RAY
The day had finally arrived. I’d spent four weeks counting down the days, minutes, hours, and seconds, all culminating in Wade coming home. My body vibrated with giddy excitement, and I found it exceptionally hard to sit still.
None of us knew exactly when he would be back from the treatment facility, but we knew he had checked out that morning and would hopefully be on his way home soon.
It was already noon, and I was checking my phone for any signs of communication from him, only slightly disappointed every time my notifications came up empty.
I had crafted my entire day around spending every waking moment with Wade, but seeing as I had zero knowledge of when he’d actually be coming home, I was currently sitting on the living room sofa doom scrolling social media.
A text notification popped up, and my heart rate spiked as I scrambled to unlock my phone. Deflating when I realized it wasn’t him, I sank back into the cushions of the couch.
Stella: Hey, Wade’s still not back yet, but did you want to come hang out over here? We could at least keep you company while you wait.
Me: Yeah, I’ll go over there. He will probably go see y’all first, anyway.
Stella: You know that’s not true. He’d come straight to you.
Would he, though?
I’d been so positive when he’d left that we could go the distance with whatever we were calling the shift in our relationship, but it was so new that tiny speckles of doubt started to creep into my thoughts.
Would this new, healed version of Wade still want me?
I brushed off my asshole inner voice that threatened to derail all the happiness today brought as I walked back to my room to get ready.
What does someone wear when they’re welcoming home their not-so-boyfriend-maybe-boyfriend after he spent four weeks working on his mental health in a treatment facility?
Settling on a pair of skinny jeans and a white fitted tank top, I snagged my cowboy boots from where I’d haphazardly thrown them in the closet. I tied a flannel shirt around my waist and sat down on the edge of the bed to tug on my boots.
I walked over to the floor-length mirror, inspecting my choice of attire. I brushed my thick hair back into a high ponytail, pulling out a couple of tendrils to frame my face. Content with what I’d chosen, I heaved a sigh, willing my mind and body into a forced sense of calm.
It was now or never, I guess.
I opted to walk over to D unless I was trying to show off, in which case, I often paid for it with screaming muscles for the following week.
I hitched Sunset to the wooden post in front of the block before stepping up the weathered steps, throwing my leg over the saddle, and settling myself on her back.
Sunset stood regally, waiting for instruction, a picture of the perfect beginner horse. I was thankful she allowed me to ride her each time I came to the ranch, and I made sure to bring along treats as a reward.
Clicking my tongue, I grabbed the reins loosely in my hand and urged her forward. She trotted past where Izzy and Sterling were still entangled in their heated debate. I made out “stupid fucker” and “stubborn cowgirl” before I was out of earshot.
Passing the hustle and bustle of the ranch, I made my way over to the trails, urging Sunset into a slow trot across the rocky terrain. She traipsed through the woods with ease, stepping over fallen branches and large rocks without a second glance.
I let the steady rhythm of her gait lull me into a serene calm, leaning into the movement and sound of her gentle clomps across the damp earth. Everything felt sticky and humid, but I let the warmth cast over my body, easing the tension of excitement coursing through my muscles.
Taking a trail ride was my form of therapy. I didn’t need to sit in an office and pour out my emotions; I was very self-aware of the things that made me tick. But sitting atop Sunset, walking slowly through the quiet serenity that the lush forest provided, everything felt right.
The trails snaked through the vast acreage surrounding the ranch, and I took my time, enjoying the easy cadence as we worked our way back toward the stables.
Sunset needed no guidance; she knew the way around these trails with her eyes closed, and I trusted her implicitly to make sure I got back unscathed.
As we left the coverage that the treelined trails provided, harsh sunlight blinded me, forcing me to pull down the brim of my hat to shield my eyes.
I kept my head down as we made our way back to the main barn, but just as we rounded the corner heading for the mounting block, a familiar voice called out—stopping my heart in its steady beat.
“You ridin’ without me, Sunshine?”
I would have known the voice anywhere, and the sound of it had tears welling in my eyes as I urged Sunset faster to the mounting block.
Finally lifting my eyes, my breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight of Wade and Joker waiting for me.
A wide grin was plastered on his face as he gingerly shifted his weight to one side and used the saddle horn to dismount his horse.
Joker whinnied in excitement, happy to have his rider back.
Before Sunset even had a chance to come to a complete stop at the mounting block, I was throwing myself off her back and wrapping the reins around the hitching post.
Willing my body to move faster, I used every ounce of pent-up joy to propel myself forward, eager to see my man.
Striding up to meet him, toe-to-toe, I looked my fill. He was still the tall, muscular, ruggedly handsome cowboy I’d fallen in love with—but different.
Instead of the hollow shell of a man who’d left this ranch in search of healing standing before me, I saw a strong and sure-of-himself vision in fitted Wranglers.
He had cropped his hair shorter on the sides, leaving the top long enough for it to be effortlessly sexy. I met his eyes, and seeing the light back in them nearly had me sobbing. He was back in more ways than one.
“Well, Sunshine. You gonna stand there looking at me like you wanna kiss me, or you wanna bring those pretty lips a little closer so I can fulfill the fantasies that kept me sane while I was gone?”
“You can ride,” I stuttered, my brain not having quite caught up to the reality of the situation. “What…how… when?”
He took a step closer, caressing my cheek, wiping away the tears that had spilled over. “Yeah, baby. I can ride. I’ll explain everything later, but right now I really need to kiss my girl.”
Nearly throwing myself at him, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips firmly to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me tightly to him as he met my passion with the same fervent desire.
Our tongues tangled in a soft caress as our hands roamed, reminding ourselves that this was real, and we were together.
A throat clearing from beside us broke our heated embrace, and I could feel Wade’s groan on my neck as he dipped his head to rest between my shoulder and chin.
“So, that’s a new development,” Max said, standing dumbfounded at the corner of the barn.
I chuckled lightly, pushing Wade off my neck and turning toward Max, reaching down to take my cowboy’s hand. I squeezed three times and watched as a slow smile crept up at the corners of his mouth.
Damn, it felt good to see him smile.
“Not really; we’ve been in love with each other for years. Y’all are just slow to catch on,” I teased.
Max’s mouth opened and closed like a fish as Wade let out a hearty chuckle.
“We? Us? What the fuck is happening?” Max asked, looking between the two of us.
“I’m kidding, Max. Yes, it’s new. Neither of us wanted to say anything because, truly, we didn’t know where things stood when Wade left for treatment.”
I looked over at Wade, whose smile couldn’t have been scrubbed off his face if he tried.
“I knew, I was just waiting for everyone else to catch up,” a voice crooned as Stella sidled up beside her husband, wrapping her arm around his waist. Over the last week, she’d definitely started to show. The little swell of her baby bump was evident beneath her top.
I didn’t miss the subtle nod of acknowledgment and gentle smile Wade gave her, almost as if silently apologizing for all the pain he’d caused with his misplaced blame. Stella nodded back softly in response, not needing an overdone apology to forgive and forget.
“Yeah, cool, so can we save the family reunion for later? I really want to take my girl home and fu—” I slapped a hand over his mouth and felt the graze of his teeth against my palm. I laughed as he tightened his arms around my waist, pulling me against his growing erection.
“Yeah, we’ll see you at dinner. The house is empty for another couple of hours,” Stella said with an exaggerated wink.
Before I could insist on spending time with the family, Wade tossed me over his shoulder, placed a heavy smack to my ass, and started running toward the house, the sound of my laughter echoing across the ranch.
The free and uninhibited way he laughed right alongside me had my heart swelling with love and pride.