Catching Texas

Stealing Cinderella

A Year Later

Knox

"Dude, you don't look so hot." Stetson commented, eyeing me under the lowered brim of his hat, green eyes sparkling with enjoyment. He was an asshole, but he was right -- I'm sure I didn't look good, I sure as hell didn't feel like I looked good. Of course, being a little green around the gills had something to do with the fact that I was about to sit down and have lunch with the patriarch of the Dixon clan, Dane. Now as I'd stated before, Dane Dixon was an impressive man, and the scar across his face combined with his sheer size was enough to make any man worth his marbles piss himself. I liked to think that I was a pretty smart man -- so understandably, I was scared witless. 

"Why are you so worried, Beau? He likes you well enough -- I mean for a man that happens to be dating one of his daughters." Somehow, this didn't make me feel any better. Dane was protective of all of his girls, but especially the younger few. He hadn't worried so much about Tennessee considering she was too damn venomous for any half-sane person to want to be around. It was a miracle she'd ended up married in the first place. Texas and October were supposed to be the most heavily protected in the family -- of course I saw how well that worked considering they just allowed Tennessee to up and marry the same man who'd treated Texas badly all through her high school career. I blamed that on being oblivious and blind sighted by their own lives. But, I didn't need to think about that at the particular moment.

I was asking Dane Dixon for permission to marry to marry one of his daughters. 

And I had a feeling it was going to be an eventful lunch.

*  

Texas looked like a goddess.

Her dark hair spilled down around her shoulders as she moved toward me, the thick curls glittering under the moonlight. Wearing only a enough make-up to enhance her natural beauty, she smiled softly as she walked my way. Her burgundy colored dress swayed against her tanned thighs causing my heart to race faster, but I pushed any of those thoughts away - right now was about making sure she was going to agree to be my wife. 

Wife. I'd never considered getting married, never thought I'd ever have the desire to take the plunge. I watched my father mourn the loss of the woman he considered his soulmate and I had never wanted to do that. Until Texas. Somehow she'd managed to turn my world completely upside down -- falling in love with her was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I found myself yearning to introduce her as my wife when we were in public, to hear her use my last name instead of her own. I wanted to talk about children, buying our own home-- I wanted to build a love that couldn't be surpassed. I couldn't wait to have little Texas minis roaming around and small versions of me trying to protect them. 

But, all of those dreams and ideals were dependent on one word; yes. 

She was in my arms just as quickly as she fell into my heart, her sweet sugary scent overtaking my senses and combining with. She was talking lowly, her soft voice muffled in the cotton of my shirt and I strained to listen. I could've pulled away and not had to read between the lines, but that meant not feeling her warm breath against my skin and I wasn't quite ready to let her go. I savored the feel of her for a few minutes longer before finally pulling back and leading her toward the setting for our weekly night out. I knew she'd think nothing of what I was doing; like I stated, we did something of this nature weekly. It started about six weeks into our relationship when she was watching some cheesy as shit movie on television -- her big golden eyes started tearing up at the sight of the pretty boy main character hauling his exaggeratedly understated female on a surprise date. Seeing Texas' reaction hit me in the gut and I realized I'd never actually taken her on a date. It didn't take long to remedy that. After her initial reaction to our first official had sealed our fate. She got a surprise date every week and I reaped the rewards. 

She continued to chat excitedly as I led her to the small set up Stetson had kept around for us. While he'd teased me for asking him to help set up a something so cheesy, I was glad he had done it. Light reflected off of her gorgeous skin as we grew closer, the Christmas light casting a glow that made her look like an angel. I hoped it was good enough lighting. The wooden picnic table was covered in a blue fabric and I had a hunch that it was my missing bed sheet. Leading her to the bench, I bent and kissed her, feeling moderately wigged out when her lush lips met mind. I knew people were watching, which was kind of creepy, but I needed this moment documented for her. She went about explaining to me what happened today in Delish! and I listened, too nervous to really speak. 

God, I hoped she said yes.

Texas 

Knox was being jumpy tonight, but I let it slide as he set out the plate of oreos. Yeah, I said oreos. Knox still couldn't cook for shit, but he made it up by making sure every single one of our dates had at least one item that I couldn't live without. Things tended to get repetitive but I didn't mind, it was the simple thought for me. I bit into a cookie as I studied a fidgety Knox. When I thought about it, it wasn't just tonight that he'd acted differently, he'd been this way for weeks and brushed it off every time I asked him to tell me what was going on. I was concerned, more than I was willing to say, but I knew that he'd tell me when the time was right. Knox couldn't keep secrets for long and I wasn't just his girlfriend, I was his best friend.

"Are you okay, honey?" He only shook his head at me, his dark hair swaying with the movement. Under the gleam of the moon and the light from the Christmas lights surrounding us, I could see the bead of sweat collecting on his brow. It was odd considering it was only about eighty degrees outside. He didn't bother to look at me as he continued to set food out, but I could tell he was getting anxious, but I wasn't sure what it was about. 

"Knox?" I tried again, starting to get truly scared. Something was going on and him not talking to me was worrying me. The sound of something hard hitting the ground met my ears and the splash of liquid quickly followed.

"Dammit!" Knox hissed, staring at the object in contempt, his handsome face being taken over by a dark cloud of agitation. My heart raced as I watched him bend to pick up the item -- a pitcher of what I assumed to be sweet tea that now had mud caking the side. My heart practically broke when he looked up at me, his jade eyes filled with anxiety and fear, emotions I wasn't used to seeing him express.

My Knox was fearless.

"I can't wait --" he breathed out before his tall frame moved my way, covering the distance between us in the blink of an eye. 

Air caught in my lungs, words in my throat as he went from leering over me to kneeling at my booted feet, his chest heaving with each breath he took. A shaking hand clasped my own, and before I knew it words were tumbling out of his mouth.

"You're my everything, Texas. I need you more than I need air -- more than I want to take my next breath. I've been in love with you since the moment you walked into Mrs. Pettin's class freshman year and I plan to still be in love with you sixty years from now. I want a passel of children that all look like you, a house full of laughter and love. I want you. I know they're not the most romantic words you've ever heard, but they're all I have. Texas Dawn Dixon, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" 

Time seemed to freeze around us as I stared into his waiting eyes. 

My mouth opened to respond, but any words were cut off by the resounding honk of a vehicle and the bounce of headlights headed our way at breakneck speed across the field. 

What in the hell was going on?