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“Aw, that’s so sweet of you.” Audrey launched herself at James, and they started making out like the newly engaged couple that they were.
Cole and I busied ourselves by checking out the incredible hot tub. We splashed into the warm water, beaming out at the view. Cole held me close to him. He kissed my cheek. My heart got so big I felt like it might burst.
“These might be the best bubbles in the universe,” I said. “And this might be the best view.”
“It might be.” He kissed me again. He held me even tighter. I was pretty sure I was going to die from happiness.
The rest of the afternoon passed in luxurious splendor. The only other people we saw were the ranch’s staff. They were clad in neutral tones, were perpetually smiling, and served us nonstop cocktails, waters, and gourmet food. I didn’t recognize some of the things on the ranch’s menu—what the heck wasSmoked Garlic Pomme Puree, anyway? And there was bisonlisted as an entree. Wasn’t a bison… Exactly like one of the antelope I’d seen feasting on grass in the nearby pasture?
“Oh my God!” I glared at my friends as I clutched my menu. “No one is allowed to order the bison!”
“Okay, babe,” Cole said seriously. “We won’t, I promise.” James and Audrey were also good sports about it. They swore they wouldn’t eat bison, which helped me relax.
Cole guided me through the rest of the restaurant’s offerings. He assured me nothing we ordered contained octopus, bison,pomme puree, or anything else I might deem disgusting. He ordered me beef carpaccio and rum punches with a straw. Cole cared for me, feeding me bites of his rib-eye steak while rubbing my back. Not to mention what he’d done to me in our luxury suite.Phew!I had to fan myself just thinking about it. No man had ever made me come like that. It was almost embarrassing.
Except that it had been awesome.
And it had been with Cole.
Did I mention that I loved him? I loved him.
I kept my promise to myself, refusing to think about my auntie Theresa or Cole’s father. As far as I was concerned, they were not at the Silver River Ranch in Wyoming, and therefore, they did not exist. They could both go die in a hole, for all I cared.
Instead, I focused on the pool, our friends, and my man. The only infinity pool I’d ever swam in was at the Caribbean resort where we stayed. That had been amazing, but nothing could compare to the clear, dark water of the ranch’s pool. It was todiefor. The water was warm, tranquil, and deep. It contrasted beautifully with the cooler air blowing in from the surrounding mountains.
The snowy peaks and the swaying grasses of the valley below transfixed me. I would never get over the resort’s view. It was the most fantastic thing I’d ever seen. I’d had some bad shit happenin my life, but even I had to admit, God knew what he was doing. The white-capped peaks surrounded us, contrasting with the green, green grass of the valley. The paddock stretched to our right and cut into the mountain base where the resort made its home. I could see the buffalo (or antelope or bison) grazing. They walked back and forth, taking their time. They must eat a lot of grass because they were big boys. A herd of what appeared to be goats ran across the field below us. As an animal lover, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be in that environment. It was incredible. Audrey said we were going to get up early to go for a horseback ride on the trails surrounding the ranch. We would stop and see the buffalo and get to see themup close.
I felt like maybe I’d died and gone to heaven.
The four of us hung out, laughing and talking. It was the best double date of my life. I was so happy for James and Audrey; to see my friend nestled against her fiancé, obviously enjoying herself, was the most incredible feeling in the world. She was living proof, sometimes, the good guys win. If that fact made hope rattle around in my chest like a caged bird—and it did—I chose to ignore it, at least for now.
Cole kept his arm around me all night. The four of us ate dinner by the pool and stayed in the hot tub until stars blanketed the sky. The view was awe-inspiring. It made me feel small, but in a good way. The stars gave me perspective on my problems, which had seemed enormous and incurable. But compared to the sky, they were tiny, like me. Maybe I would wake up tomorrow, and all my problems would be gone, replaced by the clean slate of a beautiful, sunny day.
Cole wrapped his arms protectively around me when we finally went to bed. He pulled me close. I was still tired and sore from our lovemaking earlier, but somehow, I wanted him again.
“I think I’m gonna fall asleep,” Cole admitted. “Is that okay with you?”
I grinned at him. “Of course, it’s okay. We can just sleep.”
“And snuggle,” he said hopefully, pulling me closer.
“Of course, we’re going to snuggle.” I nestled against him. My desire shifted, turning into something else. I wanted him, but the fact that he was too tired for more sex—and brave enough to tell me so—was better than having sex. And nothing was better than sex with Cole.
He sank his hands into my hair and kissed my forehead. “I love you, Jenny. I don’t know if I should keep saying it. But it’s so obvious. I love you, and this is real for me.”
I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. “I love you, too.”
“Why are you pulling away from me?” He sounded hurt.
“I’m not,” I explained. “I’m giving my feelings space. I can’t think straight when I’m all tangled up in you. But I am thinking straight right now, and I love you.”
“Okay,” Cole said.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“What are we going to do?” he asked. “Are you going to talk to me about why you left?”
I hesitated for a moment. More than anything, I longed to confess about all the trouble I was in, about how my auntie Theresa had come back from the dead and that his father was blackmailing me. But if I did that, I’d put him at risk.