Chapter 34
JULES
S oft, rosy light streamed in through the window, painting Riley in a glow akin to that old movie haze. If there was ever a time that he looked like a young Robert Redford, it was this moment. Sleeping soundly in the morning light, his features relaxed.
Jules slipped out from between the sheets, crossing over to her purse sitting atop the dresser and taking it into the bathroom. She dug around in the bag until she found it. Her favorite tube of red lipstick.
Same as one year ago, she smoothed it out along her lips and smacked them together.
Then she planted a kiss on Riley’s bathroom mirror.
A smug grin curled her mouth as she stepped back and admired her handy work, hickeys from Riley scattered across her bare chest in the reflection.
This is where the similarities would end this time, though.
Sliding the lipstick back into its place, she tiptoed out the door and across the bedroom to the handsome cowboy still fast asleep. She tucked herself back under the covers, curling into his side. His face nuzzled into her hair. A low hum of satisfaction vibrated against her temple.
“You stayed,” he murmured, a smile in his voice.
A pang shot through her heart; it was as if he wasn’t sure she would.
And before they could figure out what this was, she would run to Argentina and prove his concerns warranted.
Significantly sooner than anyone expected.
Not only would it hurt her chances with Riley, but it would also hurt the ranch.
They thought they still had over a month to formulate a plan for Laurel’s replacement.
“Someone had to make sure you’d be okay now that the injection is worn off.”
“Is that the only reason?” His voice dropped an octave as his hand slid between her legs. His thumb swirled at her clit as his finger teased across her entrance.
“Maybe,” she breathed.
Riley slid a finger inside her, curling it deliciously before pausing.
“If that’s the case.” He began to withdraw his hand.
With a roll of her eyes, she reached down and caught his wrist. She guided him back to her entrance. Attempting the best glare she could muster in this moment, she lifted her face to his and replied, “It’s not the case.”
Satisfied with her response, he shifted two fingers inside her. Hooking them, he dragged his thumb back into place, working his hand rougher this time. A sigh escaped her as she rocked to grind herself against him.
“Tell me why you stayed. Tell me that no one makes you feel as good as I do,” Riley commanded.
His voice carried an authority that spiked her desire. But she couldn’t focus on forming any type of sentence. Her mind was going fuzzy around the edges, pleasure rippling up her core.
Only a groan escaped her as he continued to swirl his fingers just right.
“That’s okay, darlin’. The way you’re dripping down my hand tells me everything I need to know.”
Dammit, even his smug tone was doing something to her. On the edge, Jules arched her back, giving in to the way he was utterly in control of her body. And as she did, her release spilled over.
He withdrew his hand and slapped her ass, her arousal slipping across her skin on his fingers.
“I didn’t just stay for that, either,” she murmured, rolling forward and tucking herself under his chin.
“Why did you stay, Jules?”
“I like the idea of belonging here with you. I just don’t know how…”
He wrapped his arms around her, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Tell me again?” he asked gently.
“I like the idea that we could belong together.”
“I like it too. My god, do I like the idea of that too.”
Riley
There was a set of red lips on his bathroom mirror and a missing hoodie from his closet. And it was the best morning he’d ever had.
As he pulled into his usual spot at the ranch, it was impossible to wipe the smile off his face. There would be no hiding his feelings at work today. He could hold Jules, kiss her in between tasks, and not worry about looking over their shoulders.
He climbed out of the truck and started up the path to the farmhouse. Brett had sent him a message to come by the office before hitting the stables this morning. Another reason his chest felt like it was going burst from all the hope he was carrying with him.
“Riley! How are you?” Laurel’s blonde head popped up over the back of the sofa as he stepped inside the home.
“I should be asking you that,” he replied. Coming around into the living room, he settled into an armchair across from her. It was like her pregnancy bump had tripled overnight.
She lay back on the mound of pillows that Brett more than likely built for her and rubbed her hand over the curve. “I’m fine. Ready to move again though. I’m only allowed in the bed or on the couch. It’s so boring.”
A laugh escaped him. “Are the doctors being that strict or is Brett?”
Sunshine poured from the smile she flashed. “Brett, mostly.” She was over the moon in love. And as Riley smiled back, it carried the fact that he finally understood the feeling.
“What’s that about me?” the rancher asked casually as he strolled into the room.
“I was talking about how protective you’re being,” Laurel replied, patting the couch beside her.
He settled into the spot, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and dropping the other to cradle her bump. “I just wish I could protect you from this threat, killer,” he muttered.
“Preeclampsia is not a threat. It’s a medical condition. And speaking of medical conditions…” she turned back to Riley, “What is going on with you?”
“Nothing serious,” he said, removing his Stetson from his head and balancing it on his knee.
He ran his fingers through his hair, remembering Jules’s frustration at the way that he minimized his injury.
“I have a herniated disc. I’ll do some regular physical therapy on top of my regular check-ins with the doc. ”
“Are you in any pain?”
“Not anymore, the injection yesterday seemed to do the trick.” That—and the way Jules forced him to rest, snuggling in like his own personal weighted blanket all night.
The back door opened as Cooper stepped into the home. “Any breakfast in here?” he asked, moving into the kitchen. It was a rhetorical question, there was always food for every meal in there.
Ducking his head into the refrigerator, Cooper called out, “Where is Jules?”
He shifted in his seat, worry creeping into his chest. “I actually don’t know, she should be here by now,” Riley admitted.
“Maybe she’s packing for Argentina,” Laurel mused.
“Seems a bit early.”
“No, Maddie told me?—”
Riley’s eyes widened as he pieced together what Maddie could have possibly said to Laurel about this trip. She was leaving. Now.
“Oh no. I figured you knew…”
“When?”
Laurel shifted uncomfortably; this time he suspected it had nothing to do with the pregnancy. “Three days from now?”
The high he was riding this morning crashed down around him. She was leaving. Again. And without a word, it seemed.
His voice felt caught in his throat. His fingers twitched with nervous energy. No one else spoke. Cooper watched wide eyed from the kitchen. A piece of cold bacon half raised to his mouth.
“If you want to go talk to her, be my guest. We can meet another time,” Brett offered.
“No.” Riley shook his head.
Of course he wanted to. He wanted to show up at her door and plead with her to stay.
Or, at least to promise she’ll return. That’s all he really wanted.
He would never want to stand in the way of her dreams. But he wanted to know that he was the home she returned to each time.
“No, she has her own things to work out, and I have mine.”
It was time he focused on chasing something for himself. And that meant making this rehabilitation center at Hayes Ranch happen. He grabbed his hat from his knee and stood. “Let’s meet now.”
He followed Brett through the house to the office in the front.
It boasted a large window overlooking the way the river weaved in front of the house.
The sun sparkled off the water, turning it golden in the morning light.
Riley stopped in front of the window, keeping his eyes focused on the scene outside. He loved being on this ranch.
“About that rehabilitation service,” Brett started.
He sank down into a leather chair behind the barnwood desk and adjusted the picture of Laurel that sat before him.
“We’d need another barn, and to rework the fencing to make some more sectioned off land for those instances when they need their own space.
It would be under the Hayes Ranch name, but it would be yours. ”
Riley tore his focus away from the window. “It would be… mine? Just like that? I don’t even have to pitch you any ideas?”
“The way I see it, a second caretaker will step into a full-time role to help with the ranch horses. They would also help you with the rehab center. You’d still be able to be the wrangler for trips, and the other caretaker would shift to cover the wild horses as well while you’re gone with half the ranch band anyway.
You’d get a formal title for overseeing the rehabilitation center and be in charge of making the decisions for it. ”
He leaned against the windowsill and absorbed Brett’s words. Frankly, it seemed too good to be true.
“Why me?” he asked carefully.
Tilting back in his chair, Brett folded his hands behind his head.
His dark eyes settled on Riley. “When I was active duty, I saw plenty of personalities come through. The ones I appreciated the most were team guys. The guys that understood the value of hard work, but also that hard work is only worth doing when you’re doing it with others—for the greater good.
The guys that checked their egos at the door, no matter how much they had to boast about.
You’re a team guy if I’ve ever seen one, Walker. ”
Riley swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn’t imagine a higher compliment than the one he was being paid right now.
“On top of that,” Brett continued, “Red over at Blue Sky Sanctuary has nothing but glowing things to say about you. Apparently, I’m not the only one who sees your potential. He says you were always good at reading the horses and keeping a handle on situations.”
“This is…” Riley started. It was a dream come true, really. As if his experiences over the years had been leading to this opportunity. “This is something I will not take for granted.”
“I know you won’t.” Brett stood and extended his hand. “Sounds like we have a deal?”
Riley clasped him in a firm shake. “We have a deal.”
“Good, then go call your sister. Gracie’s been blowing up my phone on her behalf. Then maybe see about securing that second caretaker.”
Brett had just handed him the opportunity to build something amazing. And he did it without hesitation. There was paperwork to draw up, plans to make. They needed to do construction and reconfiguring at the compound—but it would be up to him.
This rehabilitation branch was his.
Riley stepped out of the office to the crew awaiting him. Laurel was beaming, Cooper was too. Apparently, Brett’s plans weren’t a secret.
“What’s the word?” Coop asked, a full plate in front of him now.
“We’ll be doin’ some rehabilitation around here for now on,” Riley replied, unable to fight a smile.
Laurel squealed and reached her hands over the couch, motioning for a hug. He obliged, crossing the room and tipping over the leather back. “This is all going to work out, including getting the girl,” she whispered in his ear as his arms wrapped around her. “You deserve it all, Riley.”
His heart faltered at her soft words. He didn’t know if he deserved anything, really. But he appreciated being seen as a team guy. And he appreciated the way he was folded into this family without hesitation. “I won’t let y’all down,” he replied hoarsely.
“We know.”
In his pocket, his phone went off for easily the fifth time in the past hour—Piper, he assumed. Pulling it out, his suspicions were confirmed.
But he couldn’t help noticing that there wasn’t anything from Jules on the notifications list. This time, his heart dipped, and his stomach right along with it.
“I need to,” he started, holding up the ringing phone. Laurel nodded in understanding.
He moved across the room to the back door, stepping onto the sprawling porch.
It overlooked the rest of the compound below, and he took up residence in one of the rocking chairs to admire the view.
He answered the call as he watched the horses mill about in the pasture, a light breeze dancing through their manes and the steady flicks of their tails.
“Morning, Pipes.”
“ Morning ? That’s all you have to say to me?” his sister scolded through the phone. “When were you going to tell me you were in the hospital? I’ve been worried sick.”
Riley adjusted the cowboy hat atop his head in dismay. “Hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. I wasn’t there overnight or anything.”
“I heard about it from Gracie. I should have heard about it from you.”
“I was going to call you today. I’m fine—I’m sure she filled you in on what happened. I’ve just been a little preoccupied.”
A hum of disapproval carried through the line. “Good preoccupied? Or avoiding preoccupied?”
“Not avoiding. I went online this morning and scheduled the first physical therapy appointment already. And I still have that follow up with Doc.”
He was going to keep his promises and do everything right this time. It turned out he had too much to lose to be gambling like he did with risks before.
“Jules preoccupied then?” Piper guessed.
“Yeah, Jules preoccupied.” He was always Jules preoccupied, even when she wasn’t in front of him. Even after that first night in Texas.
Riley had a feeling he would always be, he just hoped she really did feel the same. His fingers still itched to pull his keys out and run to the truck. To show up at her apartment and beg her to return after this trip.
He wanted to assure her that he wouldn’t gamble his well being anymore, and ask that maybe, would she bet on him.
They had already started to discuss it, and she agreed that she belonged here. But if something was going on with her photography career, she needed to take a chance for herself right now.
And it wasn’t like taking care of her, or Piper or Paisley or the horses. He couldn’t take this one on for her. So, he remained still. Trying to be the patient man he once was before she blew into his life, and his heart.