“Am not.”
“Are too!”
Gaz rolls his eyes and focuses back on me. “Dee was tellin’ us about your breedin' operation. How's it goin'? She said you've had your first calves and you've just got a new bull in?
"Sure do. He’s a retired bull riding champion called Bushwhacker, of all things. We moved him in with a bunch of cows and he bred each and every one of them in a week.”
Scott rejoins the conversation. "Damn. That's one horny bull.”
"Yep. Didn't expectthatkind of action in a week.”
“None of us would,” Dillon retorts with a snicker.
I can’t help but join in with him. “It'll be good for business though. Especially if he can keep up with his 100% hit rate."
Dillon cackles. "More like hit-itrate." We all laugh at that one and come to a stop at an old but still strong wooden fence.
"You planning on keepin' Dee on staff?" Gaz asks, his expression turning serious. "Cause you gotta know, Toby. That girl of mine was born of the land and will end her days on it. Whether that's here with us, or with you at Bull, I need to know that you're not expectin' her to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. Our Dee is many things, but she's not built to be a housewife. She's too damn good at what she does. Her affinity to the environment and animals. It's somethin' you either have or you don't."
"And she has it, believe me, I know. I ain't ever gonna ask her to stop doin' what she loves," I say, earning a nod from Gaz as well as chin lifts from Scott and Dillon.
Scott tilts his head. “Dad, you know you’re talkin’ about little Dee bein’ a rancher’s wife, right?”
“Yep,” he says, sounding like a fair dinkum Australian as he does.
Then all three Daniels men turn their eyes to me.
“Well?” Dillon prompts.
“Well, what?” I say, rubbing my hands on my jeans because I’m back to feelin’ like I wanna puke just like when I was on the plane.
“You gonna ask us?" Scott's tone is of the 'duh' variety.
“What? Like rightnow?” I say.
The brothers shrug. “Isn’t that why you’ve come to visit us? We’re a lot of things but dumb ain’t one of them,” Scott says.
“Sharp as a damn tack,” I mutter, shaking my head before I close my eyes, take a deep breath and open them again, looking between all three of the men standing in front of me.
“I’d like your blessin’ to ask Dee to marry me,” I say, my heart racing so hard and loud I can hear it echoing between my ears.
Gaz is quiet for a long time. All he does is stand there and rub his chin, studying me with an unreadable expression that just increases my nerves tenfold. "It's a bit fast son, don't you think?"
Dee told me her parents were laid back but do have a tendency to make you sweat for a while, just for fun. So given her warning,thisis something I can handle. “Did you know your wife was the one for you when you met her?”
“Fair dinkum I did,” Dee’s dad replies without any hesitation.
“Then you know there’s no such thing as fast when youknowyou’ve met the love of your life.”
“Damn, Dad. He’s got you there,” Scott says.
“Sorry to say, Dad. If Tobes has the balls to bring her home and ask all of us for Dee's hand, who are we to say no? Besides, it's up to her if she's feelin’ the same. And out of everyone, if Dee’s not feelin’ it, she’ll tell him straight,” Dillon adds.
"Think you might be right there." A slow-growing smirk appears on Gaz's face. "You know about her itchy feet?"
“Yes, sir. Never expected or asked her to choose between Spring Haven or Montana, and I was and always will be prepared to follow her wherever she wants to go,”
Gaz’s smile widens. “Good answer.”
