Chapter 13
ETTA
Sure, Cheese Bread, or Cheesy for short, is a weird name for a llama. But then he’s a bit of a weirdo himself, with brown and black splotches and oddly animated ears that swivel as if he’s listening to every word we say. So it fits.
I hear a phone beep as we walk the short distance back to the house. Boss chuckles. "It's the sheriff." He answers, sounding so relaxed that I'm not worried. "Bill, how's it going?" He turns up the volume so I can hear.
"Thanks for those photos you sent of the assholes from Decker Realty. Wouldja believe they showed up at my office?"
"Did they, now. Did you stick a boot up their ass?"
"Just about." He sighs. "Then they started yelling about all those rumors regarding your ranch."
"You know how we operate, Bill," Boss says, scratching the back of his head. “That gate is locked to the public, but open to you anytime you feel you need to drop by."
"Oh, I'm good. But the taller one was bitching about… Do you really have a camel?"
My hand claps over my mouth to keep in my laugh. Dad is afraid of animals, so of course that’s the thing he fixated on.
"Morons." Boss scoffs. "It's a llama. Some folks over in Willisworth told us the thing had been wandering near the highway last month, so we took it in."
Bill chuckles. "Of course you did. You'll be running a zoo pretty soon.”
“Hey, man, when we have baby goats bouncing around everywhere come spring and your grandkids want to come over to visit them, you'll be glad they're here."
"Good point. Well, I've got photos posted of the Deckers and I'll be mentioning them to anyone who drops by for the next few weeks. We’ll keep those bastards out of here."
"Thanks, Bill. Just so you know, the tall one’s daughter is living here now." Boss smiles at me. "Etta is my amazing new girlfriend."
I hear a deep rolling laugh from the phone. "Happy for you, friend. Talk soon."
Boss takes my hand, and we walk the last stretch to his house.
"Umm…girlfriend?" I whisper.
"Yeah.” We step onto the porch as he slips an arm around me, threading his fingers through the back of my hair. "Mine. All mine."
Sinking into his arms, my cheek presses to his chest so I can hear his heartbeat. It's a bit quick. "Remember when I demanded to know what you were thinking in the shower?" I tip up my chin to look in his eyes. “I'd love to know what you're thinking right now."
The fingers in my hair tighten as he grips my hip, pulling us together for a rough, savage kiss.
"I need to claim you again, baby," he rasps.
"Now that I've told you that I love you, and heard that you feel the same…
and you're going to stay with me…" His eyebrow raises. "I need to make you mine again.”
"I think I was yours from the first moment we saw each other," I breathe.
"Yeah, you were. Still need to make sure of it, though.”
I burst into laughter. "Is this some primitive caveman thing? Are you the alpha male who wants me to belong to him, who’s going to knock me up immediately and all that crap?"
He cups my face with his rough hands. "Kind of.
I want us to belong to each other. And yes, I cannot wait to have children with you, but we can wait as long as you like.
" His eyes drop, then he looks up at me in some embarrassment.
"Actually, I would like to do the whole wedding thing first. Is that okay? "
"Wow," I sputter. "I was just teasing—"
"I'm not." He drops to one knee, taking my hands in his. "Etta, my beautiful love. When I propose to you…not today or anything, but very soon…do you promise not to freak out and to consider the question carefully?"
Watching a serious man being silly is something I’m quickly growing to love. "Yes. I do."
He lifts me in his arms, carrying me inside and straight to the bedroom.
The second he sets me down in front of the bed, Boss grips my arms, examining my face anxiously.
“You look rattled, baby. What did I do?" He steps back.
"We don't have to have sex. I was just so fired up. If you only want to cuddle, or—"
I can't control the wobbling of my bottom lip. "Nothing like that. It just hit me… This place already feels more like home than anywhere I've ever stayed." Placing my palms in the center of his chest, I look up, my eyes becoming glassy. "You feel like home."
The adoration in his eyes triggers tingles all the way up and down my spine that I will never tire of.
"This entire place wasn't quite right until you appeared. Now everything is incredible. You're not just a missing piece that's falling into place, beautiful. You’re…"
"Yours?"
He nods seriously. "Yeah. We just didn't know it yet."
"You’d better remind me what that means." I slowly unbutton the front of his shirt. "Remind me until I can't see straight, big guy."