Chapter Twenty-Eight
I lay on the mattress and let out a long sigh.
Oh my gosh, it was so comfortable. I expected a camper mattress, stiff, old, not a chance you’ll get a wink of sleep on it, but boy was I wrong. I sank into it and pulled the soft floral quilt to my chin. I could die in that bed and be happy about it.
I spent an hour talking to Martha, letting the family have their own time. I paced around the trailers, trying hard not to talk too loudly about how sexy Colton was on the date and how well their family treated me.
“Oh, Allegra, you sound so happy,” Martha had said. “Are you happy, sweetheart?”
I was, I really was. Something about being back in the country, surrounded by people I truly enjoyed being around, possibly falling for someone who treated me like a queen, I was happy. “I am, Martha. I miss you, and Chicago, of course, but I’m really happy.”
I was doing my best not to think about what it meant for me when this project was over. The sense of overwhelming doom was how it was best described in my head. It was terrifying and had so many unanswered questions.
I actually had my final presentation scheduled for two weeks from now. That’s where I was going to show Mr. Sterling that I was qualified for his job, that I spent the last few weeks doing what I do best, and earning every cent I was given.
“That warms my heart,” Martha was sniffing, as if she was teary just thinking about my happiness.
Gosh, I was lucky to have her.
I hung up and slipped into the camper, careful not to disturb the serious conversation that was going on around the campfire.
Family stuff, career stuff, rodeo stuff, who knew? But it wasn’t my business, and I was drained.
I slipped out of my pale pink dress and slid on my favorite blue tank-top-and-shorts pajama set. Yes, it was way too short to wear in front of Colton’s family, so I had a backup lounge set to slide on in the morning.
I just couldn’t resist a perfect night’s sleep in the most comfortable bed with my favorite jammies.
The sun had set a while ago, and the crickets and fireflies were coming out for the night. I took a deep breath, the familiar Texas air filling my lungs.
Yes, my teen years had been horrible here, but I couldn’t deny that this had been my home for most of my life. I loved Texas, no matter how far I had tried to run, no matter how hard I had tried to change who I was.
I was a cowgirl from Texas, and being around an Oklahoma cowboy was making that fact harder and harder to hide.
Speaking of the Oklahoma cowboy, the front camper door squeaked open and closed quietly.
The bathroom door, which was the only thing between my room and the living room, opened, and I heard the shower start up.
I had hoped to say goodnight to Colton, maybe even kiss him one more time, so I could dream about his lips, but I was too tired to wait for him to shower.
I’d kiss him in the morning…
I must’ve drifted off quickly. The camper was completely dark, pitch black, except for a small light in the corner.
I squinted, and my eyes finally adjusted to see Colton sliding the curtain open and holding his phone as a flashlight. He stepped on a squeaky floorboard and cringed, sliding the curtain closed behind him.
He jumped a little when he saw me awake. “Hi,” he whispered.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Hi,” I whispered back.
He was only wearing basketball shorts, no shirt, and his hair was wet from the shower.
Oh, sweet heavens.
I sat up and smoothed my hair, hoping I wasn’t asleep long enough to already have bed head.
“Did I wake ya?”
“No,” I lied.
He was now just standing awkwardly in the entrance of the room, his twitching hands giving away his nervousness.
“You’re blinding me,” I said with a laugh. I reached over and turned on the light on the sconce.
“Sorry,” he said, lowering his phone flashlight. “I just….I didn’t want to…I wanted to say goodnight,” he stumbled.
I was now very aware of my tank top and shorts. “Come on in.”
He shuffled in and sat on the edge of the bed. “I definitely woke you up, didn’t I?”
In the light of the lamp, I finally got a good look at him.
His hair was damp and clinging to his forehead. His arms, oh my gosh, his arms, they were chiselled from gold, and each muscle was toned to perfection with veins straining against his tan skin. His shirtless look with all those abs was making my head spin.
“My eyes are up here, Miss Ford,” Colton said, giving me a teasing nudge.
I reddened, realizing I was completely staring at his chest. I forced my eyes back to his face, his crooked, huge smile and bright green eyes staring right back at me.
He had a few freckles I hadn’t noticed before, but now, in the intimate lighting, I could count just a few scattered across his face, giving him a boyish charm.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Nash, your body is incredibly distracting. ”
Now he was blushing. “Oh really?”
I nodded. “I’m really glad you came to say goodnight.”
We were both whispering, trying to keep Jimmy from hearing this wildly embarrassing conversation.
I shuffled over and patted the bed beside me. He rolled on his back to his stomach and put his head on his hands, his legs kicking in the air behind him, doing a great impression of a girl at a sleepover, ready to gossip. I did my best not to laugh out loud. “You look comfy.”
He laughed with me. “I just wanna look at ya.”
“Thanks for the date,” I said, bringing my knees to my chest. “That was a lot of fun.”
“My pleasure! I would love to see you dance again sometime,” Colton winked. “Tomorrow?”
“If you buy me another steak like that, I’ll dance.”
“Deal.”
We were both quiet for a moment, simply looking at each other. Finally, he scooted his body up and sat beside me on the bed, not hesitating to grab my hand. “It means a lot to me that you’re here,” he said with obvious authenticity.
I shrugged. “You guys are saving me from lonely hotel rooms and airport security. I appreciate you letting me tag along.”
He shook his head. “I know we can be…a lot, and I just am grateful for your patience.”
He had no idea how happy I was to be surrounded by this much constant love, so I just nodded. “Have you heard which horse you’re riding tomorrow?”
Colton’s face transformed into the usual small smile that he got when he talked about the rodeo. “Yeah, got a message an hour or so ago. I’m ridin’ ‘JitterBug.’”
I snorted. “Well, be sure to wake me up, before you go-go.”
He laughed with me. “I hope he holds up to the ‘Wham’ reputation. I need a few more points to slingshot me enough to be comfortable until the next round.”
He was stressing out again. I didn’t want him to worry about whether or not he’d make it to the finals this year. I wanted this to be his chance to relax.
I brought his hand to my lips and kissed the back of it.
“Can I ask you for a favor?” he said suddenly.
I nodded.
“Can I take a picture of you to keep in my hat?” He seemed nervous to ask me the question and jumped in to explain.
“It’s an old rodeo tradition, like my gramps did it.
He kept a picture of my grandma in his hat and looked at it right before he rode, every time.
Then my dad did it, with my ma, and I think it’s still in there.
The pictures get really sweaty, and so I’d understand if-”
“I’d be honored,” I interrupted.
He smiled. “Really?”
“You want to look at my picture before you ride? That’s like, the biggest compliment a rodeo cowboy can give a girl.”
He let out a sigh, like he’d been wanting to ask that for a while. “You’re pretty much the most amazin’ woman I’ve ever met.”
“I’m just a girl who’s good at marketing.”
His hand snaked up my neck and settled on my cheek, letting out a soft breath. “You’re very good at your job, Ally.”
I couldn’t breathe. I was staring at his lips, parted and ready for mine. “Yeah,” I whispered pathetically.
He leaned in just enough to gently bite my bottom lip. “Yeah.”
I was the one to close the gap this time. My left hand pressed against his bare stomach, gripping his skin in my fingers. I leaned into his hand on my cheek as I kissed him deeply. He found my waist and pulled me closer until our chests collided with each other.
I physically couldn’t get enough.
His warm tongue in my mouth was intoxicating. My arms were around his neck, getting him even closer to my body. I needed him.
He let out a soft moan, making my legs quiver.
Gosh, he was the sexiest man alive.
He suddenly stood and pushed himself off the bed, making me fall back in surprise. He was pacing up and down the tiny portion between the bed and the wall. “You’re trouble, Ally Ford.”
I was still catching my breath.
He came to my side of the bed and knelt beside me, grabbing my hand with both of his. “I would love nothin’ more than to spend the night in this bed, but I respect you way too much for that.”
I sighed, relieved that it wasn’t something I had done to make him stop kissing me that quickly. I laughed softly and tucked my hair behind my ears. “You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t sleep with a man until he marries me,” I said determinedly.
I know, call me old-fashioned, but I don’t care.
I had spent my teen years, my formative teen years, watching my mother bring every man in Texas into her bedroom. The way they treated her, the way they dismissed me, it was all an amazing life lesson for me.
I learned that if a man had to get in my pants to show me how much he cared for me, he wasn’t worth a dime. Yes, I was a “rebel” in high school–though my idea of rebellion was line dancing at a honky tonk bar–but that was a principle I was going to stick to until the day I died.
I’d lost a few boyfriends because of this, and Harrison had fought me almost every night for a year about it, threatening to leave, calling me boring, whatever. I held strong until he stopped asking and accepted what it would take to sleep with me.
Then we talked of nothing but getting engaged as soon as possible.
Colton raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really?”
I nodded, daring him to try and challenge me. I was a Texas cowgirl at heart; there was nothing that could change my stubborn mind about this. “And if that bothers you, I-”
He leaned forward and planted a single sweet kiss on my lips.
“You’re a light in a dark world, Ally Ford.
You’re a breath of fresh air when I feel like I’m drownin’.
That is one of my favorite things you’ve ever said.
” He sighed and shook his head sternly. “I don’t need to sleep with you for you to know how much I desire you. ”
I swallowed hard, staring at the man who was a dream come true. A model of a perfect man, a true gentleman, everything I could ever want. “You desire me?” I barely croaked out.
“I yearn for you, Ally,” he was still grinning, his big classic smile that had made my heart pitter-patter from the beginning. “I’m not subtle with my feelings; my entire family will tell you that I’m a sensitive man, but I need you to know how worthy you are.”
I could’ve died right then and there.
He kissed me again. “Goodnight, Ally. Sleep well, I cannot wait to see you in the morning.” And with that, the cowboy stood up and walked out of my room.
I couldn’t have thought of something as beautiful as that to respond to his heart-melting words.
His taste still lingered on my lips, my heart still racing in reaction to his touch, his words bounced around my head, settling in my chest and filling it with warmth.
I was falling for the rodeo cowboy.
I was falling for Colton Nash.