Epilogue
Presley
Five Months Later
The Montgomery Family Dude Ranch is officially open for business. Okay, well, not officially , but tonight is a town barbecue that Blake and Gavin have asked my band to play at.
Mostly, it’s for the people of Randall to see all the work that’s been done to the place. But as Blake told us, “It’s a great time to get pictures for social media and make a marketing push for summer customers.”
Just as I turn off my curling iron, I hear the click of the front door closing and the familiar sound of Kade’s boots on the floor. My heart rate picks up, and I can’t stop myself from smiling. The last five months have been the best five months of my life. Not only have I been traveling with a band I love, but I’ve also been spending my days with the man I love.
Has every day been easy? Of course not. But they’ve also been exciting, new, and fun. Which isn’t surprising, because every day is at least one of those things with Kade, even the bad days.
“Presley?” Kade’s baritone voice calls from the living area. “Are you in here?”
I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror, smoothing my hands over the leather on my hips and grabbing my new cowboy hat off the counter, placing it on my head. To celebrate tonight and all the hard work Kade’s done—not only with the dude ranch but also on himself—I thought it would be fun to surprise him with a little outfit I found in Dallas yesterday.
Kade had stayed in Randall to help his family get some last-minute things done, and I went to my show. I was gone for less than twenty-four hours, but I missed him. I’ve gotten so used to him being with me at shows over the last few months that I felt like I was missing a part of me. I know he felt it, too, because I swear the man called or texted at least once an hour to make sure I was good. It was sweet, and my band teased me mercilessly for it.
When I’m satisfied with how I look, I call out, “I’m in the bedroom!”
I walk out of the bathroom and put my hands on my hips. I’ve never done something like this before, so I’m not exactly sure if I should pose or something. I glance at the queen bed covered in a lemon-patterned comforter—Kade and I replaced the two twin beds a few months ago—and wonder if I should lay on it. But then the door swings open, and I realize it’s too late, so I’m sort of standing there awkwardly when Kade’s buckskin cowboy hat comes into view.
“What time is the band getting here—” The question dies on Kade’s lips as his widened hazel eyes take in my sexy cowgirl outfit complete with leather chaps. His mouth falls open a bit before his gaze drops down my body once. Twice. Then a third time before he makes eye contact with me again.
“Do you like it?” I ask, trailing a finger between the valley of my breasts. They’re held by a skimpy tan halter vest that shows off my midriff. The fact that I’m wearing this, especially something that shows my stomach and my butt, is a miracle in itself. But when I’m around Kade, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. My confidence only grows every day I’m with him and when I’m onstage, doing what I love most.
“Do I like it, Lemon?” His voice comes out husky as he closes and locks the door then takes a dangerous step toward me. “I more than fucking like it.” Another step. “I fucking love it.” He stops just short of me, and when I move to close the gap, he stops me by holding out his hand. “Spin for me, Cowgirl. Let me see that sexy body of yours. I missed it.”
My cheeks flush, and I bite my lower lip. Standing in front of him is one thing, but spinning for him?
Kade sees my hesitance and reaches out to take my chin between his fingers. “Don’t make me put you over my knee and spank you.” His words go straight to my clit, and I involuntarily squeeze my thighs together. He chuckles. “Should’ve known that wouldn’t work.” He takes his hand from my face and taps his chin thoughtfully. “How about you spin for me, and I’ll let you come on my tongue before you ride my cock .” He elongates the word cock so I feel the K sound in my belly.
“Kade.” His name is a breathy moan on my lips, and my knees almost buckle. He knows I love when he talks dirty to me, especially when he’s demanding—it makes me feel cared for and cherished, like I’m the only one he wants and ever has or will.
“Do it, Lemon. Or maybe I won’t let you come at all,” he teases.
With that threat, I do as he asks. I know he’ll make good on it, and I need him tonight, even if the memory of the last time he edged me was a good one in the end.
I start to turn, and he interjects. “Slowly. Let me see how nicely you dressed up for me.”
My mouth goes dry, and my body feels like it’s been lit on fire as I slowly turn. Kade expels a throaty growl as he takes in my form. When my bare butt faces him, he curses.
“A thong and assless chaps, Lemon? You’re spoiling me.”
By the time I face him, my pussy is wet, and my hands are begging to touch him.
“When did you get this outfit?” he asks lustfully.
“At a store in Dallas.” I give in to my desire to touch him and brush my hands down his chest, making him shiver beneath my touch. When I reach the hem of his white T-shirt, he doesn’t stop me as I pull it out of his Wranglers. He lifts his arms, and I shuck it off his body, throwing it to the floor. I reach for his belt next, unbuckling it with practiced ease before I unzip his fly.
“Eager?” His nose brushes the shell of my ear.
“For you?” I trail my fingers over his growing erection. “Always.”
Kade grabs my hands with another growl and pushes me toward the bed. The backs of my knees hit the mattress, and I drop flat on my back, my body jiggling from the force. Once upon a time, that would’ve made me self-conscious, but not anymore. Kade’s hungry gaze devours my body as I push up on the bed, then he removes his hat and frisbees it to the floor before taking mine. With a smirk, he puts my hat on his head.
“What’s that saying, darlin’?” he asks playfully. “Oh, yes, wear the hat, ride the cowgirl.”
I laugh as he crawls over me, his lips crashing into mine for the first time in over twenty-four hours. He licks into my mouth, stroking my tongue as he takes my wrists, moving my arms above my head so I’m pinned.
He breaks from my lips, tossing my hat to the side with his before trailing wet, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, sucking on the small mark my fiddle leaves there. Kade loves to call it my “violin hickey.” I’ve tried to get him to call it what it is—“fiddler’s neck”—but he won’t hear it. He said he googled it, and you can call it that, too. I mean, that’s true, but I like to tease him about it anyway.
He sucks on the mark again, and I moan, my hips bucking against his. “God, I missed you,” he murmurs, kissing my mouth again.
“I missed you, too, baby.”
“I’m going with you next time.” He moves his lips between my breasts, unbuttoning the vest to expose my chest.
“I’d like that,” I rasp before he sucks one of my nipples into his mouth, causing me to gasp. He continues his worship of my breasts for only a moment before he licks a path downward. I prop myself up on my forearms so I can watch the top of his blond head pay attention to each and every faded red and white mark on my stomach.
My heart nearly explodes at the love this man has for me. How he knows and adores every single part of me, even the ones I struggle to find beautiful.
I lay my head back down on the mattress when his face meets my pussy. Without hesitation, I clench my thighs around his head as he sucks my clit through the fabric of my dark-brown thong.
“Always so fucking wet for me.” Kade groans. He pries my thighs apart then moves his strong hands to the elastic of the underwear. I start to lift my hips so he can pull them down, but before I can, a ripping noise fills the air.
“Kade!” I gasp, my head flying up. He’s grinning at me over the top of my sex as he chucks the now torn underwear to the floor.
“They had to go, darlin’. I need to lick this pussy clean, and they’re in my way. Besides, I want you to keep these chaps on.” With a devilish smile, he puts his mouth to my now bare clit and sucks. I buck, my hands flying to his hair.
True to his word, he licks and sucks every part of me. His tongue dips into my soaked entrance as he laps me up and hums his enjoyment. Needing to come, I press his face into my pussy, undulating my hips against his mouth.
“That’s it, darlin’,” he mumbles into me. “Use me.”
“Kade!” He seals his mouth over my bundle of nerves again then licks at my folds like he’s starved. When he slips two fingers inside me, I grip the digits and arch off the bed. “I’m going to come.”
His teeth run over my clit, and I grip my thighs tight around his head again, encasing him. I feel him smile into my pussy—he loves when I do that. With another few flicks of his tongue, I come so violently my body shakes, and I scream his name. He continues to work his fingers in and out of me, letting me ride my release as he eats me clean like he wanted .
After I catch my breath, I drop my thighs open and tug on his hair. His dilated pupils meet mine, and he grins like a dog, his face wet with my arousal.
“I need you inside me.”
At my request, he climbs back up my body, the bulge in his jeans dragging across my sensitive clit.
“Oh, fuck,” I cry. Kade’s mouth crushes mine, and he swallows my vocalization before massaging his tongue against my own. I can taste myself on him, and it only makes me want him more. “Kade,” I whine.
He tears his swollen lips from mine and then gets up off the bed, his eyes on me as he removes his jeans and boxers before going to the nightstand to grab a condom. I sit up and beckon him over, taking the foil packet from him. He brushes a lock of now sweaty purple hair from my forehead as I fist his hard length in my hand. When I pump it a few times, he moans for me, then I slide the rubber down his length and kiss the tip of it.
“God, you’re perfect,” he whispers, voice full of awe.
“You’re perfect, too, baby.” I tug on his hand until he lays on the bed. When he’s settled, I get on top of him this time, kissing his lips and grinding my wet pussy over his cock. He hisses and throws his head back against the pillows, his hands coming to grip my hips.
“I want to try something,” I say before leaning down to kiss his chest.
When I sit back up, he has an eyebrow raised at me. I move his hands from my hips, then, with a bit of awkwardness, I reverse myself so my chap-framed ass is facing him.
Kade lets out a loud groan. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Praise Jesus.”
I can’t help the giggle that escapes me as I press my ass back, his cock nestled between my pussy lips. He curses from the sensation then brings his hands down to slap both ass cheeks .
“Kade!” He does it again and again as I grind myself back, my clit pulsing from each smack.
“Get on my cock, Lemon,” he commands. “Ride me.”
Like the dirty gentleman he is, Kade’s hands move to the sides of my chaps, and he tugs up on the leather to help lift me. I take his cock, coated in my arousal, and place it at my entrance. Kade curses again as I slowly sink down, my eyes rolling in the back of my head as his cock disappears inside me inch by inch.
“Fuck, baby. You feel so good. I missed your pussy.”
“Just my pussy?” I manage to say.
He smacks my ass again then uses the chaps to pull me down until he’s fully seated.
“Oh my god!” His cock feels impossibly deep inside me. I feel so full, the heat of him burning me as he thrusts upward over and over. The shallow and rough motion vibrates through my body, and I cry out again.
“Move, darlin’. Ride my cock like the good fucking cowgirl you are.”
At his encouragement, I lean forward, my hands gripping his muscular thighs as I work myself up and down his length, a bead of sweat dripping down my forehead.
“That’s it. So fucking good.”
I move faster at his praise. Kade’s strong hands are still gripping my chaps so he can use them for more leverage to go deeper. When his cock hits my G-spot, I swear I see stars, and I scream so loud anyone wandering outside would’ve heard me.
“God, Presley,” Kade murmurs, his pace picking up. The sound of our coupling echoes through the room as he plows into me with reckless abandon. When the bed starts to squeak, I can’t help but grin, thinking of the time he made his little comment about testing the guest bed for squeaking. This bed has definitely been tested out—and I like that it squeaks.
Kade swats my ass again and changes his pace so his hips move in a small circle. Then he thrusts upward so hard my breasts shake, and I scream again.
“Fuck, darlin’.” Kade groans, the throaty kind that tells me he’s on the brink of his release. “I need you to touch yourself. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes!” I sob.
I shift my body and glide my fingers around my oversensitive clit. My inner walls squeeze his cock, and I feel myself teetering on the edge alongside him. Kade fucks me faster, and I grip around him as tightly as I can.
“I’m coming,” I keen, my back arching in complete pleasure. Kade’s movements turn shallow, and with a final upward thrust, I feel his cock pulse inside me, and my name spills from his lips. Fireworks spark behind my eyes as my release shakes my body, and I fall forward. Kade fucks me through our collective orgasms, and we float together.
When I’m no longer able to hold myself up, I slide off his softening length and fall onto the bed next to him. We both lie together, the melody of our heavy breathing now the soundtrack to the aftermath of our coupling. Eventually, Kade moves, kissing my forehead before he gets up to dispose of the condom.
When he comes back a minute later, he has a lazy smile on his face, and he’s holding a wet washcloth. I lay against the pillows as he takes my outfit off and cleans between my legs with the gentle care he always has for me. While he does it, he tells me how much he loves me, how lucky he is to have me in his life, and how hot what I just did for him was. Eventually, I have to tell him to stop or I’ll combust from being over-complimented.
He continues to compliment me anyway, but when he’s finally satisfied and I’m taken care of, he lays down, tugging me to him. I place my head on his damp chest and listen to his heartbeat. It’s crazy to think that, at one time, it wasn’t beating. That if Blake hadn’t saved him, I wouldn’t be here with him right now. We wouldn’t have spent the last five months building a life together .
It’s an unconventional life but a wonderful one, busy with travel and work. We not only help his family with the dude ranch, but we also tour around the South with my band, a band I’ve come to love just like a little family. And just like a family should, they appreciate my talent and never put me down. We’re even recording an album at the end of this month in the hopes that we can get some interest from record labels—and this time, I know I’d sign on the dotted line without running.
Then there’s Night Hawk. We still help Jake from time to time even though he’s hired a few new people. My cowboy still likes to teach line dancing, and I usually work those nights with him, but Jake’s been keeping an eye out for added support. Kade, however, insists he’s fine and that being around alcohol is something he can’t avoid, especially since so many of my gigs are in bars. He’s doing his best to manage it, and I’m so proud of him.
He’s done everything he can to support himself in the last five months, including going on antidepressants and attending online therapy once a week as well as regular AA meetings. While he struggled with everything at first, it gets easier every day. Yes, he still has his days—he’s human—but he’s honest when he needs help, and we deal with it together. He even inspired me to start going to a therapist for my anxiety, and Blake and Gavin started seeing someone for their PTSD and grief.
Kade’s heart continues to beat loudly in my ear, and I take comfort in its steady pace. I wind my leg through his and mold my body against his side before placing a kiss over his heart. A moment later, his finger is beneath my chin, and he’s lifting my gaze to his.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his brow pinched in concern.
I slide up a bit so I can press a kiss to his lips. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
He tucks some hair behind my ear then kisses me slow and deep. It’s the kind of kiss that’s tender yet strong at the same time, one that tells me he knows what I was thinking, that he’s glad he’s here, too. That he’s glad I’m here.
When he pulls back, he kisses my nose and then smiles excitedly. “You want to see something?”
I can’t help but match his infectious smile. “What is it?”
He pulls himself away from me to find his jeans on the floor. He picks them up, takes something from his pocket, and then comes back to bed. With a dimpled smile still on his face, he hands the item to me. I stare at the blue chip that says “Five Months Sober” on it.
I grip the chip in my hand and stare up into his soulful hazel eyes. “You’re amazing, Kade. I’m so proud of you.”
He beams at me. “I never thought a little chip like that could make me feel so good. But it does.”
I kiss the chip then hand it back to him. He wraps his hand in mine so the chip is pressed between both of our palms and squeezes. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
I shake my head. “You could’ve, Kade. You’re the strongest person I know. You did this—don’t forget that. It was all you.”
He sighs and grips my hand tighter. “I know we could argue about this again, and maybe my psychiatrist would say this is codependent, but I mean it. I couldn’t have done it without you.” He leans his forehead against mine. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do this without you. You’re my rock, Presley. I love you.”
I exhale a short breath and smile against his lips as he kisses me softly. “I’ll accept that.”
He chuckles and tickles my sides. Soon, I’m pinned beneath him, and his cock is hardening between my legs.
I groan. “We can’t go again, you sex-crazed man. I need to get ready for tonight, and the band will be here in”—I stretch to see the clock on the wall and gasp—“thirty minutes!” I push at his chest, and Kade huffs, reluctantly rolling off me so I can get up.
I run around the room naked, collecting our clothes and throwing them in the hamper, and Kade watches me from the bed with a smirk.
“Are you going to get ready or come to the show naked?” I ask him.
“That does sound kind of fun.” Kade stands, pulling my naked backside against him. “I’d love to see you try to concentrate with my dick in your line of sight.”
I bark a laugh and push him off me as I pick up a bra from my suitcase. “I imagine if you put that on the dude ranch’s social media, you’d get a lot of customers. I mean, you got me to Randall.”
He goes silent as I slip my bra on. A moment later, I feel Kade’s hands at my back, and he clasps the hook together so I don’t have to. I turn in his arms, and he’s staring down at me in wonder and a hint of confusion.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
He crosses his arms over his chest. “You came to Randall because you saw me on social media?”
My cheeks heat. “I never told you that?” He shakes his head. “I was doomscrolling, trying to figure out what to do, and I came across Night Hawk’s social media post. The picture was of you, shirtless and on a bull, and it made me stop scrolling. Of course, I never imagined that a super-hot young cowboy would ever be into me, but you caught my eye, and I stopped. Then I saw it was a job posting and clicked. And boom! Here I am.”
By the time I finish blabbering, Kade is grinning at me. “Super-hot young cowboy, huh?” I shove him and try to walk away, but he pulls me back. “You came to Randall because of me,” he states.
I blush red. “Because of the job , but I wouldn’t have seen the job if I hadn’t stopped to look at your chest.” I smirk, staring at said chest.
Kade tugs me to him and winds his hands into my hair. He kisses me roughly, his lips demanding my submission as I open my mouth to him.
When we’re both breathless and panting, he pulls back, his eyes shining with tears. “I love you, Presley. Fuck, I love you so much it doesn’t even seem like the right word. Obsessed, maybe,” he teases.
I laugh at his antics and gaze into his eyes, the eyes of the man who has become my family. He’s given me a safe place to land and a home. No matter what happens, I know he’ll be there with me, and I’ll be there for him.
“I’m obsessed with you, too, Kade.”
My cowboy tucks me into him, and I burrow my face into his chest, listening to his heartbeat and deciding the world can wait a few more minutes. I’m happy and content right where I am.