Page 26 of Sweet Escape (Whispering Oaks Ranch #1)

Twist Ties

? How do I do this - Kelsea Ballerini

Olivia

“I owe you a date.”

I startle at the rough edge of Wilder’s voice. His lips are barely a hair’s breadth away from my ear as I finish up a batch of macarons for the display case.

“Who let you in here?” I ask.

“Grammy, obviously. She winked at me and told me to have my way with you.”

“She did not!”

“She most definitely did. I had no idea Rosie was such a horndog.”

“I heard that, Wilder Hayes,” a voice calls from beyond the swinging doors.

“Does your grandmother have supersonic hearing?” he whispers. “Is that how she knows everything?”

I giggle. “That would make a lot of sense, wouldn’t it? I think you might be onto something. ”

“Should we test our theory?” Wilder searches around the counters for something, I don’t know what. When he finds it, he fidgets with the item in his hands before dropping to one knee behind the counter.

My eyes widen and I speak through gritted teeth. “What the hell are you doing?”

He holds up a gold twist tie used to secure our cellophane treat bags. It’s fashioned into a circle with the ends looped around each other like a tiny bow. “Olivia Sullivan. Light of my life. Mother of my child. Will you marry me?”

I choke on air, eyes watering as I try to regain my composure. “Get up, you ridiculous man.”

The doors swing inward to reveal an unenthused Grammy, fists planted on her hips. “You’re gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to get one over on me. And if we’re talking about proposals, that was pathetic. Where’s the romance? The drama? The ring?”

He slips the makeshift band around my ring finger and stands. “Guess we were right,” he says.

Grammy scoffs, snagging a tray of the completed macarons. “It ain’t superpowers,” she says, twisting to return to the dining room. “It’s the vents.” With that, Grammy disappears around the corner once more.

“Son of a bitch,” Wilder mutters.

Leaning back against the stainless steel counter, I clear my throat. “What were you saying about a date?”

Wilder smirks. “I was just minding my own business, shoeing a horse, when my brother so kindly reminded me that I have yet to take you on that $1300 date I owe you.”

“Oh. Right. That.”

“You sound disappointed. Just so you know, they don’t do refunds.”

I tap my finger on my chin and smile crookedly. “Hmm. How about exchanges? Can I take Griffin instead? ”

He steps dangerously close, trapping me between his hard body and the countertop. “You trying to make me jealous, Pretty Girl?”

I dramatically clutch at my chest. “Me? I would never.”

His hand wraps around the front of my throat, not squeezing, just resting there. The touch is possessive, and it makes my pussy flutter. “You’re mine.”

Feeling reckless, I brush my nose against his, speaking against his lips. “I think you mean you’re mine .”

“The things I want to do to that sassy fucking mouth.”

“Get a room!” We startle apart at the intrusion. “Wilder Hayes, get outta my kitchen. Livie will be ready at seven o’clock tonight. You can pick her up then. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Go on now, git.”

Wilder

I pull up outside the diner with five minutes to spare, snatch the bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat, and head inside. The bell above the door signals my arrival, and Rosie smiles when she sees me.

“You clean up nice, Hayes.” Rosie hands me the picnic basket she prepared for the date. “I’ll go get her for you.”

“Thanks, Ro.”

I rock back on my heels, a riot of nerves coursing through me. When's the last time I went on a first date? Had to have been Jess, damn near eighteen years ago now. I have no idea what I’m doing.

Footsteps approach, and I whip my head in their direction, my eyes nearly bugging out of my head.

Olivia looks gorgeous in a denim vest and a flirty white skirt that cuts off above the knee, showing off her long legs ending in a brand new pair of white cowboy boots.

What would it be like to fuck her wearing only those boots?

She steps closer. “Eyes are up here, Big Guy.”

I inhale a long breath, her vanilla scent washing over me. The knowledge that this stunning woman is carrying my baby makes my heart leap in my chest. “You look amazing.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself. Are these for me?”

She motions to the flowers still clutched in my fist. I was so distracted that I forgot I had them. “Yeah. They’re from Mama’s greenhouse.”

She takes them and breathes them in, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you. I’ll just go put these in some water, and we can go.”

Being with Olivia is as easy as breathing. Or maybe it’s so much more than that. I’ve spent the last two years gasping for air, and she’s like the first breath of spring after endless winter, so potent I don’t know how I lived without her.

She’s practically radiating when she returns, and I cock my head to the side and drink the sight of her before I interlock our fingers and guide her through the exit. “What’s that smile for?” I ask.

She bites down on her bottom lip and glances away. “That’s the first time anyone’s given me flowers.”

I pull up short, and she inadvertently slams into my chest. “You’re joking.”

“No. You’re the first.”

And the last, I hope.

“Fucking hell, Liv. You’ve had some really shit boyfriends, huh?”

“Technically, I’ve only had one actual boyfriend. And… well… you know how that turned out.”

This woman deserves so much better than that sorry excuse for an ex. The more I learn about Jake, the harder it is to resist the urge to fly to Colorado and beat the shit out of him. I’m not usually a violent man, but I’m more than willing to make an exception.

We pull up to the ranch, and I put the car in park. Liv looks at me expectantly.

“I wanted to take you up to the waterfall on horseback,” I say, “but I can’t do that, so I planned something else. Hope that’s okay?”

“I’m up for anything.”

I smirk. “Mmm. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I grab the picnic basket from the backseat and tug her down the path behind the big barn where there’s a quilt laid out.

“Look at all the flowers!” she says, a smile breaking across that beautiful face when she takes in the yellow and white daisies scattered around the quilt.

“One of Storm’s favorite snacks.”

She giggles. “I love them. I used to play ‘he loves me, he loves me not,’ when I was a kid.”

Something twists in my chest. I set the basket down and lead her over to the fence where Storm has her head hanging over the side, waiting for any scrap of affection Liv is willing to give.

“Hey pretty mama,” Liv says, stroking Storm’s neck. “Wish we could go for a ride together.” She leans down and plucks a few daisies from the grass, holding them out to the mare. Storm takes them, then nudges Liv’s shoulder.

“Alright, Stormy girl. Go steal someone else’s date.”

Liv’s nose crinkles, and she gives Storm one last pat.

“Never thought I’d be jealous of a horse,” I mutter .

“Aww, is my big broody cowboy feeling neglected?”

“ Your big broody cowboy, huh?”

“You got a problem with that?”

I grip her ample hips and dip my head down so we’re nearly nose to nose. “Being claimed by the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on? No, I’ll wear that badge with honor.”

She slides her arms around my back and hugs me. Just a hug. Simple, but perfect because it’s her. It feels… nice. Unable to resist the urge to have my mouth on her, I bring my lips to her forehead and inhale. “As much as I want to devour you whole, I should feed you first.”

“Just… one more minute.” I sweep my hand over her long, golden locks, playing with the strands. Hearts beating in a synchronized cadence, we stand there holding each other like if we dare to let go, we’ll fall to pieces. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“You make me feel special.”

“Good. You deserve that and so much more.”

She blows out a breath and pulls away, taking a little piece of my heart with her. “Ok. Let’s eat.”

Olivia

As first dates go, this is one I won’t soon forget.

The view from this vantage point is absolutely breathtaking.

The sky is painted in hues of orange and pink as the sun sets beyond the edge of the pasture.

Our empty plates are discarded in the center of the quilt.

I lean back on my hands and take it all in.

His fingertips brush mine as he mirrors my posture.

“I didn’t realize how much I missed home until this very moment,” I murmur. “Nothing beats a Kentucky summer sunset.”

“I don’t know. My view is pretty great, too. ”

When I glance over, Wilder’s looking at me, his eyes roving over me like a brand. His pinky finger locks around mine, and he leans in ever so slightly. “It's been a while since my last first date. When is the appropriate time to kiss?”

“Hmm. I think it’s a vibe thing. Like when the sun is setting just right and your lips are almost touching. Right”—I move in closer and our noses brush—“about…”

He cups my cheek, and he slides his thumb along my cheekbone.

“N—”

He swallows the last word, his mouth covering mine in an achingly delicious kiss. His lips are somehow soft and demanding at the same time, but it’s not enough for me. I’m sure it’s partly the pregnancy hormones running rampant, but maybe more than that, it’s Wilder.

I push him onto his back and climb on top, plastering myself to his rock-hard body. He groans as I slide my hands into his hair, and he flips us so he’s on top. He takes both of my wrists in a tight grip and pushes them above my head.

“You’re so goddamn perfect,” he growls. “If I could fuck you right here, I would, but I told myself I was going to be a gentleman tonight.”

“But—”

He rolls onto his back again, propping his arm behind his head, before tucking me against his side. “Not tonight, Cupcake.”

Disappointment sits heavy in my chest.

Wilder doesn’t miss the shift in my mood. He sweeps some of my hair off my forehead and follows that up with a chaste kiss. “Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want me like that.”

He guides my hand to the bulge in his jeans. “I want you, Liv. There’s no question about that, but the next time I have you isn’t going to be out in the open where anyone could see. S o, I’m going to hold you and you’re going to let me.”

“Ok.” I sigh and nestle against his side, letting my eyes fall shut as I inhale his woodsy scent. “But you owe me at least two orgasms.”

He chuckles, and the sound vibrates through his chest and settles deep in my bones. “Let’s make it three.”