Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
KADE
Fuck. I forgot how good working on the ranch could feel. How it can work out all the emotions I’m feeling.
Because Presley is meeting with her attorneys today. It’s the day they’re finally settling her father’s estate.
I have no idea what the outcome is going to be, but the anticipation is killing me.
I was ready to tell her I’m staying in Pinecrest yesterday, only for her to drop that bomb on me.
I crack the axe against the tree that’s crowding the fence. Taking this down will help with the new one that’s being installed now. It’ll keep the cows in without any issue.
The vibrations radiate up my arm. I keep thwacking away until I see a truck barreling up the road.
Fuck. Resting the axe on the side of the tree, I wipe my face off and wait. I watch as she turns off the truck and sits and stares at me from where she is on the road.
Come on, Pres. Come to me.
It’s like my words call her to me. Presley steps out of her truck in a skirt, untucked blouse and a pair of cowboy boots. Her long hair blows in the wind.
She is fucking perfect. Everything about her. I don’t know how I’ve lived without her for so long. I only hope what she tells me is good news.
As she turns, her eyes lock on mine. Tear tracks stain her cheeks. She shrugs her shoulder and I run to her.
“I…”
“Please tell me you’re not going back to him.”
She shakes her head. “I couldn’t.”
“Fuck, Pres. What happened?”
“I gave it to Paul. He wanted the company and all I could think about while I was sitting there is why am I fighting for something I don’t want?”
“Really?”
She nods. “I mean, I got some money, but I had him put it in a trust for Poppy. I don’t want her to worry about anything, and now we’ll be rid of him.”
“You will?”
“Yes. He’ll sign the divorce papers and won’t stand in the way of getting Poppy’s birth certificate updated.”
“Really?” I can’t muster up anything more as emotion clogs my throat. “It’ll be my name on it?”
More tears roll down her face. “It always should have been that way. I’m sorry, Kade. I feel like I’ve messed up so much for the two of you, and I don’t want that anymore. I want to tell Poppy the truth.”
“Hey. Breathe.” I capture her cheeks in my hands and take a deep breath. “You’ve been through a lot today.”
“I have nothing.” Her voice cracks. “My mom chose Paul over Poppy and me and I…”
I thread my fingers through her hair. “You have me. You have always had me, Pres.”
“You’re not leaving? You’re not going to sell the ranch and move back to Seattle?”
I shake my head. “No. No more running. Being back here has proven that Pinecrest is where I’m meant to be.
“Good. Because I need you, Kade. More than I’ve ever needed anyone in my life and that scares me.”
“Presley, you’re it for me. I don’t think I knew what that meant back then. Maybe if I had, I would have stayed to fight for us, but now? I know what it means. It’s you, me, and Poppy. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure it’s always the three of us.”
“I love you, Kade. God, I have always loved you.”
“Not nearly as much as I love you.” I pepper her face in kisses, kissing away the fresh tears that start falling. “As long as we’re together, we can figure anything out. I love you and I love Poppy.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” I smile at her, brushing away the tears with my thumbs.
“For loving me. For not running away when you first saw me at the diner.”
A snort escapes. “I think I did kind of run away that night.”
“But you came back.”
“I’ll always come back for you, Pres. Always.”
Presley pushes up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck, and kisses me. It’s wet and messy from the emotions swirling around us. But I don’t care. Because the two of us are together. Hoisting her into my arms, I carry her to the truck and pull down the tailgate to rest her on it.
“I need you, Kade. More than I’ve ever needed anything in my life.”
“I know.”
Scooting her to the edge, I push her skirt up over her hips. There’s no finesse as Presley works to undo my belt buckle and zipper as I pull her underwear off her before sliding into her.
She sighs against me as her fingers tangle in my hair.
“Fuck. I forgot the condom.”
“It’s okay. All my tests are negative and I’m on the pill.”
“You sure? My tests have been negative too.”
She nods, pulling me back in for a searing kiss. I guess I have my answer.
Her boots dig into my ass as I pump into her. I rest one hand behind her to give myself better leverage as I kiss the ever-loving hell out of her.
“Make me come, Kade.”
I strum her clit with my thumb. Her pussy starts to flutter around me.
“That’s it, Pres. Fucking come so I can unload in you.”
I keep jacking my hips, dropping my hands onto either side of her.
“Ohh!” Her voice shouts into the wind sweeping around us as she comes undone.
“Yesss,” I growl, moving faster.
Fuck. Feeling her orgasm around me pulls my own from me. I throw my head back in relief as I pour everything I have into Presley. She collapses on the back of the truck, pulling me with her.
“Holy shit,” she moans.
“So fucking good.”
I don’t know how long the two of us stay like this before I pull out of her. Seeing my cum spill out from her causes another surge of want to flood my veins. I will never not want this woman.
“You want to head back to the ranch?” I ask, sitting up and taking her with me.
“I have to go get Poppy from Joey’s.”
“Want some company?” I ask. “Maybe get some dinner and watch a movie?”
She smiles, ghosting her fingertips over my skin. “Is this going to be our thing? Dinner and a movie?”
“You got a problem with it?”
I help her off the tailgate as we clean ourselves up as best we can.
“Being with you? There’s worse places I could be.”
“That’s a rave review.” I kiss the corner of her mouth.
“It’s the only place I want to be. With you.”
“Pinecrest is the only place I want to be,” I reiterate to her. “I’m not going anywhere, Pres.”
“Good, Bubs. Because I want you here. We both do.”
It’s the best words I’ve ever heard because it means a future with Presley and Poppy. The three of us together. I didn’t have what it took six years ago to fight for this future.
Now? I’ll do anything to make sure we’re a family.
Because loving these two is all I’ll ever need.