Chapter 19 Brian
NINETEEN
brIAN
“Turn left at the next crossroad,” she said, directing me.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as I made the turn. Part of me was anxious to return to Poplar Springs. I’d been out of contact with my deputies for hours. But the rest of me was surprised at how anxious I didn’t feel.
For the first time since I became sheriff, I wasn’t worried about what was happening in town.
Being with Caitlin was too important to me to fixate on my job when I wasn’t even on duty.
I was still processing what she’d said by the lake about falling for me.
It was as if my wildest dream had come true.
“Pull off here,” she said, “and park under that cottonwood tree.”
I did as she asked. We got out of the truck and walked through a small stand of trees to a field of yellow wildflowers on the other side of it. I recognized them immediately. They were the same as the one from my tattoo.
“What are they?” I asked, as I studied the flowers. Each bloom was small, only an inch or two across, but all together they looked like a golden carpet. Colorado offered a variety of types of wildflowers, but I didn’t know the name of this kind.
“I looked them up once. They’re a type of coreopsis called Golden Wave. But to me, they mean freedom and happiness.” She walked into the field and spun around in a circle, completely unguarded for a moment. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her quite like that—unburdened and happy.
“Tell me why,” I encouraged her, wanting to understand better.
“When I was in high school, I used to ride my bike out here, sit in the flowers and draw. It was my place where no one could find me, where nothing mattered but making myself happy,” she said.
I understood her need to escape from her family.
So this had been her secret spot during those tough years.
She paused, her arms dropping to her sides, as she turned her face to the sun.
“I haven’t been here since I moved to Austin. I’ve missed it.”
Suddenly I got why she’d drawn the flower for me all those years ago instead of writing I love you.
It was her way of inviting me into her world, sharing what was precious to her.
I wished I’d understood that then, because maybe…
maybe things would have turned out differently for us.
But I was starting to believe in second chances.
“I can’t go years without seeing them in bloom again,” she said.
“You should come back more regularly to visit the field,” I said. She opened her eyes and looked at me. “Okay, it’s a long drive from Austin. But you could consider seasonal visits. That way, you could see the flowers changing.”
“Maybe I should do that.” Her voice was soft, but her gaze was direct. “Especially since there’s something else also worth coming back for.”
We both knew we weren’t really talking about the flowers.
What if we could see each other more often?
I wasn’t inclined to have a long-distance relationship, but with Caitlin?
It could work. I’d stay here and continue as sheriff, and she could live the life she wanted in Austin.
We could trade off where we spent time together.
Other people managed relationships at a distance.
It wasn’t ideal, but if that was all we could have, I’d take it.
I walked toward her, cutting a path through the field. When I reached her, I plucked a flower and tucked it behind her ear. The sunny color almost matched the shade of her hair.
“It’ll fade fast,” she warned. “They do after they’re picked.”
“Not this one. This one will stay beautiful.” I cupped her cheek, my thumb stroking over the soft skin.
“And you know that how?” She tilted her face up to mine, inviting a kiss.
“I’m sheriff.” I kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose. “That gives me some special powers in my jurisdiction.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist. “You must be a mighty sheriff if even the flowers have to follow your orders.”
“It’s the law,” I said and kissed her fully.
I lifted her up and spun her around, catching her by surprise and making her laugh. Caitlin was right. There was something special about this flower field. That tattoo felt even more meaningful now.
Laying her down on the blanket of flowers, she looked like a nymph or a goddess, her short hair drying in spikes and curls. I joined her, kissing her slowly, wanting to memorize every inch of her including her reactions and the small sounds she made.
I was drunk on her kisses and desperately wanted more, but I didn’t have any more condoms with me. That meant we needed to keep our clothes on… but it didn’t mean she couldn’t get off.
I slipped my hand under the waistband of her shorts and bikini bottoms, my fingers easily finding her swollen and needy clit. I rubbed it, making her moan and I swallowed those noises down, greedy for anything she would give me.
She reached for the button on my jeans, but I stopped her, lifting my head just enough to say, “Relax, darling. This is all for you.”
Caitlin’s hand dropped away, and she opened to me like a flower in bloom. Our tongues dancing while my fingers pressed into her heated flesh. I stroked faster, her kisses becoming more frenzied. She tensed, and I knew she was almost there.
I nipped at her lips and added more pressure. With a cry of my name, she threw her arms over her head, her back arching. She was a glorious vision of pure abandonment and pleasure.
I continued to kiss her in the bright sunlight, making each subsequent kiss less intense as I drew her back down to earth. It was with regret that I finally helped her up and waited while she straightened her clothes. Once she was ready, I led her back to my truck so we could head back to town.
“I’ll drop you off at home,” I said as I turned off Main Street onto South Chaska. “I want to check in with my deputies, but I won’t be long.” I’d pick up some paperwork and take it home to complete it. That way, I could spend more time with Caitlin before I had to go to work the next day.
“Hurry back,” she said. “I have plans for you.”
“I’ll need to work some.” But I could imagine her curled up on the couch next to me, maybe sketching as I’d seen her do often while I worked.
“See you in a bit.” She leaned across the seat and kissed my cheek before getting out of the truck.
I waited until she was in the house to drive to the station.
I couldn’t quite believe what had just happened between us.
I was still processing what it meant for our relationship, our future.
The thought that I had a future with her put a smile on my face.