Chapter 27 Lina
lina
This quiet, sometimes brooding man was full of surprises tonight. First, whisking me away to fuck me in the bathroom, and now he was spinning me around on the dance floor as if his shoes were made of glass. Who was this man? Where had he been hiding? He actually knew how to have some fun.
My cheeks were hurting because I couldn’t stop smiling. I hadn’t had this much fun since … well, maybe since I met him.
He led me in one two-step after another, some of the music quicker than others, but he didn’t miss a beat.
“Where did you learn to dance like this?”
“My mother. My parents went out a lot.” A brief shadow crossed his face with whatever memory that provoked. “Usually, we would be waiting for my dad to come home from work, she’d put on some music, and she’d have me practice with her until they left for the night.”
“They left you at night?” It made me sad to think of Reed as a little boy being left home alone.
He shrugged before spinning me out and bringing me back to him. My hand landed on his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken beneath my palm. “Sometimes the neighbor would sit with me until I went to bed. They weren’t the best parents. Neither one of them were very involved.”
My smile broke. “I couldn’t imagine not wanting to be involved in my child’s life, but I understand. My mom has never been interested in what I was doing. She kind of has her own life and family. I didn’t exactly fit in with it.”
“She doesn’t come to any of your events?”
“She used to … early on. I mean, that was her life before I was born—when she met my dad. You know he was a bronc rider?”
Reed nodded. “I’ve made the mistake of asking about it.”
I laughed. “Yeah, Dad likes to talk about it.”
“It almost always turns into bragging about you, though.”
“That man.” I shook my head with a grin. “I don’t have to question whether he’s proud of me. Apparently, he was wild when he was younger. He always had all the buckle bunnies following him to his trailer. That’s how he met Mom.”
“Then they had you?”
“Yeah, but they were never together. I think it was more of a fuck–buddy type situation. She never wanted to move out to Willows and live on the ranch.”
“Did you just live with your dad then?”
“Nah. Probably for the first fourteen years of my life, I went back and forth between my mom’s place in Portland and the ranch. Once I got more involved with barrel racing, I told Mom I wanted to live with Dad. She seemed to think that was a great idea.” I laughed, but there was little humor in it.
“I’m sorry.” Reed frowned.
“Don’t apologize. Mom and I are like oil and water.
We chat, but it’s hard to carry on a conversation with her for very long.
We’re nothing alike. She’s my mother, but the woman is a little vapid.
Everything is surface level with her, ya know?
So I let her live her life with my half brothers and stepdad in the city, and she lets me live mine with Dad on the ranch while I race. Do you have any siblings?”
Reed shook his head, dipping me before helping me back up. “One and done for my folks. Being parents wasn’t really part of their lifestyle.”
“Were you lonely?”
“Sometimes, but I knew how to entertain myself, and there was a ranch nearby. The rancher used to pay me in beef for helping, so our freezer was always full. Taught myself how to cook, too.”
“Shit, Reed. No wonder you’re such a great dad.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m not sure I’ve always made the best decisions for her.
But when I found out I was going to be a dad, I promised myself I’d be better than my parents ever were.
I wanted to be better for Penelope as soon as I held her in my arms. If I do anything right in my life, it’ll be to make sure that little girl knows how loved she is every single day. ”
Fuck. He was making me melt. “Penn’s lucky to have you.”
Reed grunted under the praise, obviously a little uncomfortable with it.
“So is Elise,” I said before I could even stop it. Inside thought, I scolded myself. I meant she was lucky to have him care for their daughter the way he did when she obviously couldn’t right now.
The music slowly came to an end, Reed coming to a stop. His jaw ticked at the mention of his ex-wife, and his eyes darkened.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought her up.” I stepped out of his arms, ready to go find another drink.
But he reached out an arm, stopping me. He shook his head. “It’s fine. Let’s go get you another drink.”
“You’re reading my mind.” If Elise was going to be an off-limits topic, I’d take his lead on that one. At least for now. I knew that if we were going to try a real relationship, we’d eventually have to talk about it, even if it was uncomfortable. Even if I didn’t want to hear it, either.
As we stepped off the dance floor, heading to the bar, we came face-to-face with Kale, Christian, and my barrel racing friend Vivian, sitting at a table with their drinks.
They were staring at us with the most moonstruck expressions on their faces.
Christian even had his head resting in his fists, as if to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.
“Aw, you two are so cute!” Vivian nearly squealed.
“I fucking knew it! Pay up.” Christian held his palm open in front of Kale.
“Ugh!” Kale grumbled, cursing under his breath while he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.
My whole body flushed having been officially caught with the enemy.
“Was it you two in the girl’s restroom tonight?” Viv asked, a cheeky smile on her face while she wagged her brows.
I huffed, shaking my head at my friends, but I suddenly felt very aware of Reed beside me. The heat of his body, his firm, calloused hand holding mine like it was the most natural thing in the world while advertising to the whole fucking bar that we belonged to each other.
“Y’all know I’m not shy, but I don’t kiss and tell,” I told them. But it was near impossible not to crack a grin.
Viv squealed again. “That means they fucking did!”
“Does this mean you two are together?” Christian asked, pointing at our hand-holding, a smirk on his lips.
Reed and I exchanged glances.
He looked at me apprehensively, his eyes questioning.
I slowly nodded my head. “I think we’re figuring some things out, but also, no one better fucking touch him.” The last words were laced with laughter, but I was also dead serious.
His lips tipped up at the corners.
He grabbed the belt loop of my shorts, pulling me back to him until we were chest to chest. Was he going to kiss me in front of my friends? In front of the whole bar?
I tipped my chin up. “Might as well do it,” I told him. “You already fucked me in the bathroom and had me on the dance floor.”
Reed captured my chin between his thumb and forefinger, angling my mouth in just the right way.
He leaned down, taking his hat off as his plush lips pressed against mine, fitting perfectly between my pout.
My heart rate accelerated with the whoops and hollers of my friends, the entire bar erupting with catcalls and whistles.
“It’s official, Lina Larsen,” Reed whispered against my lips. My eyes fluttered back open, not realizing I’d closed them, to peer up at him. His dark gaze was now sparkling like a midnight sky. My breath caught. He placed his hat on my head. “Every cowboy here now knows you’re mine.”
“Reed …” I didn’t know what to say.
“What do you want to do, sweetheart?”
“Forget the drink. Let’s go home.”
His lips broke into that big grin, and I was probably looking at him like a lovesick puppy, but I didn’t care. We had a lot of good night left, and I didn’t want to spend it with him in a rowdy bar. I wanted him all to myself.
One of my dad’s, and my, favorite movies growing up was Sleepless in Seattle.
There’s a part at the end when they finally meet at the top of the Empire State Building.
In that scene, I wasn’t sure at first if they’d leave together, but Sam holds out his hand and says, “Shall we?” She takes his hand, and as they walk away together, his little boy leads them as they get into the elevator.
The whole time, they’re staring at each other like they can’t take their eyes off one another.
Like if they looked away for even one second, the other would cease to exist.
That’s what it felt like walking hand in hand through the dark camp to our trailer.
If not for watching where I was stepping, my eyes were glued on Reed.
It was as though something had shifted. Everything in my life had lined up for this one pivotal moment, and if I looked away for any reason, I’d miss something important.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” I asked him. I wasn’t scared to hear his answer. I was genuinely curious. I wanted to know.
He led us around a corner as we headed down the lane to our campsite.
His eyes barely strayed from mine, some knowing look flitting across them while a soft smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Heat washed over me, wondering if I shouldn’t have asked. Was this another moment where my filter wasn’t working? “What’s that look for?”
“You asked me that once before.”
“Shit! I did? When?” I gulped, suddenly feeling self-conscious, my mind racing to remember when I’d said it.
The muscles at his jaw ticked, and that was enough to give me the answer.
“It was … it was that night you found me being dragged away from the bar.” I still hated to think of that night, let alone talk about it.
Anything could have happened if Reed hadn’t found me.
“Hey, baby.” He stopped us, shifting to look at me. “It’s okay. It was always going to be okay.”
“He stole that moment from me. I don’t even remember saying that.” Tears welled in my eyes, but his warm, solid hand squeezed mine affectionately.
Reed shook his head, gritting his teeth while his brown eyes reassured me. “He has no place here in this moment because I can tell you now that I never thought I believed in love at first sight—until I met you.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I felt a sting behind my nose at his declaration. I cleared my throat. “You felt it, too? When we first saw each other?” A surge of hope washed over me. The lump grew despite my attempt to swallow.
“Lina, it was as if my whole world tilted on its axis the moment I saw you. I haven’t been the same since.”
My vision blurred, but I trusted him to make sure I didn’t stumble as he continued to lead us to our campsite.
We reached our fifth wheel, pausing in front of the parked trucks and horse trailer, when the first tears broke free, slipping silently down my cheeks.
I tipped my head back to peer up at the stars.
My watery vision was like a kaleidoscope of light, while I attempted to hold them back.
But there was no use. They were already falling.
Reed stepped into me, reaching up to wipe the tears from my cheeks. “It was you. It’s always been you.” His own voice broke. “It’s you for a reason.”
“God, Reed.” I shook my head, my chest tightening hearing him say those words.
“Look at me, sweetheart.”
I lowered my chin, catching his own glassy gaze. Fresh tears sprang to my eyes seeing the emotion in his. My face scrunched, two seconds away from an ugly cry.
Cradling my face, his thumbs continued to swipe across my cheeks. I couldn’t help leaning into those big hands, wanting to feel the heat and roughness, to ground me and comfort me.
“I honestly believe you were put into my life for a reason.” His brow furrowed as if he, too, were holding back the tears. “Put into my life … and Penn’s.”
“I thought you broke my heart, but here you’ve been piecing it back together this whole time.” My voice broke on a sob.
“Oh, baby, if I could go back …” He sniffed.
“I’d do anything to protect you. Even if it meant protecting you from me.
I should’ve never hurt you the way I did.
I was a mess when you found me. But you were the one thing I needed most. And I screwed up.
If I have to make it up to you every day for the rest of my life, I will.
I’ll do anything I have to do, Lina, if it means I get to love you. ”
“Goddamn you! You have me ugly crying now,” I wailed.
A deep laugh rumbled quietly in his chest. “I know. I’m an asshole.”
I gave him a watery huff. “Well, I’ve been no walk in the park, either, cowboy.
” There was no stopping the tears as they streamed down my face, soaking his hands where they still held me.
“I’m in love with you, Reed.” I shrugged, unable to help how I felt.
“I’ve been in love with you from the start. ”
Tears welled up in his eyes, and I sobbed. I couldn’t bear seeing him cry. It broke me.
“Lina, I’ve been falling for you for 435 days now. I’m so in love with you. There’s no life without you in it.”
His lips tenderly pressed to mine, our tongues softly stroking, the salt of my tears mingling.
I closed my eyes, absorbing the feeling.
The warm summer night, the crickets chirping, his kisses, and his hands taking care of me.
His fingers brushed the hair behind my ears, trailing down my neck, my shoulders, my arms. A caress so light, it felt like a breeze on my heated skin.
“I love you, Reed Ownstead,” I whispered against his lips.
“I love you.” I felt the words rumble through his chest, penetrating me, embedding in my very being. I never believed anything more in my whole life.
Reed pulled away to peer down at me, to examine my tear-soaked face. He wiped the tears away again as I tried to catch my breath. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s take care of you.”
I gave him a watery smile, nodding.
“Come on.” He kissed my forehead before taking my hand and leading me to the trailer.
Just as we passed the truck, my eyes drifting to my boots to watch where I stepped in the dark, Reed stopped abruptly.
His body went rigid, startling me.
“What?” I demanded.
I glanced up at him. His face was like stone, and he was looking straight ahead at our fifth wheel. I followed his gaze.
The door was left open.