He's careful to hit the apex of the hills just when the chorus starts in the song, which I think is totally cool. How his timing is so good I’d like to know. We’re about to hit a huge hill, and he looks at me. “Put your arms up.”
“What?” I chuckle.
“Just do it. You’ll see.”
I do as he suggests and put my arms up. As we hit the top of the hill and start driving down it, my rear end actually loses contact with the seat. “Oh my gosh!” I chuckle, shouting.
“Pretty cool, isn’t it?”
“Very cool. Can we do it again?”
“Sure.”
We keep going over and over the hills, and then Gunner lets me take the driver’s seat. “Put your arms up!” I remind him, as we hit a big hill. He does it and I watch the grin on his face.
“Did y’all work up an appetite?” he asks, as we finish the last hill on the stretch.
“I’m starving.” I admit.
“Good. Let’s go get you fed.”
He opens the door for me at the restaurant, and pulls the chair out for me at the table, and just when I think he couldn’t be any cuter, he takes his hat off at the table. As he rakes a hand through his curls, I can’t take my eyes off him. His hair is beautiful. It’s not messy from being under a hat, either. It’s deceptively long on top, but the curls make it appear shorter. His hairline is literally lined with curls, but still tidy enough, like he’s had a recent cut.
“You like Greek food, darlin’?” he asks, and I could just melt when he calls me that.
“I do. Do you?”
“It’s one of my favorites, actually.”
“Really? I figured you’d be a pizza and wings kind of guy.”
“I like them, too, but Greek food is something that my mama seldom makes, so I enjoy it when I’m out.”
We order our food, and I notice that the waitress is giving Gunner goo-goo eyes, which makes my skin crawl, and I realize just how sexy he really is. The fact that the flirtation bothers me tells me that I really do like him as more than just a friend. The fact that he’s oblivious to her flirting, and being as gallant as possible, makes him even more attractive. She’s all but pushing her chest in his face, but his eyes are either on the menu, or giving her eye contact only, and I almost want to scoff at her, for her futile effort.
As we eat, I watch his eyelashes and his curls, as he savors his food, as opposed to inhaling it, and I wonder if he’s holding back on my account. “My daddy doesn’t usually chew his food.”
“No?”
“No. Sometimes he’s in such a rush, I can’t even watch him eat.”
“Well, where I come from, sometimes mealtime is the only time we get to sit down, so I like to take my time.”
“It’s a lot of work on a ranch, huh.”
“It is. Seven days a week. And that’s with ranch hands. It depends on what we’re doing, of course, but it’s a lot of work, nonetheless.” He pauses. “You like the food, darlin’?”
“Yes, thank you. I figured our little harlet waitress would come around and at least ask that, but I guess you annoyed her by not paying her back the attention she was giving you.”
He knits his brows and smiles. “Really?”
“Yes, really. She might as well have pulled out a boob and served that to you, she was so hungry for you.”
He snorts a laugh. “You are too cute for words.”
That makes me smile. “Cute?”
“Well, golly, love. Look at you, all jealous. You’re such a little thing, she could eat you for breakfast, and yet you’re like a little tiger over there.”
