye!
Grady grinned as he put his phone away, then walked back toward the firepit. One of the men was playing a guitar. It was still chilly this close to the mountains, but the fire felt good.
An hour later, he crawled into his tent, zipped it closed, got into his sleeping bag and fell asleep thinking about seeing Savannah tomorrow and wondering just where this was going.
****
Savannah opened the door and entered Grady’s home with Bentley. She unhooked his leash, and he ran through the house.
“Don’t you dare break anything, Bentley,” she yelled as she walked to the bedroom to put her overnight case on the bed.
She opened it, pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of lounge pants and changed clothes. She didn’t know what time Grady would be home, but she was so anxious to see him after two weeks.
She didn’t care if he was dead on his feet, she was getting that man in bed, and she didn’t mean for sleeping.
Sitting in the living room, she perked up at the sound of a vehicle outside. Her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies as she thought of finally seeing him after such a long time apart. She quickly got to her feet and chuckled as Bentley ran toward the door, barking.
Grady entered the house and dropped his duffle bag before removing his hat and hanging it up. As he turned to see her standing there, a wide grin spread across his face.
“Come here, you,” he said, and without hesitation, she ran into his open arms. He picked her up as their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss. He held her close, his hands cupping her ass as he groaned. He slowly raised his lips. “I have missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. It’s been the longest two weeks of my life,” she whispered in his ear, then took his earlobe between her teeth, making him shudder.
“I need to grab a shower.”
“Alright. I found a couple of steaks in the freezer. I can make them while you shower.”
“Sounds good, darlin’. I won’t be long.” He quickly kissed her lips, picked up his duffle bag and headed toward the bedroom with Bentley on his heels. “Yeah, I missed you too, buddy.”
Savannah smiled as she watched them walk down the hallway, then she entered the kitchen to start the steaks. She couldn’t stop smiling.
A few minutes later, he entered the kitchen wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.
“You smell so good,” she said.
“You always smell good.” He moved his lips up from her neck to her ear. “If I wasn’t so hungry, I’d say the hell with food and carry you off to bed.”
“You’ll need your strength,” she said, then laughed when he chuckled. “Please sit. The steaks are ready.”
“How do you know how I like my steak?”
“I made it medium rare. If that’s not done enough, I’ll cook it a little more.”
“That’s exactly how I like it.”
“Me too. Now, please sit down.” She carried the plates to the table along with baked potatoes.
“After you.” He stood beside the chair.
Savannah smiled, then sat down, and he did too. Then he got up and walked to the pantry.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need more than just butter for my potato.”
“Like what?”
“Bacon bits, cheese, onions—I’ll skip the onions,” he said with a grin.
“You can always brush your teeth if you want onions.” Savannah smiled.
“Okay.” He carried everything to the table. “Do you want any of this?”
“No. I only like butter, salt and pepper.”
“I’m sorry, we can’t be together anymore.”
Savannah narrowed her eyes. “Are you breaking up with me over baked potatoes?”
Grady winked. “Nah. It would take more than that.”
“Good thing, Henderson.”
He laughed and they began eating, and he told her all about the cattle drive. She loved listening to him. He really loved his job.
“Parker went in the helicopter with you?”
“Yeah. She told Maverick she’d never been in one and wanted to go with me.” Grady shook his head and laughed. “She had a ball.”
“I’d love to go up in one. I’ve flown in a plane but not a chopper.”
“Well, I’ll have to take you up in it one day.”
“Deal,” she said as she put a piece of steak in her mouth. “This is a good birthday present.”
“It’s your birthday?”
“In three days.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think about it. You were gone for two weeks.”
“I’d love to take you out to dinner for your birthday, but I don’t think I can get a reservation this late.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll make you dinner here Tuesday evening.”
“Okay. I’m looking forward to that.”
After dinner, they cleaned up, then he took her hand and led her toward the bedroom, closing the door to keep Bentley out. Grady even led her into the bathroom, and they brushed their teeth, and Savannah couldn’t stop laughing because he kept telling her to hurry up.
“I’m horny, baby. Hurry up.” He walked out of the room and entered the bedroom.
When she finished, she shed her clothes, then stood in the doorway.
“Hey,” she said.
Grady looked at her and groaned. “Damn, I’ve missed you. Come here.” He crooked his finger at her.
She slowly walked toward him, stopping in front of him. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her against him as he took her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. She slid her arms around his waist, pressing her body against him. Then she stepped back from him and stared into his eyes.
****
Grady watched Savannah’s lips part as she knelt before him, her eyes gazing up at him with a mix of lust and adoration. She pushed his sweatpants down. Grady’s cock twitched in anticipation as Savannah’s hand wrapped around the base of it, her fingers barely able to encircle his girth.
Slowly, she leaned forward, her hot breath causing Grady to shudder with pleasure. She flicked her tongue out, teasing the sensitive head before taking him into her mouth. Grady groaned as he felt Savannah’s warm, wet mouth envelop him, her lips sliding down his shaft as she began to suck.
Savannah swirled her tongue around the head of his cock before moving down as far as she could. She moved her hand in time with her mouth, creating a rhythmic and intense sensation that made Grady’s legs tremble.
He could feel himself getting closer and closer to climax as Savannah picked up the pace, as she took him deeper into her mouth. He could feel his balls tighten and he knew he was too close.
He reached down, pulled Savannah to her feet, his hands roaming over her body as they kissed deeply. He picked her up and placed her on the bed and lay beside her. They continued to explore each other’s bodies, lost in the intense pleasure of each other.
Savannah’s lips traced a path down his pecs, her tongue flicking out to taste him. He knew she could feel his arousal beneath her, and he knew no woman ever had the power she had over him. Grady’s hands found their way to her hips, guiding her to move faster.
When she reached his abs, she paused to look at him, his muscles tensed with anticipation, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He knew she could see the desire in his eyes, and she knew she had him exactly where she wanted him.
With a grin, Savannah sat up, straddling his hips. His cock pressed against her, and she ground herself against him, eliciting a low groan from deep within his chest.
Grady’s hands roamed up her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples until they were hard. Savannah’s head fell back as she moaned in pleasure, lost in the sensation of his touch.
“Condom. My wallet is on the nightstand,” he said between clenched teeth. He watched her pick up the wallet, remove a condom, then ripped it open with her teeth. Keeping his eyes on her, she slowly rolled the condom down his hard cock.
He could feel her getting wetter, as she reached down to guide him inside of her. He grit his teeth as he filled her completely, and she groaned as she settled on him. She began to move her hips, riding him with slow, deliberate strokes.
Grady’s hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer as he thrust up to meet her. His muscles tensed beneath her, and he was getting close. She leaned forward, capturing his lips in a searing kiss as she picked up the pace.
They moved together, their bodies slick with sweat and desire. Grady could feel her clenching around his cock, building toward her release, and he was close as well. She sat up, threw her head back, crying out as she came, her body shuddering with pleasure. Grady sat up, flipped her onto her back and took her hard, then followed soon after, his own release shaking him to the core.
As they lay there, panting and spent, Grady couldn’t help but smile. He had never felt more alive, more desired, than he did in that moment. And he knew that he would never forget the heat of their passion, the way their bodies fit together so perfectly. It was a moment that would stay with him forever.
Grady got off the bed, grabbed her hand, and pulled her up.
“Let’s take a shower, sweetheart, then we’ll sleep until noon.”
“That sounds wonderful. I haven’t slept much since you’ve been gone.”
“Same here. Come on.” He led her toward the bathroom. “Oh, wait. Let me open the door for Bentley.”
He opened the door and laughed. If dogs could give dirty looks, Bentley was giving him one.
“Sorry, buddy. You can come in now.”
Then he and Savannah entered the bathroom, took a shower, then crawled into bed, and fell asleep holding each other.