Chapter 29 Stetson
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
stetson
“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”
Charles Dickens
The drive to the beach is quiet, for the most part.
There’s a heaviness going into this conversation that we both know is there. The moments after Cove left the party felt like a blur, even if it was just last night.
I’m not sure I would have been as calm as I was if it weren’t for her note. Writing things down still seems to soothe me, even when the gesture is out of reciprocation. I knew I needed to help her and do it fast.
Cove isn’t a woman who waits around for things to come to her. She acts quickly and efficiently to help the people she loves. Case in point: the way she stormed her beautiful little ass onto her mother’s property without a care in the world, ready to dominate in a field saturated by men.
I fucking love that about her.
But I knew I could beat her at her own game. It was crucial I act fast before she already had a new plan in motion. No doubt the flight home for her was an act of damage control, and if I had to guess, her plan was to sell everything she owned.
And that simply wasn’t going to cut it for me.
I have more money than necessary at this point, and never had anyone to spend it on.
It’s a pleasure to provide for her needs in this way.
And within the short time I spent with her mother this morning, I can see so many of my favorite attributes in Cove that she got from Camille. It’s no wonder their bond is so great.
Calling my buddy, Greg, to help out was a gamble.
The summer months are a hit or miss in contracting, so I prepared a backup plan just in case he was slammed with projects.
Somehow, I managed to forget he owed me one.
Typically, I have plans set out for all cattle before herding begins or a purchase has been made, which means it’s crucial I build a decent reputation with other ranchers.
Tackling business deals with a competitive eye gets you nowhere in cattle farming.
Respect and healthy communication get you a long way.
I was able to hook Greg up with a local rancher closer to his side of Texas—same one I purchased Nellie from last year—and get him a ridiculous deal on some beef. Perks of being a good fucking person in my industry.
Temporarily relocating him to Miami took a bit of coercing and shuffling around, but we made it happen, and the crew was able to break ground at nearly seven this morning. The permit was the biggest bitch of all, but again, money talks, and all is well.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask, reaching for Cove’s thigh in the driver’s seat. It feels odd being the passenger for once, but she seems excited to show me somewhere special in her hometown.
“To one of my favorite spots on the beach. I came here a lot with my mom after Nathaniel left. We’d grab a hotdog from that exact stand over there, eat in silence, then listen to Fleetwood Mac on my busted CD player together. The days hurt like hell for a while, but this spot made it better.”
My breath nearly catches in my throat at the sight of the same hotdog stand Cove used to eat at when she was nine, parked along the paved sidewalk overlooking the beach.
I know that time in her life was probably one of the worst, but I feel honored she chose to share a place that healed her with me.
I understand that feeling well. “I’m sorry for the way things went down, Cove. I hate that he and Austin humiliated you like that, and I want you to know, I put him in his place.”
We exit her car in sync, and I walk to meet her quickly before she can get away to hold her hand. I want more days like this. Open conversation, sharing special spots, and vulnerabilities that only make us closer. It’s a connection I’ve never had with anyone. Not in a romantic way, at least.
I lift our conjoined hands and kiss hers softly, hoping she recognizes my heart behind the confrontation.
I warned her how protective I am. “You did more for me in that moment than any man ever has, Stetson. Including my own father. I could never be upset with you. But I do owe you an apology for leaving. The moment I realized everything I came there to accomplish was never going to happen, I knew I needed to see my mom and make a plan. The goal was to be able to leave Texas with money in my pocket and nothing but the gift of hope for her. Instead, I came home with nothing.”
Cove leads us to an old bench near the nostalgic hotdog stand, and I pull her into my side as we sit.
Bikers and skateboarders ride along the paved sidewalk while what looks to be a mixture of locals and tourists gaze out to the water along the wooden pier.
The soft crashing of beach waves graces our ears, along with children begging for snow cones, and a serious game of beach volleyball underway.
This is Cove’s home. The place she grew up, and all she knows. How can I expect her to trade this for Waterstone?
She continues with her eyes closed and head resting on my shoulder.
“Seeing you at my mom’s house was the last thing I ever expected.
But I wasn’t just shocked to see you, I was relieved.
I think deep down I always knew you’d rescue me from this.
I never knew it would be by paying for the whole thing, but I trusted you enough to wait it out and risk being with you if it meant my own plan falling apart.
I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am for you, Stetson.
And not just for this. For everything. I’m not sure I would have ever given myself a chance at loving you if you hadn’t chased me. ”
“I knew you’d be a difficult woman to crack the moment I met you, Cove.
It’s one of the many things I adore about you.
But you don’t give yourself enough credit.
You’re capable of anything. Even loving an old cowboy like me.
You always were. And what I think you don’t realize is that even in the midst of your panic and worry elsewhere, you still demonstrated how much you cared.
And I felt it—feel it—every second of every day I’m with you. ”
“Do you want kids, Stetson? That’s something we’ve never talked about, and it’s a pretty big deal.”
She’s right. The topic just never came up. Not because it’s shameful, but because it’s one of the number one reasons couples don’t work out. One person wants a family, and the other doesn’t. That’s a nonnegotiable. I could tell her all about my dreams, but I’d rather show her.
Ushering Cove to stand with me, I grab both her hands and call her attention with my voice. “Look at me for a second, baby.”
“Okay.” She smiles with her eyes.
“Now, what do you see?”
I know my approach is likely confusing, and she’s skeptical, but Cove goes along with it.
“I see you. I see the love of my life. But I also see the salt of your hair showing more than it did months ago. I see the tan of your skin deepening the further we get into the summer. And I see smile lines that I really hope to god I’m responsible for putting there. ”
I beam at her, never imagining I could love anyone more. “Now ask me what I see.”
“What do you see?” Cove smiles with all her teeth, cheeks, and beaming heart.
“I see the woman I want to grow old with. I see my best friend. I see my biggest supporter, and also my biggest truth-speaker. I see the same cognac eyes that left me breathless at an airport bar.” I take a step closer, the distance between us minimizing naturally.
“I see the person I look forward to fighting over my coffee cup with. And I also see the beautiful woman I wanted tangled in my sheets for the rest of my life. When I look at you, I see love, Cove. Love in its rarest, most pure form.”
She shudders at my words. “That’s one of the first things I told myself when I arrived in Waterstone. You embody love. The kind of love I find addicting.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and hold her as close as humanly possible.
“Notice how not once did either of us mention the chaos and people or things around us? All we see is each other, and that’s enough for me.
I don’t need children. Never really cared either way.
But I can’t live without you, Cove. Not every love story has to end in babies. I just want you.”
My hesitation about her reaction diminishes the moment I feel her heavy exhale against my lips. “Thank god because I want that, too. No kids. Just us. And maybe be the fun aunt and uncle to Abbi’s kids for a night or two, then give them back.”
I grin. “Feed them nothing but sugar and junk food, then drop them off when the high hits. Abbi and Kyle will love that.” I kiss her lips, our tongues meeting with steadiness and intention.
“You’re too old, anyway,” she mumbles under a fit of giggles, earning herself a bite to the lip.
The moment we pull back, I can’t help myself. “You still owe me a birthday gift.”
Her hand finds the center of my chest while her words burn hot. “Come with me.”
I’ve been on the edge of my seat all afternoon. Cove showed me places around Miami that represent all the different parts of her life. From school to parties to her now blossoming career.
We even ate lunch at a small Italian bakery on the outskirts of the coast, and I had what was probably one of the best subs I’ve ever had in my life.
If there’s one thing Miami has in the bag, it’s its food and coffee game. The second my jet landed, I didn’t have to look very far to find a handful of mom-and-pop coffee shops.
I picked the first one closest, and just like the sub, it was one of the best café lattes I’ve ever had.
But as the evening has neared, Cove has one last place to show me, and I’m on high alert, despite Venus Vault being a place Cove is more than familiar with. I’m really hoping this is where I get that birthday gift.