9. Paisley
CHAPTER 9
PAISLEY
I woke up on the couch the next morning. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was and what had happened the night before. Aiden was gone. I laid there for a few minutes and let my mind play through everything that had happened the night before. My muscles ached in the most delicious way, the soreness reminding me of the multiple orgasms Aiden had delivered both before and after our heart-to-heart talk.
It was so warm and cozy under the blanket, I didn’t want to get up, but the horses needed to be fed, and I probably ought to check on Caitlin. No doubt Shane had filled her in on how he’d found Aiden and me last night. I only hoped Aiden didn’t regret opening up and wasn’t having second thoughts about sticking around.
At least he’d made coffee before he took off. I reached for a mug and noticed a note next to the coffee pot.
You looked so peaceful that I wanted to let you sleep. Don’t worry about feeding the horses. I’ll take care of that before I head up to the house. I’ve got an idea on how to catch the assholes who’ve been messing with the ranch.
Yours,
Aiden
I smiled at the way he’d signed his name. Yours . I’d never belonged to someone before or had the honor of claiming someone else’s heart as mine, but it felt right. I wanted to be his just as much as I wanted him to belong to me. With a happiness in my heart that hadn’t been there before, I took a quick shower and got dressed.
Today was the first day of the rest of my life, and I was ready for it.
Samson sat on the porch of the bunkhouse and greeted me with a loud meow . I bent down to run my hand over his head. He hadn’t been around much over the past few days. Hopefully, he’d been keeping warm inside the barn.
The sun was already making its slow ascent into the sky when I caught sight of Aiden and Shane. I’d definitely overslept, though Aiden had kept me up way past my usual bedtime last night. The two of them were bent over something on the drive.
“Good morning.” I held my hand up to shade my eyes from the sun. Whatever they were up to, it looked like they’d been at it for a while.
“Morning.” Aiden stood and reached for me. I melted into his arms. “Did you sleep well?”
“Once you finally let me sleep,” I muttered against his ear. “What are you working on?”
He walked me through the plan. They were installing metal spikes at the top and bottom of the drive into the ranch. If someone came in and the spikes were activated, they’d rip up their tires on their way out.
“When do you think they’ll try something again?” I asked.
“It’s only been happening when Shane’s been gone,” Aiden said. “No telling who’s involved, but if word gets out that we have a reservation at the steakhouse tonight, we’re hoping they’ll take the opportunity.”
“If we’re not here, how are you going to catch them?”
Shane sat back on his heels. “The four of us are going to leave together to head into town for dinner tonight, then Aiden will sneak back to the ranch to hopefully catch them in the act.”
“Can’t you call the sheriff and have them plant someone up here?” I didn’t like the idea of Aiden taking on the people responsible for the damage all by himself.
“We can’t expect them to send staff up here unless we know for sure something’s going to go down. Are you worried about me, baby?” Aiden cracked a grin, trying to make light of a serious situation.
I playfully swatted at his chest. “Yes, I’m worried. What if they have a gun? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Shane rolled his eyes. “The two of you are already making me sick to my stomach with all the puppy dog eyes you’re shooting at each other. Don’t worry. Some of the Mustang Mountain Riders are coming up to stake the place out with him. I wouldn’t have him here at all except he’s the only one who can tell if the same guy who threatened him in town is involved.”
“I still don’t like it.” My bottom lip pushed out in a slight pout.
“You don’t have to like it, but I’d appreciate it if you’d go along with it,” Shane said. “The sooner we catch the bastards involved, the better off we’ll all be.”
“You really think you’ll be able to stop them with those spiky things?” I bent down to take a closer look at the long metal barbs. “Where did you get these?”
“Your boyfriend made them.” Shane nodded toward Aiden.
The word boyfriend made me feel all warm and tingly inside. I liked it. Aiden must have too. He pulled me into a hug and slanted his mouth over mine.
“Are we going to get back to work or are you going to stand there making out all day?” Shane asked.
I pulled back, feeling a little guilty for interrupting them. “Is Caitlin up yet?”
“Yeah. She’s probably on her second pot of coffee,” Shane said. “Not that she needs it. Picking out paint colors gives her more energy than drinking a six-pack of Red Bulls.”
“I can’t wait to see what she has in mind.” With one last kiss, I left Aiden and Shane to their work and made my way up to the big house. Just as I reached the porch, my phone pinged. A text from my mom popped up with a meme about a city girl in the country. She’d been sending them a few times a week since I’d moved to Montana.
I swiped it away and noticed a few missed texts from the night before. There was one telling me I’d been the highest bidder on the custom saddles. Yay! Excitement bubbled up inside my chest. Maybe Caitlin would be interested in going into town with me to pick them up.
The next text said I’d been outbid on the metal roses. I knew I should have made my first bid higher. I’d just have to find out who the artist was so I could contact them directly.
“I thought I heard someone out here.” Caitlin met me at the front door and pulled me inside. For the next several hours, I walked through the house with her as she took me through her decorating plan. The woman had a gift. All I could see were the bare walls in front of me, but she talked about her vision in such detail, like she’d already painted the walls, changed up the layout, and transformed the rundown ranch house into her dream home.
“Paisley? Earth to Paisley,” Caitlin said.
“What?” I’d been lost in thoughts about Aiden… like the way his lashes fanned out across his cheeks right before our lips touched.
Caitlin held out a thick paperback with a gorgeous bare-chested mountain man on the cover. “This is the book I was telling you about. We’re reading it for book club next month. If you’re serious about joining us, you should grab a copy. I know All Booked Up has them in stock.”
“ Take Me to the River by Kaci Rose.” I read the title out loud as I reached for it.
“I’m only halfway through and have already bought the rest of the series. It’s so good.” Caitlin tucked her foot underneath her and settled into the corner of the couch. “Since I came back to Montana, I can’t seem to get enough mountain man romance. It’s so hot.”
I couldn’t agree more, though I hadn’t been able to focus on reading since Aiden had interrupted me with that kiss. “When I find my own place, I hope you’ll help me with some decorating ideas,”
“You mean a place with Aiden?” Her eyes twinkled above the rim of her mug of tea.
“Shane told you, didn’t he?”
Caitlin’s smile spread all the way across her face. “He confirmed what I already knew. I saw the way the two of you moved on the dance floor last night. And when you left together…”
I reached out and grabbed the hand she’d started fanning herself with. “Were we that obvious?”
“I’m surprised the whole community center didn’t burn down with all the heat flowing back and forth between you.” Her mug clinked against mine. “Here’s to finding your own Montana mountain man. You sure didn’t waste any time.”
It was too new to trust, but I hoped the feelings between Aiden and me would last. “Did they tell you their big plan to catch whoever’s been sneaking around the ranch?”
“Mmm. That reminds me. I need to call and make a reservation for tonight.” Caitlin reached for her phone and dialed. “Hey, Ruby. Do you happen to know if the steakhouse takes reservations? Shane and I want to treat Aiden and Paisley to dinner tonight to thank them for everything they’ve been doing around the ranch.”
I sipped my tea and waited for her to hang up before asking why she’d called Ruby instead of just checking with the restaurant.
“Thanks. I knew you’d know the answer. Talk to you soon.” Caitlin hung up and let her phone drop to the cushion next to her.
“Why did you call Ruby instead of the steakhouse?” I asked.
“Because now everyone will know we’re going to dinner tonight. I’ve only been here a few months longer than you, but if you want word to spread like wildfire in a small town, the best way to light a spark is to make sure the mayor’s wife knows.” Caitlin took another sip of her huckleberry tea. “Now all we need to do is figure out what we’re going to wear.”
Several hours later, after I’d finished all of my work with the horses, taken a shower, picked up the saddles I’d won in the silent auction, and stuffed myself into a dress Caitlin loaned me, and completed my best attempt at applying the makeup I hadn’t worn in months, I stood in front of the small mirror in the bunkhouse bathroom.
“Are you ready yet?” Aiden yelled from the front room. “We need to get a move on if we’re going to pull this off.”
I slowly opened the door and stood there, waiting for him to react.
He let out a long, low whistle. “How do you expect us to make it out the door on time with you dressed like that?”
I liked this flirty, fun version of him far better than the cold grump he’d been for the past couple of weeks. “Do you want to change your mind about dinner?”
“Yes.” He covered the distance between us in a few long strides and pulled me into his arms. “But Shane would strangle me for screwing up the plan.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to wait.” I kissed the tip of my finger and pressed it to his lips.
“You’re worth it, Paisley.” His chin rested on the top of my head. We swayed together for a few long beats before he pulled back. “I’d be willing to wait a hell of a long time for you.”
“Feels like we already have. I’ve been waiting for you for twenty-six years.” I smiled up at him, my heart filling with warmth at the affection in his eyes. It was too soon to say the “L” word, though that’s exactly where we were headed.
We got in the truck and followed Shane and Caitlin as they led the way to the ski resort. Operation “Get the Bad Guys” was fully underway.