13. Stirred
THIRTEEN
Stirred
ASH
By Friday, this had become our new routine—me showing up with a bag of Eldon’s pancakes, leaning in the doorway like I had every right to be there on the doorstep of my own cabin.
I told myself I was just helping out, being a good uncle, fulfilling the vow I’d made to Scott. But I knew I was lying to myself. This feeling of possession came over me more and more each day.
This was no longer about obligation, but about wanting the family Scott left behind. The family I never could have. And desire was a dangerous thing.
Willow greeted me with sleepy eyes I grew addicted to. “Red flannel today, and more pancakes? How many flannels do you own? Never mind. You keep showing up like this, and I’m going to forget how to do school mornings myself.”
I shrugged, casual on the outside, anything but on the inside. “I missed out on too much with Ro already. Not making that mistake again.”
Her expression faltered for a second, enough for me to catch a flicker of surprise. “So you’ll just show up every morning?”
I didn’t hesitate. “If you’ll let me, yeah.
I want to be here for you two.” I followed her into the kitchen, admiring her ass sashaying nicely in a pair of leggings.
They called to me to rip them off her body.
That was the only troublesome part of showing up for Ro, managing my attraction to her mother.
“Why don’t you come to town with me? I can show you around a bit. Take a break from these four walls.” I must have practiced asking that a hundred times in the mirror this morning.
I didn’t realize Ro was already there, drinking a glass of juice. “Mom needs that. She keeps saying she has cabin fever.” She eagerly took the bag and dug a pancake out.
“Not that your cabin isn’t a nice place to be,” Willow eyed me sheepishly.
“Oh. Who told you?” I asked.
“Daisy mentioned it. Why didn’t you say something? I feel bad that we’ve taken up your space. We never meant to impose upon you like this.”
“You can stop right there. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“But you have every right to be here. This is your place. You should take the bed and I’ll take the couch until I find us somewhere else?—”
“No. Stop it. You’re here, and that’s final. Not another word about it. The Boss’s orders.” I must have scared Ro with my stern, militant voice, the way her eyes doubled in size.
“Oh, bringing out the big boss, huh?” Willow teased, then sighed. “Well, can you at least tell Eldon we don’t need the pancakes? I prefer Ro have something a little healthier to eat in the mornings.”
“What are you talking about? Chocolate chips are totally brain food.” I took half of a pancake out of the bag and bit off nearly the entire thing, then winked at Ro, who clearly agreed with me judging by the chocolate in her toothy grin.
“You’re going to spoil her rotten.” Willow shook her head over a mug of coffee.
“That’s what uncles are for. Hey, Ro, should I have Marshmallow saddled up and ready to ride after school for you?”
“Of course.” She didn’t hesitate to answer .
“Case in point,” Willow argued. “Ro, before you can ride, you will get your homework done first.” She had the last word, like a mother in charge, which I completely respected.
As we drove to town, the view of Willow wearing my flannel shirt over her leggings—the burnt orange one I gave her Sunday night—made it hard for me to breathe.
She was a vision with her golden hair up in a bun again, the graceful lines of her neck screaming for me to kiss there.
And that’s where I’d better stop before I sprouted full wood in my pants.
We cracked the windows open to let in a little crisp mountain air and rolled past the landscape in shades of gold and green to the tunes on Cat Country radio.
“Big change from California, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Ro loves it. I can see it in the way she talks about school, about Eli and the horses. She told me last night she enjoys going to sleep without hearing city noise outside her window. She’s happier here.”
There was something wistful in her voice that made me glance over at her. “What about you? ”
“What about me?”
“Are you happier?”
“I’m working on it.” She shifted and took me in then. I had to do a double take—my hands tightened on the steering wheel from the intensity in her eyes. The temptation to pull over and take her in my arms overwhelmed me.
We crested the hill that looked down into the valley, where the town spread out below us. As we passed through, I pointed out shops and mentioned people I’d met since living here.
I parked in front of the bank and walked around to her side, offering my hand to help her out. The current swept warmly between her palm and mine. From the way her breath caught, she felt it too.
“I shouldn’t take more than an hour with my errands. Why don’t you explore the shops? Maybe find something for you and Ro.” I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and extracted some cash.
“Ash, I can’t take your money?—”
“I’ve done nothing but save it over the years. About time I had someone to spend it on,” I said, the words spilling out as if I’d claimed her.
From the way she stared, I could see her wrestling with her pride and independence.
Two things I would never take away from her.
She’d worked hard all these years with little support for her and Ro, and if anything, I just wanted to make life easier for her.
Finally she nodded, tucking the bills into her purse.
“Thanks. I’ll pay you back. Now that my ankle is better and once the open house is done, I’ll need to find a job.”
“We’ll work on that. Today, enjoy the shopping.” As we parted ways, she called back to me.
“You left your keys in the ignition.”
Confused at first, I shook my head. “We’re in the middle of Montana in a very small town. Trust me, the truck is safe.” As I walked away, I noticed Ivy waving from the window of the Wylde West Outfitters.
An hour later, errands complete, that’s where I found Willow. Once I stepped inside Ivy’s shop, laughter drew my attention to the back. Willow’s laugh, bright and genuine, more carefree since she’d arrived at the ranch, warmed my chest from the inside out.
“Are you sure I don’t look ridiculous?” Her voice carried as I approached.
“Honey, you’re the spitting image of every cowgirl fantasy men have ever had,” Ivy assured her.
I almost tripped over my feet—and not from some boxes of quirky bowls made of dried gourds that were lying around.
I recognized Elijah setting up a display of them.
He was one of our ranch hands who had a penchant for fashioning things from gourds as a side business.
I waved to him and nodded for him to carry on.
What I nearly stumbled over was the way Ivy had turned Willow into a bona fide country girl.
Fuck me. I whistled low and slow at the sight of her.
“Do those long legs come with a warning?” My eyes travelled up and down boot-cut Wranglers over red boots. Might I add how they accentuated her ass?
Willow spun around from the mirror when she saw me gawking at her.
My chest ached to hold her. An ivory lace top and brown leather corset cinched her waist, marking the outline of every curve, and pushing her already perfectly perky tits even higher.
And what about the way Willow’s hazel eyes peeked out coyly from under a tan Stetson? Where’d she learn to flirt like that?
“Cat got your tongue, Ash?” Ivy smirked.
“You might as well ring it all up, because Willow’s leaving with that outfit.” I held up my hand to Willow’s protests and reached for my wallet.
“How about this cute outfit for little Ro we put together, too?” Ivy, the genius salesperson, knew what she was doing .
Of course I nodded and tried to keep my eyes off of Willow as she continued to admire her outfit in the mirror.
“Someone has it bad,” Ivy sing-songed under her breath so Willow couldn’t hear. “You can’t fool me, not with those eyes you made at her.”
“Stop. She’s family.”
“Not by blood. And since neither my sisters nor I have caught your eye, it’s about time someone does.”
“Can you just ring it all up, please?” I leaned my hands against the counter and sighed heavily, fighting off every impulse to ogle the red-booted woman behind me.
Ivy didn’t know when to stop. “Okay, okay. I don’t mean to pry. I just think that now with your cozy cabin, you should fill it with someone special in your life.”
I already did—with Willow and Ro. Where I fit in, I didn’t know yet.
“Should I get changed back into my leggings?” Willow sidled up to me, a little taller now in her new heeled boots.
“Don’t you dare,” I growled, the feral sound stirring deep inside of me. “Er, I mean—Ro would probably like to see your new outfit when she gets home from school.”
“Then I guess I’m all dressed up before noon with nowhere to go.” She picked up a flyer from the counter and studied it—a wanted poster for the escaped convict from the state prison.
With her beside me, I could hardly focus on signing my name on the credit card receipt. Couldn’t see the total. Didn’t matter the cost. I liked what I saw, so I bought it.
Ivy clicked her tongue at me. “Ash, it’s Friday. Why don’t you two come back to town later and have a drink at the Sapphire Saloon? I hear there’ll be a live band tonight. I think Daisy mentioned Knox and Colt and some of the guys are coming out tonight, too.”
“Well, I’d need someone to watch Ro,” Willow answered like she was interested in going. Little did she know, the Sapphire is our town’s version of a meat market.
“Poppy can watch her. You leave it to me. I’ll tell her to show up at Ash’s cabin by seven.” Ivy gave me a shit-eating grin, with her eyebrows raised in a challenge.
“Sure. If you want to go, Willow, I’ll take you.” What choice did Ivy leave me? Not that I didn’t want to take Willow out. I sure as hell wouldn’t let her out of my sight in that pretty outfit in a cowboy town like this.