Chapter 36
Betty
It’s been six weeks since Nash and I told everyone about us.
Most days, I can tell myself he’s really in it this time. That we’re going to make it, and all my dreams are coming true. He’s given me no reason to believe otherwise. Only I haven’t seen him since the last rodeo. His business took him back to Montana and then to a few other states.
I miss him so much it hurts. In just a few short weeks, I’d grown used to sleeping beside him every night, regardless of whose bed it was in. Then one night, he just wasn’t beside me anymore. We speak every day and video chat, but it’s not the same.
My skin misses the feel of his and the warmth of his lips on mine. The only thing getting me through is knowing he’ll be back this week.
It’s the second-to-last rodeo of the season, so there are some massive cash prizes on the table, and last chances to qualify for the big leagues.
It’s the best of the best who will be here competing, including Gray, but it’s a busy time, too.
The professional promotions have their own finals right around the corner, with competitions taking place every weekend.
He’s exhausted, and I feel horrible for not being there with him. He asked; I declined. But I had responsibilities here—the inn, the bar, my loyalty to Cole County.
“Hey, sweetheart,” my dad’s voice pulls me out of my wandering thoughts, each one centered on the man I love more and more each day.
We hug briefly before he rests his elbows on the fence, staring off into the distance beside me. A lazy grin pulls at the corners of his mouth, but he says nothing.
“Dad, what are you doing here?”
My dad rarely comes out to Boulder Ranch these days. He was never a rodeo guy and hates crowds. “Can’t I want to see my only daughter?”
I give him a wry grin. He’s up to something. It’s possible that my mom put him up to giving me the motivational speech he’s about to deliver, but no one gives them better than he does. If the sports season was going awry, it was Papa Hughes who was called in to bring back the team spirit.
“Of course you can.” Nudging his shoulder, we stand in silence for a long beat as the sun sets behind the trees.
The soft blue fades into shades of eggplant as the crest of orange narrows with each passing second.
I’ve always loved sunsets. It was the gateway to my favorite time of the day.
Only in the dark could I marvel at the universe beyond the earth we live on.
It felt like the only way I could experience magic until Nash became mine.
Damn, I miss him.
“It’s beautiful out here,” my father sighs. The words drift out into the field where we watch the horses graze freely. The moment is peaceful, serene.
“It is. There’s no place like it in the world.” The words pass my lips, but in truth, I don’t know that for a fact. I’m thirty-three and I haven’t been anywhere.
“You shouldn’t say that until you actually see the world, sweetheart.” My head whips in his direction. “Yah know, that just makes sense,” he clears his throat.
My heart races, unsure if I’m hearing what my father is trying to say correctly. “My life is here,” I whisper.
My father finally pushes off the fence, turning to face me. “A piece of your life is here. It’ll always be here, Betty. But there’s a whole world out there waiting for you to explore and a man who would gladly carry you around it on his back if he had to.”
That guilt I’d pushed down a long time ago rises. The Hugheses don’t leave Cole County. I’ve bound myself to that history even when no one told me to. Even when my heart begged and pleaded for more, I denied it. I followed our roots.
Nash once asked me why I insisted I was like Andromeda.
Back then, I never had the heart to explain to anyone why I felt like a chained woman.
It’s always been a part of my family history, my last name, and my inability to stand up for what I wanted and who I wanted to be.
I’ve allowed myself glimpses into a world outside that cage, but never shoved my hands through the small crack and torn it wide open.
My head drops, not wanting to have this conversation. “You know why.” The words come out in a defeated huff, and I hate that once again I’m not standing up for myself. That I feel like I can’t.
“Beatrice, you don’t have to be us or anyone else.
You get to be you. Sweetheart, you earned an astronomy degree, and you have been fascinated by the stars your entire life.
You think we didn’t know you were itching to get out of here.
Your mother and I have been waiting for you to take the leap.
We’ve been hoping you’d find the bravery. ”
Watery eyes meet my father’s. I never needed permission to break free. It was always my choice to go, but I also wanted everyone else to be happy. I wanted to uphold the family name.
The first tear slips free as I wrap my arms around my father’s neck, hugging him tight. “Thanks, Daddy. I just wanted to make everyone proud,” I sniffle.
“Make yourself proud, Betty Major.” I pull back, meeting his stare once more. “We should have never nicknamed you minor. You are going to do amazing things and live the major life you deserve.”
The floodgates break open, tears streaming down my face as I rest my head on my father’s shoulder once again.
Once again, my world shifts for the better.
Things are changing, and it feels so good.
A soft crash in the Miller house living room causes me to bolt upright in bed. The house and the cabins are empty. No one should arrive until tomorrow.
Please don’t be another burst pipe or the ceiling collapsing.
Glancing at my phone, it’s just after one in the morning. I’m too tired for this.
Another bang reverberates through the house, punctuated by a man’s grunt. Who the hell is here?
I doubt any of the ranch hands are still here, and no way the Garrisons would come in here at this time of night. They both have pregnant wives at home.
Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I listen for additional sounds, my heart hammering so loud my ears are ringing. Maybe an animal got in, and it wasn’t a man I heard. Maybe it’s just the sounds of this old house.
Slowly twisting my bedroom doorknob, I edge the door open, peering around the frame into the empty hallway. The house is dark and quiet. There doesn’t seem to be anyone here but me.
Every horror movie warning comes flooding in. Don’t explore. Don’t call out. But I’ll be damned if someone breaks in here.
Tip-toeing into the hallway, a sound like ruffled clothing drifts from the living room. Balling my hands into fists, I creep toward it, doing my best to keep my breathing quiet. I know how to defend myself. Whoever it is won’t get away without a fight.
The moment I turn the corner, the light flashes on, revealing Nash leaning against the doorframe, rubbing his shin.
“Dammit, Nash, you almost gave me a heart attack.”
He says nothing, reaching for me, his mouth on mine before gripping behind my thighs. My legs wrap around his waist, holding his head in place as I kiss him like I need to breathe.
His palms cup my ass, hoisting me higher while he marches toward the bedroom. “Andromeda, I missed you so much,” he mumbles against my lips.
“Me too. I hated being away from you.” I hadn’t planned on admitting that to him when I saw him again, but the words broke free. Maybe it’s a side effect of the talk my dad and I had earlier.
He peppers open-mouthed kisses along my jaw before capturing my mouth again. We both can barely breathe as he pulls away. “I wish you’d come with me.” He speaks the words against my throat, flicking his tongue up the column before sucking my flesh between his lips.
Our bodies fall to the bed, his frame nestled between my legs. My hips grind up into him, seeking the friction of his rock-hard length. I want his skin on mine. I need him inside me, claiming me as his, making me chant his name like the only prayer I’ve ever needed.
Running my tongue across his bottom lip, I bring his mouth to mine once more, only pulling away when I’m in desperate need of air. “Next time I will.”
The world seems to stop, Nash rising, so his weight no longer crushes me. “What?”
Running my palm over his short beard, my eyes lock with his. “Next time, I will come with you. These past weeks without you were awful. I never thought I could miss someone so much. So if you ask me to come next time, I will.”
There’s no identifying the emotions that flash in Nash’s blue eyes as he tucks my hair behind my ear and slowly bends to kiss me softly.
“You have no idea what you’ve given me,” he breathes.
“Tell me.”
His lips brush mine again before he whispers, “Everything.”
My love for him swirls inside me. It’s not the same crush I’d held onto for decades. It’s not the infatuation and the daydreams. Being with Nash for real has allowed genuine feelings to grow. The type that never go away and nothing or no one can ever erase. “Make love to me,” I whisper.
For once, Nash takes his time removing our clothes and sinking inside me. Our pace is slow. Our connection is like nothing I’ve ever felt with anyone. I never want this moment to end. I never want to lose him.
We come together, his name on my lips and mine on his. Only when he’s cleaned us, pulling me into his chest, does he speak again. “I’m mad at you, Andromeda.”
A jaw-cracking yawn stretches my mouth wide. “Why?”
“I wanted to say, I love you first.” He kisses my knuckles, pulling the blankets up over us.
“But I—” Pushing up to my elbow, I’m ready to argue that my confession from a year ago doesn’t count as I glare down at him. But I stop when he flashes his teeth in an eye-crinkling smile. “It’s about time.”