“Do we understand each other?” I asked.
For the longest moment he simply stared at me, then smiled and rubbed his chin. “You can have Saryn. Enjoy my sloppy seconds, brother.”
Before I had a chance to go after him, Ryan did. I stood by and let Ryan get in about three good punches before I pulled him off.
“Let it go. He’s not worth it, Ryan,” I said.
Ryan pointed to Tim. “You ever step foot on our family’s ranch and I will personally shoot you dead.”
Tim swallowed hard, got up, and attempted to straighten his clothes, then opened the door.
“Get out of my room. Now.”
As we made our way out of the hotel and back to Ryan’s truck, I worked at calming myself down. We got into the truck, and Ryan looked at me.
“Nolan has ways of making people pay for things? Dude, he’s a test pilot in the Air Force!”
I scoffed. “Tim doesn’t know that. And that’s what you got from that? Did you hear the whole part about him being my half-brother?”
Ryan nodded. “I was trying to forget that part.”
We both laughed, and Ryan shook his right hand out. “Fucker has a steel jaw.”
Flexing my own hand, I found myself suddenly needing to see Saryn and Liliana. “Let’s get out of here.”
Without a word, Ryan started the truck and we drove back to Saryn’s house in silence. The first thing I needed to do after I saw Saryn and Liliana was talk to Roger about the bomb Tim had dropped on me.
Then we needed to talk to our father.
Saryn
TRUITT HADN’T ACTED the same since he and Ryan came back to my house yesterday. It wasn’t that he was distant, but something felt off. Even Ryan seemed to be taken aback by something. I decided I’d let it go, for now. If Truitt needed to talk to me about something, he would.
I slipped the French toast I had made onto the plate and put a little bit of butter on it. Liliana smiled as she waited for me to cut it into strips for her to dip.
“Two days in a row with the sweet breakfast,” I said.
Liliana smiled. “Yummy!”
I glanced out the kitchen window. I could see Truitt standing outside, Rus sitting next to him. He looked lost.
The back door opened, and my mom walked in. “Good morning! I’ve come to see if I could take this little one off your hands for a few hours and take her to work with me. Santa is going to be visiting the stores and giving out goodies.”
Liliana’s eyes went wide. “Santa!”
My mother looked so proud of herself in that moment. Santa shopping on Main had been her idea a few years ago, and it had been a huge success.
“Sure, I’ll probably swing by, if you can give me a heads up on what time he’ll be there.”
She nodded and then wiped Liliana’s face. “He’s slated to be at the store at one.”
That gave me the whole morning with Truitt. I knew he was going stir crazy, and I needed to get him out of the house.
“Perfect.”
My mother glanced down at Saryn. “You ready to go, sweet pea?”
“Yes! May I get Muke?”
“Of course! The more the merrier!” my mother exclaimed as she took my daughter’s hand in hers and they made their way out of the kitchen and upstairs.
The back door opened, and I heard Truitt walk in. He was using his cane and that made me so happy.
“How’s the knee?” I asked.
“Actually, it’s doing pretty good. Listen, I need to run to my house and grab some more stuff if I’m going to stay here, or maybe I should just plan on heading home?”
He looked at me with an expression that seemed so unsure.
“I vote for you packing up some stuff and staying here.”
A beautiful smile spread across his face. “That one gets my vote, as well.”
Liliana and my mother came back into the kitchen. Mom was carrying her coat and a bag she must have packed up quickly.
“We are all set,” Mom said. “You two enjoy the morning and I’ll see you in a few hours.”
I kissed Liliana goodbye. “I love you, be good for Grammy.”
“I will, Mommy!” Liliana said, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. When she let me go, she made her way over to Truitt. She carefully hugged his left side. “I see you, Twuitt. Miss you!”
My mother and I both sighed as we watched the exchange and saw Truitt light up.
“I’ll miss you, too, pumpkin.” Truitt looked up at me, confused.
“She’s going to the store with Mom, and we’ll meet them there in a bit,” I said.
He nodded.
“Behave, kids!” my mother called out and then laughed.
I shook my head. “She’s going to forever say she brought us together.”
Truitt chuckled, and then walked over to me. “She did.”
With a roll of my eyes, I groaned. “Yes, but don’t let her know we think that.”
He leaned down and kissed me. “You need to do anything, or should we leave now?”
“I can do the dishes later, they’re not going anywhere. I’m dying to see your house!”
Truitt laughed and looked at Rus. “What about him?”
We both looked down at the dog passed out on the floor. “I think he’s fine. You just took him out, and I gave him a pain pill right before that. I think he’s out for a bit.”
“Then let’s head to my place.”
The drive to Truitt’s house was filled with light conversation and a few laughs. Truitt still hadn’t told me what was weighing on his heart, but I wasn’t going to push him.
“So, you don’t live on your folks’ ranch?” I asked as he pulled up to a large black gate. It wasn’t anything over the top. I loved that he had Christmas decorations on it, though.
“No, I wanted my own place. Something that I earned myself, if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense,” I replied.
The gate opened and we headed down a winding drive that was flanked with a four-plank fence. It was lined with beautiful oak trees that gave it such a romantic feel.
“Truitt, this is a stunning driveway!” I said.
He smiled. “Thank you.”
I glanced out at the empty pastures as we made our way to the house.
“No cows or horses?”
“I’ve got a few horses, but I had to hire a ranch hand to help out. I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t been able to keep up with it all. Mack, the ranch hand, lives on the property with his wife in a small one-story house that was the original ranch. She teaches riding lessons, so my horses at least get ridden.”
My heart raced at the idea of riding. “I need to get Liliana on horses more often. I want her to learn to ride and soon.”
Truitt reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Y’all can come ride any time you want. I’ve got five horses, for right now. I’d like to eventually get a few more.”
“Five! That sounds like a dream already.”
“Hell, if I knew I could win you over with the horses I would have brought you here sooner.”
I laughed and then fell silent as Truitt pulled up to the house. It wasn’t just any house. It was a large, ranch-style, one-story house. And it was beautiful. The sandstone rock looked like each piece had been hand-cut, and it gave the house a very classic look, yet it was rustic at the same time.
“This is your house?”
“This is my house.”
I slowly got out of his truck. Looking to the right, I saw an equally impressive barn.
“The barn is almost as big as the house!”
Truitt laughed. “Not really, it just looks like it. I’ve got a covered arena, as well, where Mack’s wife gives most of her lessons.”
I turned and faced him. “Marry me. Right now!”
He laughed again and put his arm around my waist. “Come on, let’s head on in.”
The moment we stepped into the house, I fell in love. The space was wide open with a massive,
double-sided stone fireplace in the middle of room. The kitchen sat to the right of the fireplace with a living area to the left of it.
“And you really want to stay at my place?” I asked as I walked toward the kitchen.
Rustic white cabinets lined two walls and a beautiful gray stone countertop added to the beauty of the kitchen. A large island sat between the kitchen and the fireplace. A round table with four chairs was off to the side in a nook that was all windows from floor to ceiling. I turned and saw a line of glass doors that led out to the backyard. The doors carried all the way through the living room, letting the outside in.
“Okay, how did I not notice the doors when we walked in?”
Truitt shrugged. “Most people see the fireplace and then get distracted by the kitchen, just like you did.”
He smiled and I shook my head. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll show you around.”
We walked through the kitchen into what looked like a butler’s pantry...and what that led to nearly had me fainting. It was a room filled from floor to ceiling with wine and every kind of liquor you could think of.
“My version of a formal dining room,” Truitt said.
“I like your version. How big is the house?”
His cheeks turned an almost bright red. “It’s big.”
“Tell me!” I said with a slight nudge on his upper shoulder.
“Six thousand, give or take a few hundred.”
“Six. Thousand. Square. Feet?”
He nodded.
“Keep going.”
We walked into another room that looked like his office. Rich dark wood covered the walls and ceilings with intricate trim and carvings that gave it such an elegant feel. I was so excited about the walls that I almost missed the small fireplace.
“I love this room,” I whispered.
“Good, then it’s yours. I hate this room. It’s not me, my mother designed it.”
“I’ll take it!” I said with a slight laugh.
We looked at three bedrooms before we made it to the master bedroom.
A king-size bed occupied the large room. It had a white down comforter and two side tables that matched the rustic brown bedframe. A set of French doors were opposite the bed. On one of the doors was a set of bookshelves with an oversized chair, and the other side had a more masculine chair with a reading lamp and more bookshelves. I could totally see myself curled up in the chair reading a book.
Truitt opened the French doors to reveal the back porch. It was a large covered porch that overlooked a swimming pool, the stables, and the most breathtaking view of the Hill Country I’d ever seen.
Truitt told me there was also a media center, a workout room, another room he had envisioned as a playroom if there was ever a need for one, and a game room above the garage.
“I don’t think I should see the bathroom,” I whispered.
“Why not?”
“I won’t ever want to leave.”
He walked up behind me and leaned down to speak into my ear. “I have a huge walk-in shower where I could do all kinds of naughty things to you.”
My knees wobbled, and Truitt turned me around to face him.
“I think we need to break the house in, what do you say?” He motioned to the large king bed.
I stepped back inside, and the moment after he had shut the doors and lowered the blinds, I found myself on the bed, naked, being kissed senseless.
“Truitt,” I gasped as he moved his lips down my neck and took one of my nipples into his mouth. “Yes. Oh, God.”
“I don’t think I can be on top yet,” he whispered against my skin.
When his hot breath hit between my legs, all thought vanished.
“Okay. Just…just…touch me.”
I heard a chuckle and then felt his mouth right where I needed it.
My body arched and I gripped the down comforter, moans and soft cries coming out as Truitt brought me to the most amazing orgasm ever.
The rest of the morning was spent in his bed.
The house was a dream. This was a dream. I soon found myself being woken up by kisses all over my face.
“Rise and shine, sweetheart,” Truitt said. “We need to get dressed and head into town.”
I rolled over onto my stomach and moaned in protest. “No. I want to stay like this forever. Naked in your bed with your hands on me.”
Truitt chuckled. “Hell, as amazing as that sounds, I don’t think we can do it.”
He kissed along my back and then slapped my bare ass.
“Time to get back to the real world.”
When I rolled over, I looked at him. He had showered, shaved, and gotten dressed in jeans, a long-sleeve shirt that hugged his upper body in the most delicious way, and Lord help me…he had on his cowboy hat.
I swallowed hard, then sat up. There was a small suitcase by the door. I looked at it and then smiled.
“Going slow is for losers,” I whispered as I jumped up and got myself ready.
Saryn
“TONIGHT, SANTA WILL be coming. Are you ready?” I asked as I buttered my toast and took a bit of scrambled eggs.
Liliana nodded in excitement. “Where is Twuitt?”
I smiled. “He’s outside with Granddaddy and Grams.”
“Pwaying?”
“No, pumpkin, he’s helping them with a surprise!”
Her eyes got wide. “For who?”
With the tip of my finger, I tapped her nose. “A surprise for you.”
“For me!” she exclaimed.
The back door opened, and my mother walked in. “Good morning to my two favorite girls!”
Liliana slid out of her chair and rushed over to my mom. “Gwammy!”
“Oh, hello, my sweet baby girl.”
They hugged, and I couldn’t help but feel my chest squeeze. The decision to leave Dallas and come home proved itself right over and over again. Especially when I saw Liliana with my parents. I was glad that Tim’s folks had never showed any interest in Liliana whatsoever. It was their loss as far as I was concerned.
“Okay, sweet pea, go on up to your room and grab Muke, ’cause Grammy is going to take you shopping today and we only have a few hours before Santa comes!”
“Okay!”
The moment Liliana raced upstairs, my mother took my arm.
“Sweetheart, is there something going on with Truitt and his parents? This morning he told me he didn’t think it was a good idea to go over to his folks’ house tonight. He said he didn’t want to interrupt any Christmas Eve plans we had, and I told him it was perfectly fine.”
“He hasn’t mentioned anything, but I’m not sure how close he is with his family. I get the feeling not very close.”
“I always got the impression the boys were a lot closer to their father than to Janet. She started traveling a lot when the boys were younger. I remember some holidays she wasn’t even there. Sad, really.” My mother frowned as if remembering something.
My chest ached, thinking about a younger Truitt and Roger without their mom on Christmas.
“Why did she leave them so much?”
With a shrug, Mom replied, “I have no idea. Nick and Janet always seemed like a happy couple until they weren’t. A part of me wonders if things went south, and they simply stayed together for the sake of the boys.”
“It’s happened before,” I said with a sigh.
Liliana came back down the steps with not just Muke, but two other stuffed animals.
“Well, looks like I’m going to have my hands full watching all four of y’all,” I said.
My daughter giggled and then ran over to the mudroom to slip her shoes on. I reached for her jacket and slipped it on her, then stuffed her hat into the pocket of her coat. It was chilly outside, but nothing too terrible.
“You have fun with Grammy and be a good girl, okay?”
With a very excited nod, Liliana wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, “I wuv you, Mommy. Be good today.”
I laughed and
kissed her quickly on the cheek.
“Have fun, Mom. Thank you for doing this. All of it.”
Her brow rose. “All of it?”
I let out a breath and shook my head. “Yes.”
She reached out, took my hand in hers, and gave it a squeeze. “You know, even if I hadn’t arranged for Truitt to build this, I’m almost positive the two of you would have found your way to each other. Saryn, the way that man looks at you makes me swoon, and I’m your mother!”
My cheeks heated and I placed my hands over them. “Oh, Mom. I feel like we’re moving at super warp speed, yet at the same time it feels like he’s been in my world forever.”
“In a way he has.”
I tilted my head and regarded her. “Did you know we liked each other back in high school? Is that why you set this whole thing up?”
She laughed as she headed out the door, me following while holding Liliana’s hand. As I opened the back door of my mother’s car, I looked at her, waiting for her to answer me.
“I didn’t know that at first. When I found out you were coming back I was at a bunko game. Margaret Bloom mentioned that Truitt had built her granddaughter a playground to beat all playgrounds. She showed us pictures, and I knew Liliana had to have one.”
I tried not to roll my eyes at my mother’s somewhat unhealthy keeping-up-with-the-Joneses attitude.
“Anyway, I made an appointment to meet with Truitt. It wasn’t like I didn’t know him. He probably spent more time at our house than his own when you kids were back in high school.”
“Mom, get to how you found out.”
She looked away sheepishly as I finished buckling in Liliana.
“Mom, how did you find out?”
“Fine! Fine! I might have looked through some of the things you had stored in your old bedroom. I was trying to find a picture you drew once when you were little. It was of your dream princess castle.”
My eyes widened in shock. “I knew it! I knew that playhouse looked familiar!”
“What pwayhouse?” Liliana asked.
“Um, one at Truitt’s office, pumpkin,” I quickly said.
My mother smiled. “I was wondering when you would figure it out. You were only about seven or eight when you drew it. By the way, you were very talented at drawing.”
Lucky in Love Page 26
