Chapter Twenty-Six
Silas
“On three, ready?” I squeeze Posey’s hand, waiting for her to give me the approval.
“On your count or mine?”
“Mine.” Definitely not counting Mississippis while my balls are freezing.
Even though the weather’s nice for mid-September, we’ve been jumping in and out of the cold water for the past hour.
“Okay, ready!”
I count us down, then we run and jump off the cliff. Posey screams the entire way down until we crash through the water.
Warren and I used to cliff jump into the Willow Falls River every summer growing up. It separates the ranch from the resort and has a huge waterfall up the mountain where people can jump or dive from. But once Maisie left, it took nine years for him to get back in since it’s where he proposed.
As soon as we swim to shore, we run out and do it all over again.
Landen and Ellie jump in after us, then Bodie, Bellamy, and Colton go after them.
“Warren and Maisie, your turns!” Posey says.
“I don’t think I can…” Maisie shakes her head. “I’m beat.”
“C’mon, one more time!” Bellamy adds, then starts cheering. “Maisie! Maisie! Maisie!”
Soon, all the siblings are shouting her name.
“Oh my God, fine…” she drawls, but smirks at Warren before letting him drag her up the mountain.
After they jump, Warren pulls her against his chest and kisses her before they slam into the water.
“Fuck, that one kinda hurt,” Maisie groans once they make their way back to shore with the rest of us.
Since we made plans with Landen and Ellie tonight but also needed to talk to Warren, we met at his house and ate dinner with the newlyweds. He made lasagna with cheese bread and after it settled in our stomachs, we decided to invite the rest of their siblings for a late night swim.
It was nice getting to see my best friend again because although we live on the same property, we haven’t seen much of each other.
He works at the stables, which is miles away from the goat farm.
Even after work or on the weekends, he’s usually spending time with Maisie since she only returned for good a few months ago.
The good news is Warren didn’t punch me in the face once Posey told him we were dating.
The bad news is he gave me the silent treatment during dinner.
By the time we got to dessert, he got over it.
No one can stay mad while eating homemade cheesecake.
“Now that Posey and Silas are shackin’ up, who’s next?” Maisie teases, looking at the other three single siblings.
“Got any older single friends?” Bodie leans back on the grass, waggling his brows.
“Yes, but they don’t date minors. Sorry!” Maisie grins and everyone cackles at his expense.
“Dude, I’m twenty-one!”
“Your prefrontal cortex hasn’t developed.”
“I can still date older women,” he argues. “I can even buy alcohol.”
“Wow, look at you all grown up,” Posey quips.
“I am, thank you for noticin’.”
Bellamy snorts. “You sleep on dinosaur sheets.”
“You gave ’em to me for Christmas!” Bodie points out.
“As a joke! Just like I gave Posey goat slippers.”
“Hey, those are my favorite!” Posey scowls.
“Mine too.” I wink at her, still needing to find a pair of my own.
“Well, we already know Bellamy ain’t ever gettin’ married, and Colt…” Posey smirks at him. “He has a thing for single moms.”
Everyone’s gaze including mine snaps toward him because that’s news to me.
“Single moms, huh?” I taunt. “Why’s that?”
“Have you ever dated a MILF?” he exclaims, then sticks out his fingers to count. “They’re experienced, bossy, and always have snacks in their purse. Triple-win, honestly.”
Laughter ensues and it feels great to be with Posey’s family and not hide our relationship. Bellamy already knew and was supportive, but Bodie and Colton didn’t give me too much of a hard time. Basically said if I fucked it up, they’d kick my ass.
“I have some older friends,” Ellie offers. “But you’d gotta be willin’ to move to Sugarland Creek and travel with the rodeo since most of ’em are barrel racers.”
“That’d be so fuckin’ cool!” he exclaims. “Gonna rope me a cowgirl.”
Landen snickers. “Be careful what you wish for, man. They’re feisty as shit.”
It’s almost midnight when Posey snuggles under the blankets wearing her favorite goat-printed shorts and tank set.
She clings to me, freshly showered and smelling like lavender sugar scrub.
She’s been catching up on goat soap orders for the upcoming holiday season for the past couple weeks and stayed late so she could have the long Thanksgiving weekend off.
After more goat yoga videos with me and her went viral, she started using them to promote Langston Soapworks and her website blew up.
Even though she and Amaya post videos of their process, it was the ones of me shirtless in a cowboy hat that got the most views and orders.
Eventually, they made a soap scent after me: Cowboy Goat Yogi.
It’s made with vanilla, leather, and sandalwood.
Instead of getting stopped at the grocery store to ask for a selfie, they ask to smell me instead.
But I don’t mind. Posey loves it as long as everyone knows I’m hers.
And I have no problem reminding them of it, too.
Goat yoga is done for the season since it’s late November, but they’ll have to find some other tatted, muscular guy to replace me next spring since I’ll be much busier, but it was fun to do with Posey while it lasted.
They already replaced mine and Ian’s positions at the goat farm, so they didn’t have to go long being short-staffed. Luckily, we haven’t heard from him since the night he came over to confess his love for her and she fired him.
Ever since Mr. Langston gave me that loan two months ago, I’ve been working almost every day between managing the childcare center project and getting everything for my new business set up—including a more reliable truck for when I drive out to job sites or to meet with clients and contractors.
It’s not a manual, so I let Posey use it once in a while.
I’ve already put in five other bids for upcoming projects throughout the state so I have consistent work for the next year.
It’s been a nice change of pace from working for someone else to working for myself.
For the first time in my life, I’m in charge of my schedule and what jobs I do.
I’m beyond grateful for her family’s support and believing in me enough to give me the chance to prove I can do this.
I wouldn’t be here without them.
Even my mom and sisters are passing out my business cards like candy on Halloween night. Making them proud as the youngest sibling and no longer fumbling through life feels good.
Of course the only two people who want me to fail are Aundrea and her dad. He doesn’t like the competition in our small town and she’s jealous I moved on without her, then got her arrested.
Her dad begged us to drop the charges, but we refused. He hired a sleazy defense lawyer, who filed a motion to reduce her aggravated burglary felony charge to a trespassing misdemeanor since she didn’t steal anything or vandalize the property.
Aundrea pled no contest and started her thirty days in jail last week. The judge granted Posey and me long-term restraining orders so she can’t harass us once she’s out or will risk going back behind bars.
It’s a relief to have all the court stuff over. I can enjoy Thanksgiving with our families and take the next five days off with Posey.
She’s already getting ideas for adding onto the cabin since neither of us want to leave Marjorie, but eventually, we’ll need more space. I’ve turned my room into an office and sleep in Posey’s bed, but it’d be nice to have a larger master bedroom and use the current one as a future nursery.
“Mm, you’re nice and warm. Just the way I like ya.” She nuzzles her face against my bare skin, then presses a kiss above my nipple.
“Just got your comforter out of the dryer,” I explain, tightly wrapping my arm around her. When she texted she was leaving work within the next ten minutes, I got it ready.
Leaning up on her elbow, she traces her finger over my chest tattoo. “I’ve been meanin’ to ask you about this.”
I rest my other arm behind my head so I can meet her gaze. “What about it?”
“Tell me the truth. Why’d you get a compass?”
Wrapping some of her fallen strands behind her ear, I grin at her question. I’m surprised it took her this long to mention it because I knew she didn’t believe my explanation when she first asked about it.
“You really wanna know?”
“Yes. Tell me,” she urges. “Please.”
“It has an ambiguous meanin’ ’cause it can be interpreted in various ways. A compass symbolizes guidance, direction, and staying on your chosen path in life. But it can also represent a love for adventure, searching for personal goals, or finding balance and stability.
“That night we argued outside of Warren’s trailer and learned the truth of why neither of us talked about sleepin’ together, I told you I was with someone else and couldn’t kiss you.
That moment changed the course of my life forever.
Here I thought you regretted it, but then come to find out, you were under the assumption I had no memory of it.
“For years, I held onto that guilt of not talkin’ to you about it sooner and wanted to make sure I never made that kind of mistake again.
I still have the image of you embedded in my mind lookin’ distraught and rejected before you walked away from me.
So I got the compass as a reminder—that sometimes it’s necessary to change courses when it feels right or you’ll risk grieving what you missed out on by playin’ it safe. ”
I brush my thumb slowly over her lower lip when it trembles.
“Another reason was your love for compasses and what better way to showcase an epiphany than somethin’ that directly correlated to the person who helped me realize it.
“I added the roses on my bicep and shoulder ’cause of your middle name, Rose,” I explain, tracing a finger where the flowers merge into a silhouette of trees that blend into the compass over my pec.
“These are ’cause of that night you were dared to kiss me. You sat across the firepit and behind you was a row of pine trees shadowed by darkness, but the moon hung between ’em and gave you the most beautiful glow.”
Tears well in her eyes as she stares down at it, rubbing her finger over each tree.
“And I wanted to make sure no matter how old I got, I never forgot the view of our first kiss,” I say softly, rubbing the pad of my thumb over her cheek.
“Wow…I had no idea,” she whispers, choking back her emotions. “It means a lot. Even more that I never knew until after we got together.”
“If I’d told you sooner, you would’ve called me a psycho and Warren would’ve sent me to the hospital with bruises and broken bones.”
“Most likely.” She laughs through tears. “It is unhinged behavior to do that for someone you’re not even datin’.”
“Trust me, I know.” I shrug. “I never told my ex the truth either.”
“It really is a stunnin’ image.” She feathers her fingers over every line. “You did a good job designin’ it.”
“I was thinkin’ about usin’ it for my company logo.”
“Really?” She meets my gaze. “Did you land on a name?”
I’d gone back and forth over the past couple months on what to call the business, but nothing sounded right until I considered the path that led me here.
“Yep, which is why this was excellent timin’ of you to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Compass Rose Builders: Residential and Commercial Construction. Then the tagline will be: Let our compass guide your next adventure.” My smile drops when she doesn’t say anything. “Too corny?”
“Silas!” she shrieks. “Are you kiddin’? I fuckin’ love it!”
“Yeah?” I pull her up until she’s lying on top of me. “I was worried you’d be upset if I didn’t use your idea.”
“Well…Matheisen Hardwood Homes does have a seductive ring to it. And considerin’ your online fan club, it’d totally be on brand.” She giggles, rubbing her nose against mine. “But I love the backstory of Compass Rose way better. It’s perfect.”
“I do too.” I roll us over so she’s underneath me. “Do you remember what I used to call you when we were little kids?”
Her brows furrow and then her blue eyes widen. “Oh my God, wait…I do. Posey Rosey! I used to hate it!”
Burying my face in her neck, I chuckle and whisper in her ear, “Perk of being Warren’s best friend was gettin’ to tease you before I developed feelings.”
“I secretly loved havin’ your attention,” she admits. “That’s why I called you Stinky Silas. You’d get so mad and run after me.”
Laughing, I nearly lose it because I forgot she did that. “Fuck, that’s right. I’d chase you ‘round the barn until I pushed you to the ground.”
“And then you’d climb on me, hold my arms down, and threaten to spit on my face unless I’d admit defeat. Which was so unfair ’cause you were older and stronger than me.” Realization dawns on her face, and I break out into a knowing smile. “Holy fuck. You were a spitter even back then.”
“Only for you, baby,” I reassure with a wink.
“You are a psycho!” she taunts, then tries to roll out from underneath me.
Tickling her sides, I make her laugh harder, and she kicks her legs to distract me.
“Nice try, mama.” I hold her down and pin her arms above her head like I used to. “You’re mine. Say it.”
“No!” she says defiantly.
“Don’t make me spit on you,” I threaten.
She arches her hips into my already hardened cock. “And what do I get if I say it?”
“I’ll still spit in your mouth, but only after you begged me for it.”
Her eyes heat as if she wants to give in, but won’t. “Not happenin’.”
“Don’t make me handcuff you to this bed.”
“What? We don’t have those.”
“You think you’re the only one with toys?” I smirk, raising a brow. “I’ll cuff you to the bed rails and edge you as long as I want before lettin’ you come.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me, sweetheart.”
She sucks in her lips and pinches them closed.
“Alright…be careful what you wish for.” Leaning over, I open the bottom drawer of the nightstand, then pull them out along with lube and another item. Then I go into the top drawer and grab her vibrator.
Shock spreads over her face but she remains quiet.
“Look what else I found…” I taunt, holding up a butt plug I bought for her. “Flip over, love. Unless…you’re gonna say what I wanna hear?”
Without argument, she rolls onto her stomach.
“Okay, then…” I muse, knowing she wants this just as badly as I do. “Arms up.”
I weave the metal through one of the rails before cuffing her wrists in place. “If they’re too tight, let me know.”
She rests her cheek on the pillow and nods.
“If at any point you want me to stop or you’re uncomfortable, say Rose. That’s your safe word. Got it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
We’ve kept our sex life fun and interesting these past few months, but now she’s trusting me to make her feel good in a way we haven’t explored before. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous, but I’m going to take my time with her and give her exactly what she needs.
And enjoy every minute of it.