Page 26 of Wild and Unruly (Three Rivers Trevors Ranch #3)

stetson

Sunday family dinner was always a decent-sized affair, and over the last few years, the numbers had grown significantly every time someone settled down. When Logan started dating and then married Thea, she brought with her all of her sisters.

When Graham married his wife, Quinn, she brought with her Alex, her daughter, and now they have a baby boy too.

Now, Jax and Mitch were both home and attended a few family dinners, growing our numbers and making our mom beam every time she saw all of us boys together.

Jax was the life of the party, telling rodeo stories and catching up with the ranch hands who worked for CT.

A few of them we went to high school with, bringing a wealth of memories for all of us to choose from.

I stare at Bonnie, who’s chatting with Annmarie and her sister, Juniper.

Annmarie didn’t come to family dinners much, but there was an open invitation for her every week.

Usually, she worked at the bar, but Thea took this weekend to give her sisters some time off, which explained Logan’s absence.

There was no chance he was going to be here when his wife was working.

Bonnie is laughing at something Annmarie said, and I smile, enjoying that these two have been able to find some form of friendship between them.

Annmarie cornered me earlier in the day, when the sun was high in the sky, and nodded toward where Bonnie was playing corn hole—with boards she’d brought herself to keep here—with Alex and attempting to let the toddler, JC, play too.

She was laughing, with the sun shining down through her hair, making my fist clench with the need to take her back home and show her how insatiable I was when it came to her.

“She’s something special,” Annmarie commented, taking a long pull of her beer.

I took a sip of mine and nodded, then joked. “Hands off, she’s mine.”

Annmarie laughed and shook her head. “Awe, feeling insecure? I bet I could have some fun with her.”

Irrationally, rage bubbled in my chest at the thought, and I turned to glare at my friend. “Absolutely not.”

“Sounds like someone’s scared.” She turned her head back to Bonnie, tilting her head.

“Annmarie, you’re fucking gorgeous and funny and witty, you deserve an amazing partner.” I paused, taking a breath to calm myself, but then I said, “But if you touch my woman, we’ll have issues.”

At my words, Annmarie let out a startled laugh, turning fully to me. Her eyes took in my defensive posture. “I’m fucking with you, Stetson. I don’t want your girlfriend.”

“Well.” I shrugged off my insecurities and looked back over to Bonnie, who had her hand resting on the toddler’s, helping him throw the bean bag. “I wouldn’t blame you, she’s fucking amazing.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, she’s pretty great. But you know what?” She gave me a look. “So are you. And I think you two are pretty damn perfect for each other.”

“You think?” It was good to hear, especially coming from someone who I used to have a major thing for, who knew me to my core, who was a badass who also would never hold back her opinion on anything, no matter how it rubbed people.

“Yeah, I do.” She nodded, holding out her beer.

I tapped it with mine. “Thanks.”

“Don’t fuck it up, okay?”

I have had those words running through my head the rest of the day . Don’t fuck it up.

Shit, I didn’t want to. I don’t want to. I want to do everything I can to prove to Bonnie that our relationship is worth the struggle, the long distance, the family drama, the wanting to wake up with her every morning…we’d make it work.

My mom chooses that moment to finally come over. She worked at her salon today, helping out with a wedding in town. “How’s my handsome youngest?”

I pull her into a hug and smile. “I’m doing good, Mama. How was your wedding?”

“Oh, just beautiful.” She sighs, taking in the scene around us and stopping when she sees Bonnie. “Oh, honey, introduce us!”

I look at the eager expression on my mom’s face and immediately want to say no. Even though that’s not rational. Bonnie is standing right there chatting with the other girls, not doing anything of necessary importance.

“Um, okay.”

“Oh, don’t act like that.” She whacks my arm. “I just want to meet the woman who’s got that doe-eyed look on my son’s face.”

Oh. Great. Doe-eyed.

I follow the tiny marching woman with quick steps, trying to get ahead of her. She gets right in Bonnie’s eyeline and says, “Hey there, I’m little Stetsy’s mom. You must be Bonnie.”

My eyes widen in horror, the beer I’m holding in one hand nearly falling to the ground at the use of the name she used to call me.

Used to .

As in, doesn’t anymore because I’m a fucking adult.

As in, she was trying to embarrass me on purpose.

Bonnie looks at me, and I can tell just from the way she briefly purses her lips that she’s holding back a bark of laughter. Her eyes glitter as she holds out her hand for my mom to shake. “Oh wow, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cash.”

“Oh please, I don’t go by that formality anymore. Call me Didi, everyone does.” She pulls Bonnie into a bone crunching hug, capturing Bonnie’s hand between them, and I watch in admiration as Bonnie accepts the hug lovingly, like none of this was fazing her whatsoever.

If Bonnie could handle Didi Cash like this, she was in. Plain and simple.

“Stetson has talked a lot about you,” Bonnie comments, giving me a look out of the corner of her eye.

Given the way she runs her mouth without a filter, I wait on bated breath to hear the next words out of her mouth.

“He thinks very highly of you and talks about what a wonderful mom you were growing up.”

Mom looks at me, her hand on her chest like she’s touched by the words and maybe doesn’t believe them. I lift up my hands in defense. “What? I said that.” I wave at Bonnie, confirming what she said.

“Hm.” She turns back to Bonnie and pats her hand that’s still in my mom’s.

“Well, he’s told me so much about you. He sent me a link to that article you wrote about that family who saved their farm after it was hit by tornadoes but went back to the way things used to be done.

Honestly, I nearly cried it was so touching.

” She releases Bonnie’s hand, and I take the moment to step to her side, sliding an arm around her waist.

She looks to me in surprise, either by my hand placement or sharing her work with my mom, I’m unsure. “Well, that’s nice to hear. That family was really great. I hear they’re doing well now, slowly working back to getting to where they were.”

“That’s so wonderful. I’m glad to hear it.” My aunt Sandra calls my mom’s name, and she says goodbye, giving Bonnie another hug and whispering something in her ear that makes Bonnie’s eyes soften. She smiles and nods. “Me too.”

The sun has dipped low, setting a golden hue over everything, and Juniper sets up with her guitar over on the porch, pulling people in.

I grab Bonnie’s hand, pulling her to a patch of grass that’s far enough away from everyone that they won’t bother us but close enough to hear the gentle lull of Juniper’s voice.

I note my brother Mitch leaning against the wall, watching Juniper sing. I’m shocked he’s still here. Hanging around everyone isn’t really his thing .

Holding Bonnie close, I can feel her heartbeat against my chest, smell her perfume wafting from her hair, and the soft feel of her hand against mine has me wishing we were somewhere private.

“Having a good day so far?” I ask against her ear, feeling her shiver stretch down her spine.

“Yes.” I feel her cheek twitch. “It’s been a nice day.”

“How long are you here for?” I ask, hoping that this isn’t going to start an argument. But I wouldn’t let it.

I don’t want to fight with her. I know she has to leave—it’s her job—I just need to know she’s going to come back.

“I’m not sure, Stetson.” She sounds sad, and I lean back, taking in her expression. It was sad and slightly resigned, but I silently thanked God that she was feeling the loss of our time together just like I was.

“Another week?”

She nods immediately. “Definitely.”

My eyes search hers, my mouth desperate to ask her questions I’m not sure I have the right to ask. I want to know how much this means to her. I want to know if she’s planning on coming back, and if she thinks of me in the future like I’m thinking of her.

Our gazes stay locked, her mouth opens. “Do you want to come back to my place?”

Her question, while catching me off guard, requires little to no thought. “Yes.”

We were in her truck before we knew it. I didn’t want to take separate cars, unwilling to break the contact between the two of us.

Her hand was in mine, with her other on the steering wheel.

She offered to let me drive, but I didn’t feel the need, knowing that it was her truck and her right to drive it.

Though, with the speed she was going, I was wishing that I had taken her up on it.

Thankfully, The Lodge isn’t far from the ranch, and it takes us about fifteen minutes to get there. Bonnie strides confidently through the lobby, smiling and waving at Amelia with her other hand in mine. I smirk and give a nod to her. “Evening.”

She laughs as we walk down the hallway to Bonnie’s room, and I flash back to just a few weeks ago when I carried her luggage down here. I can’t believe it’s only been a few weeks since I met this woman, this someone who was quickly becoming someone I could see myself with long-term.

Fuck, my feelings were going haywire.

Bonnie quickly opens the door, allowing me a moment to take a breath before I grab at her wrist, my other arm reaching back to quickly throw the lock on the door. But that contact, the contact between her skin and my own, is something that I’m unwilling to let go of.

I was craving her touch, her skin, the smell of her hair, and the way she smiled at me like she knew every thought that was running through my head.

She keeps her gaze on me, stepping back into the room and gently tugging me along. The woman could be leading me to shark-infested waters, and I would happily dive in after her.

I take off my hat, resting it gently on its top before turning back to her.

I pull her in until we’re touching, and my hand reaches up to cup her jaw, my thumb tracing her cheekbone.

Leaning in, I press my lips to hers in a gentle but firm kiss, using my hands to pull her closer to me as she wraps her arms around my shoulders and holds on tight.

I feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest, reverberating all the way into my throat. My emotions and feelings are all over the place. I want to shout from the rooftops that this woman has me wrapped around her little finger, that I am fully and completely in love with her.

The problem was, I didn’t know if she reciprocated that feeling and scaring her off, pushing her away when I just got her, wasn’t an option.

“Stets,” she whispers against my lips, stepping back and ridding herself of her shirt. Her belt comes off next, followed by her boots and jeans.

Instead of doing the same for myself, I stand there breathing her in, watching as she disposes of her clothes and leaves herself standing in the sexiest black lace bra and matching panties I’ve ever seen.

Did she buy that for me, or was that something she wore on rotation?

I never took much stock of what she wore until right now, and I was dying to find out if this was special.

But I keep my mouth shut. Striding toward her with sure steps and latching onto her hips, I pull her into me, lifting until she wraps her strong thighs around my waist, and I carry her to the bed, delicately lying her down.

Her hair sprawls around her on the bed, framing her gorgeous face, and I have to take a moment to just breathe her in, to watch how she looks at me.

There is something there, something in her expression that tells me she is feeling something similar to me, if not on the same exact sentence on the same page.

I kiss her, pouring all that emotion into it. Reaching over, I grab her wrists and lift her arms above her head, holding her down and working my kisses down over her jaw, onto her neck, and licking, taking a taste for myself before finding her chest and kissing the swells of her breasts .

She was perfect, and I was a man who would never take advantage of the gift that she was.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, it’s killing me,” I rasp out, my lips gliding over her glowing skin.

Bonnie moans softly, letting her eyes close and just feeling every sensation that I am giving her. I was still fully dressed, but right now, my focus was on only her, and I was okay with that.

I had thought what I felt toward Annmarie was love. I thought I knew what it was like to be completely obsessed with someone, but I was wrong. What I felt for Bonnie, what I felt in my chest as my obsession and, frankly, love for her, was completely new to me.

I kiss my way over her stomach, abandoning my hold on her wrists in order to take my fingers and slide her panties down over her thighs, exposing her to me.

She was perfection.

And she was all mine.

I stand, kicking off my boots, unable to hold back any longer because I want to hold and kiss and love on this woman for as long as she would let me.

I rid myself of my clothes, watching as she sits up, sliding the straps of her bra down and unhooking the back. Her eyes don’t leave mine, and maybe she doesn’t mean to, but what her stare does to me is so fucking naturally sexy that I am going to lose my mind.

She moves, sliding the neatly made comforter down the bed and sliding underneath, and I don’t know what the feeling is that comes over me when I slide in next to her, naked and eyes intent on hers, but I feel like this was how I wanted to start every night for the rest of my life.

I move my body over hers, aching to move lower, but I can’t take my eyes off of this woman underneath me. She’s uncovered this side of me that I never knew existed.

I was the youngest, always protected. But now I have something that is mine to protect. As I slide into her heat, as her legs wrap around my waist and her nails cling to my skin, I know that as long as I live, I will do everything in my power to protect her.