Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Kate
If he wanted to, he would. The sentence plays over and over in my head as I clean the kitchen.
If he wanted to, he would.
In a flash, all the ways Vaughn and even Gus have looked out for me over the last few weeks come to mind. The meals Vaughn makes for me. The way they listen to my day and offer support.
Gus stands and takes the rag I’m using to wipe the countertop, offering a gruff “I got this, Katie.”
They fixed my car for me.
They take care of me.
Gus might’ve done some of it, but I know it’s Vaughn’s influence that’s led to this change.
It was Vaughn who fixed the steps that needed it and made them safe for us without anyone asking. Vaughn who replaced the rocking chairs so we could enjoy the outdoor space. Vaughn who brought home an injured animal and is nursing it back to health with such tenderness it makes my heart ache.
He’s a good man. A grumpy one sometimes, but a good one under that crusty exterior.
I have no business considering why he’s done all the things he’s done since he’s been here. Maybe it’s some form of penance for being away for so long.
Or maybe it’s just him.
After I shower and do my nightly routine, I pause by Vaughn’s room. The door is cracked open, but he’s not inside. He disappeared after Gus dropped those words of wisdom that keep reverberating in my mind.
The sounds of Gus puttering around filter upstairs to me, the sounds familiar and comforting.
I’ve come a long way from the brokenhearted woman I hid when I first moved here.
Pouring all of my focus onto Gus and into my program helped me find a new purpose.
A new reason to keep going when all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and hide from the world.
Stars twinkle in the clear night sky through my window, beckoning me to step outside, and I’m too caught up in Vaughn and Gus to even think about studying, so I answer that call.
The house is quiet as I pass through. Once I’m outside, crisp, cool air helps halt the jumble of thoughts as I soak in the night sky and the vastness of the stars.
They make me feel small. This far out of town, there are no streetlights.
The dim glow from the kitchen lamp that I leave on for Gus is the only light.
Even the moon is allowing the stars to have their moment.
The barn catches my eye. Maybe I’ll follow Vaughn’s example and talk it out with Yankee. I’ve seen him doing it from time to time when he doesn’t think I’m looking. Maybe the horse can also help me come to terms with the state of my life.
But when I enter the stall, I find the yellow-and-white quarter horse nuzzling the man.
Vaughn lifts his head as I step into the now spotless barn. He’s worked hard over the last few weeks, I realize. I take him in. Broad shoulders, trim waist. Troubled eyes.
I found him attractive the first time I laid eyes on him, but he’s so much more than a handsome visage. He’s caring and considerate, even when it’s not reciprocated. Thoughtful and hardworking. He is the definition of If he wanted to, he would.
And Vaughn has. From the start.
Without a word, I pad over to him. He steps back from Yankee as I draw near. But instead of stopping at a safe distance, I barrel right into him. Wrapping my arms around his torso and sighing in relief when he closes his around me.
We are two souls starved of basic intimacy, clinging like we need this connection to survive.
I chuckle at my own overly dramatic thoughts.
“You okay? I mean, I’m always available for hugs. But what’s going on with you, Kate? Where’s your head?” he asks, even as he rubs a soothing hand up and down my spine.
Drawing back enough to look into his eyes, I cup his jaw.
There’s so much depth to his gaze a girl could get lost. So much depth to the man, I could fall into him. But so much strength to him that I know he’d catch me.
On impulse, I rise, pressing a soft kiss on those beautiful lips.