Chapter 19
Sutton
Ilead Blair onto the dancefloor and pull her into my arms, breathing a sigh of relief at having her where she belongs again. My mind is as clear and as calm as it’s ever been in my entire life because somehow I know that everything is going to be OK.
“How’s your shoulder,” she asks, her hand gently rubbing over the tender mark Grumps left me with.
“Barely feel it,” I say, my lips twitching when her eyes narrow on mine.
“Really?” she says skeptically. “So, I could massage it right here and…” She flexes her fingers as if she’s going to try and I tense out of instinct bringing a knowing smirk to her lips. “Thought so. Doctors make the worst patients.”
I pull her in close and bring my mouth to her ear. “Not too sure about your bedside manner, gorgeous.”
She turns her head to bring her lips a whisper’s breath away from my skin. “That’s because you haven’t shared a bed with me yet, doctor. I’m sure that can be arranged though.”
A full body shiver courses through me and her quiet laugh as she melts her body against mine lets me know she didn’t miss it.
We move to the music in perfect harmony as the soft sounds of Michael Bublé fill the air around us.
“I missed you,” I say, rubbing my hands over her back.
“Missed you too, which is funny right? It’s not like we went anywhere.”
I pull back to see her face, looking for any uncertainty. All I see is warm eyes and a gentle smile looking back at me.
“I found out something interesting from Aster,” she says as we dance.
“She has a knack for that. She’s the reason Iz didn’t think Case was crazy when he told her about the prophesy.”
Blair cocks her head. “Really? Though, I guess that makes sense. She is a Seer.”
My brows jump. “She told you that too?”
She nods. “Yeah. That’s not the interesting part, though it was a surprise. Remember the psychic who gave me the online tarot reading before I accepted my uncle’s offer?”
“Yeah…”
“Her name was Starchild.” My steps stutter and for the second time in as many minutes, we come to a stop.
“You’re kiddin’ me?”
She shakes her head, a small smile appearing. “Nope. I had no idea that she was from Wyatt’s ranch.”
“I guess you wouldn’t. What are the chances?”
“Probably about the same as you and me ending up here years after you first saw me in Boston,” she replies.
Guess the mountain’s recruiting outside help these days.
I pull her in closer, tighter, my body drawn to hers like a magnet with its own force field as we sway together to the music.
“I was thinkin–”
I cut her off, the words coming out of my mouth before I even realize it. “Do you want to meet her? We could do that. I could take you there.”
She cocks her head to the side. “How did you know that’s what I was going to say?
” Bouncing a shoulder, I grin. “Aster said she lives at Bull Mountain Ranch in Spring Haven. I remember driving through there on my way to Timber Falls. I would like to meet her though. Maybe get another reading, an in-person one this time.”
“Does that mean you–” I stop but Blair reads me like a book and slides a hand up to rest on the side of my neck. My pulse jumps and my body burns from head to toe, every cell of my body attuned and tied to hers.
“I’m always going to be honest with you, Sutton, because that's what you’ve always been with me.
I’m not sure what I believe right now.” My heart sinks and I shift my gaze over Blairs shoulder to give myself the mental space to take a moment.
Sensing me closing myself off a little, she flexes her fingers and brings her other hand up, forcing my eyes back to hers.
“Let me get this out, I have a feeling you want to hear this.”
I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and nod. “OK.”
“I’m telling you I don’t know what to believe because there is something strange going on.
Not you, you’re amazing, wonderful, caring, and thoughtful.
You’re all of the things I’ve always wanted in a partner.
Even the other night when you told me you’d wait as long as it took, that made me want you more. ”
“But?”
“I’m not sure there is a but. It’s just my nature to look at the evidence. I don’t work on maybes, could be’s or should be’s. I go by what I can see,” she lifts up on her toes to touch her lips to mine, “and what I can feel.”
I chase her lips as she goes to move away, tightening my arms around her as she whimpers into my mouth, my need for her jumping from hot to raging inferno. It takes everything I have to end the kiss and hold both of us upright.
“What can you see, gorgeous?” I rasp.
“You, my perfect man who thinks he’s anything but, who confessed your perceived flaws to me on our first date and who has never hidden away from the fact that you like me.”
“I more than like you,” I reply. “And that has nothin’ to do with the mountain or the Call, and everythin’ to do with you.
“I know, Sutton. It was something that crossed my mind when you first told me, wondering whether you wanted me because of the Call or you just wanted me.”
“It’s always been you, gorgeous. You had me at first look–even when you didn’t know I existed.” I tell her, meaning every word.
“For the record, I more than like you, too. I want you to know that. I’ve never doubted it.
I was hoping you already knew how I felt,” she says bashfully.
I nod, wanting her to continue more than anything.
“I love our conversations and our quiet nights in the cabin when we cook and talk about our days. I love the family dinners in the ranch house and our walks around the ranch, even Grumps.”
I feign shock and gasp, my eyes dancing when they meet her smiling ones. “Even with his menace, kleptomaniac, and weddin’ destroyin’ tendencies?”
Her smile widens. “Even then. All of it. It’s made me feel like I’m right where I belong.”
I can’t help but expect a ‘but’. It’s probably because I’m always waiting for the penny to drop. Instead, I jump in before it does. “Gorgeous, that’s because you are.”
“I know that now. You’ve helped me realize that. Doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be some obstacles in the way moving forward.”
The corner of my mouth quirks up. “I happen to be good at obstacles. Think I proved that today when Grumps tried to ruin the weddin’.”
“Touche.”
The song changes to an up-tempo number and with the mood change and the hooting and hollering that’s coming from my family and guests as they return to the dancefloor, I decide a change of scenery is needed. “Would you like another dance or…”
“I think there’s somewhere else I’d like to go with you,” she says, rubbing her hands over my chest. It’s both comforting and teasing and suddenly there’s absolutely nowhere else I’d rather not be right now.
“Cabin?” I ask, already dropping my hand to hers and leading her away from the crowd.
“Are you allowed to leave your brothers’ wedding,” she asks with a giggle.
I stop and look down at her, loving the pink glow of her cheeks and the happiness shining back up at me in her beautiful eyes. “When it comes to you, gorgeous, I’m not sure I care about whether I’m allowed or not.”
“Who knew you could be such a rebel. Here I was thinking you were the strait-laced one in the Cooper clan,” she teases.
Two days ago I told this woman that she was my destined soulmate. The very last thing I expected was to not only get the slow dance of my dreams with the woman who owns my heart, but now to have the chance to show her just how important she has become to me.
“There are a lot of things for you to find out about me,” I say, holding her close and focusing on those shiny pink lips of hers.
I’m ready to do whatever she wants. She’s mine and I’m ready to show her that. In fact, my body is demanding I make her mine in every way possible. Is the Call some sort of aphrodisiac too?
“The choice is yours, gorgeous. Should we stay or should we go?”
I don’t get an answer, but maybe that’s because less than a second later, Blair is dragging me away. Not that she has to because I’d follow her anywhere.