Page 16 of Rancher’s Strength (Flying Diamond 5, #4)

Chapter Thirteen

LEXIE

S omething beneath me was breathing. Arms were wrapped around me, fingers fluttering over my shoulder, and my leg rested against something hard. Oh. My. God. My eyes flew open, and sure enough, my body was flung over Ryder. Oh. My. God.

I used to wake up like this every morning when we were married. It usually led to a lazy love-making session, and the familiar wanting tingled between my legs where I was pressed tightly against him.

“Good morning.” His sleepy, husky, intoxicating voice shot straight to the spot I was trying to ignore. “It’s been a while since I woke up like this.”

“Can you let go of me?”

“Sweetheart, you’re the one that rolled over on top of me about six seconds after you fell asleep, so this is on you.

” The rumble in his chest as he spoke was not helping my situation.

The fact that I hadn’t slept this well in years also irritated me.

One night in the same bed as this man and I slept like I didn’t have a care in the world.

“Auntie Lex?” Sawyer called from the hallway.

“In here,” Ryder replied.

“He called for me, not you, ya big oaf,” I said as I pushed myself up, putting pressure on his cock, and my pussy. Rolling off him, I sat up, leaned against the puffy white headboard and fluffed the blankets around me, my face on fire. Sawyer ran into the room and launched himself onto the bed.

“How was your sleep?” Ryder asked as Sawyer settled into the narrow space between us, wiggling until he was stuck behind our shoulders.

“Good. Do you think we can go to Cooper’s today? He said we’re in the same grade and that we get to be in the same class.” Sawyer sounded excited, and my heart flipped at the sound.

“I’ll call Kipp in a while and see if you can go over.” Ryder nodded. If there was one thing I knew about Kipp Miller, it was that no matter how mad he was at Ryder or me, he wouldn’t take it out on the kids.

“Good morning.” Ruby walked into the room, rubbing her eyes as she climbed onto the bed.

This was my family now, for however long it needed to be.

Glancing over at Ryder, I noticed his eyes were locked on me as the kids fidgeted and started to fight.

“I think it’s breakfast time.” He laughed as Sawyer rolled over him to get off the bed.

Ryder quickly got out of bed and moved down the hall with the kids following behind.

As soon as I reached the kitchen doorway, he looked up and asked, “How long can you be away from the law office?” He grabbed the frying pan from the cupboard, spinning it in his massive palm, making the kids giggle.

“Well, I took bereavement leave and explained the situation to the partners, but I don’t know if I want to go back.” Leaning against the counter, I crossed my arms and glanced into the living room, where the kids were watching television.

Ryder froze and turned to look at me. “Why? Your career has always been important to you. Why are you willing to give it up?”

“I was in the running to make partner. I really thought I’d get it, but when it came down to it, I didn’t get the position because they gave it to a man.

” I picked up an egg out of the carton and rolled it around in my hand.

I was tempted to crush it, but then I’d have a mess to clean up.

“He had years less experience, messed up so many divorce proceedings for his clients, and they still gave him partner over me. You want to know what their reasoning was?” Ryder reached over, took the egg out of my hand, and tapped it against the edge of the frying pan.

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.” His voice was flat, and I knew that tone well. I had to smile.

“Oh, you’re going to hate it. They thought I should get married and start a family. They still wanted me to work, but felt it would look better for the firm if I settled down.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” he growled.

“So, while I can wait for another opportunity, it’s never going to happen. There’s no family in my future, but I don’t want them to know that.” Crossing my arms, I waited for his response. He grabbed the towel and wiped his hands before placing them on my shoulders.

“Sweetheart, I’m going to tell you something I’ve told you more times than I can count, but I need you to listen this time.

” He looked me straight in the eye, and in that moment, I knew the man in front of me was the same one I’d fallen in love with the first time I saw him.

“A family doesn’t have to be from you and a willing partner—preferably me being the willing partner.

” He winked, and I couldn’t fight the smile.

“We’ve been given an opportunity to create our own family. So, while we didn’t get to have a blast making it, you, Ruby, Sawyer, and I are a family. You can go back to those assholes in Bozeman and show them how big a mistake they made, or you can stay here and do whatever you want.”

“We’re a family for a year Ryder.” I didn’t want to get his hopes up that we’d stay together, but I wondered if I was trying to convince myself more than him.

“If you think I’m letting you go after a year, you really haven’t been paying attention .” He spun me around and wrapped his arms around me just as a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” he yelled, but didn’t let me go. I supposed whoever it was needed to believe we were a couple, so being this close wasn’t out of the question.

“Morning kids.” I thought it was Griffin’s voice, but as he came around the corner, I realized it was Linc.

“Morning Uncle Linc,” the kids said in unison. I looked up at Ryder, who shrugged.

“Newlyweds.” He nodded as he wandered over to the coffee. Nothing changed around this place, apparently. Linc had always made a beeline for the coffee when he came over in the morning.

“So, did they send you over to take the temperature, or are you here to make sure she’s not drafting papers to let me out of the company?” Ryder arched a brow and grabbed a knife from the block to cut the ham and veggies for the omelets.

“Haven’t talked to anyone this morning. Kind of have my own issues going on.”His face was drawn, and no matter how chipper he pretended he was, his eyes were sad.

“Linc, what’s wrong?” I asked, taking a seat at the island and pulling out a chair for him. He watched Ryder chopping vegetables and took a sip of his coffee. Glancing up, I caught Ryder’s eye and could tell he was more than concerned.

“Kristin’s gone.” His shoulders slumped, and he let his head droop.

“What do you mean gone?” Ryder asked, sniffing and wiping his eyes as he chopped the onion. The smell was potent, and I had to blink to avoid crying with him.

“I went to her apartment this morning, and her truck was gone. Mrs. Johnston told me she’d been clearing out over the last few days. Then I went to the stable, and her horses and tack were gone too.” His voice trailed off, and my heart ached for my friend.

“Oh, Linc,” I said, putting my hand on his arm. “I wondered why she wasn’t here yesterday.”

“Did you know she was leaving?” Ryder asked as he set his knife down, and Linc just shook his head.

“I saw her a week ago, and she asked for space, so I gave it to her. But then I had a note on the windshield of my truck when I went out this morning.” He rooted around in his pocket and tossed the piece of paper toward Ryder.

I watched Ryder’s face as he read the note and didn’t need to know what was on it by the sadness that filled his expression.

“Guess I fucked up for good this time. Sorry. The kids.” We looked in the living room, but the kids seemed oblivious.

“I thought we’d be forever.” He shifted on the stool and pulled a diamond ring from his pocket.

As he tossed it, Ryder grabbed it before it could fall to the floor.

“Don’t give up. You never know what will happen.

” I looked up at Ryder, who arched his brow.

Linc nodded, but it wasn’t convincing, and if I knew Kristin, she’d be hell-bent on getting as far away from him as possible because he was her weakness.

Apparently, my cousin and I were more alike than we ever thought.

The men of the Flying Diamond Five had a crazy pull on us.

“What are you doing about work for the time you need to be here?” Linc asked, changing the subject.

“Nice deflection,” Ryder mumbled as he flipped the large omelet in the pan.

“Just making conversation. Do I get breakfast too?” Linc asked, picking up a fork and spearing a piece of green pepper that had fallen out onto the pan. Ryder shook his head and I rolled my eyes.

“Of course you can stay. I can’t kick out my favorite cowboy.” Flinging my arm around Linc’s shoulders, he puffed up his chest, and I felt like his mood was lifting slightly.

“Hear that? I’m her favorite cowboy.” He grinned at the chef across from us, who glared at the two of us. “Don’t take it personally. We’ve always known it was me.” Linc laughed and turned to me, waiting for my answer to his question.

“I’m going to open an office here. I suppose I need to find a place to use.”

“There’s a building for sale across the street from Fred’s. I noticed the sign in the window the other day. We should be able to get it for a song.” He lifted his cup and took another sip of coffee.

“It might not hurt to check it out,” I said, waiting for Ryder to say something.

“We’ll go look at it, but I want this to be something that doesn’t include the Diamond. You won’t get caught up in the mess that is Kipp and Griff’s feelings, if they can’t get their heads out of their asses.”

“Ryder, you know why...” Ryder held up his spatula and pointed it at Linc.

“They were absolute mother fuckers, and whatever happens, this is my family. If they can’t accept that, then there’s no place for me here anymore.”

“I get it, and I respect it.” He held his hands up while Ryder put breakfast on plates for the kids before making another one.

“Kiddos, breakfast,” I called as I set their plates on the table. I moved my coffee over, and Linc followed me.

“Uncle Linc, how many horses are at the ranch?” Ruby asked. “Uncle Ryder said lots, but I need to know how many.”

“He’s not wrong, there are lots. As for a number, probably about thirty.” He shrugged, and I wasn’t sure if he was making it up or if he actually knew how many there were. “That’s tame horses, including Elle’s. If we add the wild horses Griff takes care of, it’s probably closer to seventy.”

Well, there was one thing that hadn’t changed. Griff still had to care for the wild horses.

I’d gone out with him once to check on them, and that’s when I first saw the lake. This country had been my home my whole life, and I had no idea such a beautiful spot was only miles away.

“Then I can have one to ride?” Ruby avoided looking up from her breakfast, and I saw the look of pride flash between Linc and Ryder. If there was one thing they’d always encourage, it was a kid finding her horse.

“Absolutely,” both men said at the same time.

“Me too?”

“Yes, you too, Sawyer,” Linc said as he ruffled the little boy’s sandy blond hair.

“Thanks, Uncle Linc,” he replied with a mouth full of eggs.

“How did you become an uncle so fast?”

“We had a chat at the wedding yesterday,” Linc answered as if we knew all about it. “Ruby and Sawyer were on the porch trying to figure out who everyone was, and I just happened to walk by and help them.”

“Yeah, and Uncle Linc said he was basically your brother, so that makes him our uncle, like you’re our uncle.

” Ruby’s explanation might have been lost on some people, but all I could think about was that these two kids had more people who already loved them, and they’d help them through whatever they were going to deal with in the future.

“Well, brother , get eating. We’ve got horses to pick out.” Ryder set a plate and fork in front of Linc. “Linc and I will bring in a few that we think would be good for you both, and then you can decide who you bond with.”

“Bond?” Sawyer asked.

“There’s a heart horse for everyone; you just have to spend some time with them to see if you’re a fit,” I replied, smiling at the thought of them finding their heart horses.

“Auntie Lexie, do you have a heart horse?”

I stared into my coffee, thinking about all the fun Ryder and I’d had picking out my heart horse. "I haven’t had a horse for a few years."

“She still has them. She just hasn’t seen them,” Ryder said as he set my breakfast before me. “They’re all at the ranch, just waiting to see you. I’ve kept them trained and ridden, but I do have to admit I think you’ve lost Doc.” He said quietly into my ear.

“To whom?”

“Me.” He grinned and took a seat at the head of the table. I could almost see him sitting tall in the saddle atop my big grey stallion. I’ll give him a hard time, but I think they were meant to be together.

“We’ll see about that.” I rolled my eyes as he took a seat at the table.