Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
If I were Rudolph and they treated me like I was useless until that foggy Christmas eve, I’d tell them to fuck off.
—Denver to Holly
HOLLY
My eyes popped open when he slipped into bed with me, and a small smile lit my lips as he buried his face into my hair.
It was well past midnight.
Well past when he usually went to bed.
“What took you so long?” I wondered.
He grumbled something under his breath about “stupid fucking bulls” and fell into a deep sleep moments later.
It took me longer to fall asleep, but when I did, I felt, for the first time, that this was exactly where I wanted to be for the rest of my life.
When I woke next, it was still dark.
But my screaming bladder wouldn’t allow me to stay in bed a second longer.
I got up, used the bathroom, washed my hands, brushed my teeth, then threw my hair up into a messy bun.
When I got out it was to find Denver sprawled out in the queen-sized bed, starfished and taking up nearly every dang square inch of it.
The top sheet was around one thigh and that was it.
The harsh light from above the barn that stayed on all night lit up the bed, and I couldn’t help but lick my lips when I saw his flaccid cock lying against his muscular thigh.
Denver didn’t have abs.
But what he did have was bulk. Muscles on top of muscles that were forged in fire, so to speak.
He had a rancher’s body that was built for endurance.
His biceps were large. His thighs were larger.
His chest was defined.
His hands, which were clutching the pillow underneath his head, were rough and work hard.
Everything about the man did it for me.
Even the hairy chest that tickled my nose when I buried my face in it.
I stripped off my t-shirt, dropped my panties to the floor, and crawled back into bed right on top of him.
I bent down and ran my tongue around his cock, keeping my eyes on his face for when he woke up.
He did wake up, too.
Seconds later, his lazy eyes met mine as he smiled. “Morning.”
I shivered and pressed my bare pussy against his calf.
He growled as his cock grew.
I worked him as deep as I could for as long as I could, but the man definitely wasn’t skimping in the large cock department.
Eventually I had to focus on the top half of his cock, using my hand to work the bottom half.
He was a sloppy mess by the time he dragged me up the length of his body by my hair.
He eased his cock at my entrance and shoved upward, filling me in the next breath.
He held onto my hair, pulling my mouth down to his, as he fucked my pussy and my mouth.
I groaned when he used his free hand to grab my butt cheek, two of his fingers brushing my back entrance as he did.
I gasped when he did it on purpose the second time, circling but not pushing any fingers in.
“You want my cock in your ass?”
I shivered. “I wouldn’t say no…as long as you didn’t just go shoving it in all willy-nilly.”
He chuckled against my lips. “We’ll work up to it.”
He kept his finger working, though, and the taboo feeling of it all had my orgasm screaming out of me moments later.
He followed with a grunt of his own, and hot splashes of his come filled me up to overflowing.
He stopped, panting into my mouth, and said, “Gotta get up.”
I sighed. “I know.”
He growled and kissed me, long and hard, then let me go.
When I fell back onto the bed as he disengaged himself from me, he squeezed my ass and headed to the bathroom.
A warm, wet towel hit me on the chest seconds later.
“Thanks,” I drawled.
He winked. “Don’t say that I’m not romantic.”
I giggled and cleaned myself up, tossing the wet towel into the hamper along with the rest of my dirty clothes. “I need to use your laundry room tonight.”
“How about you move in, and you can use it always?”
My mouth fell open at the casual way he’d just asked me to move in with him.
He winked at me and grabbed a towel, preparing to run down to the shower in the barn, cutting off any more conversation.
My mind was whirling as I got ready for the day.
I beat him down to the stalls and got to work on everyone’s breakfast.
It was when I got to the last stall that I frowned.
That stall wasn’t usually in use.
What…
An achingly familiar nose made its way over the stall door, and an excited whinny followed shortly after.
Tears burst from my eyes, and then I was in the stall with my Harry Trotter.
“Harry!” I cried out, throwing my arms around his muscular neck.
I’d seen him over the years that he’d been gone, sneaking into the pasture with him at night and playing with him, slipping him treats when I was home.
“What are you doing here?” I bawled.
“Dad got him for you,” Joe said softly.
I turned to find her and the other two girls standing there watching with smiles on their faces.
They had shovels and rakes in their hands, as well as a couple of buckets of grain for the horses.
“How?” I sniffled.
“Dad and Grams went to the Heartsans and got him back,” she said. “Dad really wants you to stay. So he’s making it hard for you to leave.”
A sob caught in my throat.
“Did he now?” I asked.
“He likes you, Holly.” DeeDee smiled. “And so do we.”
I wiped at my tears. “I hate that I have to go to work.”
“Call in sick,” Catalina suggested.
I sighed. “I wouldn’t want to leave your uncle in the lurch.”
A car pulled up outside, and we all three turned to see who it was.
The girls quickly came into the stall with me and shut the door.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Mom,” Joe whispered as she peered over the railing. “What is she doing here so early?”
Denver came out of the shower area fully dressed and ran straight into Juliana.
He blinked. “What are you doing here?”
Juliana’s chin lifted as she said, “I want to give up all rights to the girls.”
Denver’s body locked.
The girls hissed in breaths.
I let go of Harry’s face and pulled the girls in close.
All three of them came, even Joe.
She leaned her head on my shoulder and listened, not saying a word.
“I can’t afford child support,” she hissed. “And, let’s face it, they don’t quite fit my lifestyle anymore. I love them, but they’d do better here with you without me here to mess things up for them.”
“You’re their mother, Juliana.”
“I know, but you’ve always been their favorite person.” She sounded pissed about that. “It’s hard to compete with Superman.”
Denver didn’t say anything.
“Here are the papers,” she said. “I’ve already signed them and turned them into my lawyer. If you need anything else, just contact him. I just wanted to let you know in person.”
Denver growled. “Just like that? You are going to leave?”
Juliana scoffed. “Don’t be so dramatic. They won’t even know that I’m gone.”
Then she left, heading back to her car and getting inside.
Denver watched her go.
Then punched the wood right inside the barn door.
It broke with a deafening crack.
Joe sighed. “I don’t think I could ever give up my baby like that.”
I held her close. “Some people just aren’t meant to be parents.
Could be, Juliana is one of them. But don’t take her shortcomings on your shoulders.
Her attitude doesn’t reflect against y’all in any way.
You are all so loving. You deserve the world, and your mother just can’t see past her own nose to notice that. ”
Denver turned when he heard the hiccuping sob that DeeDee let out.
He saw us all standing there, and his head dropped. “Go to him, babies.”
They threw the door open and flew at their father.
Denver’s eyes met mine over the top of their heads, and I could see the rage there.
I smiled sadly at him and then gestured toward my horse.
He winked then, but the rage never dimmed.
Yeah, this man could totally keep me.
I was arm deep in a cow when Boone appeared at my side.
He looked at the cow, then at me, and said, “You want lunch?”
Just as he asked that, I pulled my hand free and liquid shit came with it.
“Sure,” I said. “Where are you going?”
He shrugged. “Nettie’s bringing it. I just figured I’d be a nice person and ask if you wanted anything.”
I grinned. “Then yes, I want food.”
He nodded and left, stepping over the piles of shit on the floor as he did.
When I was done, I gestured at Young. “Get her started on some IV fluids. I also want to get her started on a gentle diet. Not too much food at first. We’ll check on her in an hour and see how she’s doing.”
Young nodded as I pulled the shit-encrusted glove free of my arm and tossed it into the trash.
After washing up, I headed back into the vet and couldn’t stop myself from staring at the part of the clinic that’d caught on fire.
It was completely gone. Nothing remained but an empty shell of cinder blocks.
There were men out there working overtime to build it anew, but the ghost of the fire remained.
A hand circled around my waist, and I looked down to see leather chaps covering thick thighs.
I smiled as I leaned back and looked up at Denver.
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d ask you if you wanted to go have lunch.”
“I just told Boone that I would eat with him and Nettie.”
He grunted and called out, “Boone, tell your girl I’m taking mine to lunch.”
Boone called out something suggestive, but both of us ignored it as Denver led me outside and down the street toward The Mercantile.
“Another sandwich?” I teased.
“They’re good,” he defended.
I snorted and hung on his arm with happiness practically leeching out of my pores.
We made it into The Mercantile and ordered, then Denver found the farthest table away and proceeded to seat us there.
He nodded at several of the club brothers, as well as Creed’s sister, Bernice, who was busing some tables.
“Hey, Denver.” She smiled. “Hi, Holly.”
I waved.
She walked away with some dirty plates as Denver said, “So. Juliana.”
I bared my teeth at him, which caused a small smile to tug at his lips.
“How are the girls?”
“Broken up,” he admitted. “Though, I think you helped with whatever you said. That doesn’t change the fact that their mother is just leaving them in the most pivotal moments of their life.”