Chapter 18 #3
“Thank you,” I smile. “All my time in the kitchen with Annie growing up taught me a few things.”
“So, you did grow up on this ranch?”
“Pretty much.” After finishing my omelet, I move to the table, sitting next to her.
“Yet you were never in the papers.” A ray of morning light bounces off the countertop, highlighting the amber in her brown eyes. “You’d think the nephew of Cole Harlow would’ve featured more often,” she quirks an eyebrow.
“I’m not a fan of getting my picture taken.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame,” she smirks at me. “You take a damn good photo.”
Good enough that she got off to it last night.
Before I consume myself with thoughts that will only persuade me to throw her on the table and fuck her until she screams, I change the conversation.
“So, how’s Averie?”
She lets out a breath. “Fine, now. But it took all night to talk her into a good place. That boyfriend of hers sounds like a real spoiled prick.”
Upon closer inspection, Sadie looks exhausted. Her caramel hair is piled into a messy bun, her makeup is smudged, and dark circles have formed under her eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
She meets my eyes and smiles. “Thanks for taking care of Foxie, by the way.”
I smile back.
Pink flushes into her cheeks as she fidgets in her seat. “I would have shown you my vibrator a long time ago if I’d known it would make you smile so much.”
A low laugh reverberates in my chest. “Well, you could show me how you use it.” She freezes, mid-bite. Her cheeks turn from pink to red in an instant. “That’s something that would make me smile,” my mouth quirks to the side.
She glances over her shoulder. “You mean, now?”
Never knew she was so eager.
“Later. You should eat and rest.” As much as the thought excites me, she looks exhausted. There’ll be plenty of time for that in the near future.
We finish eating in silence, watching each other with curious eyes. She blushes when I smile, but with each bite, her eyes start to droop. She looks half-asleep sitting in her chair, as if at any moment she’s going to fall over.
“You finished?” I come up beside her.
She nods like a zombie, shoulders sagging.
“Come here,” I help her out of the chair, lifting her into my arms.
“This brings back memories,” she murmurs against my shoulder, eyes closed.
Memories of when I carried her frozen ass out of the river. A memory that feels like a lifetime ago.
“Not good ones,” I huff.
I lay her down on my bed, pulling the blankets over her. Foxie jumps up beside her, settling in close.
“I do have a bed, you know.”
“Your furnace is fucked.” Worry flashes across her face. “Don’t worry about it,” I brush a strand of hair away from her eyes. “I’ll fix it. Just try and get some rest.”
“Why are you always taking care of me?” She grabs my forearm before I walk away. Her warm doe eyes open wide to meet mine. “Fixing my door, letting me borrow your flannel, saving me from drowning… making me food. You’re always doing it.”
“Is it boring you?” An edge creeps into my voice. The ghost of the hurt I experienced in my last relationship.
“No,” she says quickly. “It’s just… nice.”
“Nice?”
“Really nice,” she shimmies until she’s cozy, closing her eyes. “I’ve never”—she yawns—“I’ve never had that. Why are you so… so nice?”
“I thought you said I was an asshole?”
“You can be, but this… this feels more like you.”
Warmth fills my chest at her words. “Well, that’s just who I am. I can’t help it.”
“You’re not who I thought you’d be,” she smiles, keeping her eyes closed as she yawns again. “But I like you, Cowboy,” she murmurs, half-asleep. “A lot.”
Neither is she. Sadie is unexpected, like a rainstorm on a sunny day. You’d never see it coming, but when it did, you didn’t know how much you loved the rain. Didn’t know how good it could feel.
“I like you, too, Tequila. A lot.”
She smiles, bunching up the blankets around her face.
I’d love to kiss that cute freckle near her bottom lip just to show her how much I like her… but she looks so tired.
“You’re going to be a great ranch owner, by the way,” she mumbles.
“What?” My heart pounds. How does she know?
“This bed smells amazing,” she murmurs into my pillow, ignoring me. “I don’t know how you expect me to… to sleep.” And then she’s out. Mouth falling open as she slips into a deep sleep.
She’s the most peaceful I’ve ever seen her.
Soft and still smiling.
You’re going to be a great ranch owner…
My thoughts race nearly as fast as my pulse.
I head to her cabin to inspect her broken furnace, keeping myself occupied from overthinking it. Maybe she won’t even remember when she wakes?
That’s the best-case scenario, and one I’m hoping for.
After changing the filters and checking the thermostat, it’s still not working properly.
Must be something electrical, which is not my strong suit, but I know just the man who can fix it.
I call Tanner, who works on the ranch maintenance team, asking him to take a look when he gets the chance.
Heading to the barn afterwards to lift some weights with Bandit by my side, keeping the house quiet while Sadie rests.