34. Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Maci
I n the morning, my fingertips are greeted by cold sheets on Sutton’s side of the bed. I may not know much about ranch life, but I do know his days don’t start after sunrise very often.
Muted buzzing fills the room and my eyes flit around, searching for the source. A laugh bursts from me into the open room when I remember tossing my phone onto Sutton’s couch last night. I’d love nothing more than to bask in the afterglow of all that took place yesterday, but my window is getting repaired this morning and it’s time to return to reality.
With blurry eyes, I slide out of Sutton’s heavenly bed and check the time on my phone.
There are two new messages in the group chat.
Izzy:
Don’t forget the Trunk-or-Treat this week.
Bring the cowboy.
I grin. I have no idea if that’s his thing or he’d want to go, though I doubt the former very seriously.
Me:
I’ll be there.
No guarantees on Sutton.
Leah:
It wasn’t a question.
Me:
We need to talk.
Leah:
This sounds good. devil face
Izzy:
You know my schedule.
Leah:
I open today. Evening?
Me:
Let’s meet at Nana’s at 6.
After my friends text their agreement to the time, I opt for a quick shower. My wet hair goes into a braid and I don jeans and a soft, plum-colored sweater. Take that, Texas.
Boots on, I throw my camera bag over my shoulder and head outside. The air is dry and crisp, and I send up a silent thank you to Texas for cooperating.
I have no idea where Sutton is and he hasn’t given me much of a tour yet, so I wouldn’t even begin to know where to find him. The Defender is parked nearby and I wonder if the keys are in it. It’s all moot because when I reach the corner of the house, I’m met with a cow who stands as tall as me.
She—I think it’s a she?—greets me with a solid moo and a wet boop to my nose.
“Whoa!” My back bounces into the corner of the house. “Well good morning to you, too.” I blink.
“Daisy,” Sutton chastises, approaching from behind with a coffee cup in hand. The cow’s head swings lazily his way and she ambles over to nose his chest in greeting. He pats her gently on the head. “You big oaf.” She gives him one more solid nudge in the stomach before sauntering off around the house.
Her rear swings a sassy walk as she goes.
“I didn’t realize you had cattle around the house,” I say in greeting. Sutton’s in his usual dirty boots, jeans, brown button-up, and hat. I look my fill of him.
Waking to him in bed with me is the most exquisite feeling, but taking him in here in his element stokes an ember that remains burning deep inside. I’m immediately heated and wanting.
“Just Daisy.” He extends the mug to me. “For you.”
“Me?” I don’t wait to take the mug from him, enlivened by its cozy heat. I take a whiff, squeezing the porcelain in my hands, surprised by its creamy color.
“I know you need coffee in the mornings. It’s hazelnut creamer. I don’t think that’s your favorite, but I figured it was better than black.” His hands land on his hips.
Stupid fiery butterflies. It’s only coffee. It’s not that serious.
Without taking my eyes off his, I lift the mug to my lips for a deep drink. “Thank you.”
He responds with his usual dip of his chin. “You look ready to go. ”
I wince. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about your timeline today. I should have asked you. I need to get back for the appointment on my window.”
In the shadow of his hat, his brows furrow. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I know you have a large operation to run and now you’re running around trying to be my protector.” My hand waves around in the air, gesturing at the entirety of the ranch.
He steps closer to me and I clutch the mug tighter, looking up at him. “We have employees for a reason. And nothing is more important than your safety.” He arches one brow, daring me to argue, and I purse my lips in response. That perfect mouth tips into a smirk. I’m ruined.
“Come on.” He hitches his head toward the front of the house and I fall in step with him. Gravel crunches under our feet, soon interrupted by mooing cows and a whinnying horse.
Daisy is making her way down the grassy shoulder of the driveway on a solo mission I can’t figure out. Her auburn body waddles side to side on her way.
Sutton stands silently with the passenger door open, his intense gaze on me. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.
He reaches for my mug and I relinquish it slowly. Once I’m seated, he says, “I’ll be right back,” and closes the truck door.
Taking the stairs two at a time up the front steps, he disappears into the house and reappears shortly with an insulated mug. He rounds the truck and climbs in, extending the new mug to me. This man.
We make it back to Nana’s with a few minutes to spare before the appointment. Sutton sets to work removing the makeshift cover he put in place of the glass.
My phone rings as I unlock the door. Stephanie’s name shows on the screen threatening my good mood.
“Good morning.” I walk straight through the house to the back porch.
“Maci.”
“Yes.” Who else does she think she called?
“Randi received the death certificate.” Well that was abrupt. Predictable enough.
“Ok. I’ll reach out to Ha-Mr.Campbell and let him know so he can get started on the probate process.”
“I’ve already left a message with his secretary.” Of course, she has.
“Well, thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome.” A prolonged silence drags.
“Alright, well I have an appointment. If I hear anything else, I’ll keep you updated.” I don’t wait for her to respond before ending the call.
Heading back to the front porch to offer Sutton breakfast, I drop my things onto the table in the foyer. I’m sure he has a long day, but he’s driven me all the way here and I’m starved. The technician is already working on my window as I make my way outside, but my eyes are trained on Sutton, standing beneath the largest oak tree in the front yard, fastening a tire swing to it. The tire swing of my childhood. I stop in my tracks.
Momentarily, I can’t decide if I’m mesmerized by the swing dangling beneath my favorite tree as it once did, or him tying a knot into the rope in an erotically aggressive manner.
It’s smaller than I remember. Or I just thought it was bigger at the time because of how small I was. Where the hell did he find it ?
Forcing my feet to move, I head down the steps and approach him under the tree. His head snaps my way and a sheepish look covers his usually sure face. “I hope this is okay.” He grips the rope tightly, waiting.
“It’s—” My voice catches. “—it’s more than okay.”
“I found it when I was grabbing things for the window the other day. I meant to ask. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He releases the rope.
“No. I had been wondering where it went. I didn’t even think to look in the garage.”
A grin tugs at his mouth. “Do you trust me?”
His hands find mine and he squeezes. Excited energy radiates off of him in waves. He’s doing his best to keep it contained, but it’s infectious and I grin back at him. For the first time, he appears youthful and carefree.
“Yes, Sutton, I trust you.”
“Good.” He looks back to the tire and then to me suggestively, an indication of his plan. I lift a foot to step forward, but he moves in a flash, swiping my legs out from under me and cradling my back with his other arm.
I squeal and he beams, swinging me in a wide circle while I exert a death grip on his shirt. Then he guides my legs through the hole of the tire and I reach my arms over the top, grabbing the thick rope with both hands. I wonder why the swing was down if the rope and tire are both still intact, when Sutton whispers, “Hold on,” against my ear and my skin chills.
Together, the tire and I shift further into the air, way higher than anticipated, before we plummet. The drop is deep and fast, and I let out what I hope is a tiny scream, but it quickly turns to laughter as the tire returns the way it came.
Lacking any form of control, the tire rotates as it swings so I’m facing Sutton. His wide smile will live on in my memory for eternity. I want it framed on our wall for our children to see. The thought causes my heart to ache, knowing this will be over before it really gets started.
We need to have a serious discussion about what we’re doing because we’re both playing around like there’s no end in sight. Or maybe that's all it is to him.
My thoughts are cut short when Sutton pushes the tire with force again and it twirls gently from the impact. Like a slow twirling top, the tire and I spin back and forth across the lawn as one. Tears from laughter stream down my cheeks, and every few rotations I catch sight of Sutton’s beautifully rugged features.
The laughing becomes so consuming, and I’m so far out of breath, that I lean back deeply, knowing I’m not going to be able to hold on much longer. With perfect timing, Sutton reaches around my midsection and hauls me off the swing, pulling us both down to sit on the cool grass. I flop backward, my sides cramping as I right my breathing.
He follows, setting his hat on its crown and resting his head on his arm, watching me in humored silence. I roll my head to the side to look at him. So much affection seeps from his eyes. Gingerly, he rolls onto his side, propping his head on a hand, and reaches over with the other to press a piece of errant hair behind my ear.
“I love listening to you laugh.”
I’m caught off guard by his admission. Though he’s affectionate with me frequently, and I can feel the growing bond between us, I’m unprepared for his honesty, even if it’s in reference to a quality or action, versus me as a whole.
“I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. Thank you.” I slide my hand through the grass to tangle my fingers with his.
“All set!” comes a shout from the driveway and I startle .
Sutton and I sit up in unison. “Be right there,” I call back, jumping up to grab my wallet, but the guy is already walking to his van and I’m not sure if he heard me.
“I already took care of it,” Sutton says, still seated in the grass. He replaces his hat.
My head snaps his way. “What? Why?”
He stands and looks into my eyes. “Because I wanted to.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” Needing something to do with my hands, I fiddle with the end of my braid.
His eyes turn hard and he drops his chin. “You don’t have to do everything on your own, Maci.”
Maci.
In some ways it feels so foreign for him to use my given name. And yet there’s an importance to it. He’s not being playful, or coy, or seductive, or even dismissive.
Things are just getting more and more complicated, and this is further proof that I need to finalize things here at the house and get back to Austin. It’s making it harder for everyone for me to drag things out.
“Are you hungry?” I can’t entertain this conversation so I change the subject, eyeing the ground.
“I am.” Now his tone is seductive and he takes a step closer.
Just like that, I’m on fire. It’s impossible to be frustrated with him, and even more unlikely that I can be in his general vicinity without being completely and utterly turned on. Thankfully, I know he isn’t free today and I’m determined to set things back on their proper course. “French toast or pancakes?”
His grin only drops minutely.
Izzy and Leah barrel through the front door five minutes before six. I’m coming out of the hallway into the foyer and jump at the welcome intrusion.
Leah calls, “What’s up, sweet cheeks,” as she nearly sprints past me into the kitchen and I hear her rummaging through cabinets when Izzy wraps me in her arms.
“How are you?” It’s a loaded question at this point.
“I’m getting better.” She eyes me speculatively, scanning my face and body, and then wraps me up again.
“It looks like you are.” As if I need her agreement. I breathe a laugh. She leads the way to the kitchen. “Come on, I need food and all the details on your sexy cowboy.”
“He’s not mine.” She throws a look over her shoulder, brows furrowed and lips pursed. Ok, so we both know I’m lying. A smile tugs at my lips.
In the kitchen, Leah is mixing margaritas in a pitcher, snacks sprawled all over the counter. She fills three plastic margarita glasses, all of which read, ‘But first, Tequila!’ Always the creative, she spent a month hand-lettering vinyl onto everything. “I propose Margarita Mondays become a permanent thing.”
“As in, mutual Happy Hour on the phone?” I smirk.
Leah’s smile falters. “No. I mean you keep your ass here permanently.” She perks up. “Then we can test different flavor combinations each week. Lemon Lavender, Pina Margarita, Prickly Pear…”
I blink. “Prickly Pear?”
She shrugs.
“Are you on another Pinterest kick?” Izzy asks, swiping the first glass. Leah flips her hair over one shoulder and grins. I move around to stand by Leah on the other side of the island, picking up my own drink. “Saw the tire swing out front. When did you put that up?”
I take a big drink before responding, giving myself brain freeze. “Sutton found it and put it up today.”
“Today?” they parrot in unison.
Leah smirks next to me. “Come on. Let’s take this shindig outside. It’s gorgeous.” We gather the snacks into dishes, each of us grabbing one in one hand and our drinks in the other, following Leah out the backdoor to the porch.
“Today?” Izzy prompts again, once we’re seated.
I grin. “Yes.” Izzy pops a cube of cheese in her mouth as I start talking. “He went all caveman on me after the window incident I texted you about, so I spent the rest of the weekend with him and he brought me back this morning.”
Izzy’s chewing slows and Leah’s mouth falls open. They both stare at me without responding. I keep talking to fill the heavy silence. “He found it in the garage and put it up while my window was getting repaired.”
“Like a surprise?” Leah sips her margarita. I shrug.
Izzy looks between us and settles her gaze on me. “Any other surprises? Staying over that long seems serious.” She has always been the most cautious of the three of us and I can tell by her tone and the way she’s eyeing me that she’s concerned. No doubt because whatever is going on with Sutton and me is developing quickly, especially for me, and I’m set to leave any day now.
“I know what you’re thinking. I don’t know how to explain it. Everything is just so easy with him.” I shake my head at myself and chew my lip. How do I convey what’s going on without sounding cliche?
They continue to watch expectantly. I take a deep breath. “Ok. The night we met at the bar, he only came over because Colt was making me tense— "
“Only?” Leah sips her drink as if she didn’t interrupt. I ignore her despite giving her a dirty look.
“— and he saw that I was happy on the dance floor, so he danced with me.” Izzy’s face softens, spurring me on. “When I asked to use one of his trailers for the Fall Festival photos, he didn’t even balk. He cleaned it and drove up there, ready to go before I arrived. This morning, he let me sleep when he got up, and then he brought me coffee. With a reasonably appropriate creamer. Even though we’ve never discussed it.”
“You do have a bit of a caffeine addiction,” Leah says, margarita glass pressed to her lips.
I smile. “When he took me out for our only official date, he brought me a cactus.”
Both of them seem confused, and they exchange a look of questioning my sanity. “A prickly pear,” I say with a pointed look at Leah, “because he heard me yelling at flowers one day and remembered that I don’t like them and the prickly pear grows at the ranch.”
Leah is gaping at me now.
“He took the time to propagate one?” Izzy crosses her legs on the bench. “Where’s the caveman part?”
“He didn’t want me out of his sight until we found whoever broke my window,” I rush the words. It still seems so ridiculous. “But Casey called and it was just teenagers.”
“Casey?”
“Office Callahan. He’s a friend of Sutton’s. He was the responding officer when we called.”
“Does he know you’re packing?” Leah asks, as if that’s the only relevant consideration. I know she’s referring to Sutton .
“Yes.” I realize I never mentioned the Trunk-or-Treat at the clinic to Sutton. Also not the most pressing matter, but the one that comes to mind.
“Are you guys coming Thursday?” Izzy directs her question at me as if reading my mind.
“I didn’t get a chance to ask this morning.”
“Ask now.” She jerks her head toward my phone.
“Yes ma’am.” I salute her and snatch my phone up, sending a text to Sutton. I follow up that he’s not obligated to go.