CH 55 - #tcb
#tcb
Madison
A week and a half had passed since Mrs. Harrison and Hayden came to the ranch to meet Beau. I smiled every time I thought about the occasion. It went so well, and I was grateful.
Last Friday, Luke and I followed the same routine as before, when he drove in from Childress to see me, our kids, and my mom.
While he was here, he took Bella and Beau for a ride on Casper again.
He also let my mom ride him around the corral, Luke guiding him by the reins.
My mom giggled like a little girl, which tickled me so much.
The photos and video that I took of her were wonderful.
I had my turn at riding Casper, too, but not around the corral.
Luke took us to our spot while my mom watched her grandgirl and grandboy.
My cowboy and I had another picnic while we were there, then had each other for dessert.
I rode him while he bucked his hips under me, thrusting his big dick into me until we both came.
I could hardly wait for him to get back to the ranch in two days. I needed another big dose of him.
I was on my lunch break from working remotely when I received a call from my neighbor in Dallas.
“Hi, Jenny!”
“Hey, Madison. I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you, but I thought you should know there’s water coming from your garage and running down your driveway.”
“What?”
“It is.”
“Oh, God, um… Let me think. There’s a spare key to my front door under a gray rock in my flowerbed by the rose bush. Please get it and go inside to see where the leak is.”
“Okay. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
“Thank you!”
As I waited for Jenny, I went to the kitchen to tell my mom what was going on.
“You’re going to have to go back to Dallas to take care of what we both know is going to be a mess inside your house.”
“I’ve already thought about that,” I sighed, shaking my head.
“Do you want to leave Bella and Beau with me here? I can start giving him cow’s milk through a sippy cup.”
“I appreciate your offering, Mom, but I need them with me. It’s probably going to be two or three weeks before I get to come back to the ranch. I can get Meredith to help me with Bella and Beau while I deal with my insurance company and a contractor to make repairs.”
My mom studied my eyes.
“What are you thinking?” I asked her.
“That you ought to sell that big house and move here.”
I took a deep breath, imagining doing it. “I-I don’t think I’m ready to do that.”
“Why not? You, Bella, and Beau would be so much closer to Luke. He’d come here every weekend.”
“Mom…”
“What’s your hesitance?”
“I still love Dallas.”
“So visit it. You can show Luke where you grew up.”
“I have to be completely honest. I know that if I moved here, Luke would want to walk me down the aisle next.”
“I got the impression that you’re ready for that to happen. I know he’s ready for it.”
“I still have that nagging fear inside me that he’s going to wake up one day and realize I’m not what he thought he wanted in a wife.”
“Let that line of thinking go, honey. If you don’t and you put Luke off, I’m not sure what he’ll do.”
“What do you mean?”
“A man can take only so much rejection from the woman he loves before giving up.”
“I’m not rejecting him. I’m just not ready to go all in with him by being his wife just yet.”
“It’s a piece of paper, Madison, and a ring on your finger. You and Luke already behave like you’re husband and wife.”
I stared at my mom as my heart raced. Then my cellphone started ringing.
“Where’s the leak, Jenny?” I asked, answering her call.
“Under your kitchen sink. Your hardwood floors are already warping. The water also spread to your dining room and living room. Your carpet is soaked.”
“Shit! Were you able to get the water turned off?”
“I don’t know how to.”
“The main valve to my house is in the garage behind a square opening in the wall to the left.”
“I’m walking to it right now.”
About a minute later, she turned off the water. I thanked her several times, then told her that Bella, Beau, and I would be back in Dallas before dark.
Me: My house got flooded from a leak under my kitchen sink. I’ve got to go back to Dallas and am about to start packing.
Several minutes passed with no reply from Luke. I knew he was busy and hated to disturb him, but he needed to know what was going on. Then my cellphone started ringing.
“Hi,” I said to him.
“I’m going to check with Mr. Culberson about taking off work so I can go with you and the kids.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”
“I want to, Madison.”
“No, really. Stay and work. I’m going to have so much to do to get that mess cleaned up and put my house back in order.”
“When will I see you, Bella, and Beau, again?”
“I wish I could say it would be soon, but it’s going to take a while to…” I sighed, shaking my head, frustrated.
“I’m telling you right now that I won’t go for more than a week without seeing you and the kids. I can’t.”
“I don’t want to go any longer than that before I see you. I’m sorry to lay all of this on you.”
“I wish you’d just sell your house and move to the ranch.”
I half-laughed. “My mom told me the same thing.”
“Then why don’t you do it? You can work anywhere.”
“Not all the time. My boss has me come in every so often for staff meetings and to check in with me one-on-one. Go over my client portfolios, etc.”
“So make a turnaround trip to Dallas for those meetings.”
“Luke, I can’t think about all of that right now. I’ve got to get on the road as quickly as I can.”
He cleared his throat. “Would you please just wait for me to go with you today?”
“Stay in Childress. Okay? I will call you the minute I get to my house and keep you updated on everything.”
“Madison, my stomach is in knots. I don’t want you so far away from me.”
“It was going to happen anyway, eventually, since my home address is in Dallas.”
“Your home is with me.”
“Luke, I didn’t mean to upset you. I can tell you are by the tone in your voice.”
“I am upset, but not at you. It’s the situation.” Seconds passed, neither of us saying anything, then Luke spoke again. “Alright, I’ll stay here in Childress, but check in with me while you’re on the road.”
“I will. Thank you for understanding.”
“Of course I do, but the man in me wants to take care of you, Bella, and Beau. It’s my responsibility.”
“It’s mine too.”