Chapter 18 #2
Just living in this moment.
Our lips part slowly, but I keep my hands on her waist, not ready to let her go.
Her chest rises and falls in quick, shallow breaths, her skin flushed, lips kiss-bruised. There’s something in her eyes, something tender, open. Like maybe she’s been holding her breath for a long time, and now she’s finally letting it out.
I’m taking it all in.
Burning this moment into memory.
Neither of us speak for a beat.
Then I run my thumb across her jaw, slow and soft. “You okay?”
She nods, slow and sure. “Yeah…I’m more than okay.” Her voice is quiet, but steady.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, my forehead dropping to rest lightly against hers. Water laps gently around us, the lake soft and warm like it’s holding the moment for us.
“You scare the shit out of me,” she whispers.
My brows lift, and I pull back just enough to see her face. “What?”
Her lips quirk, a nervous little smile ghosting there. “You make me feel things I haven’t let myself feel in a long time…and I don’t know what to do with that.”
Fuck. If she only knew.
“Yeah?” I murmur, brushing a strand of wet hair off her cheek. “Well, you’ve been living rent-free in my head for weeks.”
She lets out a soft laugh, her fingers tracing the edge of my jaw like she’s still trying to believe this is real.
She’s tracing her finger over my chest, where my tattoo begins, she notices the scars on my chest.
“What’s this?” Her eyes looking back at mine, waiting for an answer I don’t want to give just yet.
I press a kiss to her temple and close my eyes for a second.
“We should head back,” I tell her, avoiding her question because I don’t want my past getting in the way of this moment.
She looks confused, her hand comes off my chest.
“Um, yeah, sure.” She starts heading out of the water without looking back.
* * *
Mindy, Greg, and Riley took Maeve and Sapphire back to the ranch, leaving just the two of us riding Willow under the fading light.
Vivian’s sitting in front of me, her back resting lightly against my chest, her hair dancing in the breeze.
The soft scent of her shampoo, something warm and sweet, like vanilla mixed with lake water catches in the air.
My hands rest on either side of her waist as I hold the reins.
The sky is doing its own kind of show, pink and amber bleeding across the horizon as the sun dips behind the hills of Bluebell Hollow. It’s quiet, except for the sound of the horse’s hooves on the trail and the occasional call of birds heading home.
“You want to hold the reins too?” I ask softly, my voice right by her ear.
She glances over her shoulder, her lips curved in the faintest smile. “Sure.”
Her hands slide over mine, warm and sure, and together, we guide Willow. Her fingers brush against my knuckles, and I don’t pull away. Neither does she.
We fall into silence, but it’s not awkward. It’s full. Her body leans back into mine ever so slightly, and every shift of Willow’s gait has us brushing against each other. It’s subtle. Intimate. The kind of closeness that says more than words.
“This was a good day,” she says eventually, her voice quiet like she doesn’t want to break the spell.
“Yeah,” I murmur, tightening my hold on the reins, and maybe her too. “It really was.”
She lets out a breath, slow and content. “You make it easy to forget everything else.”
By the time the ranch comes into view, the last bit of sunlight dips below the hills, casting everything in soft blues and silver shadows. The porch light is on, faintly glowing. There’s something about the way it looks—warm, quiet, like it’s waiting for us.
Vivian shifts slightly as Willow slows to a stop just near the stables. “Thank you…for today,” she says, turning just enough to meet my eyes.
I nod, brushing my thumb over her knuckles where our hands still touch. “Anytime.”
And I mean it.
Because I’d give her a thousand more days just like this, if she’ll let me.
We spot Riley sprinting toward us from the porch, her curls bouncing wildly with every step.
I swing off Willow first, landing with a soft thud, then reach up to help Vivian down. Her hands settle in mine for just a second longer than necessary, neither of us in a rush to let go.
Vivian barely gets her feet on the ground before she drops to her knees, arms open wide.
Riley crashes into her like a tiny, unstoppable force of joy. “Today’s been the best day ever!” she announces, voice bubbling with excitement.
Vivian pulls her in tight, burying her face in Riley’s shoulder. “It has been, honey,” she murmurs, and I swear I hear something in her voice. A quiet kind of fullness.
Riley pulls back just enough to beam up at her, then turns and throws her arms around my legs in a surprise hug. She’s so small I have to bend slightly to catch her properly.
“Thank you, Miles,” she says, her voice soft and certain.
I glance at Vivian. Her eyes are glistening, whiskey-colored and glassy, blinking fast as she watches us.
“My pleasure, Wild Child,” I say, ruffling her hair. “It’s been really fun.”
Mindy and Greg walk up just as Riley skips off toward the porch, already humming to herself like the day couldn’t possibly get any better.
“So…” Mindy starts, one brow arched, hands on her hips. “How was it?”
Of course she asks. She’s nosy as hell, probably where Riley gets it from.
Vivian and I glance at each other, trying not to smile too much.
“Great,” I say at the same time Vivian says, “Good.”
We both laugh and Mindy smiles, looking at Vivian.
“Did you guys use the swing while we were gone?” Riley pipes up, turning around with the purest grin, completely innocent.
Mindy practically chokes on her laughter, clapping a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I bet they did lots of swinging.”
Vivian’s hand flies out and smacks her in the arm.
“Ouch!” Mindy yelps, rubbing the spot with an exaggerated pout. “What? I’m just saying—”
“Say less,” Vivian warns, cheeks flushed.
Greg raises an eyebrow, not looking at anyone in particular, just kind of standing there with his arms crossed and a slightly unreadable expression. But when I meet his gaze, I catch the tension behind it.
He doesn’t say anything, but the look says enough.
Yeah. He definitely didn’t know about our date last night.
And I’m guessing he has thoughts.
I give him a nod, short and casual, hoping to ease whatever’s brewing behind his eyes. But he just gives a clipped smile and looks away, helping Riley into Vivian’s car.
Mindy heads after them, muttering something about needing a snack before she starves to death.
Vivian follows, her fingers brushing mine one last time before she opens the door and slides into the driver’s seat.
Riley’s already buckled in the back, humming a song she made up on the spot, something about ponies and lake water and “Mommy liking the cowboy,” which earns a very quiet, very pink-faced laugh from Vivian as she starts the engine.
Mindy plops into the passenger seat with a dramatic sigh and a half-empty bag of snacks she must’ve stashed in her bag hours ago.
Vivian rolls the window down before driving off, her eyes meeting mine one last time.
“Thanks again for today,” she says softly.
I smile, one hand raised in a lazy wave.
“Bye, bull rider!” Riley shouts from the back seat, waving with both hands and a gap-toothed smile.
“Bye, Wild Child,” I call back, grinning.
Then they’re gone, disappearing down the dirt path, dust rising in soft swirls behind them.
The quiet settles fast.
Greg’s still standing beside me, arms crossed, jaw tight.
“All right,” he says, voice calm but firm. “We need to talk.”
For fuck’s sake.