Page 19 of The Rebel with Broken Strings
At her silence, he raised an eyebrow at her. “Got something on your mind?”
She shook her head. “Just how dang good this torte is.”
A warm smile swept across his face. “I can’t argue with you on that.”
Six
The snow-covered long grass went by in a blur as Gunner, sitting in the passenger seat next to Charly, pulled up to Timber Falls Ranch after dropping Aubrey and Willow off at the bar. Glancing out the window and spotting some of the mares with their foals out in the field, he smiled to himself, missing the banter with Aubrey already. He’d already gotten a crack to form in her impenetrable walls. Now he just had to smash that wall down entirely.
Once they’d parked at the house, they both stepped out of the car, Charly balancing two takeout containers in her arms. The frigid breeze nipped at Gunner’s cheeks, a stark contrast to the warmth of the car.
“Here, let me help.” He reached for one of the containers and grinned as he added, “Wouldn’t want you dropping the things standing between you and an important decision, now, would we?”
Charly had been giving him that same tense look since he first saw her this morning. “Thanks,” she said.
He suddenly realized that Charly probably hadn’t been aware of his history with Aubrey before, but for some reason she certainly knew now. He knew he needed to prove himself—not just to Aubrey, but to Charly and Willow as well.
Gunner shut the car door behind him, glancing around the ranch. Cowboys moved with purpose, their breath visible in the cold air as they went about their daily tasks.
Movement caught his eye, and he spotted two familiar figures emerging from the distance. “Look,” he said, nudging Charly.
She followed his gaze, her expression softening as she watched the two men approach on horseback. The powerful animals moved with grace through the snow, their own breath creating small clouds in the frigid air. Behind them, the vast herd of horses dotted the landscape.
“Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Gunner murmured.
Charly nodded. “It’s beautiful,” she agreed, watching as Jaxon and Eli drew closer.
When they were only a few feet away, she held up the takeout container, a grin playing on her lips.
“Hey, cowboy,” she called out, her voice warm and playful. “I’ve got a little wedding dilemma that needs your expertise.”
Jaxon’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he dismounted and then closed the distance between them. “Oh, yeah? And what might that be?” he asked, before dropping a kiss on her lips.
Charly presented the container she held. “Two caterers, both delicious.” She gestured toward Gunner’s container too. “I just can’t decide which one to choose for our big day. You need to break the tie.”
As Jaxon reached for the lids, Gunner let out a low chuckle. “Good luck with that. I’ve been tryin’ to help her decide all morning.”
Jaxon quirked an eyebrow at Gunner. “And? What’s the verdict?”
Gunner shrugged. “Hell if I know. They’re both incredible. Might just have to flip a coin on this one.”
Charly rolled her eyes. “Some help you are! I thought you’d have a more refined palate, what with all your fancy tours and green rooms.”
Gunner chuckled. “When you’ve lived off gas station burritos and whiskey for months on end, everything else tastes like gourmet.”
Charly just shook her head at him and then said to Eli, “You have to help decide too.”
Eli’s eyes lit up as Charly offered her container to him, and he reached for a sample. “Don’t mind if I do,” he said, popping a bite into his mouth. His expression morphed from curiosity to pure bliss. “Damn, that’s good. Might need another taste to be sure, though.”
As Eli eagerly dug into Charly’s container, Jaxon chuckled and downed another sample from Gunner’s.
“You know,” Jaxon mused, “I think I’m partial to Gunner’s one.”
Eli nodded emphatically, his mouth still full. “Mmm-hmm, that’s the winner right there.”
Charly threw her hands up in mock exasperation. “Oh, sure! You guys make it look so easy. I’ve been agonizing over this all morning.”
Jaxon wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “That’s ’cause you overthink everything. Sometimes you just gotta go with your gut.”
