Cowgirls and Alphas

Chapter 7

Lottie POV

“I’m Drake Reynolds. It’s nice to meet you..?” His deep voice startles me out of the trance I was in. I notice that his hand is out, so I take it to start introducing myself. A shock sparks from our hands touching. He has a firm grip on me so I don’t let go. The shock sends warm tingles up my arm and to my heart. What the heck is that? I look into his eyes again to see if the shock affected him at all, but am surprised by what I see. It’s almost like he is begging me to say something. Oh gosh! My name!

“Lottie... My name is Lottie Wright. It’s nice to meet you too, Drake Reynolds.”

We stand there for a little bit longer, unable to let go of one another’s hand. Someone clears their throat, ending the awkward staring contest Drake and I have going on. If I’m being honest here, it wasn’t awkward until I remembered that there are other people in the room watching us. I can feel my face warming up from embarrassment, so I take advantage of closing the door to try and control my blush. ‘Deep breath. Be professional Lottie.’

I turn back to the group and introduce myself to the other two guys. Luckily there are no shocks or staring with them. Eric’s name fits him well because he looks like a real-life Prince Eric from ‘The Little Mermaid.’ I make a mental note to tell Ava about him. She will think it is the coolest thing since that movie was her favorite growing up. Jackson has shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. I notice that he is the only one with a ring on his left ring finger. I wonder if Drake has a girlfriend? That wouldn’t surprise me if he does. Not only is he like a young Adonis, but he seems to have a respectable character as well.

Dad gets everyone’s attention by saying, “Well, let’s go sit down and eat! We can talk business afterward.”

“Lottie, why don’t you help me bring dinner out?” My mom suggests.

I nod and reply, “Yes, ma’am.”

The guys go to the dining room while mom and I split off for the kitchen. The only structure separating the two rooms is the kitchen counter/bar. I’m surprised when my mom starts talking in a hushed voice.

“You okay? You’ve got a little drool on your chin there.”

I look at my mother in horror. “Mom! Are you kidding me? They are right there!” I whisper-yell at her while trying to casually wipe my face.

“Oh please, they’re all talking, and I’m whispering. They can’t hear us.” She waves a dismissive hand before opening the oven where the food has been to keep warm. “I wanted to make sure that you are okay. You seem pretty captivated by him,” she nods to Drake and hands me a large bowl of mashed potatoes.

“I’m fine, mom! Just drop it, please? Or at least wait until they aren’t here,” I say as I turn to the dining room. Mom follows me with another bowl of food to set out. Before we can go back to the kitchen for more, my dad is bringing the roast in, and Drake has the last bit of food in his hands. Something about him helping like that makes my heart flutter.

“You’re drooling again,” Mom whispers walking by me. She even smirked! Ugh! What is wrong with me?! I hope no one else noticed or my mom is messing with me.

“Thank you, Drake! You didn’t have to do that. You’re our guest.” Mom chirps.

Drake puts on a charming smile, “It’s no problem, Mrs. Lola. It’s the least I can do. We don’t usually have such a welcoming when we go out on jobs like this.”

Everyone sits down at the table to eat. Dad is at the head of the table with mom to his right, and me on her right. Drake is sitting at the other end facing my dad, and to his right sits Jackson. Eric goes to sit on the chair between Drake and me but halts his movements like someone paused him.

I look at him, kind of chuckling, “You can sit next to me. I promise I don’t bite.”

Eric looks back at me with a conflicting look but proceeds to sit in the chair. “It’s not you that I am worried about,” he says so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. What does he mean by that? At a normal volume, he says, “Thank you for dinner! My mouth is watering from how good it all smells, Mrs. Lola.”

“Thank you, Eric. Dig in! If you boys leave hungry it’s your own fault.” She replies smiling.

Jackson pipes in, “Will the rest of your family be joining us? I’d feel bad if I ate so much and they don’t get any dinner because of me.”

We all laugh, and Dad answers him, “They’re all at friends’ houses for the night. No need to worry about that.” After a few minutes of passing food around, the sound of silverware clinking and everyone eating fills the room.

Jackson breaks the ice, “Would you tell us about your family, Jason, and Lola? Usually, our employers point us in the direction of where they want us, and that’s it. But, you’ve been so kind I can’t help but want to get to know you.”

Mom and Dad share a cute, loving look. Then Mom gives a summary of their story.

“We had our 22nd wedding anniversary in May but have known each other almost our whole lives. We grew up in the same class since kindergarten. At the beginning of our senior year of high school, we started dating, and then we eloped the day after graduation.”

“Her parents were livid about us eloping. We were fortunate that my parents were supportive and let us work to own this property,” Dad adds.

Mom nods and takes back over. “Fast forward three years, we had Lottie,” she smiles at me. “About every three years after her, we had the rest of our kiddos. So Lottie is 19, Ava is 16, Katie will be 13 in a couple of weeks, and Austin will be 10 in August.”

“That's such a sweet story!” Eric exclaims. “How long have you been running the ranch, Jason?”

Dad gets a sad look in his eyes before answering. “I took over when my dad died of a heart attack. Lottie was a year old at the time. My brothers were all still in school, and neither of my dad’s sisters wanted anything to do with the place. All three of my brothers help around here when they can, but I’m the head of it all.” A somber atmosphere took over the table when he finished talking.

Drake looks at my father, “I’m very sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.”

“Thank you. It was a tough time, but we got through it together,” my dad says while taking my mom’s hand.

After a couple of bites in silence, I turn to Jackson, “I noticed that you’re wearing a ring. How long have you been married?”

He gives a proud smile, “My wife Jenna and I got married over a year now. We’re expecting our first child in November. We get to find out what we’re having soon.”

“Aww! That’s so exciting! Congratulations!” I tell him.

“Thank you, we’re very excited about it,” he beams. “What about you, Lottie? Do you go to school or anything?”

“I finished my freshman year here at the community college in May. I’m working for an associate in veterinary technology.” I look at the three men while talking but let my gaze linger on Drake. He’s so stoic I can’t tell what he’s thinking. I don’t understand why, but it’s driving me a little crazy wanting to know what is on his mind and not getting any response. Whereas the other two seem interested in what I’m saying.

Eric jumps in, “That’s neat. Do you want to be a vet someday?”

I shrug my shoulders, “I haven’t decided yet. That is definitely something I’m considering, but for now, I just want a little extra knowledge of how to care for our animals. What I have always wanted to do is take over the ranch when it’s time. But until then, I can continue to help my parents and work for the local vet when I finish school.”

Drake surprises me yet again when he speaks up, “That’s a decent plan you’ve got. Best of luck to you.”

We hold eye contact as I reply, “I think so too. Thank you.” Blushing from being under his stare, I look down at my plate to finish eating. Goodness sake! I’ve never been around a guy that makes me feel like this. My ex-boyfriend didn’t even come close to giving me the number of butterflies in my stomach like Drake does. This scares me a little bit. I don’t want to lose myself again. There is something about him, though, that almost makes me feel like it would be worth the risk.