Page 17 of Where We Bloom (The Blackwells of Montana #3)

Chapter Eight

CONNOR

I ’ve been waiting all week for this. I cleared my schedule, much to the dismay of the people I was supposed to meet with today, but I don’t give a bleedin’ fuck.

This is the day my angel can give me, so it’s hers.

Everyone else can kiss my arse.

“You’re sure you won’t let me drive you?” Miller asks as I set the cooler in the back of the Jeep Wrangler I bought for this occasion.

“No.” I shake my head at him. “You’re a bloody mother hen, mate.”

“I’m your fucking bodyguard ,” he replies, then clears his throat. “Sir.”

“I’m taking her for a drive, not into downtown London,” I remind him. “There’s a tracker on this Jeep that you added yesterday. You’ll know where we are all day.”

He still doesn’t look happy .

“I’m getting her to myself, and I’ll not fuck that up. I don’t want anyone listening in today, even you.”

Miller steps back and nods before he walks toward the guesthouse.

Everything about today has me outside of my comfort zone. Everything except my angel.

I get her all to myself.

Here’s to hoping I don’t fuck it up in the first hour.

Blowing out a breath, I start the Jeep. We took off the doors, but I wanted to keep the soft roof on so Billie doesn’t get too sunburned.

I texted her this morning and told her to wear something comfortable.

I can’t wait to get to her.

It’s another beautiful, sunny morning as I drive into town. I understand why they call Montana Big Sky country because on a clear day like today, the sky is so blue, so damn big , it takes the breath away.

And I’m going to enjoy it with my angel today.

I park in front of her house and have just gotten out to walk up to the door when it opens and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Her hair is up in a high ponytail. She’s in the same loose dress she wore in Big Sky several weeks ago, with her strappy sandals and sunglasses. She has a small handbag slung across her body, and when she looks up at me, she smiles, making my heart stutter.

She’s also wearing the necklace I gave her, making me want to puff my chest out.

“Hi,” she says and glances at the Jeep. “Is that new?”

“Aye.” I swallow and walk toward her as she pushes her sunglasses up onto her head. “I thought it would be fun for today.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“No.” I can’t resist leaning in to press my lips to the top of her head, breathing in her lavender scent. “I haven’t.”

Her eyes drag down my torso, down my legs, and I smirk when they find mine again.

“I like it when you’re dressed like this,” she admits.

“Like what, bumble?”

“Casual.”

“Why is that?”

She bites that lip, and I don’t think she’s going to answer, but finally, she says, “Because your arms are fucking delicious in a T-shirt. There. I said it.”

I laugh as I pull her against me for a hug, wrapping the arms she seems to like around her and squeezing her close as I plant my lips on the top of her head, enjoying how she fits against me.

“Come on, then,” I say as I lead her to the Jeep. “Let’s go.”

I get her buckled in, the cage door closed, and then I circle the car and hop in behind the wheel.

“It’s a long drive,” I inform her. “Are you comfortable?”

She frowns over at me. “How long?”

“All day. ”

Now her eyebrows climb. “Where are we going? Canada?”

I grin and don’t stop myself from reaching out to drag the back of my fingers down her cheek.

I’m letting go today.

I’m indulging in my need for her.

And based on the way she leans into my touch, she’s here for it.

“No, not Canada. Just a long drive. I want to be with you today. Just you. No noise, no other people, just you on this pretty day.”

She tips her head, examining me, then nods. “That sounds really nice. And I promise not to fall asleep.”

With a laugh, I start the engine and pull out of her driveway.

“You won’t offend me if you fall asleep.”

“I’ll offend me. I don’t want to miss this. Besides, it’s a nice day, and there will be lots to see.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Once I’m on the highway leading us out of town, I rest my elbow on the center console and open my hand, waiting.

Without hesitating, Billie leans in, threads her fingers through mine, and holds on.

And we stay like this as we drive a couple of hours out of town. She points out a herd of elk. The wind whips around us, and it’s too loud to have a conversation, but that’s okay.

The quiet between us is comfortable, and she's smiling each time I glance her way .

Thank Christ, this was a good idea.

It’s close to noon when I turn off the highway near Flathead Lake and drive us close to the shoreline, with a view of the mountains beyond. I park facing the water and cut the engine. We sit in silence for a moment, taking in the breathtaking view of the lake and the mountains.

“I haven’t been here since I was a kid,” she says softly and takes a deep breath. The roof on the Jeep gives us valuable shade, but there’s a nice breeze blowing through to keep us cool. “My parents brought us here a couple of times to go camping, which I thought was so silly.”

“Why silly?”

She reaches for my hand, and I feel everything in me go still.

I’m always the one to reach for her. She never initiates physical contact with me, so seeing her hand reach out for mine has my heart hammering.

“For a couple of reasons,” she continues as if she didn’t just turn my life upside down. “First of all, we literally live in the woods. We could walk twenty feet and go camping.”

“Do you enjoy camping?”

She wrinkles her nose. “And that’s number two. I hate camping. Spend the day outside, doing whatever? Fine. I can do that. But I do not ever want to sleep outside.”

“I don’t either.”

She looks my way, her eyebrows lifted. “Really?”

“Aye, I have a perfectly good bed to sleep in at night. ”

“Exactly.” She nods once. “Also, I know this makes me sound, I don’t know, weak maybe?—”

“You’re not weak.”

“But I don’t like getting dirty. I didn’t enjoy living on a farm. It’s sweaty, dirty work, and I don’t like it. My brother can have it.”

“That’s not weak,” I reply, rubbing my thumb in a circle against her soft skin. “I don’t particularly enjoy dirty work, either. I work my arse off, but I don’t get filthy while doing it.”

“Same.” She sighs and leans her head back on the seat. “Oh, I forgot my water bottle at home.”

“Here.” I let go of her hand and open one of the coolers in the back, pulling out a bottle of water for her, and she wrinkles that nose again. “What is it?”

“Nothing, thank you.”

“No.” I pull the bottle out of her reach. “You made your disgusted face.”

“I don’t have a disgusted face.”

“Aye, you do, bumble. And you made it. Tell me why.”

“I just don’t love that particular brand of water, that’s all. But I’ll drink it because I’m thirsty.”

“It’s just water.”

Her eyes go wide as I crack the top for her and pass it over.

“No. That’s where you’re wrong. All of the different brands of water taste different. Haven’t you noticed that?”

“I can’t say that I have, no.”

“Well, I have.”

“And this one isn’t to your liking?”

“Not particularly.” She drinks down several gulps and secures the lid once more. “But that’s better. My throat was dry. Want some?”

She offers me the bottle, and with my eyes on hers, I take it, unscrew the lid, and place my lips where hers just were, tipping it back to drink.

It tastes fine to me.

“Shall we stretch our legs? There’s a path over there.”

“Sure.” She pushes her sunglasses back on and waits for me to round the hood to help her down.

My heart is hammering. It always is when she’s close, but I’m about to do something I haven’t done in … well, ever.

“I’m surprised there aren’t a ton of tourists here,” Billie says as she slips her hand in mine—as if it’s the most natural thing to do, and she does it every damn day—and walks beside me on the trail.

I don’t bother to tell her that I called the state park bureau and had this area cleared for us today.

Finally, we settle into a comfortable silence, enjoying the cool air when we walk into the shade of tall evergreens, and with a magnificent view of the lake, I gesture to a fallen log.

“Let’s sit,” I suggest. She nods, then brushes off the bark as if she can get rid of every speck of dirt, and then sits.

I can’t help my smile as I sit next to her .

I’m not touching her now, simply sitting a couple of inches away.

And I start to fucking talk. Because this is what she needs from me, and I need her. More than anything else, I need this woman in my life, so I’ll give her anything she needs to make that happen. Even if I have to open my mouth and be honest with her.

So here I am, taking my chance. I’ve never felt the need to shift gears in my life.

Work and family have been my priority for as long as I can remember.

But I see Fiona and Ronan together, and I know they’re so damn happy because they’re partners.

Equals in everything. Fiona is the air Ronan breathes, and he is to her, and I want that.

I want that connection. I don’t want the endless …

aloneness that comes with, well, being alone.

More than anything else, I need this woman in my life.

“Growing up a Gallagher was a privilege and a curse,” I begin, watching as a bald eagle swoops and plucks a fish out of the lake before flying off with his lunch.

“Although I never wanted for anything, I also learned at quite a young age that I couldn’t truly trust anyone.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I trust my family and Ronan, my best friend. I met him at university.”

“Are you still in touch?” Billie asks me quietly, hardly moving, as if she’s afraid I’ll stop telling her my tale.

“Aye. He’s on the board of directors of Gallagher Hotels, and he’s married to my ex-wife.”

I look over in time to see her gaze whip to mine, her eyes wide .

But she swallows and looks back out at the lake without asking me any questions.