CHAPTER 53
Frankie
After the barbecue, Special K surprises me by telling me he’s taking me on a date.
We’re going on a horseback ride.
He walks me to a sprawling horse barn complex that looks like it should be a movie set and shows me to a room stocked with riding gear. “Anything you need you’ll find in here. Even boots, Boots.”
I find a pair of jeans that fit like a glove, a pair of comfortable, lived-in boots that are my size, and a long-sleeved moisture-wicking shirt. I step outside to find Special K waiting for me with a cowboy hat. He spins it on his index finger, then plops it on my head.
“Now it’s official,” he says. “Not only are you the prettiest girl in the world, you’re the prettiest cowgirl, too.”
He introduces me to Joe Valencia, his friend and ranch staff manager. The two of them show me the horse they’ve chosen for me to ride. It isn’t the small mare Special K brought up for me, the one Emma rode to the ridge yesterday. This is something altogether different.
“Is this an Appaloosa?” I ask.
“You got a good eye,” Joe tells me, grinning. “This is Athena. She’s a four-year-old with a lot of get up and go, but she’s a good listener and not a complete idiot, like Diego Guapo over here.”
“Watch it,” Special K says, laughing.
He walks me over to introduce me to Athena, and the fair-haired horse with dark brown spots sniffs my hand. She’s beautiful, with a snow white blaze down her nose. “When you told me you learned to ride as a kid, I figured you might like to have some fun. Ready?”
“You know me,” I say.
Special K chuckles low in his chest as he gives me a boost into the saddle. He checks the stirrup length and the tightness of the girth, then mounts DG.
We walk off, side by side down the lane.
“I’m going to take you to the real hot springs, not the piss ant version in the mountains.”
“I loved that version.”
“Then you’re really gonna love this place. We can watch the sunset from there,” he says.
“Sounds romantic.”
“Does it?” He smiles to himself but doesn’t make eye contact. I think he’s up to something.
He turns us toward a wide, flat meadow, and Athena happily follows along.
“Ready to go a bit faster, Boots?”
“Canter?”
“You go it.”
We move both horses to the next fastest gait, and it takes me a bit of time to get used to how Athena moves and responds to my weight. I’m not used to the split reins, so there’s a learning curve, and the saddle feels strange.
“You’re a great rider,” Special K says. “A natural.”
“I’m not at all used to a Western saddle. It’s like riding a horse while sitting in an armchair.”
“As opposed to perched on an uncomfortable stool?”
I laugh. “Close.”
We continue through the meadow, and pretty soon I’m relaxed and enjoying all the sensations this ride offers me.
The sight of the rolling land, rising hills, and majestic mountains.
The smell of fresh earth and grass and the sound of hooves and wind.
The feel of the wind in my hair and the capable horse under me.
And the deep sense of peace that comes from being at Special K’s side.
“You good?” he calls out to me.
“Excellent.”
“Then let’s give ‘em some gas.”
We kick the horses into a gallop, and I hoot with joy. For a moment, I give myself this gift of being free. I won’t think of Niko and his crew of ruthless scum. I won’t worry about whether he’s looking for me, or how long I have until he finds me.
After a nice long run, we slow the horses, continuing on for another half hour or so before we reach the hot springs.
I know that Pussy is back at Emma’s house, perfectly content with Jasmine, so I have no concerns about keeping her out of harm’s way.
I’m still a little embarrassed about how I lost my shit up on the ridge when Pussy ran off.
It was a reminder that I can pretend I’m not afraid and focus on enjoying the moment, but the fear—so sharp and nasty—is always just below the surface waiting to be triggered.
When we get to the hot springs, Special K helps me down from Athena. He secures the horses in the shade and we walk to a vantage point on a large boulder to watch the sunset. He puts his arm around me, and I lay my head on his shoulder.
“Let’s sit for a minute,” he says. He guides me to a nearby rock shaped almost like an overstuffed chair. We sit and lean back. His arm is propped casually over my shoulders.
“Thank you for this,” I tell him.
“Thank you, Frankie.”
His politeness makes me laugh, and when I look over at him, I say, “We’ve sure got the gratitude part nailed down.”
“We have a lot of the parts nailed down,” he says, his voice serious. “Does it seem strange to you that it’s been so easy for us? That there’s no awkwardness, or effort required in being together?”
“See? I told you this was gonna be romantic.”
He gives me a crooked smile, and his single dimple comes to life. I love that damn thing.
I love him.
“I’m going to tell you something. I’m asking you to hear me out.”
Oh, shit. “Okay.”
“My brothers and I have come up with three options. You can choose which one suits you the best in terms of location but know that no matter which you choose, you’ll be comfortable and completely safe.
We want you to have the final say, and once you choose, we’ll go over all the logistics with you so that you understand everything that will be required of you. ”
I nod and swallow hard. “Okay.” This sounds real. It sounds terrifying. But compared to just getting in my car and driving to nowhere? I’m so relieved that I’m near tears. “I’ll never be able to thank you.”
“And that brings me to this next part.” He strokes my cheek with a calloused finger. “Hear me out.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“Not what I was going for,” he says laughing. “So, here’s the situation: I think we’re supposed to be together. I think we found each other for a reason and the stupidest fucking thing we could ever do is just throw it away, walk away from each other when there’s so much more good shit to come.”
I let go with a surprised laugh.
“Didn’t expect that?”
“No!” My whole body is humming with confusion and joy and I don’t know what else to call it. Hope? Happiness?
“Then you’re going to really like this next bit—I’m falling in love with you, Boots. I am in love with you. And I’m not letting you go.”
I sputter. He’s just knocked the wind out of me. “But I can’t… I don’t under… I thought I was the only crazy one! I love you, too, Special K! I think I’ve loved you from the first second I laid eyes on you!”
“That’s all that matters.”
I push away, staring at him incredulously. “You just got finished telling me to pick a place to hide and now you’re saying you won’t let me?”
“No, baby.” He lowers his lips to mine, and only with the steady warmth of his kiss do I realize I’m trembling.
He pulls back to look at me. “There are some details we need to work out, and I’ve already got Cal working on it, but I’ve made a decision—I’m going with you.
You won’t have to carry this burden alone. Ever. Because you have me.”
“No.” I jump to my feet. He follows. Tears are already running down my cheeks. “Your life is here—your family and your work and your home. There is no way I would ever ask you to leave it behind.”
“You didn’t ask me to.”
“No!” I push against his chest. “There’s a baby coming. Another wedding. Your Dad needs you at the ranch and your family loves you. Your whole life is here, Special K. Everything you are is here.”
“Except for you, Frankie. You’re now at the center of who I am, and I won’t let you go.”
I’m shaking my head.
“It won’t be forever. We’ll figure it out, and one day we can come back if that’s what you want to do. I love you, my beautiful, sweet Frankie.”
I’m stunned. Half of me is jumping for joy and the other half is terrified. No one has ever given up everything for me. No one has ever loved me as much as this man does. It’s insane. We just met. These aren’t the kind of decisions people usually make after knowing each other for a week.
“This is insane,” I say.
“So that’s a ‘yes?’”
I laugh. He’s always making me laugh. “Can we really do this, Special K?”
“We can.” He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close. “As long as we’re together, we can do anything. We’re unstoppable.”