Page 19 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Brady

I didn’t want to escalate things. Well, I did, but there were bigger things at stake. And if things played out just right, there’d be plenty of time for that later.

I ended the kiss without letting it escalate. Her pouty lips were enticing but somehow, I managed to keep my wits about me.

Later, I promised myself.

“How about a tour of Collier?” I asked her.

“Done. Lily showed me around already.”

“Okay, then, how about a tour of Collier within my life? I can show where I work and all that stuff. And maybe we could go into the next town and see about getting a few things for this place?”

“You’re serious about living here?”

I frowned. Of course I was serious.

“I would never joke about something like this. Hell, I’ve never even been in a serious relationship before let alone ask someone to move in with me.”

She opened her mouth to say something about my confession, then shut it again. I decided not to elaborate. She didn’t need to know everything about me, not yet at least.

I could tell she was still digesting the idea. Me too. But if I stopped to think it through too much, I’d just freak out.

“So what do you say?”

“Yes, to the tour.”

“Ouch. Okay. I’ll take it for now.”

My mate was a feisty one. I could appreciate that.

I looked down at her feet to find her wearing high heels.

“Please tell me you at least have tennis shoes.”

She bit her lip and shook her head.

I huffed. “Well, I could break the heels off. You’d be safer that way out at the farm.”

She shrieked. “You aren’t touching my heels. These are my favorite shoes.”

“Well, this poses a problem. Let’s see if Jessie’s home. Maybe we’ll luck out and you have similar sized feet.” I looked down trying to judge, but what the hell did I know about women’s feet?

She didn’t protest as I took her hand and led her next door.

I knocked and peered through the window to see if she was home. When I finally saw her, I gave a little wave.

“Why are you knocking on my door?” she asked when she opened it and then hugged me.

Tricia growled next to me, and then blushed.

Jessie pulled back and grinned. “You must be the mate.”

“Tricia,” I told her proudly. “Tricia, this is Jessie. My sister-in-law.”

“Hi,” she squeaked.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve been there. Mating is exciting and terrifying at the same time.” She stepped aside to let us in, but looked confused. “Did you walk over?”

“Yup.”

“You walked from home?”

“Yup. All the way from next door.”

“Wait. You’re serious? You’re moving into the house next door?”

“Yes,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. Regardless of what happened. I was moving in there. That much was settled.

She squealed and hugged us both. “This is so exciting. Does Peyton know about you two?”

“No,” I confirmed. “I don’t even think she suspects.”

“She thinks he’s having a nervous breakdown and questioning everything from the last few months. She’s worried about you,” Tricia said.

“She told you that?” I asked guiltily.

“Not exactly, but she was talking to Oliver about it and I wasn’t purposefully listening.”

“It’s okay. If they aren’t in their room with the dampener on, then it’s open conversation,” Jessie told her.

“Dampener? What’s that?”

“Only the coolest invention ever. It creates some sort of forcefield through the walls so no one can hear what’s happening inside.”

“That sounds like a sci-fi movie or something.”

“Kinda, yeah. So what are you two up to or did you just stop by to say hi, neighbors.”

Tricia blushed. I knew she hadn’t agreed to move in yet.

I tried to catch Jessie’s eye to silently tell her to cool it, but she wasn’t paying any attention to me.

“We came for shoes,” I informed her. “I don’t know if you two are close enough in size or not, but I want to show her around the farm and all and all she has are these.”

Jessie looked down and squealed with excitement. “Are those real? They’re gorgeous!”

Tricia beamed. “My absolute favorite.”

So much so that she didn’t bring any others with her for her cross-country trip from New York to California.

That didn’t sit well with me. I still had so much I needed to know about my mate.

I didn’t want to sit her down and interrogate her though.

I’d learn what I needed to know when I needed to know it.

“What size?”

“Eights.”

“Perfect. I’m an eight and a half, but I have some thicker socks that should work for you with my boots.”

“Boots?” she whispered as Jessie ran off to get them.

“Trust me. You’re going to want them.”

She pouted as she looked down.

“Those Louboutin’s aren’t going anywhere. There’s just a time and place for them, and the ranch is not it.”

“You know these are Louboutin’s?”

“I may have grown up with brothers, but when Oliver mated Peyton we inherited her family too. That’s a lot of sisters, and as you’ve learned, there isn’t much privacy at the house.”

She smiled and relaxed a little. “True.”

“Here you go, try these,” Jessie said, returning with a pair of hiking boots.

They weren’t what I had in mind, but much better than the alternative.

Tricia tried them on and found they fit, but the look on her face told me she didn’t like this.

“Trust me on this. The farm gets nasty and these can just be hosed off later. Then there’s always cowgirl boots,” Jessie told her.

“I’m not cowgirl,” Tricia said with a small snort.

“I can see that, but this place will corrupt you. Besides, we can go shopping later. There are some adorable cowgirl boots that you might actually find you like, at least for visiting this guy at work. Tim works there now too, so I spend way too much time at the farm.”

“I’ll consider it. Thanks for letting me borrow these. I guess.”

Jessie and I shared a look, but she just grinned back at me. It was clear to us both that my city girl was not happy with the boots, but those damn heels were a safety concern where we were going.

“Come on city girl. Time for that tour.”

We said bye to Jess and then walked back outside. I loved the idea of just running next door to borrow stuff, or even just for the hell of it. I still thought the house was entirely too big, but the perks seemed worth it to me.

Hopping on my bike, I waited for her to climb on behind me. There was no hesitation as she wrapped her arms around me. I could definitely get used to this.

I took the long way to the ranch, just savoring the feeling of completeness it gave me riding with her. But eventually it came to an end as I pulled up to the greenhouse. I already knew my brothers were there. But when I walked in holding Tricia’s hand, I hadn’t expected to find Ollie there too.

He glared at me and then looked down at our conjoined hands and back up with questions clear in his eyes.

“What the hell? This is what all this craziness has been about?”

“You’re just figuring that out?” Kenneth asked him.

Tim smacked him. “I had to explain it to you, dumbass. Though I’m surprised at you Oliver. You should have put it together by now.”

“Maybe.” He ran a hand through his hair like he was still trying to puzzle out what he was being told. “You were such an ass.”

“You put her in Kenneth’s room. She smelled like him. I’ll admit it. I lost it. And you guys would have too if you were in my shoes.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” Kenneth said.

“Oh, I know. I blame Peyton.”

“Peyton? Why is this my mate’s fault?”

“Because it was her bright idea to have her sleepover in there.”

Oliver cringed. “Yeah, in hindsight I can see how that would be a dumb idea. But I promise you she doesn’t know.”

“Can we not tell her? Please? I’m still adjusting to the idea,” Tricia said.

“Nope. Sorry,” Tim told her. “Peyton’s family. She’s more mom than sister. We can’t keep this from her. Would you keep something like this from your mom?”

Tricia shrugged. “I never really had a mom.”

“Us either,” I told her. “See, another thing we have in common.”

She smacked me on the arm and shot me a look that told me I was gonna be in trouble if I kept it up. It was kind of cool that I seemed to just know that. I couldn’t wait to learn all these little nuances about my mate.

“Tim’s right. I can’t keep this from my mate.”

“Yeah, because she’d murder you in her sleep if you finds out you knew and didn’t tell her,” Kenneth teased.

Oliver blanched. “I think I should go home and talk to her right now.”

Tricia looked a bit like a caged animal at the thought. I let go of her hand and wrapped my arm around her. As I rubbed her shoulder, she seemed to begin to calm right before my eyes. It was a powerful feeling knowing I could have that sort of effect on her.

“It’s going to be okay. Pey will be thrilled with the news. Really.”

She still didn’t look completely okay with it, but she didn’t comment again when Oliver left to break the news to Peyton. A part of me wished I was there to see her face. She hadn’t exactly been nice about how I’d acted. Maybe she’d at least understand it now and give me a bit of grace.

“Come on. How about that tour?” I asked her.