26. Twenty-Six
Twenty-Six
Rhett
I’m yours, Rhett Hartwell.
That wasn’t the first time she told me she was mine, and it wasn’t going to be the last. Kyla was staying. She was going to stay my wife. She was mine.
I kissed her, as often as I could on that dance floor. I loved feeling her body move against mine, swaying and hearts pounding. Just the feel of her brought me back to life.
Kyla was my wife. Kyla was mine. And I was, without a doubt, in love with her. But I couldn’t tell her that yet. She wanted to date—that much I understood—but I knew it was going to be said sooner rather than later. Just having her near me made my heart pound faster. Everything was clear when she was with me. Everything was her .
We danced until they called last call. Jaxon and Darren had long since left with their buckle bunnies, and Kyla and I made our way back to the hotel. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head before she climbed in the passenger seat. I reached behind the seat and grabbed the blanket I had draped across the seat. She settled herself, positioned the seat of her chair back a tiny bit, but when she raised her legs and laid them over the console, her calves and feet resting on my lap, that took me by surprise.
“I wish you had one of those older trucks, with the huge seat. I would sprawl out and let you rub my feet for me,” she muttered, her eyes half closed.
I managed to buckle up, making sure she semi-buckled too, before turning the engine over and popping the truck in gear.
“I have one,” I stated, “back at the ranch. An old Chevy that by some miracle still runs.”
“Is it white?” she asked.
“Nope. Red.”
“Well, when we get home can we take a ride in it? I’d love to just sprawl out and—”
“Relax?” I finished her sentence.
She hummed a yes then closed her eyes fully, and the cab of the truck grew silent. I opted for the radio. Low, old country songs. George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith—soft sounds that would lull her to sleep. I rested my palm on her calf, moving my thumb in low circles over her skin, simply loving the way it felt. It wasn’t until we got back to the hotel when she finally moved.
She climbed out of the truck, using my shoulders as balance, allowing me to slip my arm around her waist as we walked into the hotel and to our room. The moment I opened the door she plopped on the bed, boots and all still on.
“Kyla, Baby.” I chuckled, taking her boots off for her.
“I’m just tired.”
I laughed again, catching her lips curl in response. “I know, crawl up and get settled.”
I turned to go to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and readying myself, only to stop when I saw Kyla, still in her lavender dress tucked under the covers in the king-sized bed. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply. Perfectly peaceful. Brushing her hair from her face, I leaned down and kissed her temple, the sweet hum that came from her sent my heart beating a million miles an hour.
I’m yours, Rhett Hartwell.
Not missing a beat, I climbed in the bed, laying on my back, trying to just relax. I hadn’t been in bed with Kyla since that first night we slept together, and like many things with us it felt like it was so long ago. I breathed deeply, cooling my body down, trying not to assume anything. She was sleeping, she was tired, but she inhaled and shifted her body, rolling to face me. She draped her arm around my waist as my arm went up to wrap around her shoulders. She cuddled closer, yawning as her cheek rested against my chest, her legs tangling with mine.
“I love hotel beds,” she muttered. “They are so soft. So comfy. I could live here.”
“Kyla,” I whispered, my fingers tracing the outline of her sleeve.
“I missed this,” she said softly. “It was only one night in your arms, but that was the best sleep I’d ever gotten. Just . . . hold me? ”
“I’m here.” I kissed the crown of her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I pressed my fingers into her shoulder, closed my eyes, and listened to her steady breathing, barely believing that she was in my arms, and she was mine.
“How far away is the next city?” Kyla asked as she climbed into the cab of the truck the next morning. We had just gotten Buckle situated in her trailer and the truck packed up to head to the next rodeo. Kyla was back in her jean shorts and loose tank top. Her hair ran down her shoulders with her hat perched on her head.
“Billings,” I said, buckling up. “About ten hours.”
“Ten hours, all today?”
“Well for us, fourteen hours. We gotta let Buckle out to rest a few times, she can’t go that long.”
“A fourteen-hour road trip. Just me”—she smiled and leaned over the center console— “and my husband.” She kissed me before flopping back in her seat and securing her seatbelt. “I hope you are ready for amazing music that you are most likely going to hate, and me being the passenger princess.”
“You mean passenger queen.” I smiled, shifting my body to her and winking.
“Ha, no, I am not a queen. Princess, yes, queen, no.”
“A rodeo queen. ”
“Oh, that means I get to carry the flag. I should probably learn to ride a horse first.”
Kyla’s phone rang from her purse. Giving me a sexy smile, she bent to grab it, unlocking it and sighing, the fun demeanor that was there seconds before now gone.
“It’s my mom.” Kyla sighed, her eyes glued to the screen.
Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look at her. “And?”
“She wants to know when we are planning on being in Arizona. And shit—” She locked her phone and placed it face down on her lap. “I still haven’t told Grace we’re coming. Or that we . . .” She smiled, the stress from her mother’s text leaving as soon as she thought about us. “Made us official. She’ll be excited about that.”
“Well, I’d hope so. She told me she was going to convince you to stay.”
“She didn’t have to convince me, I had to convince myself,” Kyla admitted, swiping away the text from her mom to open Grace’s text thread. “She’s either going to be mad that I waited until now to tell her, or excited to start planning an actual wedding.”
“We had an actual wedding, it may not have been fancy, but we had one. After we”—I leaned over and wiggled my eyebrows—“date, if you decide to still want to be married to me, we can have a bigger party. One you deserve with a white dress and all.”
“I think it’s safe to assume I’ll still want to be married to you.” She finished her text message and then dropped her phone in the cup holder. “What are we going to do for fourteen hours?”
“Drive,” I responded.
We were only three hours into the drive and Kyla had resorted to looking at the atlas I had shoved in the back pocket of my seat. She followed the road we were on to Billings, finding small towns we could stop in and let Buckle out of the trailer, or simply where we could stop and enjoy each other.
“I thought you said no one uses atlases anymore,” I teased.
“Well,” she grumbled, “I forgot my kindle.”
I laughed, turning my gaze to watch her as she followed the roads. She frowned slightly as she studied the map, her finger following the roads we had to take. She pinched her brow, grabbing her phone. From the corner of my eye I saw her open our schedule.
“This is a long time on the road,” she began. “I mean, I knew it was going to be a long trip, but can Buckle handle this?”
“With resting time, yes. She’s stronger than you think.” I grinned over at her. “Speaking of, we should probably let her out soon.”
“What’s the furthest she’s traveled?” Closing the atlas, Kyla shifted in her seat, facing me.
“She’s gone across the country before.”
“How long has Buckle been yours?”
“I helped birth her.”
“Really?” Kyla’s voice raised a few octaves. “Like Josie?”
“Kind of like Josie.” I chuckled. “I broke her, trained her, changed her shoes, and walked her when she had colic. She’s mine just as much as I’m hers.”
She listened, a small mhmm leaving her lungs as she turned back to the road. “We’re coming up on a rest stop, ready to let her out?”
Agreeing, I followed the signs to the rest stop, the tires crunching on the ground. The moment I parked the truck Kyla jumped out, putting her hat back on her head. She dashed to the building, while I went straight for my horse. Buckle was ready to get out of the trailer, her head bobbing and legs dancing as I approached to untether her. Leading her out, I patted her neck and led her off the side, the clank of her hooves getting the attention from other families that had stopped.
A buzz came from my pocket as I led Buckle to the grass. Knowing I probably shouldn’t ignore it I yanked it from my back pocket.
Lachlan
He’s back. That developer you told us about. He wants to talk to Uncle Leo about buying some of the ranch. I thought you told him to leave.
I let out a frustrated groan. David was at my house. Still trying to weasel his way in.
Me
Get. Him. Gone. He knows the ranch isn’t for sale.
Lachlan
Your dad seems to think a part of it could be.
Fuck.
Me
You’ve got to be kidding me .
Lachlan
Wish I was, Rhett. I know you have a route, call me when you get to Billings. I’ll hold him off as long as I can.
Forcing the anger down, I locked my phone and shoved it back in my pocket. Reaching up, I pet Buckle’s nose, hoping the feel of her under my palm would calm me down, but all it did was cause more anger. My ranch. My home. This guy was trying to ruin more than my wife’s life, he was trying to ruin mine now as well.
“Hey, Cowboy.” The sweet, soft voice pulled me from my haze as I turned to notice my wife walking up to me.
God she was gorgeous.
It still baffled me that someone treated her the way David had. Why would anyone even think they could? Why would anyone want to darken her shine?
The feeling of telling her everything ate at me, but I knew where her mind would go. She would retreat, back down, and fall back into what she was before she started to find herself. She didn’t need that anxiety right now. She didn’t need to know my problems when she was flourishing in front of me. I wouldn’t—couldn’t—break that. I could keep this in. All of it.
She approached me with confidence and ease, bringing a lurch to my stomach once she slid her hands on my waist. Her touch calmed every thought in my mind, replacing it with only her. Gently, she kissed my jawline and then turned to Buckle.
Buckle’s head nodded a few times, most likely demanding attention. Kyla chuckled and reached out to scratch behind her ear .
“Hey girl,” she mused.
Seeing Kyla interact with Buckle brought an idea to light, one that wouldn’t just erase the text messages, but shift my focus completely. Her list.
“I have an idea.”
“What’s that?” Kyla asked, leaning her chin on my shoulder.
“Let’s ride a bit.” I looked down at her and smiled.
“We have one horse and riding behind you wasn’t all that comfortable,” she grumbled, her chin digging into my shoulder.
“Not me, you.” I squeezed her. “Let me teach you how to ride.”
Kyla may have been growing in confidence around me, but once Buckle was saddled and ready to go, she was as stiff as board. Her arms were folded across her chest and her feet hadn’t moved an inch since I began to get Buckle ready. When I walked Buckle up to her, her arms dropped to her side and she took a single step back. I grinned, thinking my wife was absolutely adorable.
“I’ve been on a horse exactly once,” she stammered, “and you were driving.”
I chuckled, remembering the day by the lake, “I know, but if you’re staying—”
“I am. No if, ” she corrected me, filling my body with heat.
My gaze hit hers as I leaned forward to give her a fleeting kiss. “Then you need to learn how to ride, and there’s no better horse to learn on then Buckle. ”
Taking a deep breath, Kyla nodded, closing her eyes and shaking her hands out on her sides. “Go on then. Let’s do it.”
“Foot in the stirrup,” I directed, my eyes not once leaving her as I pointed to the stirrup. Kyla followed my directions, mounting Buckle with hesitation as she grabbed onto the reins and sat still, seemingly afraid to move.
I looked at her hands, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the reins.
“Relax.” I smiled, holding in my urge to laugh. It was adorable to me how she was acting, even though I knew it shouldn’t be. I had helped people ride before, I wasn’t a trainer by any means, but I could at least help them learn how to move forward and stop. But with Kyla, I found myself wanting to jump on Buckle and help guide her—take care of her in a way I hadn’t with other students. She probably would have welcomed it, but I refrained. “Squeeze your knees here.” I put my palm on Buckle. “And she’ll move forward.”
Kyla followed my direction, and Buckle lurched forward.
“Oh!” Kyla gasped. I began to walk next to Buckle, gripping onto the muzzle to be a gentle lead, keeping the mare in line. Buckle was a calm horse, she knew my cues and, given that Kyla had squeezed just a little harder than I thought she would, was going faster than anticipated. “Did I do something wrong?”
I chuckled. “Nope. You’re doing great.” I dropped my hand on Buckle’s muzzle. “Use the reins to turn her, she knows to follow. Tug left or right, depending on where to go.”
I watched as she got comfortable with the reins, her body language relaxed and she smiled. Kyla was smiling.
“To stop— ”
Kyla straightened her back, pulling on the reins, and Buckle came to a stop. She turned and scrunched her nose, a tight smile on her lips. “I knew that one,” she said, proud of herself.
“You’re a natural.” Shoving my hands in my pockets, I motioned her forward. “Go forward. Walk her around. I’ll walk next to you, then I’ll show you how to make her run.”
Twisting her lips and narrowing her gaze, Kyla used her knees to move Buckle, starting the motion just as easily as it would be to ride a bike. She was a natural, even though she claimed she wasn’t. She even began leading Buckle ahead of me, so focused on the horse under her and where she was going, she didn’t notice I wasn’t by her side. And I just watched, in awe at my wife who had come so far from the woman I met weeks ago. The woman that said she wasn’t brave, she didn’t do things like this, yet here she was, meant to be on a horse. Meant to be with me.
“Look at you!” I shouted once she got a little too far. “Didn’t even notice I wasn’t there.”
She turned her head, her hair flapping under her hat, a look of fear on her face at first, but she relaxed, and her fear turned into a smile. She wiggled her back as she turned forward again, a little happy dance. Pulling the reins she turned Buckle full circle, and walked back to me. And I watched as Buckle slowly walked up, her head bobbing and Kyla’s full face and bright smile came into focus.
I still couldn’t believe that she agreed to stay. That she agreed to remain my wife. No more temporary. No more marriage of convenience. Nothing but real feelings and real love. Something I had never truly felt before.
I couldn’t wait for my life with her.
I couldn’t wait to fall even harder than I already had.