CH 12 - #gratitude
#gratitude
Madison
Song: “Love You Right” by Derek Mercer
“I am so grateful that it was Luke who stopped to help you and not some stranger,” my mom said.
“Me, too. By the way, I apologized to him the other day for how I treated him at the corral.”
“The other day, when?”
“When I took that run before sunset.”
“Where did you see Luke?”
“At his family’s cemetery. He wasn’t there when I got there, but he was right after. It was his dad’s birthday. He’d come to pay his respects.”
“I know he’s struggling with the loss of his dad. Hayden is, too, but handles it differently. What did Luke say to you after you apologized?”
“Nothing. Then I left and came home.”
“I like hearing you call this place home.”
“I think Bella would stay here permanently.”
My mom smiled and glanced at the items that I’d placed on the kitchen island. “What are you going to make?”
“A pie for Luke. It’s the least that I can do for him for helping me earlier. I hope he likes apple pie.”
“I’ll bet he does. It’s about as country as it gets.”
“When it finishes baking and cools a little, I’m going to take it to him, wherever he is. The barn, his cabin…”
“I’ve seen his cabin only once, when your dad and I first looked at this ranch to buy. Did you know Luke built it?”
“Yes. He’s very skilled.”
“To say the least. He’s the type of man who could survive, living off the grid.”
I nodded. “I can see that in him, plus him hunting, fishing, and everything. I could never live off the grid, though. I like my conveniences that make life easier.”
“Luke is also the type of man who would do whatever you needed to keep you comfortable.”
My mom and I stared at each other. She was still his biggest cheerleader.
“I, um, need to get the pie done. I received a weather alert on my cellphone earlier. Supposedly, a storm is hitting Amarillo later.”
“They are fierce out here because of the wind. I’ll let you be. I need to check on Bella and her PaPa anyway.”
“She sure does love him taking her for rides on his John Deere tractor. It’s funny seeing him on it.”
“Remember, he was born deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. He was a country boy before he moved to Dallas. It’s still in him.”
“Obviously. He’s turning Bella into a country girl fast.”
“Nothing’s wrong with that.”
My mom left the kitchen. I got busy making Luke’s pie. Two and a half hours later, it had somewhat cooled from baking. I hurried to place it in a box so that I could get it to him before the storm arrived.
“I’ll be back ASAP,” I told my parents in the living room, playing with Bella as I passed by.
All three smiled at me. Then my dad continued letting Bella ride on his back, acting like a bucking horse as she held on to him and squealed with excitement.
When I stepped onto the front porch, I noticed my repaired tire leaning against the railing by the steps. Luke had already taken care of it. I wondered why he didn’t ring the doorbell when he got here to let me know. Then again, he probably thought he might be disturbing me.
I peered toward the barn, seeing that the doors were closed, which told me that Luke wasn’t there.
He had to be at his cabin, so I got in my car, placed his pie in my passenger seat, and headed to his rustic home.
As I neared it, I saw his big, black Chevy dually truck parked in the driveway.
I had just reached the front door and was about to knock when Luke opened it.
“Hi,” he said, surprise showing on his ruggedly handsome face.
“I made you a thank-you pie for changing my flat, getting the tire repaired so quickly, and returning it to me.”
He glanced in the box. “You didn’t have to do that, Madison.”
“I know, but I wanted to. I hope you like Granny Smith apples.”
“They’re my favorite.”
I had to smile. “They’re mine and Bella’s too. Here you go.”
After I handed Luke the box with his still-warm pie in it, he took a long whiff of it and cut his hazel eyes up at me. “It smells delicious.”
“Thanks. I used a bit more sugar, cinnamon, and butter than the recipe calls for, but it makes the flavor so much better.”
“You also made a lattice top.”
“Yeah, I think they’re pretty.”
“They’re my favorite too. It’s how my mom makes them. Would you like to come in and enjoy a slice of pie with me?”
Just then, a strong gust of wind swept across the front porch, blowing my hair into my face.
“Oh my gosh,” I said, pulling it out of my eyes.
“It’s the winds ahead of the storm.”
“Does the wind ever stop blowing out here?”
“Not that I can recall. Are you going to join me? No strings attached.”
I searched his eyes, taking a deep breath. I wanted to do everything with him, not just eat some pie, but I knew it was best to stop things right where they were. I came to Luke’s only to show my gratitude for his once again helping hand.
“I had better go before the storm hits,” I said, thumbing over my shoulder.
“It’s still a ways off.”
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Four seconds.
Five seconds.
“Okay,” I finally said, my heart about to beat out of my chest.
Luke stepped back from his doorway and motioned for me to enter. After I did, he pointed toward his kitchen. “This way,” he said.
I nodded and walked beside him, both of us stealing glances at each other as country music played from speakers I saw mounted high on the walls.
In the kitchen, I leaned against the counter by the sink and watched Luke take the pie out of the box, slice it, and place our slices on two dessert plates.
“Would you like a glass of milk or water?” he asked, looking over at me.
“Water, please.”
“You sure you don’t want some ice-cold milk. It goes hand in hand with apple pie.”
I grinned. “I’ll take a glass if you are.”
“I am.”
After pouring some for us, Luke turned to me. “Do you want to eat in here or at my dining room table?”
“In here is fine.”
He nodded, his hair on top falling forward and grazing his dark eyebrows.
Today was the second time I saw him without a cowboy hat on.
The first was at Midnight Rodeo, when I took it off him and wore it while I danced on the bar.
I noticed then that his shiny brown hair was longer on top than I’d first thought.
My first impression of Luke on the day we met inside the barn was that he had a mullet.
That wasn’t the case, though. His hair was cut in long layers that he swept back over his head and tucked behind his ears before putting on his cowboy hat.
He looked sexy as hell with or without it.
Once he set our plates and glasses on the island in the center of his kitchen, he grabbed two paper towels from the roll hanging from a dispenser under one of the cabinets and two forks from a drawer.
Sitting beside Luke, I waited for him to take his first bite of pie.
The moment he did, he closed his eyes and shook his head, making the “Mmm” sound and still chewing.
“That is damn good,” he said after swallowing his bite.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s as good as my mom’s.”
“You are lying to me,” I chuckled.
“I swear, I’m not, but if you ever meet my mom, you can’t tell her what I said.”
I stared at him while picturing actually meeting Mrs. Harrison. Of course, I never would, but I imagined her as being a really sweet woman.
As Luke and I were eating, we lightly chatted. He asked how Bella was doing. I told him that she was great, thoroughly enjoying her time with her GiGi and PaPa.
“She’s a precious little girl,” Luke said.
“She really is.”
“Bella is your mini-me.”
“We do look just alike.”
“You act alike too. I witnessed her fiery spirit when she didn’t want to get off Casper after you came to the corral.”
“You should have seen me wrangling her while I walked us back to the ranch house. She kept trying to break free from my arms.”
“I’m glad you let her ride Casper with me again when your dad brought her to me.”
“That was all his doing. Before then, I objected,” I admitted.
“Why?”
“Because I felt it was best to keep a strong boundary line between you and me, which also included Bella, but my dad was right. It wasn’t fair to her to make her miserable just because I was.”
Luke’s eyes danced across my face. “What were you miserable about?”
“The tug of war inside me about us.”
“You mean about us getting closer like we’re doing now?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not tug of warring anymore?”
“A little.”
“Does that mean I have a chance with you?”
“Luke…”
“I have to ask.”
“I don’t have an answer.”
“Then I’ll be patient.”
“Tell me something. Why were you upset with me when you saw me at your family’s cemetery, which, by the way, is beautiful?”
“I wasn’t upset about you being there. It was because I was hurt about you shutting me out when I wanted to be with you.”
“I misread you.”
“Yep, you did.”
Just then, another country song began. I wasn’t familiar with it, but damn, the lyrics—“Baby, I wanna be everything he couldn’t get right.
Honey, I wanna kiss every scar he left behind.
I don’t just want your body in my arms, I want the weight you carry when you fall apart.
You’ve been hurt more times than you can count, but you can count on me to ease those doubts.
If you’re scared, I’ll be scared with you.
If you’re shaking, hell, I am too. This ain’t a game, this ain’t a spark.
It’s a slow burn straight through the heart.
So come here, let me love you nice and slow.
The kind of forever you thought you’d never know.
I’m sorry he hurt you, but I’m glad he did ‘cause now I can show you the kind of love you missed. So come a little closer, lay your head on my chest. Get lost in my arms and put your fears to rest. Every hurt you’ve ever known ends with me tonight.
I’m gonna love you, I’m gonna love you right.
”—got to me. So did Luke as he gazed into my eyes the whole time they played.
We kept looking at each other while the song continued, neither of us saying a word, but feeling so much.
Me in particular. Then Luke reached toward my face and gently wiped away the tear rolling down my cheek with his thumb.
As the song ended, he pulled his cellphone from his jeans pocket and turned off his music app, immediately refocusing on me.
“Madison, as that song said, I’m sorry he hurt you. I’m sorry Ty hurt you.”
“I appreciate your saying that, but I’m not upset about what he did to me at the moment.”
“Then what has made those beautiful emerald eyes of yours fill with tears?”
“The way you make me feel.”
“How do I make you feel?”
“Scared.”
“What are you scared of?”
“Getting my heart broken if I let you in.”
Luke took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on mine. “Like I told you the morning you woke up in my bed, we’ll take it slow. I’ll prove myself to you as a real man.”
His cellphone suddenly came on with an emergency alert, startling both of us. He grabbed it off the island, read the message, then hurried to his front door and opened it, stepping onto the porch. I was right behind him. When I saw the tornado in the distance, I covered my mouth, quaking with fear.
“Come on!” Luke said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back inside his cabin, slamming the door closed. “Call your parents and tell them to take shelter with Bella in the basement.”
“I-I… Luke…” I was in a total panic.
‘I’ll call your dad.”
He had him on the phone within seconds and told him about the tornado heading toward the ranch. A moment later, he hung up and looked at me.
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“Get in my storm cellar out back.”
He led me outside to an above-ground cement form with a heavy metal door on the side. As he unlocked it, I started hyperventilating.
“Madison, come with me now!” he said, reaching out his hand for mine.
I was frozen in place. Luke rushed over to me.
“Are you claustrophobic?” he asked.
I nodded.
“You’ll be alright. Just hang on tight to me, baby.”
He grabbed me around my waist and picked me up, rushing me over to the storm cellar and carrying me down the steps. When we reached the bottom, Luke set me down, turned on a battery-powered lantern sitting on a table, and told me to take a seat on one of the chairs.
“I’ll be right back. I’ve got to secure the door,” he continued.
I nodded, still panicked but trying to calm myself by taking intentional deep breaths. Luke rushed up the steps and was back at my side in a flash.
“What’s going to happen if the tornado goes directly over us?” I asked.
“It’s going to be loud.”
“But will we be okay?”
“Yep, we will. You’re with me.”
I’d been able to hear the rush of wind outside the storm cellar, but it suddenly got eerily quiet and calm.
“It’s almost here. Let’s get on the floor against the far wall,” Luke said, squeezing my trembling hand. He’d been holding it ever since he sat beside me.
Once we were in position, he pulled me up against him, his arms wrapped tight around me.
Then I heard a deep rumble, and my ears popped.
Seconds later, all hell broke loose. The sound of the tornado was deafening, and the impact of the debris on the cellar door horrifying.
I buried my face in Luke’s chest and screamed and cried as he held his head to mine.
A couple of minutes later, all was calm again.
“It’s over. We made it,” Luke said, lifting my face under my chin.
I nodded, still shaking from head to toe, then the protective cowboy who was still holding me to him wiped my cheeks and told me that it was safe for us to leave the storm cellar.
When we emerged, I was speechless at the sight of the damage to the outside of Luke’s cabin, but, unbelievably, it was still intact.
We walked inside and looked around. Everything was fine except the lights were no longer on. I suspected they wouldn’t be for days.
As soon as Luke and I stepped onto his front porch, my mouth fell open because my car was flipped over onto its side. Luke’s heavy truck hadn’t budged.
“Madison, I’ll get your car fixed,” he said, placing his hand on my back.
I was in a complete daze; then I thought about Bella and my parents and took off running down Luke’s driveway. I hadn’t made it far when he pulled up beside me with his passenger side window rolled down.
“Get in my truck!” he yelled.
I stopped running as he flung open my door, then I jumped in.
We got to the ranch house so quickly and rushed toward the porch.
When we reached it, my dad opened the front door and thrust Bella into my arms. I held her to me and bawled, so relieved and thankful she was okay.
My parents, too. They were hugging my little girl and me, then my mom reached for Luke, pulling him into our circle.