Page 55 of Roulette Rodeo (Jackknife Ridge Ranch #1)

The question is so earnest, so careful, that I can't help but chuckle.

"Red," I murmur, already leaning in, "you don't need to ask me to do anything. I'm totally at your disposal."

Her eyes seem to light up, as if having my permission remind her that this isn’t some gimmick but that we’re actually in a relationship.

That she’s mine just like I’m hers.

Our lips meet in a kiss that's slow and tender, nothing like the heated passion she probably shared with Shiloh but perfect in its own way. She tastes like pumpkin spice and sweet, her lips soft against mine. I enjoy how it doesn’t feel rushed or pressured in the slightest. Like we’re going at our own rhythm, our lips doing the talking in a language our bodies hum and thrive on.

But right now, the only thing that matters is the way Red’s lips tug at mine, tentative at first, then bolder and more certain.

I can practically feel her working out the mechanics of affection in real time, putting together the pieces of trust she’s never been allowed to build before.

Every motion is careful, deliberate, like she’s studying for a test with no wrong answers.

There’s something deeply comforting about the way she kisses me—nothing forced or frenzied, no calculated seduction, just the slow, magnetic drift of two people genuinely discovering each other.

It’s easy, this rhythm we make together, a gentle cadence that builds and recedes like the breath of the world outside.

I never realized how much I’d missed this kind of softness, the quiet give of another person’s lips, the subtle exhale when you both know you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Red’s scent—spiced honey and wild cherrywood—slips up between us, coloring the moment with something warm and distinctly her.

I find myself cataloging every detail: the way her hands grip my shirt for anchor, the faint catch in her breath when I graze her lower lip, even the tremor that runs through her when I press my palm more firmly against her spine.

She tastes like cinnamon sugar and promise, as if autumn had a flavor and decided to leave it on her tongue.

My heart does a slow, deliberate roll in my chest. I want to stay here forever—or at least until the world ends, or the coffee kicks in, whichever comes first.

When she makes a small sound of contentment, I deepen the kiss just slightly, my hand coming up to cradle her jaw.

She grins against my lips when we finally part, her eyes sparkling with mischief and something warmer.

"So you'll really teach me about the phone?"

"Let's start with the basics," I say, pulling out my own phone. "First, we need to set up your accounts and add you to our pack group chat."

She bounces slightly in excitement, and I bite back a groan as the movement sends interesting sensations through my body.

"A group chat? Like where we can all talk together?"

"Exactly." I guide her through unlocking her phone with Face ID, watching her delight as it recognizes her face. "Now, let's set up your messaging."

Her fingers are careful on the screen, treating it like it might break. I show her how to navigate, how to open apps, how to type on the keyboard. She's a quick learner, absorbing everything with an intensity that speaks to years of having to learn fast or suffer consequences.

"Okay, I'm adding you to the pack chat," I tell her, pulling up the group on my phone. "Fair warning, Talon sends too many memes, Shiloh barely texts unless it's important, and Rafe mostly just complains."

She giggles as her phone chimes with the group invitation.

"What should I say first?"

"Whatever you want. It's your pack too now."

She bites her lip, thinking, then carefully types out:

"Hi! Red here! Corwin is teaching me to use my new phone! "

"You found emojis already?" I laugh.

"The cherry was important!" she defends, then squeals as responses immediately start coming in.

I show her my screen so she can see them appearing in real-time, too.

Talon : FINALLY! Welcome to the digital age, Cherry Bomb

Shiloh : Duke says hi

Shiloh : That was him stepping on my phone

Talon : Sure it was soldier boy

Rafe : Why are we encouraging this?

Talon : Because we're not emotionally constipated like you

Rafe : I'm working.

Red : Hi Rafe!

There's a pause, then:

Rafe : Hello.

"He responded!" Red exclaims like it's a miracle.

"That's actually progress for him," I admit, then show her how to send photos. "Here, let's take a picture to send them."

She immediately holds up the phone, then frowns.

"How do I...?"

I reach around her, guiding her hands. "See this button? Tap it to take the photo. You can flip the camera here to take selfies."

She experiments, taking a photo of Duke who's chosen that moment to flop dramatically on the porch. Then she flips the camera and we're suddenly looking at ourselves on the screen—her nestled in my lap, my arms around her, both of us slightly flushed from the kiss and the cooling evening air.

"We look good together," she says softly, then snaps the photo before I can respond.

She sends it to the group chat with the caption: "Learning about phones with Doctor Cowboy "

The responses are immediate:

Talon : GET IT CORWIN

Shiloh : Coming home now…

Talon : Jealous much?

Shiloh : My omega. My lap.

Red : There's enough of me for everyone's lap

Rafe : This conversation is inappropriate for a group chat.

Talon : You're inappropriate for a group chat

"They're ridiculous," I tell her, but I'm smiling.

"They're perfect," she counters, then looks up at me. "You all are."

She spends the next twenty minutes exploring her phone while I guide her through features—how to download apps, adjust settings, use the camera properly. She takes approximately thirty photos of Duke, five of the sunset, and several more selfies where she experiments with angles.

"What's this?" she asks, finding the app store.

"That's where you can download other apps. Games, social media, whatever you want."

Her eyes widen.

"There are games? On the phone?"

And that's how I end up teaching her about mobile games, downloading several puzzle apps that she immediately becomes obsessed with. She's curled completely against me now, my legs long since gone numb, but I wouldn't move for anything.

"Can I text Poppy?" she asks suddenly.

"Of course. Add her number here."

She carefully inputs the number from the napkin she's been carrying, then sends: "Hi Poppy! It's Red! I got a phone!"

The response is almost instant—a voice note of Poppy screaming in excitement so loud I can hear it clearly.

Red laughs, delighted, and starts typing back.

I watch her face as she navigates this new form of communication, the way she lights up with each notification, each new discovery.

"Thank you," she says suddenly, looking up at me. "For being patient and teaching me. Also, for not making me feel stupid about not knowing this stuff."

"You're not stupid," I say firmly. "You're brilliant. You survived things that would break most people, and you're still kind, still curious, still willing to learn. That's not stupid—that's extraordinary."

She kisses me again, quick and sweet, then goes back to her phone with renewed enthusiasm.

"How do I make Talon have a contact photo?"

"You can customize all the contacts," I confirm, showing her how.

She immediately takes a horrible screenshot of Talon from a meme he sent and sets it as his contact photo, giggling wickedly.

"He's going to love that."

"He's going to retaliate," I warn.

"Good," she says with a grin that's pure mischief.

My phone buzzes with another message in the group chat.

Shiloh : Five minutes out. Save me food.

Talon : We ate everything

Shiloh : I know where you sleep

Red : I'll make sure you get fed

Shiloh : My perfect omega

Rafe : Stop being disgusting in the group chat.

Red : You love us

Rafe : has left the group chat…

Talon : has added Rafe to the group chat…

Talon : NO ESCAPING FAMILY RAFE

Red giggles at the exchange, and I find myself laughing too.

This is what we've been missing—this lightness, this playfulness, someone who makes us remember we're more than our damage and our past.

"I love this," she says softly, looking at her phone like it's magic. "Being connected to all of you. Being part of something."

"You've always been part of us," I tell her. "Since the moment Shiloh found you. This just makes it easier to remind you when you forget."

She nods, then sends one more message to the group:

Red : Thank you for my phone. Thank you for everything.

The responses come quickly:

Talon : Anything for our Little Cherry

Shiloh : Always

Even Rafe, after a long pause:

Rafe : You're welcome.

Red makes a happy sound, practically glowing with joy, and turns to show me Rafe's response like it's a precious gift.

"He said you're welcome!"

"Progress," I agree, unable to stop smiling at her enthusiasm.

She goes back to exploring her phone, occasionally showing me things she discovers, asking questions about features, taking more photos of Duke who's hamming it up for the camera now.

Her excitement is infectious, her joy at such a simple thing making me reconsider what we take for granted.

She giggles in excitement as she discovers filters on the camera, immediately taking a selfie with dog ears that she sends to Poppy.

The sound fills the cooling evening air, bright and genuine, and I find myself thinking this is it—this is what contentment feels like. Having an omega who listens to him, who values his knowledge, who makes even the simple act of learning to use a phone feel like an adventure worth having.

I think we’re truly making progress.