“Are you asking me on a date, Cowboy?” It’s crazy, but I can feel little, giddy flutters in my stomach where the butterflies have taken flight. How does he manage to do this to me, even after all this time?
“I am.”
“Then I accept. I’d love to go for a ride with you.” I lean in and kiss his lips, then slip off his lap. I have a date I need to go get ready for.
Chase
I get Thor and Jane’s blankets and saddles over their backs, securing our little basket in place on Thor and making sure our Dixie cups and wine are in there, along with our sandwiches, then dust my hands off on my jeans.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve done this, huh, boy?” I ask Thor, gliding my hand down his neck. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around to ride you as much lately, I know you need to get out and fly sometimes. I promise we’ll do some of that this evening. Okay?”
Thor turns his head into my hand and makes me laugh. “That’s what I thought.”
“Who ya talkin’ to?” Aubrey’s little voice rings out in the otherwise silent barn.
I turn to look at her, smiling wide at her little pigtails, denim shorts and tank top, and her cowgirl boots. “I was having a talk with Thor.”
“You were? What did he say?”
“He said he’s looking forward to getting out for a ride with Jane and your mama. And he wants to run fast.”
She steps up to me, putting both hands on her hips, and looks up at me very seriously, whispering, “But horses can’t talk, Daddy. Duh.”
I look at Thor and drop my jaw dramatically for Aubrey’s sake before saying just as seriously, “Don’t listen to her, boy. I know what you were saying. Just because she didn’t hear it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Your secret is extra safe with me.”
Aubrey starts to laugh and steps closer. “He didn’t talk! He can’t! You’re so silly!”
“Me? Silly? I’ll show you silly!” I bend down and lift her, tossing her into the air above my head and catching her, then hold her over my shoulder, tickling the backs of her legs while we walk out of the barn. She wiggles and squirms from my tickles, laughing loudly.
“Stop! Stop! It tickles so much!” she shouts between bursts of laughter. Before we reach our patio, I let her slide down, holding her on my arm and side instead.
“Okay, I’ll stop, but only because I need your help with something extra important. Can you help me?”
Aubrey bounces her head up and down enthusiastically.
“Okay, I need you to help me pick a flower from your mommy’s rose bush. The perfect one. So I can give it to her. Can you do that?”
With the happiest smile and widest eyes, she agrees, giving me a thumbs up. “A red one or a pink one?”
I set her down on the ground and she looks at both of Allie’s rose bushes, waiting for me to decide. “What about one of each?” I ask, looking at them.
“Yep, that’s a good idea.” She squats down in front of the roses and looks carefully. Her sparkly purple fingers reach forward carefully, touching one of the reds. “Not this one. It’s not pretty enough.” She keeps looking, and giving me her own commentary on each rose until she stops on one. “This one is perfect! Mommy will love it.”
I kneel down next to her and pull out my pocket knife. “This one right here?” I point to a rose that’s not completely open yet, and wait for her to answer before I cut.
“Yep. Mommy said these grow prettiest in the house.”
Okay then. I should’ve known Allie would’ve told Aubrey, who joins her out here all the time. I cut the rose how Aubrey very carefully instructs me then hold it up for her, and my, inspection. “You picked good, Monkey. Now how about a pink one?”
She shuffles to her right and starts to search through the roses again. “Oh, I think I like this one,” she says, reaching forward.
“Be care—” Before I can even finish she pulls her hand back and shrieks out in pain.
“I poked my finger. Owie. I poked my finger.” She pulls her hand back and examines her finger, then her lips form a pout and tears spring to her eyes. “Daddy, it’s bleeding, make it better.”
“Let me see,” I say, squatting down beside her again. She stands to her full height, leveling our heads out, and holds her finger up. There’s a big bubble of blood pooling over where she poked herself, and her eyes shine brightly behind her tears.
“It hurts so bad,” she whimpers.
“I’ll make it better, Monkey. Give me your hand.” She lays her tiny hand in mine and I swipe my thumb over the blood, wiping it away from her finger, then rubbing my hand over my jeans, getting the blood off. “I’m going to give it a big kiss now. It’ll make the stings go away. Then we will go in and get you a Band-Aid to hide the blood.”
She nods her head and watches her finger expectantly as I bring it up to my lips and kiss it. “There, does that feel better? Or do you need one more?”
“One more, please.”
I press one more kiss to her finger and then gently boop her nose with one of my fingers. “All the pain will go away now. But let’s get you in and wash your hand so we can put a bandage on.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, and rubs the back of her arm over her nose, dropping it back to her side covered in tears and snot.
“We’re going to wash your arm, too. That was gross,” I tease.
It gets a little laugh out of her and I stand up, rose in one hand, holding my other out for her to hold while we go inside.
Once we cross the threshold, Allie appears from the office. “Head into our bathroom, Aubrey. I’ll be right there.”
She lets go of my hand and does as I said, and I step up to Allie. “Mrs. Canton,” I say, smiling and holding the rose up. “For you. I’d planned to do this differently, pick you up with two roses at the door, but Aubrey poked herself something good, so I’ve got to go get her finger cleaned up, and change my jeans, then I’ll be ready for our date.”
“Thank you for my rose. It’s beautiful. I’ll wait right here for you, go do your daddy thing. I’m in no rush.”
I brush a quick kiss over her lips and mutter, “You look beautiful. I’ll be right back.”
When I get to the bathroom Aubrey has her Band-Aids pulled out, Moana characters included on them, and has the soap on the edge of the counter.
“I washed my hands, and my icky arm,” she states, proudly. “Can you cover my owie now?”
“Gladly.” I open the box and pull out one bandage, carefully wrapping it around her finger. “One more kiss for quicker healing?”
“Oh yes,” she responds, holding the finger up for me to kiss. “I don’t want it to hurt at gymnastics next time.”
With a kiss to her finger and a pat to her backside, I shoo her out of the room, happy and on her way to fully healed, so I can change my jeans and get back out to Allie.
“You know,” I say as I walk down the hall. “I think these are my jeans from a few years ago. And my a—” I stop myself short when I see Ava, Aubrey, and Aubrey’s teenaged gymnastics big sister, Michelle, sitting on the couch. “Hi, Michelle, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were already here.”
“Hi, Mr. Canton. I just showed up about five minutes ago. Mrs. Canton is in the office, ordering our pizza, so you can get going.”
I nod and smile at her. “Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, Michelle,” Allie says, walking up behind me and slipping her hand over my ass and around to my hip while she ducks under my arm. “And sorry for his commentary on his jeans.”
Michelle blushes and shakes her head. “It’s okay. I know you said you wouldn’t be late tonight, but just in case. Bedtime for these two?”
I answer before Allie can, “Nine thirty, tonight. They can stay up later.” I wink at the girls on the couch then smile down at Allie. “Special night. Staying up later won’t hurt anyone.”
“You heard him,” Allie says, shaking her head. “You two, listen to Michelle. Your pizza should be here within th
e hour. It’s all paid for, tip is covered, you’re all set.”
“Sounds good, thank you. You two have fun, too.”
Michelle is a good kid. She’s in high school; she’s an honors student, an elite gymnast who volunteers with the young girls Aubrey’s age, and very trustworthy. I’d leave the kids with her ten times out of ten.
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” I say to her, and the girls. “If Ava’s head starts to hurt, her Tylenol is in our bathroom. I left it on the counter. I’ll have my phone, too. The number’s on the fridge.”
I wrap my arm around Allie’s shoulder, spotting her rose already in a vase and on display on the coffee table, and we head out on our stay-date.
Chase
There are some sights and sounds in this world that have the ability to stop me in my tracks, bring me to my knees, and make me thank God for the life I have been given. Lucky for me, tonight is one of those nights where I’m getting a little bit of every one of them.
Allie is perched atop Jane, smiling back at me while she moves at a slow trot along the property line. Her hair is in loose waves down her back, her jeans are stretched tight over her ass and legs, and the laugh spilling from her lips is the purest, most angelic sound I have ever heard in my life. She is the most stunning, incredible woman, and I have the backdrop of a perfect Colorado skyline to highlight every single feature on her.
“Hurry up, slowpoke,” she calls back, teasing me. “Jane and I are itching to kick your ass racing to the lake, but we can’t go until you’ve caught up to us.”
“Listen, ma’am,” I say with my most convincing drawl, “I’m quite enjoying the view back here, so you’re just going to have to wait.”
“In that case,” she calls out, looking back with a smirk on her face now, “you can keep enjoying it!” With that, she takes off like a bullet, nudging Jane on and putting a quick twenty to thirty-yard gap between us in nothing flat.
I could take off, try to catch her and beat her, and knowing Thor like I do, he’d get us ahead in no time, but I’m not ready to yet. I haven’t seen Allie ride like this, carefree and like the professional she is, in years. Her hair is blowing back in the wind, she’s riding hard, and in such control of Jane I can see flashes of the teenage Allie I used to know—the rodeo winning, barrel racing, bad-ass cowgirl—I first fell in love with.
“Come on, Chase!” she shouts out, having slowed up and turned to find me. “Let Thor loose! You’ve neglected him lately.” She doesn’t really believe that. I know she takes him out for rides, too, just to be sure he gets what he needs. But she knows saying that will get me moving, which is all she wanted anyway.
I bend over his neck and give him a gentle pat and scratch. “What do you think? Should we go catch our girls?” He doesn’t answer, but he looks in their direction, and that’s answer enough for me. I sit back up, loosen my grip on his reins, and urge him forward. “Let’s show ‘em who rules this place.”
Thor takes off after Allie and Jane, and once we’re close enough, Allie surges them forward again, picking up speed, trying to outrun us.
“Keep going, Thor, faster, we’ve got them, faster,” I urge my horse on and start to catch up. “Last to the lake is first to skinny-dip,” I shout over the sound of our horses galloping at full speed.
“You’re on!” Allie hollers back, raising out of her saddle just a little more and shifting forward, silently commanding Jane to push it.
I do the same and Thor turns his speed up a notch, jumping a neck length ahead with ease before we break away and put a small distance between us.
I can hear Allie laughing behind me, undoubtedly still pushing Jane as fast as she can, but I turn the corner of the property that leads to the lake and slow Thor down when I’ve clearly won. “Atta boy, Thor. We did it.”
A few seconds after me, Allie brings Jane to a stop beside us, laughing and smiling wide. “I should’ve known better than to stop and taunt you.”
“Yep, you should have. It’s okay, though. We still would’ve won. Thor here is as strong and powerful as the god he’s named after.”
Allie rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “You’re teaching him to be as arrogant as you are. It’s not an attractive quality. Jane doesn’t like it.”
“Yeah, right. She likes it as much as you do, and we all know it.”
“Keep dreamin’, Cowboy.” She dismounts Jane and stretches her arms above her head, the action tugs her tank top up just enough to let a thin strip of her stomach peek through.
She’s perfect.
Flawless.
And she’s going to be needing to strip out of those clothes and taking her dip into the water to make good on our bet.
“I won, you realize that, right?”
“Yes, cocky one, I do. What’s your point?” she retorts, clearly not realizing where I’m going with this.
“I won, therefore you arrived last…”
Realization flashes across her features and she looks up at me, where I’m still perched atop Thor, with her hand providing shade over her eyes and her lips slightly parted. “You can’t be serious. Right now?”
“Mhmm, right now.” I nod my head and fold my hands over the horn of Thor’s saddle. “I need to see you gloriously naked and getting into the water.”
“You really are serious.” She shakes her head and starts to pull her hair back. “You can tell me you’re joking anytime.”
“Allie, I’m serious as a heart attack. You agreed, last one here is the first to skinny-dip. And I want to watch every second of you doing exactly that.”
“My God, you are so full of yourself. I suppose you’re going to stay there on top of Thor, like you’re the ruler of the lands?”
My only answer is to smile at her.
“Impossible. You’re impossible.” She pulls the band off her wrist and secures her hair into a messy pile above her head then she works her boots off with a huff. “How am I supposed to dry off?”
“I brought two blankets, we can share one so you can use the other to dry yourself.”
“And what are you going to—you know what—never mind.” She steps up in front of Thor and slides her hand over his face. “You’re a traitor, Thor. You should’ve lost for me.”
She makes me laugh loudly. “He knows whose horse he is. Now, quit stalling”
She steps back away from Thor and holds her arms out, “Fine. I hope you’re happy with your race winning self.” A small smile pulls at the corners of her lips, letting me know she is absolutely fine with doing this, as she reaches for the bottom of her tank top and pulls it agonizingly slowly up her body, then tosses it up to me.
“Don’t let it get dirty,” she commands.
“It’ll be safe with me,” I reply, bringing it up to my nose and inhaling the scent of lavender and vanilla coming off the warm top.
“Too much, always too much,” she chuckles out after watching me sniff her shirt. She then proceeds to wiggle out of her jeans, leaving her in socks and matching black panties and a bra.
“Just enough, always just enough.” I wink at her. “I can hold all of that, too, if you’d like. Just toss them on up.”
“You don’t expect me to take these off, too?” she asks, referring to the black still clinging to her body after she removes her socks.
“You can keep them on, but we both know you don’t want to ride back commando. And neither of us wants you to experience any…chafing.”
She removes her bra and tosses it up with her jeans, muttering incoherently as she bends to step out of her panties, then tosses them up to me, too.
“Will you strike a pose for me before you take your dip of shame?” I ask.
“You want a pose?”
I nod my head. “Do I ever.”
“Fine, here’s your pose…” She juts a hip out with one hand bent over it, then lifts her other hand, every finger but one curled in, and flips me the bird. “There’s your pose.” She gives me a sarcastic smile, turns her back to me, and marc
hes toward the water.
Her hips sway with every step, and the sun casts a glow over her skin that has me licking my lips. She’s my angel sent from heaven with a wild side. My God, I love that side of her. There isn’t a challenge in the world she would back down from, and when she takes it on, she’ll do it with a fearlessness and determination nobody else on this planet could match.
She pauses momentarily when her feet hit the water, and her back stiffens, then she continues forward, calling out, “This water is cold, Chase!”
I chuckle and watch her move forward. “You can back out.”
“Not a chance in hell, Cowboy. But you better get your ass off Thor, strip down, and join me in here.”
“What about your clothes?” I holler back, chuckling to myself.
“Screw the clothes. Get off your horse and get in here. Now!”
“Yes, ma’am,” I mutter quietly to myself, dropping off of Thor’s back and folding her clothes, dropping them over a tree stump nearby.
She walks out until she’s deep enough that the water is up to her neck then she turns to face me. “I’m waiting…” she says impatiently, grinning wide.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Just let me undress. I don’t need any chafing, either.” That gets a laugh from her. Then I start to undress, pulling my black T-shirt off, kicking my boots and socks to the side, then pushing my boxer briefs and jeans down.
She lets out a loud, appreciative whistle with her fingers to her lips, not taking her eyes off me for a second as I stride toward her, dick swinging in the wind.
“Holy fuck,” I say, surprised. “This water is cold. You just wanted to see me shrink, humiliate me, didn’t you?”
She giggles and shakes her head. “No, I didn’t want to humiliate you. And trust me, the cold water won’t make you any less of a man.”
“Better not,” I say back, walking in deeper, grinding my teeth together as my body adjusts to the cold. “It’s the dead of summer, why the hell is it so cold in here?”
“Beats me,” she responds easily, moving toward me until she’s able to wrap her body around mine. “It feels good once you’re used to it, though.”
Hold on Tight (Cowboys & Angels Book 1) Page 9
