Chapter 7 Atlee
SEVEN
ATLEE
The sun is starting to set as I walk around Devlin’s house.
It’s starting to get darker earlier, and soon it’ll be getting cold.
It probably won’t even be much longer until we get the first snow.
But what I’ve figured out today is that Devlin’s house is cozy.
There may not be a bunch of knickknacks everywhere, but there’s a serenity that I’ve enjoyed.
My phone buzzes where it’s sitting on the kitchen table. I reach over and grab it.
Lennon
Just checking on you. Everything going okay?
Me
Yeah, just waiting on Devlin to get here. He had to go to work earlier.
Lennon
Sounds really damn cozy, Atlee. Are you sure you know what the hell you’re doing? He’s as closed off as any other person I’ve ever seen when it comes to friendships or relationships.
I roll my eyes and have a seat on the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest.
Me
I appreciate you looking out for me, but he’s different with me. Not as closed off…
Lennon
Isn’t that what they all say?? You can fix them?
Bile rises up in my throat as I think about what she’s saying. Those are famous last words. All women think they can fix the man they want to be with.
Me
There’s nothing to fix. He lives his life the way he likes to live it. Really no different than me.
It’s defensive, and I know it. It’s exposing the fact that I’ve been infatuated with this man since I helped Truett.
Lennon
I get it. You’ve got a thing for him. Hell, I even understand it.
He was nice when he came to get your bag, and he isn’t hard on the eyes.
I just want to make sure that you realize your heart is the one on the line here.
You care about people fully and immediately.
Are you sure that Devlin is the person you want to stake your heart on?
She’s right to be asking. I had a bad experience when I was sixteen.
I trusted a much older man that I never should have.
Living with the parents we had will do that to you.
You’ll look at any man who gives you a little bit of attention as the man who can save you.
I learned early, and that lesson has followed me.
Me
I’m okay, Len. I trust him. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do. I’m going into this with my eyes and heart wide open this time. I promise. I’m a big girl, and I can handle this.
Lennon
Okay, I love you. You know I’ll be out there as soon as you let me know you need me, to come get you. I worry. I know you’re an adult, I get it, but I’m always going to worry about you.
Me
I know.
When I hear a vehicle coming up the driveway, I look out, my stomach doing a flip when I see that it’s Devlin.
Me
He’s here, I’m going to talk to him, but if I need anyone, and I do mean anyone, you’ll be the first one I call.
It’s stupid how excited I am to see this man.
I never saw myself as the type of woman who would go watch as her significant other came home from a long day at work.
But here I am, getting up and walking out to the porch.
It was dark when we came in last night, and I wasn’t able to look around and see what the outside was like.
Now, my gaze goes past where Devlin has parked his truck and to the main house at the ranch.
Although it’s several hundred feet from this house, I can imagine how grand it was back in its heyday.
It’s seen better days, judging by the peeling paint on the outside, but there are a few signs that it’s being worked on.
In the backyard, there are brand new boards and what looks to be roofing material.
They’re probably hoping to get it going before the first snow hits. Although it’s warm during the day right now, it won’t be long until it’s really cold at night. Then, not long after, it’ll be freezing.
But that’s not happening right now, and my attention goes back to Devlin.
I’ve never been the type of girl who thought she’d be with a man who wore a suit or a tie, but there wasn’t a part of me who wondered if I’d be with a man who wore a pair of boots and a dirty flannel shirt either.
For a long time, I thought I’d be by myself.
Just like everything else, though, things can change.
Which is why I’m watching as Devlin gets out of his truck.
One dirty boot hits the dusty ground before the other.
Jeans show his day of work in the dirt on the knees and thighs.
His flannel sleeves are rolled up past his elbows, with his tattoos on display.
It’s all hot as fuck, and I find myself almost drooling as I watch his loose-legged stride head toward the house.
“You okay?” he barks out as he takes the steps two at a time.
“Yeah, yeah,” I say as I push my hair back behind my ear. “I wanted to come out and see you. I heard your truck coming down the driveway.”
“How’d you know it was me? It could’ve been someone else. Someone who was with the guy who robbed you at the pharmacy. Be careful, Atlee.” His tone is sharp. I’m not prepared for it, so I flinch and close my eyes, counting to five. “Hell,” he growls. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” I hold up my hand. “You’re right.
I should’ve been more careful.” Backing up, I hit the door.
When I shrink into the doorway, he lifts his arm, putting his forearm above my head.
Swallowing roughly, my eyes meet his, and that pull between us is there like it’s been since the moment we met.
“You’re right.” He leans in. “You should be more careful, but maybe I should be less rough around the edges too.”
I nod and then reach, looping my arms around his waist. “I missed you today.” Those words come from my mouth before I can stop them. The truth is, I don’t even mean to say them.
His body tenses for a split second before I feel his muscles relax under my touch. That broad chest of his rises with a deep breath, and his arm drops from above my head to wrap around my shoulders, pulling me closer.
“I missed you too,” he admits, his voice low and rough, like it costs him everything to say those words. “Couldn’t stop thinkin’ about you while I was out there.”
My heart jumps at his confession, and I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face. I tilt my head back to look up at him, my chin resting against his chest.
“Yeah?” I question, enjoying the way his features soften just slightly when his eyes meet mine.
“Yeah,” he confirms, the pad of his thumb brushing across my cheek. “Truett caught me staring off at nothing at least three times. Said I was distracted.”
“Were you?” I can’t help teasing him, standing on my tiptoes to get closer.
“What do you think?” His lips quirk into the hint of a smile. It transforms his whole face, making him look younger and less guarded. I want to see more of that.
“I think…” I trail off, pressing my body against his more firmly. “I think I like that I was on your mind.”
He groans, dipping his head down until our foreheads touch. “You’re trouble, Atlee.”
“Good trouble, I hope.”
“The best kind,” he whispers, and then his mouth is on mine, hot and demanding. It’s not the gentle kiss from this morning. This one is hungry, like he’s been waiting all day to taste me again. His hand slides down to my lower back, pressing me against him as his tongue sweeps into my mouth.
I’m instantly lost in the sensation of him. My fingers dig into the solid muscle of his back, feeling the strength there as he holds me like I’m something precious. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“Should we take this inside?” I ask, voice embarrassingly breathless.
He nods, his eyes dark with want, but then he takes a step back, giving us both some space. His hand finds mine, though, our fingers intertwining as he gently guides me back inside the house.
The warmth of the cabin envelops us as we step through the doorway. I watch as Devlin kicks off his boots by the door, revealing thick wool socks underneath. There’s something oddly intimate about seeing him like this, the rugged cowboy transforming into someone more relaxed, more at home.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, looking toward the kitchen. “I could make us something to eat.”
His eyebrow quirks up. “You cook?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” I laugh. “I’m decent enough not to poison us both, at least.”
That gets me another one of those rare smiles that makes my insides melt. “I’d like that,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Haven’t had a home-cooked meal in this house that wasn’t made by me in…hell, I don’t think ever.”
“Well then, I’m happy to change that.” I head toward the kitchen, taking stock of what he has available. “I can throw together something simple with what you’ve got here.”
He follows me, leaning against the doorframe, watching as I open cupboards and the refrigerator. “Need any help?”
“You can help by keeping me company,” I tell him, pulling out pasta, canned tomatoes, and some dried herbs I spot in a rack. “And maybe by telling me how long you’ve been living out here alone.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. But then he moves to sit at the small kitchen table, stretching those long legs out in front of him.
“About five years,” he finally answers. “Built this place myself.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say honestly, filling a pot with water. “Especially that bathroom.”
A chuckle rumbles from him. “Yeah, that was the priority.”
I smile, setting the pot on the stove and turning to face him. “Can I ask you something?”
His face turns serious again, but he nods. “You can ask. Might not answer.”
“Fair enough.” I lean against the counter. “Will you tell me someday? About what made you want to be out here by yourself?”
Something flashes across his features—pain, maybe, or anger—but it’s gone so quickly I can’t be sure.
“Someday,” he says quietly. “Not today.”
I nod, accepting his answer. There’s history there, and he’s not ready to share it. That’s okay. I have my own demons that I’m not ready to talk about either.