Ten Years Later
Kali
Even after ten years of living on the ranch, evenings like this still make me stop and appreciate everything about this life.
The sun hangs low over the pastures, painting the hills in gold. The air smells like hay with the slightest trace of rain that’s promised later.
I pull my horse up and look behind me at my family. The girls, Britt and Susie, almost ten and eight, ride their ponies, our youngest, Benji, sits in front of his father on Cash’s stallion.
We’ve built a life here. One I never could have dreamed of.
There are awards on my office walls now, framed magazine covers of the features I’ve written, even a few plaques with my name on them.
But none of those accolades could compare to the view in front of me.
My favorite people, all on horseback, laughing and smiling, and the man who still somehow looks at me after all this time like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world.
Cash’s brothers and their families ride with us. A family horseback ride, one of our favorite things to do all together. One big happy, loving and sometimes crazy making family.
My heart swells with the love I feel for all of them.
Cash rides up beside me. The brim of his hat tipped low against the setting sun. “You still get that look when you watch them all,” he says.
“What look?”
“The one that tells me you’re about to cry.”
I laugh, blinking hard. “And what if I am?”
“You’re soft, city girl.” He leans over in his saddle, stealing a quick kiss as Benji groans. “Good thing I like my city girls, soft.”
“Good thing,” I whisper back.
Together, we follow the others back toward the barn and help the kids down before supervising them in their chores.
All the children are growing up immersed in ranch life, and that means helping out and doing things for themselves.
Only with lots of love and guidance, just the way Cash’s mama did things.
Cash and all his brothers are working hard to recreate the way things were on Rock Creek Ranch when they were children, before their tyrant of a father changed how they felt about this place.
Now, there was nothing but love and happiness here.
Once the horses are brushed down and led back to their stalls, Cash’s hand finds mine. Rough and warm, and the simplest touch still sends a shiver through me, straight between my thighs.
“Any kid who wants ice cream, come with me!” Wyatt’s voice calls from the barn door. “Auntie Anna has a sundae bar set up in the big house.”
His announcement causes a stampede of little feet running through the barn and out into the yard.
Wyatt waits until the last of the cousins has run outside before turning and giving Cash a quick wave.
My husband turns to me, one brow raised with that sexy, lazy smile that I know so well, curving his mouth. “Looks like we might have a bit of time to ourselves, city girl.”
I try not to grin, leading the way out of the barn. “And what do you think we should do with that time, cowboy?”
He catches my hand and kisses my fingertips as we step out into the evening air. “I thought maybe you might want to spend a bit of time in your office.”
I’m already moving in the direction of the guest cottage where it all began, which we’ve long since converted into my office. It’s still one of my favorite places on the ranch. For many reasons. “Ohh.”I pretend to play dumb. “I do have a new article I’d like to start working on.”
“Oh yeah?” Cash leads the way up the porch steps and opens the door to the little cabin. “It wouldn’t happen to be about a sexy cowboy and his sassy city girl, would it?”
I step through the door, and crook my finger, beckoning him to me. “I guess you’re just going to have to find out.”
Join Cash and Kali for a little alone time in her office.