Beca was told of her arranged marriage to Luke Babineaux on her 18th birthday. Her parents told her that the next five years were to be spent courting Luke, and that the very lavish Southern wedding will take place on the eve of her 23rd birthday. A month later, she and her father are still arguing about the arrangement.

"Daddy, I wouldn't spit on Luke if he was on fire. In fact, I'd probably bust out the marshmallows and make s'mores while watching him go up in flames!"

"Beca, that was extremely uncalled for."

"I hate him and I'm damn sure not going to marry him. You can't make me!"

"Beca, sweetheart….we don't have a choice."

"There are always choices. I choose to marry someone that I have fallen madly, deeply in love with; someone that I just cannot live without; someone to have a family and a lifetime with. Do you even want to see me happy?"

"Yes sweetheart, of course, I do."

"Then undo this. Call it off." She pleaded.

"I would if I could, but Beca my hands are tied."

"I'm not a damn pawn in your game of chess! Pop shouldn't have made such a promise and neither should you! Find someone else to marry that asshat!" she spat.

Tripp flinched at the sound of his daughter cussing. "It has to be you Beca and there's a stipulation that I haven't told you about."

Folding her arms and pursing her lips Beca said, "Oh…really? Let me guess…I have to be a virgin?"

"Yes…you must be a virgin."

"Well…what if I told you that I'm not a virgin." Beca was still very much a virgin but couldn't resist the urge to mess with her father's head.

Her father looked at her trying desperately to find out if she was telling the truth. The he noticed that she was no longer wearing the purity ring he gave her on the 13th birthday "Beca… this is not something to joke about."

"Oh…I'm not joking." she said waving the ring finger on her left hand around.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to call Dr. Comeaux to find out for sure."

"Have you ever heard of doctor patient privilege? He can't tell you a thing."

"He can and will."

"Daddy…I'm 18 years old. Legally, I'm an adult and my doctors cannot share any of my medical history with you, Mom or anyone else without my written consent. And before you even think about sending Dr. Comeaux a letter and forging my signature, you should know that he already has my signature on file."

Letting out a huge sigh he said, "Well…this puts us in a bit of a pickle now doesn't it?"

Beca cracked up laughing. Her dad would choose now to bring a pickle into the conversation.

"What's so funny young lady?"

"Well…the fact that you brought a pickle into a conversation about my virginity."

"Rebeca!" Her father fussed. "You were taught better than that."

"Ok." She said rolling her eyes. "Well…I'm not going to say one way or the other whether I have given the power of my V to someone but IF I haven't I still have 5 years to give it to someone other than Luke."

"That's foul young lady."

"Yeah well…so is promising your first born to the town man-whore."

"Beca! That's an awful thing for you to say."

"Why is it so awful? He goes around town dippin' his stick in any ol' well that'll have him. I'm not taking part in that. Why do I have to be a virgin but she can follow his dick around anywhere it leads him?"

"I've never heard you use such language before."

"Well, sometimes gosh darn and meanie head just don't fuckin' cut it Dad, so get used to it because when it comes to this topic, I'm going to use that language."

"Beca, honey…listen, Luke is obviously not my first choice…"

She cut her father off "Oh…but he is. I was promised to him before I was even conceived!" Beca stormed out of the room and slammed the back door behind her.

"This conversation isn't over young lady!" Tripp yelled. She didn't hear him; she was already out the door. Tripp caught a glance of her out of the window; she was headed straight for the stables. No doubt she was going to saddle up Whiskey and take off and he had no idea when she'd be back. What had they done? Why had they made a deal with the devil? If she were forced to marry Luke, they'd never see her again. She would leave, make a life for herself in New York and never look back.

It was no secret; Beca had her eyes and her heart set on someone else; someone who was loving, gentle and kind. Someone who did not judge her based on who she was, how much money she had or social status. Someone she spent a lot of time with over the last 18 years. Nora's son Jesse caught her eye a very long time ago and he's had her heart, though he may not know it, for longer than she can remember.

Jesse was 6' and about 230 pounds of pure suntanned muscle, there wasn't an ounce of fat on that heavenly body. His broad shoulders, well defined abs and narrow hips were like a present sent to Beca straight from God. She would watch him for hours as he worked shirtless in and around the stables. The way his jeans sat low on his hips, the button always left undone it was like he was doing it on purpose. She wanted to run her fingers down his happy trail until she came to the treasure at the end. She pictured rolling around in the hay and doing things to him that would make the horses shy away and make her prim and proper mother blush. She imagined herself licking her way up and down those sexy tanned abs. Watching him made the southern heat that much hotter. Did he have any idea what he did her without ever touching her?

Beca stormed into the stable and straight over to Whiskey. He was her confidant. She could tell him anything and he never judged her. He would nuzzle her neck lovingly and wait to be saddled up for a ride.

Jesse was in the tack house and heard banging around in the stables. The stables were his domain and he wouldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting his space or his hard work. He walked into the stables ready to start bitching at anyone who was in there when he saw Beca putting her saddle on Whiskey. Whiskey stands 17 hands high, which made him a rather large horse. Beca could walk underneath him without even ducking and had to use a ladder to saddle him up.

"Want some help?" he asked her.

Startled, she looked up, saw Jesse's shirtless chest and immediately felt an ache in her chest. "No, I've got it. Thanks."

Since her birthday, the she and Jesse weren't really allowed to spend any time together...her father had seen to that. He couldn't really ground her because she was 18, but he could certainly arrange for Jesse to be so busy that he didn't have time for any extra curricular activities with his daughter. Beca would sneak out to the stables but Jesse would just tell her that he didn't have the time to dilly dally, he had work to do. Beca spent the time writing and dreaming of ways to get Jesse to bend just a little.

"Are you sure? I don't mind." He said removing his cowboy hat.

"Sure… that would be great."

"Are you ok? You seem a little…out of sorts."

Taking a deep breath she said, "Argument with my dad. I just need to get out of here for a while."

"Where you headed?"

"The creek."

"Want some company?"

"I don't want you to get in trouble with my dad."

"I've already mucked all the stalls. Everyone has been fed, watered and bathed, so I'm done."

"In that case, I'd love some company."

"Ok…give me a minute to get a shirt and saddle up Dakota."

As Jesse ran toward the tack house, Beca stared at his tight ass. "Those jeans look like they've been painted on his ass. Oh the things I could do with that." She thought biting her lower lip. She shook her head to get rid of the naughty thoughts. "I have to make him fall in love with me, I just have to. If my dad sees that I'm in love with Jesse then he can't force me to marry Luke."

Jesse opened the door to the tack house a smirk plastered across his face. "God, does she even realize how beautiful she is? Or what I want to do to her?" Snap out of it Jesse told himself. What are you thinking? She's your best friend and the boss's daughter! She's off limits…or is she?" He rummaged through his chest of drawers for a clean t-shirt before deciding to pack some lunch and snacks since he had no idea how long they would be.

When he reentered the stables, Beca smiled. "Mmmmm" she though, "That t-shirt was as tight as his jeans and oh my God, he's hot!" "Whatcha got in the basket Cowboy?"

"I wasn't sure if you had lunch so I took the liberty of packing lunch, snacks and drinks."

"I haven't…You're awesome!" she said with a wink.

"I do try. You didn't have to saddle Dakota."

Beca was ready to go. So ready to go in fact, that she saddled Dakota for Jesse so they could leave as soon as he got back. "I know. I wanted to. You ready?"

"Yup." He strapped the picnic basket to the back of his saddle and climbed on. "What's the guitar for?"

"I was planning to go down there and write."

"Oh Cool. So you're sure you don't mind if I go?"

"Positive." Beca had a plan and that plan included having fun with Jesse despite the situation her parents put her in. She had her eye on the prize and that prize was not Luke Babineaux.