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As I sit at the table and devour my food, I almost feel bad, but then again, I don’t because I’ve never had a surprise party. It was Ma’s idea, and she even went through the trouble of secretly inviting some of Rowan’s best friends from school. Considering we live in the age of social media, though I’m not on it much, I’m surprised the party hasn’t been ruined yet.
After Diesel’s out of the shower, I hop in and scrub the sweat and dirt from my body. Though I only worked half a day, I’m tired. Drinking and dancing the night away with Zoey, on top of waking up an hour early, is starting to catch up with me. But I don’t regret spending time with her. It was all worth it.
I dress in my favorite jeans and a dressier blue shirt, spray some cologne, and comb my hair before throwing on a baseball cap that’s got the Circle B Ranch cattle brand in the middle. I’m proud as hell to be a Bishop.
“So your sister think anything’s up yet?” Diesel asks before he chugs a bottle of water.
I shake my head. “Nope. I didn’t even tell her happy birthday when we spoke. Didn’t want to make her suspicious. She actually sounded sad, so I think when she shows up, she’ll be real surprised and happy.”
Diesel flashes a mischievous grin. “And you even hired a male stripper!” He undoes his button-up shirt as he thrusts his hips like he did in the Vegas show.
“Oh, really?” I lift a brow. “You’d strip in front of my grandma?” I challenge, knowing he’s full of shit.
He instantly starts re-buttoning his shirt. “Damn. Forgot your whole family’s gonna be there. Maybe I’ll give her a private show instead,” he muses.
“Do it and you’ll be limping with my foot in your ass,” I threaten.
“Fine, fine.” He chuckles. “You nervous about bringing Zoey?”
“Yes and no. I think they’ll be shocked but will love her,” I admit, convinced she’ll have no problem fitting in.
Diesel smiles. “You know, she could’ve at least brought her friend with her for me. Crystal?”
“Chelsea,” I correct, snickering. “You ass. You slept with her and don’t even remember her name.”
His laughter echoes off the walls. “Trust me when I say we didn’t do much sleeping.”
Shaking my head, I grab my keys and the birthday presents I got for Rowan in Las Vegas, then head over to the B&B to pick up Zoey. She’s sitting on the porch in a rocking chair, looking gorgeous as ever.
“Howdy,” I say, and she instantly smiles. “Ready to go, wifey?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I wrap my arms around her as soon as she meets me and take her lips in mine. Is it really possible to feel this way about someone I barely know?
Yes, yes, it fucking is.
“You look stunning. But hell, you always do.” I wink, tempted to skip the party and take her to my house even though we’re taking it slow.
“Thank you. I need to make a good impression after all. I like how you can go from all sweaty and dirty cowboy to sleek and sexy cowboy in only an hour. It’s like being married to two men…” she quips, biting down on her lip.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind the dirty one because he’s who you’ll see more of,” I tease.
We climb in the truck, and the conversation flows easily. I tell her more about my sister and how Diesel always taunts me about her. Once we turn onto the main road, I share the ranch’s history because the land goes on for miles. She’s intrigued by the size and how many generations have kept it alive.
“It’s a working ranch too, not just a vacation destination for tourists. We actually raise and herd cattle, brand them, and even train horses.”
She grins. “And you guys own a bar, a bed and breakfast, have a massive garden, and your grandma basically runs the town.”
I smile with a nod because it’s true. My family’s well-known ’round here. “Something like that. Grandma Bishop knows everything about everyone. She’s active in charitable work too and does a big bachelor auction fundraiser every year for the food bank, has for decades. You only cross her if you have a death wish. The woman’s a spitfire, but she’s extremely loyal. She also makes the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever tasted in my life,” I tell her random facts, then park the truck a block away from the bar.
I turn and look at Zoey, and she seems more relaxed than before.
“Well, it’s now or never. Ready?” I ask, grabbing Rowan’s gifts.
We sit in silence for a few seconds before Zoey lets out a laugh. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
After we climb out of the truck, I grab her hand and lead her in through the back door. The room is already crowded with people helping decorate with balloons and streamers. As soon as I set the presents down, I run into Uncle John and Uncle Jackson. They look at me, then at Zoey, mirror images of one another.
