Chapter Twelve
FLORA
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I WAKE WITH the fuzzy memories of the night before flooding my mind.
I can’t believe I had sex with Thorn in the gazebo. What came over me? And why am I ready to do it again?
I tilt my head, surprised to find my sister’s bed empty.
I’m all right with it. Better than alright.
I let the goofy smile steal my lips. I let all the warm feelings from last night flood my body while I nestle deeper into the plush comforter.
I don’t let the fact I have no idea what having sex with Thorn even means or that I have to compartmentalize everything I discovered yesterday and figure out what I’m feeling—besides the longing desire to knock boots again. I bury all my issues deep down.
Instead, I feel his imprint etched on my skin. I recall the delicious flavor when his mouth crashed onto mine. My breasts tingle at the thought of his calloused hands cupping them and his firm thumb rubbing and squeezing my nipple. Each memory ignites a flicker of warmth in me.
My eyelids fall closed. I indulge in the sweet memory of his touch as my fingers tentatively explore my curves. I trace the outline of my breasts, evoking the feel of his rough fingertips. I imagine his lips against my neck. Each caress awakes another sense, and desire blossoms inside me.
My hand travels lower, and I hesitate momentarily, savoring the anticipation. Then, embracing last night’s passion together, I surrender, and my hand finds my sensitive spot. The room fades away with each exploring touch. Every stroke draws me closer to the edge as I envision his hands gripping my thighs. The tension coils tighter. I’m teetering on the brink. A delicious thrill courses through me. I envision his heated stare on me, and that sends a final, shuddering breath as I let go. A surge of ecstasy washes over me. It cascades through me, leaving me breathless—lost in my bliss.
As the waves subside, I lay back against the pillow, smiling. The room sharpens into focus when the bedroom door opens, and in waltzes the handsome cowboy who still lingers so clearly in my mind. It takes me a second to realize he’s really in my bedroom. And hot dang, what a delicious treat, a freshly showered cowboy smelling like the great outdoors.
He catches my gaze and flashes that charming smile of his.
“Thorn.” My heart races, and my breath hitches. “What are you doing here?”
A playful smile dances on his lips. “Dani told me this was the bathroom.” His dark hair is tousled perfectly under his stetson, and his styled beard frames his chiseled jaw.
“It’s not.”
“I see that.” A wicked expression steals him, and still, he manages to have a calm demeanor. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” His whiskey-smooth voice erases my quick flutter of embarrassment.
“You didn’t. I finished.” My confidence surprises even me.
His muffled chuckle is so damn sexy. So is the plaid shirt tucked into well-worn jeans.
“That’s a shame.” His lips remain parted ever so slightly, making my mouth crave his.
I toss the comforter aside and slip out of bed. My bare feet sink into the softness of the braided rug.
Thorn’s gaze rakes over my flannel pajamas, and I’m fully aware they aren’t sexy or glamorous, but I never claimed to be either.
“Wait here.” I dash to the bathroom.
His chuckle follows me.
I quickly grab my toothbrush and squeeze out a dollop of toothpaste. Minty freshness fills my mouth, chasing away the remnants of sleep. A quick rinse and glance in the mirror ensures I’m somewhat presentable despite the messy hair and flannel sleepwear. I take a deep breath and fling open the bathroom door.
He hasn’t moved, the sexy grin still on his face.
“I know we have loads to unpack between us, but I just wanted to say good morning properly.” Without a second thought, I rise to my tiptoes. Our lips brush together gently, soft and tender. Nothing like last night. He cups the sides of my face, and I close my eyes, indulging in the rich flavor of roasted beans. The kiss is slow and soft, making my heart flutter. As it deepens, we explore with a light touch. Our lips move in perfect harmony—passionate and soothing.
When we part, his hand remains on my cheek. “I reckon that’s a proper morning kiss.”
“I agree.”
His thumb rubs my skin. “I thought I could take you to breakfast before we head to the ballroom.”
“I could eat breakfast.”
“Then I’ll let you get dressed, unless”—his finger trails down my collarbone—“you want me to help. As much as I think you look adorable in flannel, I prefer nothing.”
I smile. “We have places to be this morning and photos to take. I’ll meet you in the living room.”
After a quick shower, I find Thorn staring out the large windows overlooking the lodge’s brush, trails, and mountains in the distance.
“Where’s Dani? Is she meeting us for breakfast?”
He turns, and I don’t know how the man takes my breath away so easily. “She said something about giving us time alone.”
“Of course she did.”
“She also wanted me to tell you to check your email.”
“I’ll check it later.” I can imagine whatever she sent is encouraging me to spend time with Thorn—which I planned to do without her opinion. “Are you two still plotting with Wilma and Faye.” I unzip my camera bag and ensure it’s nestled inside before slinging it over my shoulder.
A glint of mischief dances in his cedar-brown eyes. “I can’t very well disclose our meetings to an outsider.”
“I’m an outsider, am I?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He scoops his Stetson off the table. “You look mighty fine today, Miss Rowe.”
I blush.
It’s silly.
I know.
But the way he says it—I just can’t help myself.
“Thank you.”
It took me a ridiculous amount of time to choose the ruffled white blouse I tucked into a pair of flared denim jeans and tie the whole look up with tan-heeled booties—a ridiculous amount of time.
“Shall we?” He presses his hand on the small of my back, and I’ve never felt like I belong the way I do with him. He’s always seen me fully and accepted me. I get the feeling time hasn’t changed that.
Thorn and I head to the breakfast buffet with our meal cards. Cheerful holiday music plays throughout the lodge, and staff members wear festive reindeer antlers. The way the scents of cinnamon, gingerbread, and peppermint greet us around every turn is heaven.
We fill our plates from several food stations and settle into a single booth. He hangs his stetson on the hook on our booth frame and slides across from me effortlessly. Our feet and knees knock under the table, and our shared look quickens my pulse.
“Tell me about the ranch.” I peel back the foil lid of a small butter packet. “I know you weren’t sure what to do after graduation.” I glance at him as I dig the knife into the soft yellow spread.
“What do you want to know?” He bites down on a piece of crispy bacon.
“Everything.”
He chuckles and finishes chewing. “Don’t we have places to be this morning and photos to take?”
I shrug. “We have time.” I slather the butter on my flapjacks.
“In that case, where to start.”
He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he eases onto the bench and sips his coffee. His plaid shirt hugs his broad shoulders.
“This is backward, by the way,” he says. “I wanted to know everything about you.”
“We’ll get there eventually.”
The side of his mouth curls upward. “The ranch was in rough shape when you left. Dad had sold off all the cattle, the equipment, basically anything to buy a drink. He let the land fall into shambles—the pastures, landscape, water supply. He spent more time at Bucky’s Bar than on the ranch.”
I nod, remembering Thorn’s conversations during our last summer together. “I was sorry to hear about your father’s passing.”
His head dips. “Thank you, and I was sorry to hear about your mom’s passing.”
“Thank you.”
“I was surprised not to see you at the funeral.”
“I was still mad at her.” The guilt hits me hard. “I am still mad at her. I might always be.”
I sigh and dip my forkful of pancake into the syrup on my plate. I take a bite, needing a minute to regain myself. I swallow water to wash it down.
“Her slow unraveling after my dad left was painful to watch. She was supposed to be our anchor; instead, she was a shadow in the background. She chose men over Dani and me. And this once vibrant woman who danced with us in the kitchen while baking cookies was a hollow shell who slept all day and was gone all night.”
He silently absorbs every word with nods of understanding. His eyes don’t waver, holding warmth that encourages me to continue.
“But anger is a heavy burden to carry. I still feel the sting of resentment, but maybe my mama was just trying to escape her pain and struggles and did what was best for her—even if it left me and Dani in the shadows. And I’m not much better. I left Dani here alone with her.”
“Your sister has never been alone.”
“No?”
He shakes his head. “No. If she needed something, she asked. It didn’t matter who. She talked to Alma at the Cowboy Cafe when she needed a job and started waitressing that morning. When she needed some food, I dropped off what I could manage from the gardens on the ranch. When she decided she wanted her sister back, she teamed up with the Quylt sisters. We live in a small town, and I’ve learned we care for each other here.”
“You dropped off food for her?”
He nods. “I’d like to clarify that Dani doesn’t take handouts. She paid me back. She cleaned the flower beds at the ranch and painted fences. She drove my dad home from time to time and hauled his ass into bed.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“She spent a lot of time at the ranch after you left.”
I mindlessly tap the forktips on my plate. “I wonder why she didn’t tell me.”
He shrugs. “I can’t answer that. I can tell you she didn’t know what Theo had said to you. She thought you left for school. It was that clean-cut. But we did both expect you to come home.”
“I never planned on coming home. I always wanted to leave this small town. I just thought she’d come with me. At one point, I thought you would come with me. You never showed interest in fixing your dad’s ranch, but then the whole barn thing happened, and I just left.”
He lifts the mug to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine. He takes a slow sip before he speaks.
“You are right. I didn’t know what I wanted back then. Spending the summer with you opened my eyes. It became clear, like the first light of dawn breaking through the darkness. I could see the ranch’s potential and realized I could reshape it and my life. You inspired me.”
“Don’t give me credit for something I’m sure I didn’t do.”
“You did. And I suspect you raising Dani gave her the bravery and independence to get what she needed.”
My heart swells. “You think so?”
“I do.”
“I always thought she’d be mad at me.”
“I never got that vibe from her. Not once.” His knife slices through his fluffy stack of flapjacks on his plate. The maple syrup drizzles down the sides, and he stabs his fork into the heap.
“Tell me more about the ranch.”
“You know, I remember what a struggle it was initially. My old man fought me every step of the way.” There’s dry humor in his tone.
“That must’ve been frustrating.” I bite into a ripe strawberry, and sweetness floods my mouth.
“Lord help me, it was. My dad sold anything he could get his hands on for himself. We wouldn’t have eaten if it hadn’t been for the odd jobs I took around town. But that wasn’t enough to live on, let alone buy cattle. One thing led to another, and I got into organic farming.”
“One thing led to another?”
He lifts the forkful of pancakes to his mouth and makes a satisfied sigh as he chews. I watch him, thinking I could watch him delicately chew food for the rest of my life. It was one of many things I could do with him for the rest of my life. Which then makes me wonder what that means to me. Do I want to spend my life with Thorn? Do I want to uproot the life I’ve built, move back here, and live in the town I spent my childhood dreaming of leaving?
The thoughts terrify me, so I push them down to focus on him.
He swallows, and how he makes it so damn sexy is beyond me. “Some days, I wasn’t sure it would ever turn around. I fixed the fences and the barn.” He did have a knack for fixing things. “But that didn’t bring in any money. I was just sinking money back into the ranch. That was until I started renting out land and stalls in the barn.”
“That sounds profitable.”
“It was, and things turned around.”
“I’m glad. I can relate to sinking money into a career that doesn’t bring it back. I thought I’d land a job right away when I graduated school.”
“That didn’t happen?”
“No.”
“Really? You are so talented. I’m surprised.”
“Do you think maybe your vision of me was clouded by young teenage hormones?” I’m only half teasing. The other half is digging.
“That’s quite possible.”
I laugh so hard tears form in my eyes. “Tell me how you really feel.”
His arm reaches across the table, and his hand picks mine up. He laces his fingers between mine.
“Now that there are no more secrets, and we’re adults, I reckon we can approach this differently and explore who we are now.”
I lean in, tightening my grip on his hand. “I’d like that.”
“So would I.”
We finish breakfast and arrive at the ballroom with minutes to spare.
“What the hell happened to Santa’s chair?” Mayor Thomas is waiting for us when we arrive.
“Oh shit,” Thorn curses.
“Oh shit, what?”