Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
SUMMER
Idon’t deserve this goddess, but I’m never letting her go.
The way she worshiped my scar threatens to make tears spill over my lashes. Something that I hated for so long, and she kissed it as if it’s not the ugliest part of me. Moving so I can lift her off the dildo, I make sure to do it gently, and when she’s on her feet she kisses me.
Gripping my hands she leads us to the shower, and I can’t help but pull her back into me so I can run my fingers through her cunt to feel how fucking hard she came. Gripping my shoulders, she whines and circles her hips.
“Do you need more, Honey?” I ask, earning another moan when I push harder with my fingers.
She bites her lower lip and looks up at me while she rides my hand.
It doesn’t take much, that must have really worked her up, because she’s coming on my fingers in no time.
She doesn’t cry out, instead she breathes through it, her chest heaving with each shudder.
It’s arguably the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
Guiding her into the shower, I wait in the cold spray while the water heats before allowing her to step into it. When she does, I massage her shampoo into her hair and when I’m done, she turns, kissing me before turning and rinsing her hair.
When we’re finished and dry, she pulls on a soft bra that hugs her breasts and a pair of panties that make me want to tear them off. I don’t want to ruin this bubble we’re in, content and stated, so I pull on a pair of shorts and a sports bra, while she blowdries her gorgeous hair.
Indy offers me her hair dryer when she’s done, and I diffuse my curls enough to throw them up in a bun because I hate sleeping on wet hair. Laying down, Indy crawls up my body and sits on my hips. “This okay?”
“More than, Honey.”
My hands find her hips and roam over the soft skin there. Stretch marks line her stomach, and they’re so fucking beautiful. She’s looking down at me, face relaxed and she smiles. “Will you stay? When the investigation is over, will you stay?”
Reaching up, I cup her face with my hand, thumb stroking her cheek. “The Turners are growing on me,” I chuckle, and her face turns serious.
“I mean it, Summer, no bullshit, no hiding behind whatever you think isn’t lovable about you. Will. You. Stay?”
Her question doesn’t give me as much anxiety as it would if she didn’t already know about what happened with Val.
Still, there’s something about the way she asks that makes part of me freeze.
I know it’s fear, plain and simple. Fear over opening myself up again, and trusting that I won’t get burned this time.
Even though it’s terrifying, I don’t want to run.
I want to stay, and have nights like this with her for years to come. But I wanted that once with someone else, and she tried to kill me.
“I don’t care that your past is muddied with distrust, grief and guilt,” she huffs, shoulders rising and falling with emotions bursting out of her.
“I want to be a part of your future, Summer. I want to build whatever we’re sharing right now into something so strong you couldn’t ever dream of being hurt again. ”
It’s like she read my mind, and I’m stuck feeling this odd sense of relief I didn’t know I was looking for. Bending down she kisses my lips softly and whispers, “Let’s fall in love.”
“Okay, Honey.” It’s the easiest promise I’ve ever made, because I’ve been in love with her for weeks.
We fell asleep watching something Indy put on that made her giggle, and woke up early. Now we’re at the market loading up her stand with the jars of honey we filled together. She’s got two sizes, which makes it easy for me to remember pricing so I can help.
There’s a lot of people here, vendors in booths filled with things I never thought I needed. I spot Lucy’s booth not far from Indy’s, and decide to go buy her some flowers while she’s distracted.
I know it’s been one hell of a summer, and she’s been stressed about the ranch all these weeks even when she pretends she isn’t. So flowers might perk her up, if only for a moment.
Walking over, I spot Sheriff Hartley at one of the booths and she smiles at me. I watch her talk to the vendor, holding something she must want to purchase. They nod and smile, taking the item from her and stowing it somewhere before she walks over to me.
“Hello, Summer,” Hartley says. She’s got a bag hanging from her elbow with items she must have already bought.
“Sheriff,” I nod.
“No uniform,” she says, gesturing to herself. “Please, call me Rory.”
Her hair’s still up in her usual slicked-back ponytail, but she’s wearing jeans with a t-shirt that’s got some baseball team on it. Casual looks good on her. “You got it,” I reply, but it feels a bit forced.
“Anyway,” she says during the lull in the noise around us. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good, any updates on the case?” I ask, because it might weigh on Indy, but it weighs heavier on me.
“None I can share I’m afraid,” she looks away and leans closer, “but I would like to speak with you again, maybe we could find a time–”
“Summer!?” I hear an upbeat voice from across the way and look up to find Lucy smiling and waving me over. “Hey!”
Turning to look back at Rory, I nod. “Sure, you know where to find me.” I don’t know why, but she seems disappointed, and maybe even a bit frustrated, with my answer. Regardless, I head over to Lucy’s colorful booth. She’s got all kinds of flowers in stock, so many I’m not sure where to start.
“Hey, Spencer said you haven’t come by yet,” she says, tapping a blond man’s back. He turns around and offers me a smile that somehow manages to come off grumpy, and wipes his hands on his shirt.
“Oh yeah, Lucy said she dinged your car door,” he says with a click of his tongue, “sounds about right.”
I can see the resemblance in them, the hair and eyes are so similar, and they both look happy. The kind of happy that can’t be bought.
“She did,” I chuckle, looking over to Indy’s booth and finding her busy. “I wouldn’t worry about the Jeep though. I actually came to get Indy some flowers, but she looks swamped… I should probably head back.”
“Oh, I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” Lucy flaps her hands for me to head back over and I smile at her before rejoining Indy, the two of us finding a rhythm.
She answers all the questions thrown her way, while I take care of the register.
It’s amazing to watch, to see her so animated.
She’s in her zone, laughing and speaking to people as if she’s known them her whole life.
She probably has known some of them that long, and it puts a smile on everyone’s face when she takes the time to chat.
“What?” She says to me when there’s a lull in customers, looking around as if my smile isn’t directed toward her.
“Your positivity is infectious.” Wrapping my arm around her side, she laughs, as a slender guy with shoulder length brown hair and mischievous blue eyes walks up.
Tipping his hat he says, “Howdy, Indy. Looks like a good day!”
“Thanks Heath,” she says, looking from him to me. “Heath, this is Summer.”
“I’ve heard a bit about you,” he winks, “all terrible things.”
“Heath!” Indy admonishes. “Not funny.”
I laugh, unable to help it, “I’m sure.” I’m not so sensitive that I can’t take a joke. I know he’s being funny by the way his eyes crinkle at the corners.
“Heath is Spencer’s husband, Lucy’s brother,” Indy says, turning to grab my hand.
“Guilty,” he says with a wide smile, “I’m a kept man.”
“What about a kept man?” Spencer asks, walking over to our booth and placing a kiss on Heath’s temple.
“Isn’t he a hunk?” Heath laughs.
“Let’s go, Cowboy, before you start tellin’ everyone all my damn business.”
“Oh, you mean like last night when you–”
“Heath!” Spencer and Indy say at once.
“It was nice to officially meet you, Summer.” He says as Spencer leads him away.
“Heath is a trip,” Indy says, stretching up on her toes and placing a kiss on my lips. “Don’t take him too seriously.”
“Honey,” I sigh, “I know it was a joke. I don’t believe for a second that you would gossip about what happened to me. I know you better than that.”
Her eyes soften and she nods. The rest of the time we’re at the market flies by and soon we’re sold out of all the jars we brought. I can tell Indy’s elated, by the way she hums to herself while we put away the signs behind the counter.
Lucy waves me over when Indy bends below the counter. “I’m gonna go look around, I’ll be right back.” I say, and she just waves a hand out behind her in dismissal.
Lucy’s got a huge bouquet in her hands when I walk up, filled with white-petaled flowers that have bright yellow centers.
“Camellia flowers, they’re Indy’s favorite,” she says, handing them over.
“Thank you.” Offering her cash, she closes my hand around it with hers and shakes her head.
“Indy is the best person I know,” Lucy starts, still holding on to my hand. “She holds that whole farm’s burdens on her shoulders. So consider this a thank you for sharing that weight. It almost crushed her last year.”
“She’s one of the most tender-hearted people I’ve ever met,” I tell her, smiling so wide it’s a wonder I can even get the words out. “And I’d do just about anything to keep seeing her happy.”
She lets me go and I head back to the booth, finding Indy waiting with the empty crates on her hip. She smiles, and when I pull the flowers from behind my back her eyes light up. Placing the crates on the booth stand, she grabs the flowers and takes a deep sniff.
“How’d you know?”
“I wish I could take credit, but it was all Lucy,” I laugh when she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.
This feels like home.