Page 84 of Something Tangled Something True (Rosa Ranch #1)
AFTERMATH
I watch Ryder and Nugget rest beside me, relieved to realize Ryder’s night terrors didn’t make an appearance for the first time in weeks. He looks so peaceful, his pillow-soft lips slightly parted, face turned toward me.
The bright afternoon sun streams in through the blinds, and I can’t help but reach out, stroking my thumb over his cheek. Resting on my elbow, I lean closer to him, desperate to commit every detail to memory.
With the way our first few months of marriage have gone, I know I can’t take anything for granted, especially not these serene moments when Ryder is safe and loved beside me. I’m only able to ensure one of those things will remain true forever.
His dark lashes flutter with the next stroke of my thumb, and I almost regret the motion until I’m met with the most beautiful cerulean eyes. A slow, easy smile fills my heart to the brim with gratitude.
“How’d I get so lucky to wake up to my gorgeous best friend?” he asks, his tone gravelly and sleep-laden as he reaches to cup my jaw.
“I wonder the same thing every day,” I whisper, content to remain in the quiet space surrounding us and avoid the prying questions from the amazing people in this town who no doubt love us but are, sometimes, a little much.
“Mmm,” he hums, wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me to lie over his chest. He ducks his chin and presses kisses along my jawline and over my thrumming pulse, my body warming.
We spend the next who knows how long whispering our shared gratitude for another day together, a second chance.
We explore our bodies, pressing gentle kisses, tentative licks, and nips on every inch.
Our touches are slow and worshipping, neither of us rushing to remove our clothes or take things any further.
We just soak in the beauty of this moment, free of fear for our safety, the stress of rebuilding our lives, or the anxiety of what lies beyond this.
That is, until the chirping from our phones can no longer be ignored.
I’m straddling Ryder’s lap, his arms wrapped around my waist as he sits up, his legs straight beneath me.
His scruff-covered chin sits on top of my shoulder until he kisses below my ear and nips at the tender flesh at the base of my neck with a groan.
“How long do you think it’ll be before they’re busting down our door? ”
“Probably not long,” I ruefully admit.
He lets out a rough exhale, pulling away from me to grab our phones from the nightstand.
The door creaks open, and Nugget waddles in, his entire butt shaking as he attempts to jump onto the bed, hanging onto the edge as I lean over to help drag him up. His tongue hangs as he dances, letting out a couple excited yelps and covering us in affection.
“Okay, good boy, Nugget. That’s enough,” I say, giggling as I pick him up, sliding out of the bed to take him out.
“Hey, Lols!” Ryder shouts, but I’ve already made the mistake of opening the door.
What looks like the entire town is in our front yard! They all glance up to see me standing barefoot, hair a mess, my pants forgotten somewhere between crawling in the house and waking up this morning. Their brows raise, but they release a collective sigh at the sight of us, alive and safe.
As overwhelming as it is at first, Ryder and I take it in stride, allowing the town that raised us to be here in our most vulnerable moments, giving us over fifty shoulders to lean on when we need them, no questions asked.
After spending the last several years isolated from those I could trust, I’m ready to untangle those feelings and lean into something true: unconditional love .