Chapter Twenty-Four
When Shelley opened her eyes on Sunday morning, the sun was already shining through the little gaps under the drapes. She wasn’t surprised they’d slept so late—they’d worn each other out after they came to bed last night.
She turned her head; Trip was still sleeping, his handsome face relaxed, the hint of a smile on his lips. She wanted to kiss him but didn’t want to wake him. She closed her eyes again, wanting to bask in the warmth of the feeling—she was here in his bed, he’d asked her to move in, and she’d happily agreed. He loved her—and she loved him.
They’d taken their time getting to this point, and she was glad they had. Now, she was able to relax into it, knowing that it was a choice she’d given much consideration. It wasn’t a whim, it wasn’t a loss of freedom or independence, it was a new direction in life, a new chapter—and one she was looking forward to co-authoring with him.
She loved life here in Montana, and now that she was reshaping her career and had Harper here, too… She smiled. She had to agree with Trip’s sentiment, if not his wording—her life was the rightest it had ever been.
She hadn’t expected to find herself in a position like this; she hadn’t been looking for a relationship. Her smile faded. The only lingering doubt she had was about how Trip saw their relationship progressing. She wanted to be with him—to live with him—she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She had no doubts. But she didn’t want to marry him. She was hoping he’d understand—that he might even feel the same way, given his own experience with marriage. But she didn’t know—and she wouldn’t until they discussed it. She was inclined to bring it up and get it out of the way, but at the same time, she was hesitant.
She smiled when he pressed a kiss to her temple and murmured, “Morning, honey.”
She rolled onto her side to face him. “Good morning. Do you want me to go make us coffee? I’ve been awake for a while. I can…”
He caught her hand and pulled it under the covers. “Coffee can wait, if you can. I’ve been awake for a little while, too. And this guy doesn’t want to go back to sleep.”
She closed her eyes as he curled her hand around his hot, hard length, covering it with his own and slowly moving them up and down.
“Would you have any interest in helping me out?” he asked with a smile.
“I’d be more than happy to help.” She tightened her grip and stroked harder, loving the little groan that escaped his lips.
He met her gaze as he rocked his hips in time with her hand. “That feels so damn good, honey, but I was hoping for…”
He took her by surprise when he rolled them. Before she knew what he was doing, he was lying on his back, and she was sitting astride him as he smiled up at her.
She laughed. “I love how you do that—put me where you want me.”
“I love that you love it.” He chuckled. “And since I’m not sure if I told you enough times last night, I’ll remind you—I love you.”
She rested her elbows on either side of his head and leaned in to kiss him, writhing under his touch as his hands roamed over her back and her ass, as he took the kiss deeper and rocked his hips more insistently.
“I love you, too,” she told him when she lifted her head. She’d been surprised by how many times he’d said those words to her after they got back here last night. It seemed as though now that they were out in the open, a dam had broken. To be fair, she was the same. She enjoyed telling him—enjoyed saying the words and seeing his reaction to them. So, she knew where he was coming from.
“Show me,” he said as he gripped her hips, lifting her slightly. His smile faded as he let her go and slid his hand between her legs. “Or do you need…” he asked as he circled her clit with his thumb.
She shook her head as she reached for him. “I’m ready. I woke up eager, too.” She’d thought her body had forgotten how sex worked, but it seemed ever eager when it came to Trip. Whenever he kissed her, she got wet for him—and when he hauled her around to where he wanted her, it ignited a need inside her that only he could satisfy.
His head fell back on the pillow as she curled her fingers around him and stroked herself with the tip. She closed her eyes when he reached up and brushed her nipples with his fingertips. She arched her back, leaning in, wanting more—but he didn’t oblige. Instead, he brushed another featherlight touch over the taut peaks, making her moan.
“Trip!”
He smirked. “What? The way you’re teasing me, I thought that was what you wanted—just the tip.”
She looked down at the way he throbbed in her hand—he had a point.
She lifted up onto her knees, guiding him into her until he gripped her hips and pulled her down, making her gasp.
“Good?” he asked.
“Be better when you quit talking,” she told him with a smile.
“Your wish is my command.” With that, he took over, holding her in place to receive him as his hips pistoned faster and all she could do was hang on for the ride.
When she let her head fall back and rested her hands on his thighs behind her, he held her hips as he sat up. Kissing her neck, he curled an arm around her waist and rolled them without breaking the connection.
She clung to him as she looked up into his eyes and he hooked her knee over the crook of his arm.
“Ready?”
She nodded eagerly—she was already breathless, and she knew that in this position, he’d have them both gasping for air all too soon.
He pulled back and then slowly pushed his way inside her, filling her in a way she’d never known before him. He continued to move slowly—pulling back, thrusting deep—every slide of his body against hers bringing them closer to the edge and to each other.
He rested his forehead against hers. “Not going to make it much longer, honey,” he breathed.
She pressed a kiss to his lips. “Me neither, let’s…”
She didn’t get to finish the sentence before he’d picked up the pace. He thrust deep and hard as he drove her over the edge—the pleasure spiraling out from her core, carrying her higher and higher until she felt him tense and grow impossibly harder as her orgasm triggered his. They soared away together, becoming one in a way that she hoped they’d always come to.
He slumped down over her and they lay panting together, until he lifted his head to look into her eyes.
“I love you, Shelley.”
She chuckled. “I love you, too. I thought I just showed you, but if you still need the words as well, I’m happy to say them.”
He ran his fingers down her cheek as he said, “I think I’ll always need the words as well as the physical evidence.”
“Then you can have them,” she told him.
She just hoped he wouldn’t want her to marry him as further proof.
When they eventually made it downstairs—after sharing a shower—Trip made breakfast for them while Shelley went over the notes she’d made while she was talking to Jim yesterday.
When he set a plate with an omelet and some fruit on it in front of her at the island, he said, “Sorry I never got around to asking yesterday—everything okay with Jim?”
She appreciated that he seemed to be looking everywhere except down at her notes. Perhaps it was because he was a doctor and respected confidentiality, but she was more inclined to believe it was just the man he was. He’d told her he was fine with her keeping secrets about Jim’s estate—and he was a man of his word.
She tapped her pen on the legal pad in front of her. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about it.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Not about his estate,” she said. “Just… I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but he seemed a little hurried yesterday. When we talked initially, he was fine taking our time and going over things properly. Yesterday, he wanted to speed things up. He even suggested that rather than taking the time for me to go through the licensing process, I should just draw everything up and he’d get a lawyer in town—and an old friend, not just anyone—to sign off on it all.”
Trip frowned as he set his own plate down and pulled up a stool beside her. “Do you think he’s concerned about Gavin?”
Shelley sat up a little straighter. “Well, damn. I do now that you’ve mentioned it. I mean, Jim didn’t say anything, but it would make sense, wouldn’t it?”
“It would. What do you say—should we take a ride up there to see him later? We don’t have to say we’re heading there to see him. I think we should pop in to at least see Harper, don’t you?”
She nodded. “I do. And besides, I need to talk to Jim about the cottage.” She smiled. “Make sure he’s okay with having just Harper there.”
After they’d eaten, Trip insisted on cleaning up so that she could keep working through her notes. She was lost inside her head when he came over and rested his hand on her back.
“Looks like we don’t need to go over to the cottage to see Harper. She’s almost here.”
Shelley peered out through the window and smiled when she saw Harper’s rental car.
“We talked about going car shopping for her one day soon,” she told him. “She can’t keep that rental for much longer. And she’s decided—no, she’s gotten it into her head—that she wants a pickup truck.”
Trip chuckled. “What is it, a fashion statement?”
Shelley laughed with him. “No. It seems to me that from all the friends she’s making, it might actually come in handy. Jim signed her up to help with egg deliveries, and I’m sure she’ll get involved in another project or two before too long.”
“What about you?” he asked. “Would you drive a pickup?”
She made a face. “I have a car.”
“I know, but it’s not exactly the best for these roads, is it?”
“No. But I can’t see myself ever needing a pickup. So in my case, I think it would feel like a fashion accessory.”
“Maybe an SUV like mine,” he suggested.
“I don’t think I’d need anything as big as yours, but yeah—maybe a small one.”
She glanced back out the window. “She’s just pulling up. Do you want to let her in and I’ll put fresh coffee on?”
She slipped down from the stool. “How about I put the coffee on—since you made breakfast and cleaned up? And Harper doesn’t need letting in. She…”
Harper proved her point by tapping on the kitchen door, peering through the glass at them, and then coming in.
“Hey, guys. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by.”
“I was expecting you,” said Trip.
Shelley gave him a puzzled look. “You were?”
Harper laughed. “I’ll let him explain.” She turned back to Trip. “But would I be right if I guessed that you did it?”
Trip glanced at Shelley and said, “Yes.”
Shelley laughed. “Oh, right.” She turned to Harper. “You told him to ask me to move in with him?”
She felt bad when Harper looked stricken—she’d only been joking—but Trip saved them both when he came to Shelley and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“I think you know us both better than that. Harper encouraged me; she didn’t tell me. And you know damn well that I wanted to ask you anyway.” He looked more serious as he met her gaze and added, “And if I hadn’t wanted to ask, not even Harper would have been able to talk me into it.”
She smiled and patted his cheek. “I know. That came out wrong. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, get over it, the pair of you,” said Harper with a laugh. “I’m just glad you finally got there. And judging by the way you two are mooning over each other, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that there may have been three little words involved.”
Shelley didn’t need anyone to explain that to her. She nodded happily. “There were—I finally got to tell this wonderful man that I love him.”
The smile on Trip’s face was more than enough reward for being more open than she might otherwise have been. The way Harper clasped her hands over her heart was simply an added bonus.
They were all standing there smiling at each other when the sound of Trip’s phone ringing made Shelley jump as it cut through the moment.
Harper laughed, and Trip gave them a rueful smile as he reached for his phone. “I’d better take this,” he said. “It’s Trav.”
As he answered the call and left the kitchen, Harper came to Shelley and wrapped her arms around her, squeezing her tightly.
“Yay,” she said, more quietly than usual. “I’m so happy for you, Shelley-bells.”
Shelley squeezed her back. “Thanks, Harps. I’m happy for me too. Are you sure you’re going to be okay in Jim’s cottage by yourself?”
Harper’s eyebrows arched. “Do you think I’m not capable of living alone out here, or…”
“I don’t mean that, and you know it,” said Shelley. “I guess I’m just a little concerned that maybe you decided to stay to help me out, and now…”
Harper laughed. “Even if that were the case, I’d like to think I’ve already helped you. And now…” She waggled her eyebrows. “Now I can get to work on sorting myself out.”
“What kind of sorting are you talking about?”
Harper shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Nothing in particular. Just establishing a whole new life, that’s all. New career—or at least a new take on my career as an independent editor. Whole new state, whole new way of life, whole new bunch of friends.” She squeezed Shelley’s arm. “Except for my oldest and dearest friend. What more could a girl want?”
Shelley shook her head with a smile but didn’t get the chance to reply before Trip came back into the room.
“That was Trav. I thought he might be inviting us down to the MacFarland place for lunch—but it turns out he’s on his way here. And he’s almost here. He was calling to see if you’d mind if he came over.”
Shelley’s heart sank. Trip had gone so far out of his way to include Harper in their life since she arrived—and it hit her that she hadn’t made the same kind of effort for Trip’s best friend, Travis.
Trip met her gaze and smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. He wouldn’t be turning into the driveway before he called if he thought you’d have an issue with it.”
“No, I know. But I hate that he felt the need to call at all.” She glanced at Harper. “You don’t, do you?”
Harper shrugged happily. “Maybe I’m just not as considerate as Travis.”
~ ~ ~
Trip left Shelley and Harper in the kitchen and went outside to greet Travis.
As Travis jumped down from his truck, he eyed Harper’s car. “Is she still driving that thing?” he asked. “Do we need to take her into town to buy something?”
“We do,” said Trip. “Apparently she wants a truck.”
Travis laughed. “Man, why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Because even though you don’t really know Harper yet, I think you already know what she’s like.”
Travis clasped his shoulder. “I think so. I mean, she’s kind of like me, isn’t she? Larger-than-life personality, kind of in your face—but we’d lay down our lives for our people.”
“You know, I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but you’re right—and I like it. Shelley has her own Trav, and she couldn’t have a better friend.”
Travis cocked an eyebrow. “Is that your roundabout way of saying that you love me?”
Trip had to laugh. “I guess it was. But you know damn well I don’t mind telling you out loud—I love you, bud.”
Travis grinned broadly and wrapped him in a bear hug that lifted him off his feet before setting him back down again. “You know I love it when I can make you say it.”
“I do. And I think I might finally be loosening up about saying those three little words.”
“You mean you told Shelley?”
“I did. Between you and Harper, I finally got there.”
Travis laughed as he started up the steps toward the kitchen door.
“Where are you going?” Trip called after him.
Travis grinned over his shoulder. “To high-five Harper. We knew we’d get there—we just didn’t expect it to be this soon.”
Trip could only laugh as he followed him back into the kitchen. He wasn’t even going to ask what Travis and Harper had been scheming—or even when or how.
He went to Shelley’s side and curled an arm around her waist as they watched Travis and Harper high-five each other enthusiastically.
“What’s going on?” Shelley asked. “What have the two of you been up to?”
“Making sure the two of you made it to this point,” Harper answered happily.
Travis nodded and winked at them. “We make a good team, don’t you think? You’re lucky to have us in your corner.”
Trip knew he was only joking, but at the same time, he couldn’t have spoken a truer word.
Travis met his gaze with a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you by going on about it.” He winked at Harper. “I told you—he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve the way I do.”
Harper laughed. “And like I told you—Shelley can get a bit embarrassed when it comes to talking about feelings. Not like me,” she added with another laugh. “So we’d better change the subject. What are you doing here, Trav?”
He laughed before explaining. “Retta’s spending the afternoon with Callie and baby Levi. Kolby’s gone up to the big house to grill burgers and drink beers with the brothers—but it seems like most of the girls had something else they wanted to do today, so the brothers figured they’d make the most of it. Wade’s bringing Mateo, and of course Ashton’s right there with Tanner. Little Maya didn’t want to go shopping in Bozeman with her mom and Janey, so Laney’s taken her over to her place and she’s giving her cowgirl lessons. Frankie and Shayna are riding out from Frankie’s place down into the park. And Everly’s over at my place, hanging out with her dad.”
Trip loved hearing what everyone was up to—but more than anything, he liked that Zeke and Everly were growing closer.
“Are Spider and Rocket hanging out with the MacFarland boys?” Harper asked.
“No, they could have, but they decided to ride their bikes instead.”
“Did they close the bakery for the day?” Shelley asked. “I thought they took it in turns to take days off.”
“They’ve left a new girl in charge for the day.”
“New girl?” Trip asked.
“Yeah—Bree. Do you remember her? She’s Brody’s cousin.”
“Wow. I didn’t know she was back in town.”
“She’s only been here a little while, but she landed a job at the bakery, and it sounds like she’s proved herself—Spider’s okay to leave her in charge.”
“I’ve met her,” said Harper. “She’s great.”
It was warm enough to sit outside, and soon they were all cradling drinks as they sat in the rockers that faced the mountain. Trip had lit the fire pit, even though the temperature didn’t really warrant it — but he knew Shelley loved it.
"What else is going on in your world, bud?" he asked Travis when the conversation lulled.
"You know me — keeping busy, keeping things moving. Mostly dealing with Eli and getting his program set up at the moment. And working with Libby to coordinate the riding program with the therapy."
Travis frowned. "Shit. That was one thing I meant to tell you straight away. Libby's organized the roster for us for picking young Alana up from her rehearsals. She reckoned it was easier if we all had a set day — and she gave you guys Wednesdays. You were never in the running for Tuesday, since that’s your hospital day."
"Who got Fridays?" asked Harper. "I can do Friday, since that’s the day you all get together at the bakery."
Travis gawked at her. "What do you mean, you all ? Are you making yourself an outsider now, woman?"
Trip didn’t miss the flash of emotion that crossed Harper’s face before the mask came down again. He hadn’t thought of it that way before — had never considered that a bright smile could be a mask. But it seemed in Harper’s case, it was.
She waved a hand at Travis. "I’m doing no such thing. What I’m trying to do is my part. And since most of you guys have so much else going on, and I’m still at a loose end much of the time, it seems logical to me that I should go get her on the days when you’re all free to get together. I have the luxury of being able to flit around and see whomever I like, whenever I like. So... there you go."
Travis laughed, and Trip and Shelley exchanged a smile. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed until now just how similar Trav and Harper were.
"You know, it would probably make sense for me to take Fridays," he said. "I’m in town anyway. At work."
"I thought you said you were going to start taking Friday afternoons off?" said Travis.
"Only every other Friday," he said.
He and Harper exchanged a smile.
"So how about you take the Fridays that you are in town? And me and Harper can take the other two. That way we can figure out Tuesdays — that’s my day — and Wednesdays are covered between us."
Shelley laughed. "I’m totally confused now about who’s supposed to be covering which day. How about between the four of us, we agree that we have Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays covered — and I’ll keep tabs on who’s doing which day each week?"
Trip moved his chair closer to hers and reached for her hand, feeling like he'd finally found his place in the world. He'd had a loving family, a beautiful home, and the best friends a man could ask for his whole life. But Shelley? She was like the capstone piece that brought it all together. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that his relationship with her was.
Travis was the first to bring the afternoon to a close, and Trip completely understood why. He wanted to go and pick Retta up from Callie's—and get some time with baby Levi himself.
Something inside Trip clicked into place as he watched Shelley hug Travis and say, "Trav, I'm sorry I've been taking up so much of his time lately."
"Don't ever apologize for that, darling. You make him happy, and that makes me happy. That's all I need from you."
Shelley tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "That might be all you need, but I need to do more. I feel like you got left out in the cold since I arrived."
Travis hugged her again. "I get what you're saying, Shelley. I do—but there's no need to worry. I've been giving you both the time and space you need." He chuckled. "But I won't always." He glanced over at Trip. "I've been missing my buddy. And today, when I figured out that everyone else was hanging out with their peeps, there was no way I was going to miss out on the chance to come and see my peep."
He laughed as he tackled Trip, and Trip could only laugh with him as Travis slung him over his shoulder. Back when they were little kids, Travis had been the tallest and strongest of all their friends. He used to protect Trip from the rougher kids in school. They’d probably been nine years old the first time Trav had thrown him over his shoulder and run, claiming it was the quickest way to get them out of brewing trouble.
As Trav set him back on his feet, emotion clogged Trip’s throat. They’d served in the Navy together—and he wouldn’t be standing here today if Trav had refused to give up on him on a mission gone wrong. Even Trip hadn’t thought he was going to make it, but Trav had thrown him over his shoulder and carried his ass out of there.
Trav slung his arm around Trip’s shoulders and hugged him to his side. "Gotta run, bud. I’ll see you soon, okay?"
He tipped his hat at Shelley and Harper. "It’s been a pleasure, ladies. I’ll see you soon, too."
"You should bring Retta," said Trip. He smiled as he remembered Anita’s offer. "I may have promised Anita that she can throw another dinner party."
"I’m sure Retta will love that," Trav said with a wry smile.
Trip laughed. "Maybe we should start our own Sunday afternoon thing, too—grilling burgers and drinking beer with whoever’s not over at the MacFarland place."
Travis grinned. "Speaking of the MacFarlands, I think there might be an extra two of them around next weekend—but I’ll give you a call in the week and tell you about it."
"Ooh, does that mean Cash is coming?" asked Harper.
Trip could only laugh.
"It does," Travis told her. "But if you’re looking to find a man of your own, I don’t think that’s the place to start."
Harper waved a hand at him. "The only looking I’m doing is for the sake of looking." She laughed. "And it seems to me that around here, there’s no wrong place to look."