Chapter Twelve
Blake had no idea how much later it was when he opened his eyes, but the sun had moved toward the horizon a bit, telling him it was late afternoon. He glanced down at her and grinned. She was draped over his chest with one leg over his, precisely where he wanted her at the moment.
He glanced at his watch and was surprised that two hours had passed. He hadn’t known he was tired.
He shifted so he could see her face and expressions. “Baby,” he murmured against the top of her head.
She stretched. “Mm?”
“We should head back to the ranch.”
He grinned when she blinked her eyes open and looked around, then at him, in confusion, before she realized where she was.
“Oh, wow. How long did I nap?”
“Just a few hours.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said and tried to scramble up, but he held her again at his side.
“No, honey. It was wonderful. I got to hold you, and I took a nap, too.”
“You did?”
He grinned. “Yeah.”
She sighed. “That makes me feel better.”
He sat her up before climbing to his feet. He reached for her hand and pulled her up in front of him.
“You look a little more rested,” he said as he smoothed the hair from her face.
“I feel better.”
“Do you think you’ll be okay on Betsy? Because you could always ride on my lap.”
She blushed and shook her head. “No, I think I’ll be okay. A little sore but nothing too bad.”
“All right. Maybe some other time you can ride with me.”
She nodded and helped him fold the blanket.
He grabbed the cooler and gun and wrapped his other arm around her waist.
“Let’s get you home. How about a hot shower, dinner, and then a movie?”
She glanced up at him. “You don’t have to entertain me.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve finally got you where I want you, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you. This is not a hardship at all. It’s a blessing.”
“God, when you say things like that, I...”
“You what?” He bit back a grin when the blush deepened and covered her face.
“You make me feel good,” she said simply.
“I hope so.”
“What’s the gun for?”
“Everyone carries one out here. We have coyotes, wolves, and a pack of wild dogs. I wasn’t going to take a chance with your safety, so I brought it. Does this bother you?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. I remember what it was like and feel safe with you.”
“You’ll always be safe if you’re with me. I can promise you that. Wait for a second, and I’ll help you up.”
He tied everything back on the horse and then helped her on hers.
They made their way back slowly. He couldn’t take his gaze off her. She was truly the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. He wanted her to see as much of the ranch as possible so she’d fall in love with it and want to stay.
His biggest hope was that she’d fall in love with him if she spent enough time in his presence.
He thought about the different things they could do together. Things he’d thought about for years.
At the moment, he was just going to enjoy this time with her.
They rode up to one of the barns, and he dismounted and walked right to her. His strong hands circled her waist, lifted her from the saddle, and held onto her waist as her legs steadied.
“I hope we didn’t go too far,” he said, worried.
“No, not at all. My legs feel fine.”
“Thanks, guys,” he said over her shoulder as they took the horses away.
“You got it, boss.”
He wrapped an arm around her and led her into the back of the house, where the kitchen was.
“There you are,” Dottie exclaimed. “Did you have a good time?”
Hanna smiled. “It was wonderful. The ranch is stunning.”
“There’s much more to see, honey. He’ll take you to see everything. It will just take time.”
She looked up at him. “Thank you for today.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll do a lot more.”
“Dinner will be ready in about an hour,” Dottie told them.
“Good, I’d like to shower,” Hanna said.
“You go ahead, baby. I’ll meet you down here.”
“Okay.” Hanna turned to Dottie. “Thank you for the wonderful picnic. Everything was delicious.”
“You’re welcome. If I know that boy beside you, you’ll have plenty more of them.”
Blake watched her walk off and had the biggest urge to follow her and not let her out of his sight.
“Let her be. She’s not going anywhere.”
He wiped his hand down his face and then turned to Dottie. “I know what you’re doing. Saying things like you just did, and I want to thank you. I need all the help I can get for her to want to stay here.”
“I see the way that woman looks at you. I would bet you a thousand dollars she won’t be going anywhere.”
He felt his heart lighten, and it was easier to breathe. The optimism filled him with hope, and it was something he desperately needed.
Blake walked over to Dottie and hugged her tightly.
“Thank you. You’ve always looked out for me my whole life. In fact, you were a mother to me. The only one I ever had, and I am so thankful.”
He grinned when he heard her sniff. She hated to cry.
“Stop. You’re being too mushy, and it makes me want to vomit.”
He threw his head back and laughed, feeling light-hearted at that moment.
He released her and stepped back. “I just had to get it said.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to quit if you get too bossy,” she snarked.
He snorted. “All right. I’ll probably fire you again, too.”
“Fine by me,” she grunted. “Now, get out of my kitchen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He heard Dottie whisper, “That’s the boy I raised,” and he grinned. She was right about that.
Blake made his way up to his own room to shower. He placed his hand on her door.
“Hopefully, someday soon, we’ll be showering together.”