Chapter Twelve #2
“You’re a wise man, Mr. Creed. I now know where your son gets it from.”
The love in his eyes shines as bright as the stars on the darkest nights. “Well, you know what they say. Like father, like son.”
I smile back at him.
“Come here, darlin’.” He pulls me in for a hug, his arms enfolding me in a warm and loving embrace. “I know you’re scared, and I can’t fault you for that. You’ve been through a lot, but there’s no need to fear. My son will take care of you. We all will because that’s what families do.”
Family, something this man has given me since I arrived. It makes the world I woke up in so much less lonely.
“Hey, old man, you moving in on my girl?”
Thatcher and I break apart at the sound of Braxten’s playful voice, my heart leaping in my chest at the way he refers to me as his girl.
“Nah, boy,” Thatcher chuckles. “Just showing her a little love, is all.” Holding my shoulders, he smiles down at me. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of.”
I nod.
Once he walks away, I turn to Braxten and find him standing in the entrance of the barn. He leans against one of the doors, watching me in a way that has butterflies flocking in my tummy.
“Hi,” I greet lamely, my fingers fiddling with the edge of my dress.
“Wonderland,” he returns, an arrogant smirk tilting his lips. “What happened to your tour guide?”
“Oh, uh…she ended up falling in some horse poop on our way to see the pigs.”
His brows raise in surprise before a husky chuckle escapes him. “Only that kid would manage to land herself in horse shit.”
“It definitely wasn’t her best moment of the morning.” Smiling, I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
He watches the movement, the amusement on his face fading, leaving something more potent in its place. “I guess that leaves just you and me. What ever are we going to do with ourselves?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer. Pushing off the door, he starts forward, every one of his strides slow and determined. Like a predator stalking its prey.
This would probably be a good time to tell him that I am supposed to be at the pigpen waiting for Hannah J., but I can’t seem to speak let alone move. The fierceness of his gaze renders me immobile.
It reminds me of this morning. Of the tension and need that took hold.
It’s an intensity I don’t know what to do with.
One that I secretly yearn for whenever he is near.
My pulse plays a frantic rhythm the closer he comes. The beat so loud it roars in my ears. That noise is breached when he reaches me, his arms going on either side of my head as he cages me against the stall gate, something he seems to do a lot.
“Do you have any idea what it does to me when you eye fuck me like this, Alice?”
Oh god!
Heat blasts through every cell of my body, sweeping through me like an atomic backdraft. I’m about to apologize, but I can’t form a coherent word at the moment. Not when his body heat is warming mine, his masculine scent invading my senses, his—
“There you are!”
My head whips to the side to find Hannah J. standing in the entry way, freshly showered. She wears a pair of skinny jean overalls, cowgirl boots, and a cowgirl hat, fitting the part of a true farmer.
“I couldn’t find you at the pigpen and figured you might have wandered in here.” Her gaze moves to her uncle and the compromising position he has me in. “Uncle Brax, you ever hear of personal space?”
I bite my lip, not knowing whether to laugh or cry right now.
By Braxten’s defeated groan he seems to be in the same boat. Pushing away from me, he walks over to his niece and sweeps her legs out from under her, hanging her upside down. “Have you ever heard of cramping someone’s style?”
Hannah laughs hysterically, holding her hat to her head as he swings her back and forth.
Eventually, he takes pity on her and flips her right side up, keeping her in his arms. She winds her tiny arms around his neck and gazes back at him with so much love and adoration that it fills the entire barn.
“Heard you fell in some horse shit,” he says, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“Yep, but I’m squeaky clean now and ready to finish showing Miss Alice around. You wanna come?”
Braxten turns toward me. “Actually, I was thinking about taking Miss Alice on a trail ride. What do you think?”
“That’s a great idea!” Hannah gasps excitedly. “We can finish the tour by horseback.”
Horseback?
“What do you say, Wonderland?” Braxten asks. “You up for it?”
“I would love to, but…I don’t know how. I’m pretty sure I have never ridden a horse before.”
“It’s fine, I’ll help you,” he tells me. “Besides, Hannah will ride with you and she’s a pro.”
“Sure am.”
Her confidence fuels my own. “Let’s do it.”
“All right!” Hannah leaps out of Braxten’s arms with excitement. “We saddling up, Trixie?” she asks him.
“You bet.”
“Can we ride her?” I ask, pointing to Leela.
Braxten shakes his head. “Not yet, but one day.”
I nod in understanding. As much as I love Leela, I’m just happy to get this opportunity. After a kiss to her nose, I make my way over to Trixie, petting her as Braxten and Hannah prepare her saddle.
“All right, Wonderland. You first.”
I come to stand next to Braxten, feeling both excited and nervous.
“Grab onto these and hold tight,” he says, passing me the reins.
“Now, put your left foot into the stirrup.” Leaning down, he shows me where that is.
After placing my sandaled foot inside he moves in behind me, grabbing my hips, the innocent touch burning beneath my clothes.
By the hardness pressing into my backside, he’s not unaffected either.
His mouth dips close to my ear. “On three, you’re going to step off the ground and swing your right leg over. Got it?”
Swallowing hard, I nod.
“One, two…three.”
At the same time I step up, he gives me a boost. My dress hikes to my hips, but I’m too concerned with making sure I don’t fall than to worry about what I’m showing.
“Whoa, this is way higher than I thought,” I laugh nervously.
Braxten smirks up at me. “You good?”
“I think so.”
He turns to face Hannah. “All right, half pint. Your turn.”
“Yeehaw!” Grabbing the reins, she pulls herself up like a pro, though Braxten is there to help swing her leg over the large animal. She sits in the saddle just in front of me, her small head resting under my chin.
Braxten moves to the front of the horse, grabbing the lead. “You guys ready?”
“Yes,” Hannah and I answer at the same time.
“Here we go.”
He walks the horse out of the barn, leading us into the sunlight. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness, but once it does I’m enraptured by the beautiful farmland, feeling like I am seeing it in a whole new way.
“Ain’t it beautiful, Miss Alice?” Hannah J. voices, sensing my thought.
“Incredible,” I whisper, awestruck.
“It is.”
At the sound of Braxten’s voice, I look down to find him watching me in a way that makes me feel as beautiful as the nature that surrounds us.
For the rest of the afternoon, we walk, laugh, and make memories I will cherish forever. For the first time since waking up in that hospital, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.