Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
REMINGTON
“ I thought about making you a big dinner,” she says as she lays snuggled up in my arms. “But then I was running out of time, so I snagged us some pizza from Old Town.”
Right now, I’d eat just about anything. I’m starving. But I don’t love the idea of leaving this bed. Of leaving this moment.
Erin kisses my chin, then disentangles herself from me and walks back into the bathroom.
Everything about her is amazing. She has curves in all the right places, and she fits against me perfectly.
I hear the water running and decide to leave her room and head up to my own to clean up and put on some clothes.
When I walk into the kitchen, Erin’s already there, with two pizzas on the island. She’s in black leggings and a University of Washington sweatshirt that’s full of holes, the neck is cut off, and it hangs over one shoulder.
And just like that, I’m hard again.
“Millie told me that you like sausage and onions and peppers, so that’s what I got you.”
“And what do you like?”
“Just plain ol’ pepperoni. When I was a kid, I claimed that I was allergic to onions, but it turns out that I just hate them.” She slides pieces of the pie onto plates, and we each open a bottle of beer and make our way into the family room, where we can sit on the couch.
I love that Erin feels comfortable enough to pull her feet up and wrap up in a blanket. “I’m glad that you feel comfortable here and have made it your home.”
“It’s a comfortable house,” she says and takes a bite, then covers her mouth with her hand so she can speak more. “Everything here is cozy and comfy. Warm, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“Did Jessica do that? Decorate and make it homey?”
I frown down into my pizza, and Erin reaches out for me and rests her hand on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry. It was just a curious question, but if you don’t want to talk about that, it’s totally okay.”
“No, we agreed to talk more tonight, and this is part of that, right?” I take a bite and then reach out to take Erin’s foot and pull it into my lap, massaging the arch of her foot. “We didn’t live in this house when Jess was alive. My parents still lived here, and we lived in a house on the other side of the property, not too far from the barn. I’ve since turned that into a new bunkhouse for the ranch hands. Anyway, when my dad decided to retire and build a smaller house for him and Mom to live in, I packed up the old house and brought the kids here. I ended up buying new furniture because the old stuff didn’t really fit in here. And it was time for a fresh start.”
Erin takes a sip of her beer. “That makes sense. You have good taste in furniture.”
I grin at her and then frown when I remember the conversation I had with my mom the other day.
“What’s wrong?” Erin asks.
“Oh, I just remembered that I have to try to hire a new bookkeeper for the ranch. My mom’s done the job since she married my dad, but she wants to truly retire so she can do other things, and that’s understandable. But every time we’ve tried to hire someone, it didn’t go well.”
“I might apply for it,” Erin says nonchalantly and grabs another slice. “Maybe I could do that while the kids are in school.”
I feel my eyes narrow, and my heart picks up the pace. “Are you qualified?”
“Absolutely. I went to college for business management and minored in accounting. I did the books for the last job I had in Seattle. I’m sure that I could learn what you need, if Joy’s willing to train me.”
Chewing my own food, I think it over. This almost sounds too good to be true. “I’d have to have you speak with Mom because she’s the one who knows exactly what we need.”
“Of course.” Erin shrugs, drawing my attention to her smooth, bare shoulder as she licks some sauce off her thumb. “Happy to do that.”
“You don’t even know what I’d pay you or how many hours it would be.”
“Grumpy,” she says, “I was shoveling horse poop the other day in the barn because I was bored, and you won’t let me clean the house.”
“I have a housekeeper that comes once a week.”
“And she does a great job, but I’m saying if I get bored enough to muck out stalls, then I most certainly have time to work on the bookkeeping. I mean, I understand that it would mean that I’m privy to the financial side of things, and if you’d rather I didn’t have that information, I totally get it. I would, of course, sign any NDA or contract that you’d want me to sign.”
Shit, I hadn’t even thought of that, but it would likely be the smart thing to do. “I can have something drawn up if it ends up being something we want to pursue.”
“Great.” She grins and takes a sip of beer. “So, now that we have that figured out, I have questions.”
“Shoot.”
“I want to know about this rivalry with the Lexington family.”
I set my empty plate aside and stretch my feet out, resting them on the coffee table. “Who told you about that?”
“Your sister.” She looks like she wants to say more, but she shakes her head and continues. “She said that your two families hate each other.”
“Hate’s a strong word, but yeah. We don’t get along.”
“Why?”
“It’s always been that way.”
Erin laughs and sets her plate aside, then pulls a peppermint out of the tiny pocket on the side of her leggings and pops it into her mouth. “Wait, you’re telling me that you have it out for a whole family just because it’s always been that way ? That seems…stupid.”
I can’t help but laugh with her. “Well, when you put it like that, yes. It’s stupid. But we’ve owned land that borders each other for more than a hundred years.”
“Yeah, Millie mentioned that part. Your two families basically settled the town back in the day.”
I nod and switch to her other foot. “We did. There were always fights about property lines. Way back in the day, they would shoot at each other for it.”
“The wild, wild west,” she says, her eyes shining with interest. “Cool.”
“Yeah, cool until someone got killed. We’re not as violent these days, but it’s not unusual for lawsuits to happen.”
“For fuck’s sake, Remington, it’s been more than a hundred years, and you guys can’t figure your shit out? If the women were in charge, it would have been settled a century ago.”
“That might be true.” I shrug, then lift her foot and kiss her big toe. “For the most part, we don’t like each other. Don’t trust each other, really. I don’t give a rat’s ass what they do on their property as long as it doesn’t make its way onto mine. As long as what they do doesn’t interfere with my beef or my people. But inevitably, I find fence taken down here and there.”
“It’s so weird to me,” she murmurs, but she settles back with her eyes closed as I continue to knead her foot. “You’re really good with your hands.”
“I’m glad you think so. Do you have a favorite flower?”
“Daffodils,” she says, her eyes still closed. “They’re happy, and they’re the first to pop up in the spring, as if they’re too excited to be here and can’t wait another minute.”
Most women would say roses or something common. But not this girl.
“They should be popping up soon,” I reply. “It’s getting warmer.”
“Is it possible we might have more snow this spring?” she asks.
“Probably not, but it’s never impossible. I’ve seen it snow in July.”
Her eyes pop open at that, and she frowns over at me. “ July ?”
“Yeah, when I was a kid. It was a freak storm that blew through. I think that’s a once-in-a-thousand-year event, though, if that’s even a thing. We’re probably done with snow now until October. We might even get lucky and it’ll hold off until November.”
“But maybe earlier up in the mountains.”
“Definitely earlier, higher up. Did you go to the University of Washington?”
She frowns over at me, and I gesture to her sweatshirt.
“Oh,” she chuckles as she looks down. “No, I stole this from a boyfriend a long time ago. Like, a long time ago. It’s comfy and warm.”
I don’t like that. No, I don’t like that at all.
Without a word, I pull Erin up from where she’s reclining on the couch and guide her over to me. She straddles my lap, and I run my hands up her thighs, over her ass, and under the sweatshirt.
I keep moving until I pull it completely over her head and toss it aside.
“You didn’t like that answer,” she guesses.
“No. I didn’t like that. When you’re with me, you won’t wear things that remind you of other men.”
“It was a really long time ago.”
“I don’t care.” I lean in and brush my nose across one tight nipple, then pull it into my mouth and suck. Her hands tighten in my hair, and she moans as I pull back and blow on the wet nub.
“I’ll throw it away,” she whispers, then moans again when I pay the same attention to the other nipple. “Holy shit, you’re good at that, too.”
“How much do you love these leggings?”
“Don’t care about them right now.”
I grin against her skin and then rip the leggings at her crotch, giving me access to her. She’s not wearing panties, and my fingers slide through her already slick center.
She moves her hips, urging me to touch her more, to push my fingers inside of her, and so, I do. Just one at first, and then another, watching her gorgeous face as I work her up to orgasm. Her muscles clench around my fingers, and her cheeks darken. Her pretty plump lips part, and I press the pad of my thumb against her clit to send her over the edge.
“Fuck!” she cries as she shivers, and I lay her back on the couch and tug my jeans past my hips, pulling the condom out of the back pocket in the process. To my surprise, she plucks the condom out of my hand, rips it open, and rolls it down my shaft herself, watching me with green eyes filled with pure, unadulterated lust.
I brace myself over her, push one of her legs up, my hand in the crook of her knee, and then bury myself inside her.
She gasps.
I groan.
I can’t take my eyes off where we’re joined, watching as I push in and out, my cock slick from her, her pussy red and just a little swollen. She reaches for me, and I lean in to kiss her, completely lost in her. She tastes like peppermint and makes the sexiest little noises as I move, and before long, we’re both losing ourselves, falling over into oblivion.
“You’re not nearly as pissy as you were a couple of weeks ago.”
I glance over at my brother as we ride our horses through the pasture, headed toward the higher elevations, to see if it’s dry enough to move the cattle up next week.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Hell yeah, it is,” Brady says with a laugh. “You’re almost jovial. I think you cracked a joke back there at the barn with Lucky.”
“I do have a sense of humor.”
“Not for a while, you haven’t.” I ignore that, and he continues. “I’m happy to see it. Maybe you had some seasonal depression or something through the winter. The weather’s been better lately.”
“I’m hoping it’s dry enough up here for us to move the cattle next week.”
“It should be. Like I said, it’s warming up. We haven’t had any rain to speak of for a little while now. Might be a hot summer.”
“What, are you a weatherman now?”
“I’m just making conversation. So, talk to me. What’s been going on to lighten you up?”
Just a couple of days ago, Erin asked me if I have someone in my life that I can really talk to, someone who gets me. Brady is that person for me, so I let out a sigh and tell him everything he needs to know about Erin.
“I like her,” he says when I’ve finished. “And you can tell that the kids just love her. I think it’s great.”
“She’s more than a decade younger than me.”
“But she’s not a kid,” he reminds me. “Is that the only thing that worries you?”
“It’s the biggest thing. If it was Holly, I’d kick my ass.”
“If it was Holly, we’d all kick your ass,” he says. “But it’s not Holly. She likes it out here, on the ranch.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I scowl over at him, but Brady just smiles back at me.
“Not everyone can deal with ranch life, man. You and I both know that. It’s hard.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that I’ve been sleeping with her for about six minutes, not preparing to take her as a bride.”
Brady snorts and then laughs outright. “Yeah, well, it’s good to know that she could hack it. Because you’ll never live anywhere else.”
No. I’ll never live anywhere else. The ranch is my home, and it’s my responsibility. One I knew that I’d take on from the time I was Johnny’s age. It’s an honor to me.
So, while I won’t admit out loud that Brady’s right, I wouldn’t have anything to do with a woman who couldn’t handle living at the ranch, I’m also not willing to admit that I’ve thought of anything long-term with Erin.
Even if I have thought of it. Because it’s too soon.
“I like her,” he says again.
“I do, too.”
“I like that she seems to lift your whole vibe. That’s saying something.”
I glance his way, and Brady just grins. He’s the most laid-back guy I know.
“Whoa,” Brady says, looking at something on the ground. “I thought you said that no one’s been out this way since late last fall.”
“They haven’t.”
“Then why are there fresh footprints in that mud? Man footprints.”
I tell my horse to stop, and I dismount, walk over to the prints, and squat. Brady joins me.
“The mud is half dry,” I say grimly. “But yeah, the prints are fresh. I haven’t sent any of our guys up here since last year. It was too wet to get here safely with the horses.”
“We’re not anywhere near the Lexingtons’,” he says, looking around. “Hiker?”
“Maybe, but we have no trespassing signs posted, and they had to jump a fence.”
“It’s happened before.”
I stand back up and prop my hands on my hips. “I don’t like it. Let’s set up some game cameras out here to keep an eye out. It might have been a hiker, but it doesn’t sit well.”
“Agreed. I’ll make sure we get the cameras set up by tomorrow.”
I nod and walk back to my horse and snag my phone from the saddle bag.
“I’m going to snap some pictures. Keep a record.”
We spend fifteen minutes taking pictures and measuring and logging the footprints before we’re on our way again.
“I think we should add some patrols to the guys’ duties,” Brady says. “It’s time we pay closer attention to the more remote parts of the property, especially now that we have more people in the area. I’m not saying that they all mean any malice, but we don’t want someone wandering out here and getting hurt.”
“Not a bad idea.”
It’s just past dinnertime when I return home, and I hope that there’s something left over for me because I’m fucking starving, thanks to the trip across the ranch taking longer than we anticipated.
I kick off my dirty boots at the back door and walk into the kitchen. Both of the kids are sitting at the island, eating what looks like meatloaf, and Erin is loading the dishwasher.
“Hi, Dad,” Johnny says. “Erin made meatloaf.”
Erin turns and grins at me. “It’s still hot. Want some?”
“More than anything in the world.”
“Dad’s always hungry after work,” Holly says and shoves some mashed potatoes into her mouth.
“I would be, too,” Erin replies with a smile.
She’s wearing jeans that hug her ass perfectly and a pink sweater that falls over one shoulder. This time, she’s wearing a pink lacy thing under it that makes my fingers itch to touch her.
Instead, I brush my fingers against hers when she hands me the plate from the cabinet and watch with satisfaction as her lips turn up in a little secret smile.
Jesus Christ, I just had her this morning after she returned from taking the kids to school, but I want her again.
“Smells good,” I murmur, meaning her, not the meatloaf.
“It is good,” Holly says. “Come sit by me, Daddy.”
“I would love to sit by my best girl.” I kiss my daughter’s cheek before I take the stool next to hers and dig in. Holly’s right, it’s good.
I enjoy watching Erin laughing and engaging with the kids. They have an easy camaraderie with each other that’s way more relaxed than I ever hoped for when the whole nanny idea came to be. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Erin isn’t simply nice to my kids because she’s sleeping with me.
In fact, I suspect that it’s probably the opposite.
“What did you do today, Dad?” Johnny asks.
“I was on the horse all day. Had to do some scouting for next week. What did you guys do in school?”
I listen to stories of an escaped class hamster, a fight during recess, and someone who fell asleep during reading time.
“Sounds like a busy day,” I say with a grin and turn to Erin. “How about you?”
“I spent most of the day in town. Did some shopping and checked on my car. Brooks says it’ll be done by the end of the week.” She smiles and leans on the other side of the island as she chats with us. “I also made an appointment to chat with your mom on Monday.”
“Good,” I reply with a nod.
“I think I’m going to join Millie in town tonight for a floral arrangement class.”
“You want to learn to arrange flowers?”
“Not really,” she replies with a laugh. “But I miss Millie, and I think it sounds fun. I’m heading out in about fifteen minutes, unless you need something.”
“Nope, I think we’re good to go. How about you two?”
Johnny nods, clearly not at all concerned with Erin leaving for a few hours, but Holly frowns.
“Maybe I want to arrange flowers.”
“Another time,” I tell her. “Erin should go enjoy some time with her friends.”
“But Millie is my aunt,” Holly insists.
“Yes, she is,” I agree. “And she’s Erin’s friend. You don’t always have to be included in everything, sweet girl.”
“Is it because I’m too little?” she asks.
“They will probably have adult drinks there,” Erin chimes in. “Plus, it ends way past your bedtime. But, if you want to visit the flower shop after school one day, we totally can.”
“Okay.” That placates Holly, and I smile over at Erin.
“Have fun tonight.”
“I plan on it.” Erin hangs a dish towel over the side of the sink and then leaves the kitchen. I follow, catching up to her in her room. She turns and lifts a brow. “You can come in.”
I’ve been careful not to just assume that I can waltz into her private space any time I want, but at her consent, I step in and close the door, then pull her to me and kiss her. She makes that little noise, low in her throat, and pushes her fingers into my hair.
When I pull back, I smooth my finger down her nose.
“Have fun tonight, Doc.”
I pull the door open and walk out but hear her reply, “Thanks, Grumpy.”