Chapter Fourteen
It had taken a lot of work, but Riley had finally managed to have a couple of days off.
He knew Letty was off work at least one of those days and he hoped to convince her to ask for another one or two.
He wanted to take her to Bozeman, not too far but far enough away that they could both relax and not worry about work, or other people, or anything other than being together.
Riley had known for a while now that he was in love with Letty.
All the way, crazy in love. It wasn’t surprising since he’d spent every spare moment with her since their ‘fling’ began.
What was surprising was that it had taken him so long to realize how he really felt about Letty.
At first he’d thought maybe he was lonely and when he thought about settling down, Letty had seemed a logical choice.
But there was no logic involved with his feelings for Letty.
He’d fallen for her so hard that sometimes he couldn’t breathe for wanting her.
But how did she feel about him? Was she still adamant that they could only have a casual relationship?
Or had she at least begun to change her mind?
She liked him. She liked the sex. She enjoyed being with him. But he hadn’t a clue whether she was falling in love with him. And Riley had no idea how to make her fall in love with him. Hence, this little getaway. It might not work but it couldn’t hurt.
Luckily, Letty was able to get the time off as well.
He picked her up early one morning and headed to Big Sky ski resort.
He’d reserved a room at one of the resort hotels.
It hadn’t been cheap, but he could afford it.
He rarely spent money on anything that didn’t have to do with the ranch.
Hats, boots, and an occasional pair of jeans were about the only personal items he bought.
It wasn’t as if he was trying to impress Letty, but he wanted it to feel like a vacation, to feel special and not just the same old thing.
“How did you get away from the ranch?” Letty asked.
“I just had to make sure my dad was feeling okay, and the ranch manager and the hands knew to take care of my chores. It’s not like I’ve never taken time off before.”
“I’m surprised Jasper is okay with this. Or does he know what we’re doing?”
Riley laughed. “Oh, he knows. In fact before I planned this he told me I should stay with you rather than driving back so late.”
“Wow. Double standard.”
“Yep. Except he’s conflicted about you since he feels like you’re one of his daughters.”
“I was kind of expecting a lecture when I went to the ranch.”
“I think he’s on his best behavior since I’m dating someone he actually approves of. He did tell me he hoped I wasn’t just fooling around with you and that you were special. And I agreed.”
“That’s sweet of both of you. He won’t be happy when this ends.”
“He’ll deal with it.” And maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to.
*
Skiing with Riley was a lot of fun. Letty knew how to ski, though she hadn’t done it a lot, especially recently.
According to Riley, he hadn’t either, but she couldn’t have told it.
She supposed the fact that he was in great shape helped.
Not to mention, naturally athletic. Which she wasn’t.
They skied the blue runs, which were intermediate, and she did better than she’d thought she would.
They skied almost until the lifts closed.
Then went back to the room to clean up and get some dinner.
Cleaning up took longer than she’d thought it would.
Shower sex, Letty discovered, was fun. She’d never done it before, in fact, hadn’t ever really thought about it until Riley opened the shower door.
“Want some company?”
“Only if it’s yours.”
He laughed. “I don’t see anyone else around here.”
He stepped inside and washed her hair first, then lathered up the shower gel and proceeded to wash every inch of her body.
His big, warm, soapy hands sliding over her breasts, hips, legs, and butt turned her on, but she made him let her return the favor before they went any further.
Once she finished, he started to leave the shower.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a condom.”
“I got an IUD.”
His eyes lit up. “In that case…” He stepped back inside, lifted her up and braced her against the shower wall.
She wrapped her legs around him and hung on tight.
With the steam surrounding them and the water beating down, it was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced.
He thrust inside her, driving in and out until they both came.
Utterly spent, she let him dry her off and carry her to the bed, where he carefully laid her down and eventually made long, slow love to her.
Afterwards they dressed and went to one of the local restaurants, known for its good food and service.
The hostess led them to a table with a view of the mountain in a cozy, dark corner of the restaurant.
Letty should have been worried. This experience felt like more than a fun fling.
Not that Riley said anything but something about the way he looked at her set her alarm bells clanging.
“Is something wrong?” Riley asked her.
“N—no. This is awfully romantic.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not exactly.” Are you trying to make me fall in love with you? Because if you are, I’m afraid it’s working.
The waiter came and took their drink order then left them to peruse the menus. “Everything looks delicious,” Letty said. “I think I’ll have the fish.”
“I’m going to have steak,” Riley said. “And don’t lecture me about broadening my tastes.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, laughing.
The waiter returned with their drinks—a glass of wine for her and a beer for Riley—and took their orders.
“You can talk to me, you know,” Riley said after the waiter left. He picked up her hand and kissed it.
There he went again, being romantic. She wished it didn’t make her long for things she knew she couldn’t have. She started to remind him this was only a fling but she didn’t want to spoil the moment and she knew for certain it would. He knew it, so why couldn’t she simply relax and enjoy herself?
“I know. I was just thinking we should try to do this more often. Getting away from real life is nice.”
*
Riley didn’t remind her that if they stuck to her original plan, they likely wouldn’t have time to take another trip. New Year’s wasn’t all that far away. And he had no idea if he was getting to her enough for her to drop her defenses and allow the two of them to have more time together.
Riley had ordered a steak—beef, not bison—au gratin potatoes, and green beans.
So sue him. He was traditional. Letty had the trout with wild rice, and they split the creamed spinach.
The homemade bread with butter was delicious and Letty said her wine was perfect for the fish.
He liked beer. For one thing, it went with every dish.
He had a tough time not bringing up what he knew would push her away. He wanted more. More than a fling, more than just great sex, more than seeing her every few days and having to squeeze it in when he could manage it and she had time.
Damn it, he wanted to marry her. To have her to himself when he came in after taking care of the animals and handling the problems that always came up.
To have Letty come home to him after she finished at the library.
To have her waiting in their bed to make love or simply hold each other as they fell asleep.
Who knew he was such a dreamer?
“You look like you’re a thousand miles away,” Letty said.
“I’m right here. Why?”
“I asked if you wanted dessert, and you stared at me like you didn’t understand what I was talking about.”
“I was thinking about something else.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll give you one guess what it was.”
She laughed. “One-track mind.”
“You bet.”
Shortly after that, the waiter brought their check and they left. Since the restaurant hadn’t been far, they’d walked so they walked back too. He held her hand, which was a little difficult since they were both wearing gloves. They walked in companionable silence for a while until Letty broke it.
“There’s something I’ve been wondering about.”
“What?”
“What kind of books do you read?”
He chuckled. “Trust a librarian. What would you say if I told you I don’t read?”
“I’d say you’re a liar.”
“You’re right. I read a lot of nonfiction about ranching, horses, business, crap like that.”
“Do you read fiction?”
“When I have time.” Which wasn’t often but he managed. “I like fantasy, the longer and more complex the better.”
“Really? I thought you might like thrillers or police procedurals. Or maybe historical fiction.”
“I like all those too. And science fiction. But fantasy is my favorite.”
“Why do I never see you in the library?”
“I read ebooks mostly now.”
“I read them too, but I love real books. I like to hold them in my hands.”
Riley shrugged. “I just like to read. Format doesn’t much matter to me.”
“Luckily, a lot of people still like paper books. Of course, we lend ebooks as well as paper.”
“Did you always want to be a librarian?”
“No. For a while I wanted to go to the city and do something exciting.”
“Like what?”
“I never could decide. So here I am.”
“I’m glad you didn’t leave.”
“Even if I had, I’d probably have come back by now. I don’t think I’m the big-city type.”
“Me neither. I like open spaces.”
“Not a surprise since you’re a rancher. Did you ever want to do anything else?”
“No. I’ve always loved horses. From the time I can remember I wanted to raise paints. And how would I keep all my dogs if I didn’t live on a ranch?”
“What about cattle and all the rest of the things you have to do on a ranch?”
“I like that too. Maybe not as much.”
They reached their hotel before Letty froze to death. She hadn’t complained but he could see her shivering, even as bundled up as she was. “You should have told me you were cold. We could have taken the bus.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was a wimp.”
“I would never think that about you.” A wimp wouldn’t have been totally on her own since she was eighteen. A wimp wouldn’t have built a successful career and supported herself since then. No, Letty was strong and self-sufficient.
He knew his parents had offered for Letty to continue living with them as long as she wanted but she’d been adamant that she needed to be on her own.
They had reluctantly agreed. He knew her parents hadn’t been wealthy, but they had left her enough for her to attend a local community college and survive with a part-time job.
Letty was still close to his family and he knew his parents considered her one of their own, which was why it surprised him when it became obvious that Jasper knew they were sleeping together.
He’d half expected his father to read him the riot act, but beyond cautioning him not to hurt Letty, his dad hadn’t said anything.
His parents must really want him to marry Letty.