Page 81

“Just…Just showed up?” Trixie asked, bewildered.

“Long story,” I answered.

“Anything to do with the bruise on your jaw?” She lifted a brow.

“Exactly what I want to know,” Butch grumbled in agreement as Briar finally joined our little group

All I did was nod, unable to stop the absolute, blissful peace from spreading a smile on my face.

“Hey, Goldie,” I said, and the blush deepened on her cheeks. Reaching forward, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her into my body, tipped her cowgirl hat up, and pressed my lips against her forehead.

“Okay, you two are adorable,” Trixie gushed.

I smiled against Briar’s warm skin. “This is Tenley’s best friend Trixie,” I explained to the beautiful woman beside me.

“Hi,” she whispered, her voice squeaking. “I’m assuming you don’t need this.” She wiggled the shotgun.

“No, but I sure appreciate you bringing this, even if that meant leaving Keaton and Millie alone at my house,” I answered and raised a brow.

“I’ll go get them,” Butch inserted, chuckling, and shook his head. “Bye, Trixie,” he added and then walked away.

Returning my attention to the woman in my arms, I smiled. “I’ve gotta show Trixie and her husband up to Weston and Tenley’s house, and then when I get back, how ’bout some dinner and a movie just us two?” I nonchalantly asked, moving away enough to look down at her eyes.

“Why does something so casual sound so strange?” she suspiciously said, narrowing her gaze.

I chuckled. “Well, pretty sure tonight is the first night we haven’t nearly died, so that’s gotta be it,” I teased.

She gently slapped my side, her heart-shaped lips spreading into a gentle smile. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Briar looked at Trixie and her husband. “Nice to meet you,” she politely said and then slipped out of my embrace.

A sigh, one filled with the most incredible comfort, escaped my mouth as I watched her saunter away. All of those butterflies that had graced my stomach the moment she arrived at this ranch returned. If I died tonight, I would have only one regret—that my time with her had been cut short. But I also knew she’d be worth whatever sacrifice was required to give her everything. “She’s going to be the death of me,” I muttered in awe.

“Welcome to the “whipped by a woman” club, man,” Simon spoke for the first time, patting my back.

I chuckled, kicking at some dirt. “I think I like this club.”

“Best one in existence,” he responded.

Even if Briar wasn’t entirely certain of me. Even though we still had a long road ahead of us to make sure that she was safe, at least when it came to me and dating, I was done. This was it. She was it. That was all there was to it.

No one else would compare to her.

Crap… Weston was right. This was what he was talking about when he said I’d know it when it happened. Yeah, there was no way I’d ever tell him that I agreed with him. He did not need to know that I’d figured it out, but he was right.

All it took was a feisty woman showing up with a horse she’d stolen and danger nipping at her heels to flip my entire world upside down—in all the right ways.

Chapter 28

CASSIDY

Tingles shot through my arm, as if a thousand needles pricked beneath the skin. Prying my drowsy eyes open, I inhaled slowly and was met with the beautiful sight of messy, blonde hair that had definitely ended up in my mouth a few times while I’d been asleep.

The television no longer played whatever western film we’d finished watching hours ago, and Briar snored lightly, her face buried against my chest, laying on the very limb that was asleep. But I didn’t want to move for fear of waking her up and no longer holding her. This couch would be my bed for the night, and I was not upset about it.

I was holding her. That was all that mattered.

Things may have not gone as far as they’d almost ended up earlier in the day between us, but there wasn’t a whole lot of movie watching that happened either. And shamefully, I’d used the lack of conversation as an excuse to not explicitly state that she was mine, that I wanted her to be mine exclusively, and I was regretting it. Especially knowing that the moment the sun rose and I was required to leave this house, everything would be about Weston and Tenley and their new baby.

Not that that was a terrible thing, but Briar was the only one really on my mind.