Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Cade
What had just happened? Ripley’s response to me seeing her putting on her little show was so strong it felt like a punch to the gut. I mean, sure, I had never really seen her act like that before, she wasn’t the super silly type, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. We had lived together for most of our adult lives, and half that time was on a tour bus. There weren’t many things we could hide from each other, yet she acted like I’d just seen her doing something obscene or illegal. It was wild.
Truthfully, seeing her dancing around and singing like no one was watching did something to me. There was a peace on her face, and her body was completely relaxed. The only other time I’d ever seen her that way was after she’d been put through a particularly hard scene. I wanted her to feel like that more often. But I didn’t really know how to help, and unfortunately, she grabbed and inhaled her breakfast and was out the door before I could figure out how to start the conversation. And with the size of the Ranch, the brat seemed to figure out how to avoid me all day.
I found myself growing more and more agitated as the day wore on. Part of it was the crazy combination of emotion and need that had surged through me seeing her in that robe, seeing her so free. That had kicked off memories of the times I’d played with her at the clubs with Randy. Her perfect little body. The way she responded to us. To me.
Fuck. Do not think about that now .
No, right now I really didn’t like not being able to find her. I didn’t like not knowing what she was doing or who she was with. Not being there to keep her safe. She didn’t even know anyone here. What could be keeping her so busy and hidden?
Not knowing what else to do and needing to shake off that edge of desire for the one woman completely forbidden to me, I headed out to the barn to work out my horse. He got squirrely if he didn’t get enough attention and exercise.
Like horse, like owner?
Only, when I went out to get him, he was out in the pasture happily chomping on some hay next to an adorable brown-and-white Appaloosa, his sleek coat shining blue-black in the sun.
A man came out of the barn and joined me at the fence.
“What is it about this ranch that has everyone so relaxed and happy?” I asked aloud, not expecting any sort of real answer.
“Some call it Rawhide magic, and I have to say, with the things I’ve seen during my time here, I’m inclined to believe it. You must be Cade Wyatt. I’m Travis. My wife Wren and I take care of the Ranch horses.”
He put his hand out to me to shake it, and I reciprocated.
“I’ve been here just over fifteen hours, and with what I’ve seen, I’m inclined to believe it, too. Onyx give you any trouble?”
“None at all. Fell right in line and has been pretty happy, far as I can tell. He took a liking to Clementine.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Was I doing everyone in my life a disservice by continuing to chase the rodeo circuit?
“Did Ripley come out here this morning?”
“She did. Wren took her out onto one of the trails. They’ve been gone a good while, so they should be back any time.”
A good long while? How long was that? It was cold and Ripley didn’t know the area, nor was her horse, Destiny, used to riding trails. My heart rate picked up and the panic must have shown on my face.
“Wren is a seasoned rider and leads rides through these hills every day. Your girl is in good hands,” Travis assured me.
“Ripley isn’t really my girl. We’re just friends. She was married to my best friend, Randy. We lost him three years ago, and she just decided to stay on the road with me.”
“And you promised him to look after her, and you take your job very seriously,” Travis stated, like he’d heard this story before.
“I… well… yes? How did you know?” I stammered, a little taken aback.
“Call it a hunch.” He shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve been here a while.”
I wasn’t really sure how being a ranch hand at a BDSM Ranch translated into him somehow guessing things about my life and relationship, but I didn’t have the time to ask as he pointed to a clearing.
“Here they come.”
I sighed in relief as Ripley and her gray-and-white mare came into view, and even at a distance I could see that same peace from the morning.
“See? All in one piece with a pretty little smile on her face. I’d say it was a successful ride.”
“Looks like it,” I responded, only half listening.
My heart pounded in my chest as they got closer, and I was overcome with the urge to touch her. It didn’t matter how or why; I just needed the physical contact to calm the irrational anxiety flowing through my veins. Vaulting myself over the fence, I jogged up to meet them in the middle of the corral.
“Cade, what’s wrong?” Ripley’s eyes widened.
”Nothing. I just have spent the better part of the day trying to find you, and now I did,” I explained lamely.
“Okay?” She kicked her leg back to dismount, and I caught her round the waist before she reached the ground. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you?”
“Why? I’ve been getting up and down from my own horse for a lot longer than I’ve even known you.”
“Can’t one friend help another friend out once in a while?” I asked with more frustration than absolutely necessary. I had no idea what had come over me. The need to take care of her was stronger than ever, and I couldn’t stop myself.
“You’re being weird.”
I was. I was totally being weird. “I’m just not used to this.” I waved my arm in a circle. “I’m used to knowing where you are and what you might be doing, and knowing that you’re safe.”
“Cade…” She scrunched her brows together in confusion. “I’m safer here than any of the rodeo camps we’ve ever stayed in. What the heck is wrong with you?”
I rubbed my hands over my face. “I know! I don't know?”
“I know what’s wrong.” Travis came up behind us and took the reins from Ripley. “I’ll take her in and get her taken care of. I think y’all need to go talk or something.”
I wanted to slug the man and thank him at the same time.
“What do we need to talk about? Wren was going to take me to the petting zoo to meet the animals and her friend, Reese.”
Wren and Travis shared a look before Wren flashed a huge smile in our direction. “We can go to Reese’s later or another day. No problem.”
Ripley crossed her arms over her chest in an adorable pout I had only seen her do once or twice, and it had always been aimed at Randy.
“But I wanted to meet Bossy P.”
Travis chimed in again. “You two can go on over there together. Reese and Arlo will likely be there hosting other visitors.”
Ripley looked at me and shook her head. “If they have other visitors, it’s fine. Maybe I’ll go another time.”
“We can go, Rips. I don’t have any plans other than to get some dinner at some point. Did you eat any lunch?”
“I had a big breakfast,” she non-answered.
“Did you eat more than you did when we were in the suite? Because that was not what I would call a big breakfast,” I said, calling her out.
“Cade! I ate, okay? Stop being so bossy and ridiculous.” She turned to stomp away in the opposite direction of the resort.
“Stop right there,” I commanded.
She kept right on going and yelled over her shoulder, “Make me!”
If any two words could burn my britches more than those two, then I was unaware of them. But… what the fuck? Why would she say that?
“Where do you plan on going, little girl?” I yelled out, and she froze and turned on her heel to face me.
“I am not a little girl, Cade Wyatt.” She stomped her foot on the ground, which completely proved the opposite of her declaration. “I can go where I want to go, whenever I want to.”
Was that a dare? Why did it feel like she was all but begging me to prove her wrong? Between that and her “make me” I was not prepared to just let things continue on as they were going.
“That so?” I asked, spotting a rope hanging on a hook on the side of the barn and getting a wild hair of an idea. “Can I borrow this?” I asked Travis quietly.
Travis nodded his head in approval. “Whatever you need, you’re welcome to.”
“Don’t you dare, Cade.”
She took some steps backward as I took stock of the rope. It was already tied in a lasso and looked long enough for what I needed. I tested the weight in my hands.
“You want to drop the ‘tude and come back up to the suite with me, then?”
She nibbled her lip, but I could tell she wasn’t going to go without a fight. I hadn’t seen that fight in her eyes in years, and by god, I loved the fact that I’d put it there. And after a long talk, I was going to be the one to give her what she was so desperately aching for. It was for her own good.
“You’re being ridiculous and acting weird and being a bossy asshole, and I’m not going anywhere with you.”
She turned and took two steps before I had the lasso flying through the air in her direction.
I’d roped many animals in my time at the rodeo, but none had had the ability to use their hands to untangle themselves. Before she could succeed, though, I was on her, wrapping the rope around her body a few more times to make sure she couldn’t easily escape. And trying to ignore the fact that Ripley tied up in rope was something more than simply amusing.
“Let me go!” she hollered as I put my shoulder into her torso and hefted her up over my shoulder.
“Make me.” I repeated her earlier challenge.
“How am I supposed to do that when I’m trussed up like a pig on a spit?”
“One word and this all stops, and you know damn well what it is.”
She could safeword and I would put her down instantly, but I hoped beyond hope that I hadn’t read the situation wrong and fucked up that bad.
“This is not a scene, Cade,” she pointed out unnecessarily as she wiggled enough to make her displeasure known, but not enough to fall off my shoulder.
Her wiggling felt damn good, all that sweet flesh squirming against my back, but I wasn’t about to say so at the moment.
Instead, I told her, “You may be right about that, but you still know your safe word is the way for me to really listen to you if something is completely amiss. You’ve used it before outside of a scene.”
She had safeworded out when we were trying to make Randy’s funeral arrangement, and one time when we were discussing finances and I was being a pig-headed dickhead. I knew she knew she could use it, and now that she’d been reminded, the ball was in her court.
“This is bullshit. Put me down right now!” She squealed and kicked her legs.
“I will as soon as I have you where I want you.” I adressed Travis as I turned in the direction of the Ranch. “Okay if I borrow this rope a while? I’ll return it as soon as I’m finished.”
“That’s fine, I’ve got plenty should I need one while you have it.”
Travis was obviously trying not to laugh at the scene in front of him. Wren had apparently disappeared into the barn with Destiny at some point. I wasn’t sure when, as my focus had been on the bratty pink-haired hellion who was determined to push every single one of my buttons during this trip.