Rugged Cowboy: A Grumpy Sunshine Western Romance

Chapter 17

Viv had a lot to think over after her conversation with Sarah, but didn’t feel right bringing it up with Wade. How do you actually say to the man you’re sleeping with, I don’t think your recollection of your entire life is correct? I mean, she’d known him a couple of months at most, and he’d been there for years. What the hell did she know? Unfortunately, she was trying so hard not to meddle or fix things because she wasn’t sure where she belonged—at the ranch, in his life, in the overall scheme of things. She was a temporary addition to his world, and what did it mean when it all ended?

Maybe it was time she found out.

She’d been spending the nights since the camping trip with Wade, either at his place or hers. So, a few days after her conversation with Sarah, when she didn’t have the early shift, she headed to his place with a bottle of wine, some food from the kitchen for dinner, and a plan for seduction. Her mother always told her that tough conversations were better handled over a full stomach, and a nice bottle of wine. Viv snorted. Wade wasn’t much of a wine guy but she’d try it. Maybe she’d dangle some sexy times and it might go easier.

She beat Wade to his cabin and set the scene—candles, food warming in the oven, the bottle of the wine breathing in a bucket of ice. And she had a sexy negligee that she’d brought with her from New York, just in case. A girl never knew when she’d need some ammunition. And this midnight blue confection was a bombshell.

She had just finished setting the table when she heard the stamping of feet on the steps leading to the porch, then the door opened. Festus darted in the door, streaking right for her, but she was prepared with a piece of steak as a treat. She dangled it in front of her and the dog quickly sat, his eyes firmly fixed on the tempting morsel. When he was calm, she gave it to him and he gulped it gratefully. She looked up to see Wade staring at her, his mouth gaping.

“Hello, honey. I thought I’d make you dinner.” She struck a seductive pose against the counter and he swallowed hard.

His eyes widened with well-deserved panic.“Wait, you cooked?”

She snorted, not one bit offended.“Hell no. I like you, remember? I grabbed us meals from the kitchen. They’re warming in the oven.”

“Thank God,” he muttered, and pulled her to him for a deep kiss.

She sank into his arms, opening her mouth for his kiss, but he pulled away. She staggered, catching herself on his arm. He turned her and swatted her on her ass.“Let me take a quick shower while you finish up here.”

She rubbed her warm butt, surprised that she liked the spanking, a kink to explore another time, and glared at him.“If I finish up, I won’t need you.”

He grinned and winked.“It will be better with two. And just imagine how much better it is if you wait.”

She pouted.“I never liked waiting for anything. But whatever.”

His laugh echoed as he strode down the hall. The shower turned on while she fed the dog.“Would serve him right if I gave you that steak.”

Festus’s tail thumped the cabinet in agreement, but he ate his dog food and settled on the couch with a loud sigh. True to his word, Wade came back barely ten minutes later, right when Viv was putting the plates on the table. They settled in to eat, talking about their activities and the antics of the goat gang, who had staged another escape that morning, leading Viv on another merry chase around the ranch.

Finally, they were done eating and settled on the couch after kicking Festus out for his final evening trip outside. Wade toyed with the spaghetti strap of the negligee, the calluses on his hand rasping her skin, sending tingles skittering across her skin.“So, what did I do to deserve this?”

“Nothing. I’ve just been thinking of you all day and thought we could do something a little special. You gave me the stars. I’m giving you this.” With a flourish, she gestured to herself and she grinned.

“I approve wholeheartedly. And it’s something I don’t have.”

“It’s not returnable, so I’m glad you like it.” She fiddled with the lace edging.“You know, you kind of do have me. If you want.”

He blinked in confusion, his brow furrowing as he watched her.“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath.“Well, we’ve been spending a lot of time together. I was just kind of curious where you think we’re going with this?”

He sat back and let his hand drop into his lap. The physical withdrawal felt like an emotional one and she tucked her legs under her and steeled herself for his rejection. He stared at her for a few moments, then sighed.“Where is this coming from, Viv? I thought we were enjoying each other’s company. I didn’t realize we were working toward some major commitment.”

She clenched her hands together in her lap, trying not to let her disappointment show.“I’m not looking for a ring or anything. But I want to know what we’re doing here. Are we a summer fling or something else?”

He looked out the window at the setting sun and was quiet for so long that Viv was convinced he was never going to reply. Finally, he spoke.“I never expected to find anyone to share my life with. You see what my world consists of: family, horses, cows, and Festus. In all honesty, it’s a narrow world, with little room for meeting new people or excitement. There are few women who find it at all interesting. In fact, most women find it boring. We have the vacation girls who want to have a fling with a cowboy and, believe me, enough of us have had our share of girls throwing themselves at us. But nothing that ever had the potential for anything more.”

She couldn’t resist asking, “Have you ever caught any?”

He jerked his head back to her.“Women? A couple. Years ago. But it always felt hollow, like I was being used. When I was younger, that was okay. We both knew it was a physical thing and nothing more. She wasn’t staying and I wasn’t leaving.”

His words hit Viv like a physical blow. That was their situation. Sure, she was there for longer than a week and she wasn’t taking advantage of him as a vacation fling, but their circumstances were the same. She was only there for the summer season, with no idea where she was headed after Greta came back, while Wade was firmly entrenched in the land, in the ranch. He was home. Did they have any kind of a future?

Her vision blurred and she blinked rapidly to clear it.“I understand.”

He turned her chin to face him.“No, I don’t think you do. You’re different, Viv. You’re nothing like those girls, or even the ones we grew up with. My world was black and white before you came into it, bringing a splash of color, and I don’t mean the pink hair. I mean you. You bring life wherever you go and I’m damned lucky that you chose me to spend time with. I don’t know where this is going, but I’m the luckiest sonofabitch to get to spend it with you.”

No amount of blinking was going to clear the tears from her eyes. They spilled over and tracked down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb, gazing at her tenderly, while she sniffled and strove for some kind of control.

“Damn you. You had to make me cry.”

He leaned forward and kissed her tear-stained cheeks, then followed her onto the couch, his lips trailing down her body to wring cries of passion from her as he showed her how he felt about her with his body. By the time the sun had set and the air had cooled, she was limp and exhausted. He carried her to his bedroom, where she curled up in his arms.

Before exhaustion claimed her and she drifted off to sleep, she realized they never really finished talking about their future.