Chapter 9
reed
“Keep brushing him while I go talk with Chuck and Jude,” I told Penn, who stood on a stool beside Warrior. Her little tongue stuck out between her teeth in concentration as she brushed the dust from his coat.
Chuck and Jude were tacking up their horses for the day before heading out to check on the herd, then they’d lead trail rides with the tourists who came into town.
From the look of Jude, Chuck had already filled him in on the situation with Junior. His body was practically vibrating.
“So he’s dating your ex-wife?” Jude asked, scratching his forehead beneath the brim of his hat.
It made me itch, too, and I couldn’t help my own head scratch before adjusting my cowboy hat.
“They’re engaged,” I corrected. Although I wasn’t sure their relationship truly mattered at this point.
“Well, fuck. Of course your daughter can’t stay there.” He leaned over to tighten the cinch. He wrenched it tighter, causing his horse to shift on its feet.
“I can’t take her with me on the circuit, either,” I told him.
“You have such a big house, Jude,” Chuck chimed in. “Would you and Romy be able to have her stay with you while Reed’s with Lina?”
I knew Romy used to be a schoolteacher, so I had no doubt she was good with children. Watching her be a mother to their own baby the last couple months also made me feel better about leaving her with them.
“I have to talk with Romy, but it’s a no-brainer that she should stay on the ranch while you’re away,” Jude agreed.
“I need to make sure she’s safe and taken care of,” I said, rubbing my chest, because it fucking hurt to leave her right now.
Chuck came around the horses to grip my shoulder. “We all have daughters, and I think we all know what we’d do to keep them safe. I’m trusting you, Reed. You have to trust us, too.”
I glanced down at my boots to think. There was no other option, at this point, and this had to be the best thing for us both to move forward.
Peering over at Penn in her little Carhartt overalls and boots, she looked like the little cowgirl she was going to grow up to be.
I wanted her to have the life I didn’t. I wanted her to be surrounded by people who loved and cared for her, on land that she would be able to call home.
Whether it was here or somewhere else, I wanted that for her, for us.
And if this was the first step in getting us there, I already knew the choice I had to make.
Looking at both Larsen men, I nodded. “I trust you.”
“Go faster, Daddy,” Penelope called from where she sat in front of me in the saddle.
I pressed my heels into Warrior’s side, urging him to a canter as we approached Jude and Romy’s place.
Romy invited us over for dinner so I could help Penn get settled before Lina and I left early in the morning. As we approached, I saw Chuck’s UTV parked at the front door. Chuck said he was taking my night shift tonight, so I was surprised he was here. We slowed and sidled up to the hitching post.
“Whoa!” I pulled up on Warrior’s reins, dismounted, and tied him up before helping Penn down.
“Can I wear it?” she asked, pointing at the Frozen backpack slung across my back.
“Sure, princess.” I handed it to her, helping her put her little arms through the straps. She was a tiny five-year-old, and the backpack looked nearly as big as her. But she didn’t seem to care. It held everything that was hers now. I needed to buy her more clothes once I got back.
“Hey, man,” Jude called from the front door. “Just a heads-up. Sage and Lina are here, too. Romy invited them.”
That explained the UTV. I heaved a breath, preparing myself to face Lina.
After our run-in this morning in the kitchen, I had to jump in the shower again to take care of my throbbing cock that only Lina seemed to cause.
I had a feeling I’d be rubbing one out every morning for the foreseeable future now that we were going to be sharing a space.
I shrugged as if it didn’t matter to me, even though it 100 percent did.
Penn gripped my hand, her tiny fingers wrapping around my wrist to hide behind my arm as I followed Jude inside. I’d spent many hours a day helping to finish their house, but this was my first time stepping inside and seeing it fully furnished.
We walked into the open concept first floor, where the living room flowed right into the open kitchen and dining room. Romy stirred a pot of red sauce, while Sage and Lina sat at the large island, sipping glasses of wine. They were laughing about something.
My eyes immediately went to Lina. God, she looked fucking beautiful.
Her warm, brown waves draped over bare shoulders, and a tight, black tank top left nothing to the imagination about the curves underneath.
Fuck, I wanted to run my hands along them.
I don’t think I’d ever understand what she did to me.
It was as though she put a spell on me that night I brought her home from the bar in Joseph. And it never broke.
She was wearing makeup tonight, her lashes dark and her lips shining with gloss. Her brown eyes flicked my way and the laughter died, but her eyes still sparkled. A rush of hope filled my chest at the thought they sparkled for me.
“This must be Penelope,” Romy said, coming over to us. I noticed then she had their baby girl wrapped up in an infant carrier on her chest.
“Is that a baby?” Penn asked.
My eyes flicked back to Lina. Sage was talking to her, but her eyes kept sliding back to me, her lips resting on the rim of her wine glass with a slight smile.
Knowing that smile could be directed at Penn for any reason made me want to make Lina listen to reason and not hate me anymore.
The thought of her caring for Penn had my mind fucking twisted.
“Yep.” Romy crouched in front of my daughter. “Do you want to see her?”
Penn peered into the infant carrier. “Aw, she’s so cute. What’s her name?”
“Charli.” Romy smiled at Penn.
“Is she one year old?” Penn asked.
Romy laughed. “No, she’s only six weeks old.”
Penn’s eyes grew. “She’s so tiny. Does she know how to play yet?”
Romy shook her head. “Not yet, but I bet I can help you hold her later.”
“Do I get my own room?” Penn asked, changing the subject and looking down the hallway off the great room.
“I’ll show you so you can drop off your stuff,” Jude offered, leading us to the stairs.
“I better get going,” Lina said, excusing herself from the table.
“Oh yeah? Do you have a hot date or something?” Jude teased.
Lina flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Did you see the fucking shoes I walked in with? Do you really think I’m going to milk cows in these heels?”
“Okay, smart-ass, there are children present,” Jude said, clearing plates.
“Dude, you just said smart-ass,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.
Jude grimaced. “Touché! Sorry,” he said to me.
I shrugged, dismissing his apology. “She’s growing up around cowboys.”
“See! He doesn’t care,” Lina said, her toe bumping mine under the table for what had to be the tenth time tonight. Was she doing it on purpose? She sure was doing everything possible to avoid eye contact while we ate our spaghetti.
“Daddy, what’s a smart-ass? Is it someone who has a nice butt?” Penn asked beside me.
I chuckled, draping my arm over her chair to lean in to whisper conspiratorially, “It’s Lina Larsen.”
“Oh, I see.” She nodded, studying Lina curiously from across the table. “My daddy thinks you have a nice butt.”
The whole table busted up laughing, Lina included, though she was blushing, and it was fucking adorable to watch that shade of pink stain her cheeks.
“Oh, I like you,” Lina said, leaning toward Penn from across the table. “You’re fun.”
“I like you, too,” Penn replied with a little giggle.
I could feel my own face heat as everyone looked between Lina and me with hearts in their eyes.
Being too dumbstruck to deny I thought Lina had a nice butt, Sage said, “Oh boy,” while wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “I’d pay to be a fly on the wall in that camper.”
Lina rolled her big, beautiful, brown eyes. “Shut up, Sage,” she said good-naturedly. “We gotta go. My date is waiting, so are you coming with me or not?” She pushed herself up from the table.
At her mention of a date, I nearly bit my tongue clenching my jaw.
“I guess so, since you’re my ride.” Sage drained the last drop of wine from her glass. “I have to get back to Arlo anyway. If I stay too long, Christian will make himself too comfortable. When he offered to puppysit, I didn’t think he’d try to move in.”
“A live-in dog sitter like a live-in nanny?” Lina winked at her friend.
“One of my favorite romance tropes.” Romy sighed dreamily. “Single dog mom with the puppy sitter? That could be hot.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “Okay, bitches. I’m out of here.”
Romy laughed, hugging Sage. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“I’ll see you in three weeks for the bachelorette party,” Lina said, embracing Romy.
“The Rooster is providing all the booze,” Sage confirmed, mentioning the bar she worked at as she shouldered her bag.
“And I won’t get to drink any of it.” Romy pouted, but her face was soft and loving as she gazed at the swaddled baby in the bassinet on the counter.
Lina hugged Jude. “Watch over your girls for me.”
My gut twisted seeing Lina grow serious and Jude’s jaw go tight.
They shared a silent understanding as they looked at each other.
I glanced back at Romy, but she didn’t even seem to notice, picking up the rest of the dirty dishes and taking them to the sink.
Jude must not have told her about Junior’s release yet.
We finished our farewells, and I watched Lina’s fine ass as she walked out in her heels on the way to her fucking date.
Yet another date I had to watch her go on.
At this point, after this morning’s encounter, I was starting to think she was either in denial or doing it hoping to get a rise out of me.
Standing, I announced, “I’ll get Penn to bed, but then I have to head out. I still need to get the fifth wheel packed and hooked up to my truck.”
“Thank you for doing this, Reed.” Jude gripped my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “It’s killing me not to be able to go with her.”
“You and Chuck have a lot of other issues to deal with.” I leaned down to wipe the sauce from Penn’s mouth. “It’s the least I can do to help. Especially now that you’re also helping me out with Penn while I’m gone. So thank you.”
“We’ll have the double-wide ready for you when you get back.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Jude nodded. “Take care of my cousin, and we’re square.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to her while I’m there.”
I’d make fucking sure of it.
Jude patted my shoulder again, his face stoic and serious.
Romy had a big smile on her face. “I think you’re just what Lina needs.”
I sighed, picking up Penn. I wasn’t sure about that, but she needed to stop dating these fucking douchebags.
“Come on, princess, let’s get you to bed.” Penn wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my shoulder, releasing a big yawn.
After brushing her teeth and changing her into pajamas, I lay down with her in the bedroom that was to be hers while I was away.
“Daddy?” she asked through a yawn, her voice quiet and sleepy.
“Yes, Penn?”
“Can I see the horsies tomorrow?”
I blew out an exhale. It was killing me to have to be away from her when she needed me the most.
“You can see them every day from now on,” I told her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. I breathed in her sweet scent, trying to memorize it, imprint it on my soul until I could hold her again.
My chest squeezed, wishing none of this was our reality.