Chapter Seventeen
THORN
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THE CALENDAR SIGNING is scheduled to last a few hours tops. With the way the mayor ushers folks along steadily, we will be right on time.
At promptly nine, the lineups begin. All the women from the last two days clutch their calendars, taking turns getting signatures from the model cowboys, including me. The women move steadily, sliding their calendars across the table to gather signatures from each cowboy. It’s a fast, steady pace. Mayor Thomas walks behind us, ensuring we stay focused, and no more than a friendly greeting is shared with the ladies.
I’m team Thomas today. The quicker we move, the more time I spend with Flora, who disappeared once we got to the Enchanted Ballroom. It’s almost lunch, and there’s been no sign of her for nearly three hours. Where is she? What’s she doing?
Then, the last signature is scribbled, and the woman, as pretty as a flower, slides a pair of panties in front of me. “Will you sign these for me?”
Ten minutes later, we’re in my suite, and with a swift motion, I pull her close. “Our bodies collide. “You were gone way too damn long today.” I capture her lips in a searing kiss. Electricity course through my veins, and the longing desire of the morning rush into our kiss.
“You had enough women to keep you busy.”
“I don’t want any woman but you,” I growl, latching onto her lower lip with my teeth.
She moans, and I catch the sensuous sound in another rough kiss. I can’t get enough of her sweetness and want so much more.
I hoist her into my arms. Her legs snake around my middle. Our hungry mouths move together as I carry her toward the bedroom. I push the door with my foot, barely registering the soft creak. Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.
My legs hit the bed, and I toss her on the mattress. The soft comforter swallows her for a moment and her laughter consumes me.
“Don’t just stand there.” She props herself on her elbows. “Take it off.”
With a teasing smile, I pull my shirt over my head. I watch her eyes roam over my bare torso.
“What are you waiting for?” I teasingly bark at her.
Eyes sparkling with mischief, she mirrors my actions. Her fingers deftly work to loosen the buttons of her blouse. Each piece of clothing we rid further fuels my desire. I drink in the sight of her naked body sprawled out on my bed—beautiful, vulnerable, and utterly mine. I love the rise and fall of her chest and the way her lips part slightly as she awaits my next move.
The bed creaks beneath my knees. I crawl toward her, slow and teasing, trailing my kisses up her leg.
She gasps when my lips brush her inner thigh.
With a quick glance into her beautiful eyes, I dive between her legs. My mouth finds her sweetness, and my tongue teases the delicate skin. Her fingers tangle in my hair, and her nails scrape my scalp.
I pick up the rhythm, alternating between soft flicks and deeper, lingering strokes. Her moans fill the space, urging me on. Each of her sweet little sounds—the ones I can’t get enough of—confirm I’m taking her higher. I slip my finger inside her, and her heat and slickness tighten around me.
“Thorn—“ She arches her back with a soft moan.
I feel her inching toward the edge. Her breaths grow ragged, and her body trembles beneath my touch. My fingers and tongue work together, drawing out her pleasure. I watch her face, captivated by the expressions of bliss that cross her features as I bring her to the brink. With a final cry, she surrenders, and I revel in her release. The sight of her in that moment is pure bliss—vulnerable yet powerful, lost in her world of satisfaction.
I slip on the condone before I settle my weight onto her, and I watch her come down from her high, breathless, and radiant.
She opens her eyes and meets my gaze. We share a knowing smile.
“That was amazing.” Her whisper is thick with lust.
“You’re amazing.” I kiss her, and at the same time, I bury myself inside her.
Her warmth envelopes me, and I can’t help the low growl of pleasure that rips up my chest. My hands explore her curves, tracing the line of her waist as I press deeper. Each thrust is met with a delicious tightness that ignited every nerve ending in my body. I’m lost quickly in the rhythm, pushing deeper into the blissful haze. As I reach my peak, time seems to stand still. Every muscle tightens. Every breath quickens. I explode inside her. A rush of pleasure echoes through every part of my being.
I collapse against her, the world slowly coming back into focus. I busy my face on her hair and feel her fingers trace my back.
“That was fucking amazing,” I grumble in her ear.
Her chest rumbles against mine as she laughs. “You’re fucking amazing.”
I chuckle. “I want to stay like this forever.”
“If only we could.”
“We could hibernate in here naked for the rest of the day.” I lift my head to look at her. “Watch an endless slew of movies and make love on every surface.” I kiss the tip of her nose while brushing her hair away from her face.
“And pass up on all the things the lodge has to offer. The sleigh rides and hot chocolate bar.”
“You can ride me all afternoon and well into the morning.”
She laughs harder. “And the hot chocolate?”
“Room service.”
She presses her lips together in thought. “Can they be Christmas movies?”
“They can be any movie you like as long as you’re naked.”
She kisses me. “Order popcorn, too. Lots of popcorn.”
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THORN
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I’M NOT IMPRESSED when we’re interrupted by her sister. I’m equally ticked off when she orders Flora to her room alone.
“I’ll be quick.” She skips around the bedroom, collecting her clothes. “It’s likely nothing more than a boy problem.”
I lean against the doorway naked and growing hard just watching her.
I don’t want to let her go. I don’t want to say goodbye to her now or when she leaves tomorrow. I don’t want to be separated for months with nothing more than this weekend between us. I want to get on my knees and ask her to marry me. I want to throw her over my shoulder, carry her to the town hall, and say our vows. But I also don’t want to scare her away, so I say nothing of such plans.
“We could get something to eat,” I suggest, seeing it is well past supper.
She straightens, slipping her arms into the blouse just covering her panties. “I could do supper.” Her eyes find my hardon, and she smiles. “This has to be some sort of record.”
“It is for me.”
She holds up her jeans. “I mean, I’m not dressed yet.”
I scoop her up in two steps and have my way with her on the dresser. We’ve christened almost every surface of this suite. Then I let her go. And even knowing we’re meeting up for supper, I ache inside.
I drag my feet to the bathroom for a quick shower. I would’ve instead showered with her. I don’t want to take my eyes off her for a second.
My phone buzzed shortly after I’m dressed and ready to head out. I swipe open my phone and read Flora’s text message.
Emergency. Meet me at the Enchanted Ballroom.
Great. Last-minute photo shit is going to steal my last night with her. Why couldn’t Mayor Thomas deal with it? Or the Quylt sisters? Anyone else.
I trudge to the Enchanted Ballroom in a mood. My eyes have to adjust when I step into the dimly lit ballroom.
Then I freeze.
Everywhere I look, memories stare back at me. A floating gallery of oversized photos hangs from the ceiling draped in twinkle lights. They feature pictures from my teenage years, places I recognize around town, and even photos from the weekend—pictures of Flora and me.
Then, like I’ve materialized her, Flora emerges from the suspended photos, a sweet and seductive smile on her face. She’s wearing a version of a Santa’s suit that boils my blood. Frilly, ruffled red dress short enough. If she bends over, I’ll get a view of her entire ass. Sweetheart neckline sparkling in tiny sequins. Knee-high stockings and red glittery boots.
“What’s all this?”
“This”—she lifts her arms, and that dress hikes up high enough for me to get a good view of her thighs—“is our story.”
I force my gaze to her eyes. “Our story?”
She nods. “Yes. Those sweet ladies you teamed up with have quite a collection from our past.”
“They do?”
“You didn’t know?”
I shake my head.
“Apparently, my mama knew. She knew about us and saved bits and pieces from our adventures together.”
“Really?”
She nods. “Yes. Would you like to see it?”
“I reckon I would.”
She slips her hand in mine, and we walk through the maze of pictures until she straightens a black-and-white photo of us at the local park. “Do you remember this movie night?”
“Do I remember snuggling in a blanket with you? No. Not at all,” I tease, wrapping my arms around the waist. My fingers itch to slide the zipper down her back, but my curiosity wins. “Who took this?”
“Who do you think?”
“The Quylt sisters,” we say simultaneously, and laughter erupts from us.
“I thought we were being discreet,” I drawl. “Hiding by the bushes, away from everyone.”
“It appears not discreet enough.”
“Apparently.”
She outlines the photo taken from quite a distance. “Remember all the snacks we had.”
I chuckle. “We went a little overboard with the popcorn and candy.”
She quirks a look at me. “Can you ever go overboard with popcorn?”
“I suppose not. Especially when you’re snacking with a jumper.”
She laughs and lightly taps my chest. “Stop it.”
“It wasn’t even a scary movie, and jumped, dumping the popcorn.”
Her mouth forms a perfect circle. “It was a scary moment.”
“Popcorn went everywhere,” I continue. “I was still finding kernels in my hair the next day.”
“You’re lying.”
I press a palm toy chest, acting insulted. “I would never.”
She laughs before pulling me to another picture. “Look at this one.” It’s a picture of us down at the creek. She’s in her bra and undies, and I’m waist-deep in water, but I’m sure I’m wearing my briefs.
“Who the hell took that one? Do Wilma and Faye understand it might be considered illegal to have pictures of minors like these in their possession?”
She tilts the picture for a better look. “It was Dani. She followed us down one afternoon and took a few pictures—”
I grab the picture and lean in close. “That’s your polka dot bra. Didn’t we end up naked that afternoon in that creek?”
She nods, slow, with a mix of something playing across her face that I don’t piece together right away.
Then it hits me. “Please tell me there are no sex pictures of us in the hands of your sister.”
“I cannot promise you that.”
I groan.
“Come on. There’s so many more.”
Hand in hand, we meander through the photos, swirling in a maze. Each picture captivates us, sparking warm smiles, laughter, and inside jokes. A friendship had been built that summer. Deeper and stronger than anything I’d known.
“Here’s another one. This one is one of my favorites.” She weaves through the dangling pictures, our fingers laced together.
“Here’s a picture I recall.” The nostalgia hits me, and I love our innocent, silly smiles close to the lens. “I took this one the night we climbed onto the school roof and watched the sunset while sharing a strawberry milkshake.”
Her eyes twinkle. “That was the night you told me that you loved me.”
“I remember.” My voice is full of emotion. “And you said it back.”
“I remember.” Her voice is filled with equal emotion.
I wrap my arms around her waist. “This is amazing.”
Her arms snake around my neck. “Each of these memories means so much to me, and I want to create so many more memories with you—”
“You’re taking the job,” I cut her off, hearing a bit coming at the end of her sentence and fearing she thinks she has to give up her dream to make up for lost time with me. “Don’t think for a second, you’re not. I will be here when you’re done, and we can pick it up right here.”
She leans up and kisses me. “I’m taking the job.”
“Damn right, you are.”
“We haven’t even made it to the good part yet.”
“You’re the good part.”
“We’re the good part,” she emphasizes the first word and guides me toward the middle of the room with a soft tug.
We push past the last cluster of hanging pictures, and the center of the room transforms into a twinkling haven. A single chair sits in the smack dab in the heart of the space. Not just any ol’ single chair. Oh no. Rocky Ridge Creek’s Christmas parade red velvet Santa chair has been repaired and sits in the middle of the room. It’s been repaired, the wood polished, the material scrubbed, and the sheer size claims the space.
“Dejavu,” I say.
She lets go of my hand and skips to the chair to pick up a quilt folded neatly on the seat. I know precisely what that quilt is. I’ve heard of the quilt queens and their so-called soulmate quilts, quilted from love for love. And my guess is, it was made for Flora and me.
“This has been in the works for some time now.” She begins unfolding it. “Everything is here. Pictures of us through the years, material from outfits we wore and blankets we used.”
I join her as we flip through the map of our lives, spread out in an intricate design of memories. Each patch reveals a photograph that sparks nostalgia, a swatch of fabric, embroidered dates, and heartfelt messages that tell stories of our significant moments and milestones.
She smiles at me. “I never believed in love like this until I met you.”
“Me either.”
“And being back here has made me realize how much I’ve missed being close to my family, even if they’re quirky and unusual.”
I chuckle. “They’re perfect.”
“Far from perfect, but they’re mine, and I love them with all my heart.”
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
“And I wanted to thank you because your surprise outing yesterday made me realize I had all these misconceptions of the town stamped in my head. But visiting Alma reminded me of the sandwiches she often dropped off at our house when we were little. Picking up cookies from Betty uncovered the memories of walking home from school, and she happened to be outside with a bag of freshly baked goodies someone didn’t pick up.” She smirks. “No one ever planned to pick those up.”
“I reckon they were just for you.”
She nods. “For the first time, I realized the town wasn’t after us like I believed. They were all here for us in their way. They did what they could in a situation I’m sure they didn’t like.”
I nod. “That does sound a lot like the folks of Rocky Ridge Creek.”
“Thank you.”
I shrug. “My intentions were selfish.”
Her lips curl upward in a smirk. “Were they?”
I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her flush against me. “I wanted you to fall in love with this town.” I lean down and kiss her.
“I fell in love with more than this town.”
My heart flutters at her words.
“I fell in love with you, Thorn Slater.” Music to my ears. “I’ve always loved you but loved the boy who chased me for an entire summer. Now I’ve fallen head over heels for the man who sacrifices everything for family and friends.”
My heart swells, and my mouth is on hers again. Her words are enough to give me peace as she leaves for work. Her words are enough to give me hope she’ll be back.
Our lips break apart when we land on Santa’s chair, with her straddling me.
“Dejavu.”
She laughs, leaning back and playfully clutching the twinkle lights in her hands. I feel the soft string of lights press against my back as she gently pulls them closer.
“Don’t you dare?” My voice leaves no room for jokes, and my hands clamp her ass so she can’t move.
“Don’t you trust me?”
“I will never trust you with twinkle lights.”
She smiles as she wraps the string of lights around her back. “I trust you, Thorn. I’m sorry I didn’t always.”
Her truthful words have my body automatically leaning forward so she can wrap the lights around me.
“I will never fall for the mistake of not talking with you about whatever is bothering me.” She wraps the light around her backside and then reaches back around me, tying us together. “And right now, leaving you is bothering me.”
My arms catch hers. “You have to go.”
She nods. “I know. I do, but I don’t leave until the new year.”
My heart palpitates with the idea of spending Christmas with her or any time besides tonight.
“And I don’t want to leave without marrying you.”
Her words take a second to register—a long, confused second.
“Are you askin’ me to marry you, Flora Rowe?”
Her big smile warms my heart. “I’m asking you to marry before I leave.”
I want to joke and tease her before I reply, but my racing heart has other intentions. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you before you leave. I’ll marry you right fucking now. Let’s go find a minister and seal the deal tonight.” My hands cup her face, as best I can, all tangled in these lights like were caught in a lasso. I drag her face to mine, and our kiss is the perfect blend of passion and love.
She leans back. “I was thinking of a small wedding at The Fox Lodge.”
“Done.”
“Maybe in a few weeks, right before Christmas.”
“Done.”
She giggles. “You could wear a top hat.”
I shrug. “If you’re m marrying me, I’ll walk down the aisle naked.”
She laughs now. “Your Stetson will do just fine. I’ve always liked how it looks on you.”
I laugh now.
“I was also thinking I could spend the next couple weeks packing my condo and moving into your ranch, so when I return from my job, I will come home to you.”
My heart swells hard, and I think it might burst through my chest. The pads of my thumbs rub the sides of her face. “Flora, you’ve made me the happiest man alive.”
“You’ve made me the happiest woman. I can’t wait to wake up wrapped in your arms, sleeping in your bed on Christmas morning.”
“Our bed,” I say. “Our house. Our life.”
“I love that. I love you, Thorn.”
“I love you, Flora. Now and for always.”
The moment our mouths connect, everything else ceases to exist. It’s just her and me, caught in a whirlwind of unrestrained passion. Each kiss ignited a fire within me, a primal urge that overshadowed all rational thought. I lose myself in her taste, the intoxicating sensation of her body pressing and grinding against me. Santa’s chair shifts, and I hear a crack in the distance. Then the chair crashes, and we slam against the floor. Shock echoes before laughter pours out of us.
“I think we broke it,” she laughs. “Thomas is going to kill is. I promised we would be careful.”
“Thomas is the last thing you have to worry about. Getting out of these tangled twinkle lights is nearly impossible.”
She kisses me. “Then we’ll stay here forever. As long as we’re together.”
I kiss her back. “Freak Frame Flora, you are the woman of my dreams.”
“Good because you’re stuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else.” I kiss her, then stop. “But we are gonna get out of these because I’m going to marry you.”
“Rope me in, cowboy.”
“You’ve roped me in tighter than a bow on a holiday present." She laughs. “Just like the lights on the tree, you’ve brightened my world.”
“Okay. Enough with the cheesy pickup lines and kiss me.”
I kiss her.
THE END