Page 4 of The Bad Boy Prince in Love
The party boy stumbled forward, trying to step into the cab, but didn’t quite make it, and nearly face-planted onto the seat.It would have been amusing to watch him try further, but Hallie decided she had better get him to the ranch before he passed out.
“In you go,” she said, trying to make sure he didn’t hit his head as she dragged him inside.She then had to stuff his long legs in and make sure his shiny Oxford shoes had a solid footing on the floor of the cab since he kept falling over to the driver’s side.The guy was certainly heavy, in a muscular kind of way, and very floppy.
Breathless from the effort, Hallie got behind the wheel, only to be confronted with a vaguely waving finger.
“Have you had anything to drink?”Luke asked.“Because I’m not going anywhere with a drunk driver.”
“I haven’t been drinking,” Hallie said patiently.
“Good.”He nodded a few times.“Let’s go.”
“Whatever you say, sir,” she muttered.
Hallie couldn’t help but smile as they got on the road.She had actually pulled it off.She got a man to agree to be her fake boyfriend.
Suddenly, she nearly lost her grip on the steering wheel, startled by what sounded like a howling cat.It was only Luke singing drunkenly, “Texas, you’re my home!”
She was about to tell him to stop, but then she laughed out loud.The passion in his voice combined with the off-key screaming was too much.
“Ohhhh Texas!”he wailed.
As the truck left the city and sped by miles and miles of scrub brush in the falling dusk, Hallie asked, “So, what’s so important about this hat?”
“Nothing...”he said, lifting the brim a little, “And everything.”
Hallie knew he was talking nonsense, but it was kind of fun.“Really?Everything?”
“Because being a cowboy is the best thing in the world.You should know, being a cowboy, I mean cowgirl.”
“I mean, it’s all right,” she allowed.“But maybe it’s not all as wonderful as you imagine.I guess you’ll see for yourself.”
By the time they drove through the giant wooden arch with its Royal Strait Ranch sign, Luke had mostly stopped singing and seemed to be nodding off, though once in a while he would mumble something.
Hallie had to practically carry him from the vehicle into the main house.
“Oh, great, nobody’s home,” she grumbled.
“Home, home on the range!”Luke sang out blearily as he stumbled along beside her.
If only her mama and daddy could see him now!But they must have been out visiting friends, and they probably wouldn’t be back until Luke the charmer was sound asleep.Hallie comforted herself with the thought that they couldn’t miss how hung-over he would be in the morning.
She wasn’t sure whether to try to take him up to the guest room or just leave him on the couch.She decided the couch would be best because everyone would be sure to find him there come daylight.
The nights were sometimes chilly here.She pulled one of mama’s old quilts from a drawer.It was made of various old t-shirts and stuffed with goose down, a family heirloom that held so many memories.She spread the quilt over the stranger, just like her mama had done to her when she lay on the couch at times when she was sad or tired or miserable from a bout of flu.
Why couldn’t things be simple again, like when she was a child?Now, her bond with her parents had lost that magical glow.
Lost in nostalgic memories, she almost forgot about the man sleeping on the couch as she trudged up the stairs to her bedroom.
