An hour and a half later Taylor made her way from the training barn to the old barn where Eric was underneath her old Chevy. As soon as she walked through the door a wrench on the work bench beside the truck fell off and made a loud clanging noise. Taylor turned to the look at the source of the noise as Eric rolled out from beneath the truck as fast as he could. That's when he saw Taylor as she walked over to the wrench and picked it up off the ground and put it back on the bench.
"Did you do that?" he asked as he stood up and walked towards her.
"Nope. I just walked in and it fell," she said as she turned to him then turned to her truck.
"That's the third time that damn wrench hit the ground. It's too damn heavy for the wind to blow off and there haven't been any earthquakes," he said picking up the wrench then setting it back down as Taylor opened the driver door and sat in her seat that was still set to her leg length.
"Oh it's probably just Grandpa telling you he's here," she said as she ran her hands over the steering wheel before turning back to him, "So what's the verdict? She gonna run?"
"Everything looks in great shape. I think it'll start right back up with some fresh gas. And ghost don't exist Earhardt," Eric said as he leaned against the open door with his back to the open door of the barn. He heard footsteps on the grass behind him and turned around as Taylor looked through the dusty windshield to see Ryan and Jarod walking into the barn.
"So have you met Grandpa yet?" Ryan asked laughing as they joined the two former rangers.
"He keeps throwing a wrench at him," Taylor said laughing lightly at the look on Eric's face.
"Oh that just means he likes you," Ryan said clapping him on the back before turning to Taylor. "So I'm assuming you need a ride into town to get gas?"
"Yeah we'll need to go get some. We'll take the work truck. Is there anything we need from town for tonight?" Taylor asked as she climbed out of the truck and closed the door.
"We need some mixers for tonight and then any type of alcohol you want. There's rum and regular vodka in the cabInet but we haven't stalked back up from the last races," Jarod spoke for the first time. Eric looked between the two ex's with a confused\angry look.
"What's tonight?" Eric asked.
"Whenever it would storm while we were in high school we would all gather in the old cabin, if it wasn't occupied, and just tell stories and sing. I figured since it's going to storm tonight and we're all here we should do it again, you know for old times sake. It gets pretty personal so if you don't want to come we'd understand," Jarod said laughing and then staring Eric right in the eye, challenging him.
"Taylor? This Taylor sing? There's no way i can miss that. Might have to record it to show the others back home," Eric said staring right back at him as he spoke.
"Oh there will be no singing coming out of this mouth. I haven't sang out of my shower in years. I'll leave the singing up to ya'll," Taylor said laughing with the others.
"It's ok we can start in the shower and work our way to the crowd," Eric said slinging an arm around her shoulder. Taylor just rolled her eyes and shrugged his arm off her shoulders.
"Yeah we'll see about that Eric. Anyways while we're in town we'll grab some stuff to drink for tonight. But I'm not staying up to late. We have a long day tomorrow," she said as they all started walking out of the barn and towards the house. As they reached the truck Ryan spoke up again.
"Oh hey since you are going into town do you mind stopping at the feed store and picking up some mineral blocks. Between Batman and the babies they go through two in a week," he said as he remembered Charlie complaining about how they were almost out because of that damn paint horse.
"Ryan what point of undercover do you not understand? Everyone at that damn feed store knows who I am," Taylor said turning back around to her brother with her hands on her hips.
"Have Eric go in. No one knows him. They'll just assume he's a new groom," Ryan said like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Taylor just looked at her brother like he had grown 3 heads before shaking her head and laughing before walking to the farm truck that Ryan had picked them up in the day before.
"Whatever you say dear brother. Come on Eric let's go throw you into the pit of lions that is the Minco feed store," Taylor said climbing into the driver's seat as Eric made his way around to the passenger seat.
"Why do I feel like that'll be anywhere I go with you in this town?" he asked as they pulled out of the driveway onto the gravel road. "And they'll all say the samething, 'My how California has changed your taste in men.'. Because let's face it, I'm hella lot better looking than that Jarod bloke."
"I wouldn't be to sure of yourself Myers. Jarod his a whole slew of girls following after him at all the races and rodeos. I don't see groupies hanging around Headquarters," Taylor said smirking as they made their way into town. Eric just glared at her and turned his head to the side to watch the passing plains, mumbling to himself about lovesick birds named Wes and Jen.
AN: Sorry it's taken me a little longer than normal to update but I do have a life outside of this. If ya'll think this is a long wait, I've been waiting on stories for months. I have a lot of trips coming up and I won't have wifi for well over a week plus all my family stuff and not to mention my job so please be patient. Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
