Page 22 of Revelry (Cowgirls Do It Better #2)

Shortly after the table was full of food and people. Tilly and August sat on either side of me, both grinning at me. Leo and Jack sat at the ends with Kat and Daisy opposite me on either side of Gertrude.

“You not with your family today?” I asked Leo.

He winked. “I already am.”

Something about his words hit me deep in the chest and I glanced around the table.

Jack didn’t have any family either; I’d heard they abandoned him when he was sentenced all those years ago.

The Cartwrights were a big family that kept growing with each person they welcomed into their fold and today, I was lucky to be in their presence.

I listened to them all rib each other over dinner, which tasted delicious. My eyes kept finding Gertrude’s and every time they met, a bolt of electricity shot through me. I think she felt it too judging by how much she blushed and looked away each time.

It came to that inevitable point in the dinner where everyone went round and said what they were thankful for.

“I’m thankful that Maddy has a job she loves, even if it does keep her away from us sometimes,” was Leo’s answer.

“I’m thankful that I had Charlie’s love. Without that I don’t know where I’d be,” Jack said.

“I’m thankful to have lots of big sisters looking out for me,” came from Tilly to which Leo added, “and big brothers.”

“Thankful for nature,” August whispered and tucked a burnished copper strand of hair over her shoulder. I was sure there was a twig sticking out from the depths, but I didn’t comment on it.

“Well, I’m thankful for all the care our resident vet has given me over the years,” Gertrude winked at me and the tips of my ears heated.

“What about you Tate?” Kat asked quietly.

I thought about it, something I hadn’t really focused on before. I didn’t have any family, felt like I didn’t have my sanity most days. Didn’t have a lot going for me when it really boiled down to it but then I met Gertrude’s eyes.

“I’m thankful I’ve found someone who cares enough to want me to have fun,” I said. “And thankful you’ve let me crash your dinner.” I added when the intensity between me and Gertrude threatened to erupt.

“Nonsense, you’re family too,” Kat scoffed.

“Here, here!” Jack added, raising a glass to me, then wincing at his broken thumb sticking out.

Dessert was some of Gertrude’s delightful ice cream and there was silence as everyone devoured it, myself included. Damn she was a talented woman.

“Gertie, you gotta make this happen,” Leo said, pointing to his empty bowl and clapping a hand over his ridged stomach.

“Make what happen?” she frowned.

“Your ice cream. You need to sell it or something because I need it all the damn time,” he added. There were several nods around the table.

Gertrude just shook her head and turned back to her bowl. My head tilted as I studied her. This woman was a fountain of confidence and all things happy, and yet as I looked at her now, after that comment, she had withdrawn. My brow furrowed. That wasn’t like her at all.

August begged me to stay and play games with them.

I stayed, considering it a mini test on my exposure hierarchy.

My OCD struggled a little when the Monopoly rules were ignored and also when I couldn’t get an equal amount of houses on my properties, but I tried to brush it off and found myself easily distracted by focusing on Gertrude.

She came alive with this family, her eyes shining bright, her cheeks flushed with joy as I watched her challenge Leo on his cheating and tackle Daisy to find the extra money she was hiding.

Whilst Pictionary forged alliances, Monopoly destroyed them but everyone eventually made up. Then it was time to call it a night, and I was strangely disappointed it was all over.

“Thank you again, Kat, for having me.”

She gave me a soft smile. “Any time, Tate.”

“Want a ride home?” I asked as Gertrude limped towards the door, and I fought every impulse not to sweep her into my arms.

“No, thanks. I’ve got it,” she called over her shoulder.

“Uh, huh.” I’d wait her out, she was stubborn but so was I. I followed slowly behind her as she made her way out the door but intervened when she seemed to struggle with the porch steps.

“Tate!” she cried when I lifted her up, sliding one arm under her knees.

“I can’t watch you struggle, sugar,” I murmured against her hair which had unleashed against me. I took her over to my truck and managed to hold her with one hand while I unlocked it and opened the door. I gently placed her on the seat and buckled her in.

We drove in silence and I could feel her pouting so decided to make it worse. There was something about this evening that was still bugging me and although things had gone well with my exposure scale, my OCD wouldn’t let me let this one go.

“Why did you go quiet over the ice cream?”

Her head whipped to me. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean, don’t try to avoid it.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “It was a stupid throw away comment.”

“Exactly, so why did you get your panties in a twist?”

She snorted. “You don’t care about my panties.”

Unfortunately, I was starting to care about them too much. “Stop avoiding.”

She stared out the window into the night.

“I wanted to start my own ice creamery years ago and I told my husband about it. He just laughed at me and said I wasn’t smart enough, didn’t have any money and who would wanna buy ice cream from me anyway?

I used to doodle the shop front and layout when I was bored.

He found the designs I’d made and shredded them. Over the years, he killed my dream.”

Rage had my knuckles whitening as they gripped the steering wheel. “Your husband is a piece of shit.”

“Ex-husband,” she corrected.

“Still a piece of shit. You can do anything you put your mind to, Gertrude, you have to know that.”

“Thanks Tate,” she said softly, and we drove the rest of the way in silence. But my brain was screaming. So many angry thoughts for how he’d made her feel, made her doubt herself when she could do anything. I knew she could.

I pulled up outside our houses and hurried around to open her door, scooping her into my arms again and this time she went willingly.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked when I got her in the door.

“To bed,” she said, and my dick perked up in my jeans. “I’m tired,” she added quickly.

I carried her up the stairs and placed her on the edge of the double bed while I pulled back the cream duvet. She pulled off her boots and adorable cat socks before unsnapping her jeans and I turned my back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

“I’ll just uh—” I cut myself off, stalking from the room and headed downstairs looking for something cool to put on her ankle.

I found an ice pack in her freezer and went back upstairs.

She was tucked up in bed, eyes closed. I pulled back the bottom of the cover and placed the pack over her swollen ankle.

“Sorry,” I murmured as she hissed. “You need to alternate ice and heat.”

She nodded sleepily and then laid her head back down. “Thanks, Tate.”

“Goodnight, Gertrude,” I replied and stared at her a beat longer than I should have before I left and locked up for her.

I lay in my own bed, listening through the wall, like a creeper, for any sounds that she needed me in the night.

She didn’t and for some reason, it really bothered me.