32. Thirty-Two
Thirty-Two
Cash
Thunder cracked over us just as we stepped into the lounge at the hotel. Abi’s entire body jumped as she scooted closer to me. I laughed, pulling her flush to my side, kissing her temple, not caring who saw or who would comment. I should have known the comments would come right away.
“Whoo-ee!” Darren—another tie down roper who Zeke was closer to—whooped. “Tell me Callahan, how did you rope Rhett’s little sister?”
I rolled my eyes at the level of maturity coming from the cowboy following Abi and me.
“He didn’t rope me,” Abi protested. “Technically…I roped him.”
“It’s true, she did throw herself at me first.” I looked down at her and wiggled my eyebrows, remembering the first hug she gave me after my ride.
“But…” Abi pulled away from me, her hand sliding down my arm until our fingers intertwined. “That’s not the topic for tonight…right? No one wants to hear about our relationship.”
“Not gonna lie,” Zeke began. “I kinda do.”
“Come on, Callahan.” Quinn came up from behind me, patting my back as she made her way into the lounge. “Let’s get some drinks and then off to bed. We gotta head to Montana early tomorrow morning so we can’t—”
“Man.” Darren wrapped his arm around Quinn. “You’re just as uptight as Rhett was. Relax, Compton. You’re with the big boys now.”
Quinn grimaced and shrugged him off. “First Wyatt, and now you.”
“Wait…Wyatt?” Abi spun her body around to look at Quinn. “Please tell me my brother didn’t make an ass of himself?”
“Oh, he did.” Quinn barked a laugh. “At The Steel, the same night you kissed Cash.”
“I need the entire story.” Abi grabbed Quinn’s arm and pulled her to a couch, as me and the guys made our way to the bar top. I kept my eyes on Abi the entire time, wanting to be right next to her and Quinn, rather than at the bar top with some tie down ropers.
I ordered our drinks, listening to Zeke and Darren laugh and talk as they tried to pull me into the conversation, but my eyes were on Abi. The smile that was spread across her lips as she listened to Quinn tell her story made those butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach. She was happy, genuinely happy. She wasn’t faking that laugh or smile, that was all her. I recognized that smile from years ago, when her life was exactly the way she wanted it to be. And now—here with me—the joy that seeped through her was real.
She told me she wanted to live these moments with me, that I wouldn’t be replacing times she could have had with Sylas, she was making new memories, new dreams and desires…with me.
“So really, how did you snag her?” Zeke asked, leaning on the bar top as soon as his drink was in his hand.
I turned back to him quickly. “Thought we said that wasn’t up for discussion.”
“Nah, Abi said it. Not you. Abi is occupied, and I want to know how that happened.” He gestured towards Abi. “I mean, everyone knew you had a thing for her—it was clear as day. Pretty sure Sylas even knew.”
“I never would have acted on it. Sylas knew that , too.” I gave him a side eye.
“True, but then she stopped coming around after Sylas passed. No one blames her, and Rhett let us know she was doing okay, but seeing her now…” He looked over his shoulder at Abi. “She looks happy. I take it that’s your doing, so…how did you land her?”
The bartender dropped mine and Abi’s drinks in front of us, nodding his head once as he took my card to pay. Handing me the slip back, I signed my name quickly and slipped my card back into my wallet, all the while trying to figure out how to tell Zeke how I got so lucky to ‘land’ Abi. Grabbing both drinks, I stood from the stool.
“First of all,” I started, “I didn’t ‘land’ her. She wasn’t a prize to win. Second,” I met his gaze, “she brought me back to life, and…well.” I looked at her just in time to see her laugh. She caught my gaze, and her smile softened. “I helped her smile again.”
Leaving the guys at the bar top, I walked over Abi and Quinn, my gaze never once leaving the woman I was in love with.
In love.
How long did it take to fall in love with someone?
Did it matter?
Looking at Abi, I knew it didn’t and never would.
I had been in love with her for a long time.
Handing her the drink, I bent to give her a slight kiss before taking the seat next to her. I leaned back on the couch and rested my arm on the back, giving her the chance to sink into me if she chose.
“Quinn was telling me about Wyatt’s fail.” Abi pivoted to face me, lifting her drink to her lips. “It’s comical because, well…”
“Wyatt doesn’t fail.” I finished her sentence.
“Oh no.” Quinn laughed. “Someone has to tell him no. He’s too cocky. He's too…”
“Full of himself?” I asked, pretty much a mumble under my breath.
Abi turned her head, her braid flipping to her other shoulder. “It’s true, but harsh. Wyatt will figure himself out one day. Until then, I’m glad Quinn turned him down.”
“You know he told me to stay away from you, right?” I took a drink.
Abi laughed. “Yeah...he wasn’t too thrilled when I told him you asked me out.” Just then, Abi’s phone rang on the table in front of her. Kyla’s name appeared on the screen, and she shot forward. “It’s probably Stetson. I’ll be right back.” She reached for her phone as she stood. “Hey, Stet.”
I blinked, watching as she walked away. She called him Stet.
“Okay I gotta know, why does Wyatt hate you?” Quinn asked, leaning forward.
“We used to be friends, but he is not too fond of the way I treated Abi.” With every right…
“Which is…” she pried.
“Nothing we’re not trying to fix.”
She smiled and plopped back in her chair. “You are a big softy.”
“Only when it comes to her,” I replied.
Abi turned to me and gave me a wink before turning her back again. I gave her a moment of peace to talk to Stetson, loving just watching her interact with him, but soon she bounded towards me, holding the phone out.
“He wants to talk to you now, then bedtime,” she said, waving the phone in my direction.
“Bedtime for all of us.” Quinn stood. “I’m going to head to my room. We have a long drive tomorrow. Night Abi.” Quinn gave Abi a quick side hug as I took the phone from Abi’s hand. “Night Cash.”
I gave Quinn a quick nod before I put Abi’s phone to my ear. “Stet…shouldn’t you be in bed?” I asked.
“Are you mom’s boyfriend yet?” he asked, his voice so full of enthusiasm I was certain the people on the other side of the lounge could hear it.
I chuckled and looked at Abi. She shrugged as if she knew exactly what he asked.
“I’m getting there, bud. Don’t worry.”
“She told me she had a lot of fun and took a lot of pictures. I can’t wait to see them. Keep her smiling. She needs to smile more. Also, she likes those iced tea drinks, the ones with lemonade in it. Get her one of those and you will be her boyfriend for sure.” He talked rapidly.
“You giving me dating advice?” I questioned, raising my eyebrow.
“Well, you need it,” Stetson said flatly.
I winced. “Ouch, dude…ouch.”
“What? It’s what Uncle Rhett said.”
I heard a faint hey come from the background, and I could just picture Rhett sitting next to him as Stetson called him out, only causing me to chuckle.
“Just make sure you come back as her boyfriend. Remember, she’s not a flower person either—”
“I know, I know. How did your project go?” I asked, changing the subject as fast as I could. I didn’t really want dating advice from a seven-year-old.
“It was so good!” he shouted. “Everyone wants to meet you, so I told them they could come to the Hartwell Rodeo this July Fourth. They can see you ride.”
“Stet, man, the Fourth of July Rodeo is…” Not something I’m ready for. I glanced up at Abi who was shaking her head quickly. She mouthed ‘no, don’t tell him no’ as her hands met my thighs. “That sounds like fun.”
Abi pursed her lips and squeezed my thighs. I wasn’t sure if it was pity in her eyes or disappointment--I just knew that rodeo in particular was too close for me. Riding in an empty arena was one thing, but in front of people…I didn’t want to disappoint Stetson if I ended up hurting myself.
“Awesome!” He shouted. “I knew I could get you on the dirt again. I’ll mutton bust, Uncle Rhett will rope, and you’ll be the lead saddle bronc rider. This rodeo is going to be the best one.”
“Stetson.” I heard Rhett in the background, his voice faint but very, very clear. “It’s bedtime, little dude. Say goodnight, and we’ll call them tomorrow.”
“Okay, Uncle Rhett!” Stetson shouted, not moving the phone away from his mouth. “Tell Mommy I said goodnight, and Cash?”
“Yeah, bud.”
“Come back her boyfriend!”
I laughed, tempted to salute even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes, sir. Sleep well, and we will talk tomorrow.”
“Bye!!” The phone went dead. Lowering it, I looked at the black screen and handed it back to Abi.
“Wow.” She took her phone from me. “He didn’t even want to say goodnight to me?”
“Guess not. He was too excited about making sure I was your boyfriend. I’m supposed to get you an Arnold Palmer, and make sure you are smiling.”
Abi raised her drink, flashing me a sexy smile. “You’re on the right track. You even spiked it.” Her laugh floated through the bar as she leaned in for a kiss.
Downing the rest of my drink, I ignored the sting from the whiskey as it hit my throat. “The rodeo though…” I said, my voice heavy.
Abi took my empty glass and stood, grabbing her half-empty glass from the table. “We’ll talk about it, but…I’m sure Quinn is right. We have an early morning tomorrow…so…” she grinned.
“Yeah, let’s head on up.”
We said goodnight to the guys, threaded our fingers together, and then made our way up to our room, my body nowhere near tired yet.
“Can you call down to the front desk?” I heard Abi shout from the bathroom.
I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, removing my boots and kicking them to the side, furrowing my brow at her request. “Um…why?”
“Well, you need a sleeping cot.”
I stood, folding my arms over my chest. “Excuse me?”
“There’s one bed.”
She appeared from the bathroom, sticking her toothbrush in her mouth. Her hair was let down, covering her shoulders. She had removed her plaid, button-down shirt, leaving just her tank top on. Her jeans still hugging her every curve as she leaned against the door frame.
“Yeah…and?”
She tilted her head, raising a brow.
“Come on Abi, we’re adults.”
“You planned this,” she mumbled through her toothpaste.
Truth be told, I made the booking for the hotel before Abi asked if she could come on the trip. I just didn’t change it once I knew she was coming. The idea that Abi would be sleeping beside me, in my arms if she let me, set my entire body on fire. Nothing needed to happen to make this night a perfect night. I just wanted to be with her.
I inhaled and stood, taking the few steps towards her. “You caught me.”
Shaking her head, she spit the toothpaste into the sink and washed her mouth. “I can’t believe you,” she muttered, a smile sneaking through.
“You absolutely can believe me.” I leaned against the door frame and crossed my arms. “So no, I will not be calling the front desk.”
Running her fingers through her hair one last time, she stood up straight and looked at me, “Well fine then. Just so you know, I snore.”
“Snoring would have been an issue even if I was on a cot.” I pushed myself off the door frame and followed her to the bed. “Hey.” I chuckled, grabbing the belt loop of her jeans. “Come here.”
She fell back into me, her hands sliding against my arms as I wrapped them around her waist. She leaned her head to the side, a soft sigh leaving her lungs once my lips touched her skin there.
“I’m teasing,” she admitted, making my heart skip a beat. “If there were two beds in here, I’d plan on sleeping next to you.”
“Well, that’s good. I promised Stetson something,” I whispered.
“Oh yeah…what’s that?”
“That I’d come back as your boyfriend.” I kissed her shoulder again.
“We’ve had this discussion before. This is your trial period, remember?” She turned her body to face me, lifting her arms to rest on my shoulders.
“I think I passed the trial period.”
“Really, what makes you say that?”
“A few reasons…one, pretty sure when I saw you with Zeke, I felt a small surge of jealousy.”
Abi’s chin tilted up as she laughed. “You were not jealous. Plus, he’s married. And—how is that a justifiable reason?”
“Two,” I ignored her comment, “Sitting next to you at the rodeo was the best experience I’d ever had. Three, I can’t stop thinking about you, even when you’re twenty feet away. And four…” I took a deep breath, swallowing, trying to keep the words from staying down, not sure if it was time to really tell her how I felt. They were fighting to get out, and I was going to let them win the battle. “I’m falling for you.”
Abi froze, her hands sliding down to my shoulders, resting on my chest. “What?”
I fumbled. “I just…you know I’ve always had feelings for you. I never would have acted on them…ever. But now…I can’t not tell you how I feel. And with everyone asking me how I managed to ‘snag’ or ‘land’ you—all I could think about was how I was the one who didn’t deserve to have you, and yet here you are. After everything I’ve done, you’re giving me a chance, and I knew these feelings were stronger than anything I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Abi…I’m falling. Harder and harder with each touch, each kiss. Every time I have to save you from melting…Abi I’m falling in love with you.”
Those words hung between us as her breath quickened. I could hear her heart thump, thump, thump in her chest as she searched me.
“Cash I…” she whispered, breaking her gaze.
“You don’t have to say anything. Hell, I wasn’t planning on saying anything. I just…I couldn’t keep it in any longer.” I interrupted her, tightening my hold around her waist.
“Cash I…” she tried again, looking up at me, her eyes hooded over as she searched my own. “I forgive you for everything that happened, for all the things we both could have done better—I forgive us, and Cash…” She swallowed. “You do deserve me. We deserve each other.”
She kissed me then, soft, slow, tantalizing. I began memorizing the way our lips fit together, the way she tasted of her minty toothpaste, a small lingering of the drink she had on the tip of her tongue. The wave hit us both as we drank each other in, repeating the same touches, the same kisses and the same urgency. I took a step back, not breaking contact, and sat on the edge of the bed. Situating herself to straddle me, she began to work on the buttons on my shirt, revealing my skin inch by inch. Her porcelain fingertips danced against my darker skin, sending shock waves through my entire body until I moved to help her remove it fully, tossing it to the ground.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” I asked, kissing her gently.
She hummed against my lips. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be, as long as I can call you mine.”
“Yours?” I repeated.
“Mine.”
Before she could lean to kiss me again, I played with the hem of her tank top, slipping my fingers under the fabric to feel her. She shook with each breath but slowly raised her arms. I slipped the tank top over her head, her hair falling like a waterfall over her shoulders, leaving her torso bare in her jeans and bra.
“God, Abi,” I groaned, pulling her towards me to kiss just above her breast. “I’ve never seen a more perfect woman.” I licked up her neck, feeling myself getting harder with each move she made on my lap, of simply having her in more ways than I thought. “Fuck…I can’t wait to…”
“Cash,” she stopped me, grabbing the nape of my neck to lift me up to her, “It’s uh…” she hesitated.
I could feel her shaking, her entire body shivered under my fingers. She bit her bottom lip, but met my gaze.
“It’s been a while since…well…” She shuttered. “I haven’t…” She moved to cover herself with her arms, her body almost folding over, her breath hitched and she bit her lip.
“Abi,” I whispered, kissing her sweetly. “I’ll take care of you.” Carefully, I pushed my fingers under her bra strap, watching her reaction as my calloused fingers touched her soft, perfect skin. I slowly unclasped her bra, my hands gliding past her arms to leave her completely bare in front of me. With the same care as before, I cupped her breast in my hands, slowly rubbing my thumb over her nipple, wanting to kiss and suck them, holding back as much as I could. I didn’t want to rush this. I wanted to give her everything she needed, everything she wanted. I moved one hand to her neck, pulling her closer to me to kiss and lick her skin. She gasped and arched into me.
With one motion, I scooped her up, standing and turning to lay her on the bed. I ran my hands down her stomach, bending to kiss in between her breasts, down her belly button. She shuttered again, her breathing shaky as she let out a soft moan.
“Cash…I…”
“I have you Abi.” I kissed right above her navel. “I’ll take care of you, if you trust me.”
“I trust you,” she whispered. “Cash I…I trust you.”
Slowly, I undressed her completely, standing at the edge of the bed to undress myself, my gaze never leaving her as she let her eyes wander all over my body. Her focus on me lit me up, creating sparks and a fire in me that I hadn’t felt before. Sex with Carolyn was just that…sex. There was never this level of intimacy that I was feeling with Abi’s eyes on me. I couldn’t help but think about what it would be like once her hands explored again, just like the night in my truck, but deeper this time. With every intention of becoming one with her, I inhaled, standing in front of Abi completely bare as she took me all in.
“Oh, God,” she finally sighed, her breath shaky. “Cash…you’re beautiful.”
She sat, her hands finally finding the most sensitive parts of me. My head falling back, I let her find her way, her skin feeling exactly how I imagined. Tingles flew up my skin as her fingers touched every place she could reach. I let her explore until I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. I kneeled over her, my lips finding the skin on her shoulder as we touched, teased and kissed until she finally met my gaze.
Lowering her back on the bed, gently placing her head on the pillow, I kissed her—raw and deep.
I love this woman.
“Abi,” I muttered against her lips.
“I’m yours Cash, please I…”
“I have you Abi.”
Our worlds came together, and Abi gave me the one thing I never thought I could have. Her.