Page 96 of Braving the Storm

Because one thing I knew as soon as I walked into that cabin last night, is that I’ll fight anyone and anything that tries to come between me and my girl.

She’s a glimpse of something spectacular, the dance of fireflies on the night breeze, the roll of aurora clouds through the skies, the gentle wash of the ocean glowing and glittering like it’s full ofstars. All the kind of awe-inspiring sights that your brain can’t quite believe actually exist until you see them yourself for the first time with your own eyes.

So, I do what I do with the horses. I’ve put her to work to run out that tension and stress lurking in her veins. Which is why she’s standing with a bemused expression, holding a paintbrush in one hand and a roller in another, staring wide-eyed at Beau’s new ranch.

“Painting? I don’t know how to paint.” Her lips twist.

“It’s easy enough. I’ll show you the basics; just don’t load the brush or the roller too heavily to start with.” I beckon her over to where I’ve laid out the paint trays and drop cloths, having already sanded and prepped everything earlier on.

“This is your rodeo buddy’s place?” She narrows her eyes at the wall, as if it might jump out and bite her or some shit.

“I owe him a favor or ten for being a good friend when most didn’t want to know who I was anymore.” Shrugging, I crouch down beside one of the cans of paint and pop the lid with a screwdriver.

Briar hovers beside me.

“So… he’s not here?” She chews her lip, glancing around, taking in the open-plan living space. The rooms are empty and echoing right now, but there’s an expanse of timber flooring and stone features around the large fireplace, with big windows looking out over the rolling country, the trees, and mountains in the distance beyond the glass.

Once the ranch is properly running, those empty fields will have cattle and horses, but right now, the place is quiet. It’s just the two of us here, with no one and nothing stretching for miles in all directions.

“Nope. The place still needs a lot of work, as you can see, and until that’s all done, he’s got a lot to take care of out of state.”

“Will you work here?” She looks down at me, big dark eyes filled with curiosity. “Like you do for Devil’s Peak Ranch?”

Still crouched on my haunches, I rub my jaw with a thumb. “Maybe. We haven’t exactly hashed out the details, but Beau knows my shit, knows what I can do.”

“He’d be an idiot not to have you.” That’s the first time a little smile creeps onto her gorgeous features since arriving, and it makes something squeeze inside my chest to see her relax a little.

“I’ll tip some paint in here and get you started on that wall behind you.” Pointing past Briar with the screwdriver makes her whirl around to see where I’m indicating. It’s a fucking hideous pea-green color at present, with faded yellow outlines where artwork and crap hung on the walls for decades with whoever owned this property prior to Beau taking it on.

Briar turns back to face me, looking slightly put out. Her eyes bounce over my chest, ever so quickly down to my jeans, and back up to my mouth.

That draws a laugh out of me, so I hook the front of her jacket—my jacket—and drag her so that her hips are exactly level with my gaze.

“Come on… did you think I was luring you out here just so I could get in your pants?”

“I hoped you would.” She pushes the fingers of one hand into my hair, the front of her teeth dragging over that curve to her bottom lip I swear I could trace in my sleep.

I’m hopelessly in love with this girl.

“Darlin’, you wanna fool around, you gotta make sure I’m not falling behind on my jobs first.”

Briar straightens up,standing to survey her handiwork. In doing so, she brushes some loose hairs off her forehead with the back of one hand and rolls her shoulders. She’s made perfect work of the large wall, giving it two coats of paint, which is now a vast improvement with the off-white eggshell color.

I come to stand beside her, looking at the same blank wall.

“So, husband, huh? I’m guessing that’s who was on the other end of the phone when I made you scream for me?”

Briar makes a rough noise and elbows me in the side.

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way.” Her voice goes soft.

“It’s over between the two of you?”

“Honestly? It was never anything to begin with. I stupidly didn’t have a spine and allowed myself to get talked into a business arrangement.”

“Sounds pretty typical for Erik.” My jaw tics as I think of all the bullshit he’s clearly put Briar through over the years.

“So, wife, huh?” She leans her head against my side, and I draw her into me on instinct. Blowing out a long breath, this is where the rubber really fucking hits the road, isn’t it?