Chapter 50
CHAPTER FIFTY
Ace
Every time she leaves to go back to LA, it hurts.
I hide it well. I lean against the fence, and I smile, and I tell her to fly safe, and I watch the dust trail until it disappears.
But underneath all of that, something tightens in my chest that I can't talk my way out of.
It reminds me of when we first tried long distance, years ago. And how that ended.
Part of me is terrified it's going to happen all over again.
But we've grown up since then. We've spent enough time apart to know that we're it for each other. No matter what. No matter how many miles or how many lies she has to tell in LA, or how many times I have to watch her taillights disappear down that road.
Harper's hand rests on my cheek as she leans back against her car. The morning sun is catching her hair, turning it gold, like the horse I’ve managed to convince Colt to let me give her soon.
She's wearing my flannel again. The green one.
She's going to take every shirt I own back to California one at a time, and I'll let her. Because she’s going to bring them all back when she moves back home.
We've spent the last three days living like a normal couple. As normal as we can be. She wakes up early with me, comes out to help feed the livestock, and checks on the horses. She watches me train with Jett. She reads on the porch.
Then we fuck. We fuck a hell of a lot.
But yesterday, Hudson called. Demanded her back in the office tomorrow. The sound of his name in her mouth made my jaw lock so tight I nearly cracked a molar.
"Hey, Ace," she says, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.
"Yes, baby?"
"I'm going back to quit."
My eyes light up. My whole body vibrates.
"Serious? That's what you want to do?" My hands loop around her waist, pulling her closer.
She giggles. "Yes, cowboy. I am one million percent sure I want to quit that job and leave LA for good."
I pepper kisses along her neck, and she melts against me. Her fingers curl into the front of my shirt.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me, darlin'."
She pulls back and holds my face. "You better be the most excited you've ever been in your life, Ace."
I bite back a grin. "So that means no more engagement? You think he's just going to roll over and take it?"
She shrugs. "I've got a meeting with Gianna tomorrow. I have a plan. You really need to help me with Hunter to get her that meeting to sweeten the deal for me."
My eyebrow arches. I don't like the sound of that. “I can’t change my brother's mind unless she has something that’ll change it for him. Be careful, Harper. Please."
She runs her hands up my chest. "Worried about me, huh?"
I nod and tip her hat back so I can see her properly. "Always. Meet somewhere public. Or better yet, have her come to your office."
"You're hot when you're all possessive and worried about me."
I keep my face stern. "I mean it. Remember who that woman is."
She gives me a soft smile. "I promise I'll be careful. I'll share my location."
I tilt my head. "Alright." I tip her chin up. "And Hudson. If he steps one foot out of line, you call me. I'll kill him. Understood?"
I'm serious. After what happened to Lola, I trust no man around my woman. And the men who hurt Lola met the right end. Death.
Harper swallows. "I hear you, Ace. But it'll be fine. I can keep working with Gianna, and that keeps you guys in the loop. Hudson is pretty irrelevant at this point. Everything is covered up well enough."
I exhale. I hope she's right. If she's not, we've got Enzo behind us anyway.
I lean in and claim her lips. "Fly safe, baby," I whisper.
"I'll call you. I've got dinner with Emma tonight, meetings tomorrow, and then hopefully I'll be back by Friday." She grins. "And Saturday, I get to watch my man win his world title back. Yeah?"
I grin. "Yeah, you will."
She yanks me back down. Kisses me again as I push her against the car door. I reach behind her and open it, never taking my lips from hers.
"You really gotta go before I bend you over the hood, baby."
She nips my lip. "Hold that thought for a couple of days."
"Oh, I will." I'm already getting hard just thinking about it.
"I love you," I tell her. And it's the one thing I know for certain in this life. The purest thing I've ever done is love this woman.
"I love you. With everything," she says.
I tap her ass as she gets in the car. Then I lean across and buckle her seatbelt. She watches me do it with that look. The one that says she knows exactly how much it means that I'm the kind of man who buckles her in.
I step back and lean on the fence. Cross my arms. Watch the love of my life drive off to the airport.
But this time, she's not breaking my heart. She's putting it back together.