by Kim Loraine
My teeth clamped together so hard my jaw hurt. “Do you still love him?”
Shaking her head, she stopped when we reached the broad stretch of fence that separated the main grounds from one of our many pastures. But she didn’t look out across the moonlight covered snowy land. She stared straight at me, her gaze glassy with unshed tears. “No. I don’t think I ever did. Not after… God, not after having this, here with you.”
Me? Was she saying she loved me? All I knew was I wouldn’t push her. I’d never said that to a single woman in my life. Love was special. It was a word reserved for the person you planned on forever with. I’d seen Clint and Buck both ruined by it, Sera too. I wasn’t going to ruin things before Hazel and I really got started.
“C’mere, darlin’, you’ve gotta be freezing to death.” I wrapped her in my arms and turned her to face the landscape. “You know, one day I’ll take you out for a ride. When it’s safe for you to get on a horse. You and me’ll go up into the hills and sneak away for some time together at the cabin I’m gonna build.”
She sighed and leaned back against me. “You’re going to build a cabin?”
“Yeah. Got a spot all picked out. It’ll be you and me, nothing distracting us except each other.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“We can spend all day and night naked if we want. No one will be the wiser. And I, for one, want to spend as many naughty nights with you keeping me warm as I can.”
A low chuckle escaped her. “What about our kids?”
Kids? As in more than one? My chest tightened. “Mama will love having them spend the night with her. I bet she’s already planning on giving all our bedrooms away to the next generation.”
“How many kids do you want, Tristan?”
I ran my palm over the swell of her belly, not sure how to answer. So, I settled on the truth. “As many as you’re willing to have. If that means one or five, I’ll be happy.”
“I guess I need to call Erin and tell her she should plan a trip down here for a baby shower.”
A wide smile spread across my face. “I guess you should.” Pressing a kiss to her hair, I whispered, “You ready to go home so we can make sure you don’t forget what it’s like to get in the saddle and ride hard?”
Her laugh warmed my soul. It was full and throaty and sexy as hell. “Oh, is that your way of telling me you want me to save a horse and ride a Ryker tonight?”
“Fuck yes it is, darlin’.” My voice was nothing more than a growl. I was aching for her. “If it’s you doin’ the riding, I want to be ridden hard.”
“My pleasure.”
Hazel
Tristan Ryker, naked in the light of a roaring fire, was a sight to behold. The man was beautiful, there was no argument whatsoever about that, but it was the way he was looking at me that made my heart flutter and my skin prickle with awareness. He looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. Like I wasn’t an obligation or an unwanted complication in his life. God, he looked at me like he loved me.
Did I want him to love me?
“Stop,” I whispered.
“Stop what?”
“Stop looking at me like I’m the only thing in your world.”
He dropped to his knees in front of where I sat on the couch, leveling me with his gaze. “You are. You’re everything, darlin’. I’ve never needed someone the way I need you.”
I wanted it to be true. For all of this to end up with the two of us happy, the fairy tale ending I was promised when I was a kid. But I also knew the darker side of happily ever after. The truth was, those stories weren’t all unicorns and rainbows. They were filled with betrayals and heartache.
“Stop saying all these swoon-worthy things, Tristan. I’m already here and willing. You don’t have to seduce me.”
He smirked, one corner of his mouth turning up as he reached out and pushed a lock of hair away from my bare shoulder. “Drop the blanket, gorgeous. I want to see your beautiful body.”
My heart pounded, and my mouth ran dry as he stroked his already hard length slowly. I released the blanket from my grip in one fluid motion and let it pool around my waist. The warm air, scented lightly with woodsmoke and vanilla, kept me from shivering, but the weight of Tristan’s gaze on me had my nipples harder than bullets.
“Cold?” he asked.
I shook my head. “You know I’m not. God, I’m so turned on, and you haven’t even touched me.”
He swallowed hard as his breath hitched. “Fuck, me too. I can fix that, you know. I want to touch every part of you.”
“Yes.” I couldn’t manage much more, because as soon as I started to nod, his hands cupped my aching breasts, kneading the full, heavy flesh. I moaned and arched into him as relief flooded me.
“I didn’t plan on this, Hazel, but I’m so glad it happened. I’m so glad you walked into that bar and gave me the time of day.”
I couldn’t answer him. This could have gone so many different ways. He could have been the worst man in the world, and instead, he was the best. I was monumentally lucky. “Stop. Talking.” I crushed my lips to his, unwilling to hear any more evidence that he was a man I could love. I hadn’t been divorced more than a year, hadn’t reinvented myself, hadn’t done so many things I promised myself I’d do. I couldn’t fall in love with a cowboy and uproot my life. But I could be with him for the remainder of our time together. We could enjoy each other until our lives changed with the addition of the baby we’d made in one careless night.
“You said I was gonna get to ride you, Ryker. How am I going to do that if you don’t let me get on?”
He grinned and nipped my collar bone before sprawling out on the rug in front of the fire. “Climb aboard, darlin’. I’m ready for the ride of my life.”
18
Hazel
My sister’s face on my tablet’s screen made me smile as I watched another of her videos. This time, she was doing a review of Saddle Up’s wedding special as she put on full glam makeup. Personally, I thought she was gorgeous no matter what she had on her skin.
“Now, I can tell you guys, I’ve been to Ryker Ranch. The ranch hands are really that hot, and the Rykers themselves are crazy sexy. It’s too bad they’re all taken,” she was saying as she blotted a makeup blender over her cheeks. “Watching the wedding special just made me want to get married so I could have my own party at Winchester Farm. Cowboy boots optional.”
I laughed and sat back in the bubble bath I’d decided to indulge in. Tristan wasn’t home yet. He’d texted me to let me know they had some escaped cattle he and a few of the hands had to chase down. So, tonight was the perfect chance for a little self-care. The baby stretched and pressed outward as the warm water covered my body.
Laying my head back on the sloped edge of the tub, I closed my eyes and sighed as my muscles relaxed. Maybe I could stay here forever. Would it really be so bad to leave everything behind and start over here with people who already clearly loved me and my baby? Erin would be fine. She was a grown-up just like me. She had a career, a life, a plan. I needed a place like Sunrise to build my own community, one that wasn’t tainted by Quinn.
“You in there, darlin’?” Tristan’s voice made my body tighten in a very nice way, the sound sliding over my skin like a caress.
“Maybe. It depends on who’s asking.”
“I better be the only cowboy calling you darlin’.”
Oh, the low growl in his voice made me shiver even in the warm water. “Are you gonna stand outside the door all night?”
“Am I invited in?”
“You’re not a vampire, are you?”
He chuckled and nudged the door open. My breath hitched at the sight of him. Shirt unbuttoned, baring his toned chest and abs, shaggy hair in his face, the shadow of a beard on his jaw. He looked exhausted, but so damn delicious. My fingers itched to feel the heat of his skin and the ridges of those muscles.
“Smells good in here. Sweet like you.”
I inhaled the vanilla
and amber scent of the bubble bath. “It’s nice. Ever dropped it off for me as a little thank you for taking care of Mama.”
“You got room in there for me?”
Did I? Of course. I wasn’t going to turn my sexy cowboy away when he was offering naked time in the tub with me. “You like bubble baths?”
“I like you. I especially like the outfit you have on.”
My cheeks burned. “There’s plenty of room. I heard I got the honeymoon cabin.”
He laughed. “All right, just let me wash off the day in the shower first. You’re too pretty to have a dirty cowboy touching you.”
I couldn’t hide my smile if I tried. “Maybe I like you dirty.”
“Oh, I’ll give you what you like. That’s a promise.” He stripped out of the shirt and tossed it in the basket by the window, shoulder muscles rippling and making my thighs clench together. God, I needed to get it together. Pregnancy was making me hornier than a cat in heat.
Unbuckling his belt, he shoved his Wranglers down and reminded me exactly how little he wore under them. I hadn’t really appreciated the man’s body, not like this. We’d always been in the heat of the moment or shadowed by dim light. Here, he was bold and beautifully on display.
“Tristan,” I said, having to clear my throat before I could get the words out.
“Yeah?” He strode toward the shower, his perfectly sculpted ass making me wish he’d hurry the hell up.
“Why don’t you have any tan lines?”
Another chuckle. “Can’t get tan lines when you don’t wear anything.”
My nipples hurt—they fucking hurt from the arousal coursing through me. “So you just walk around naked?”
“When the weather’s good and I’ve got some space to myself, yeah…I do.”
I laughed. “Has anyone ever caught you?”
“Nope. At least, not that I know of.”
“I guess I’ll have to try and find you this summer. That would be quite the sight to come upon. A naked rancher in all his glory.”
“It’d be even better if you were with me.”
He stepped into the shower and made quick work of washing himself, then he joined me in the tub, his hands immediately taking first one foot, then the other, and working the aching muscles until I was completely relaxed. After that, we worked other muscles until we both fell into bed, sated, happy, and definitely falling in love.
Tristan
“I’m sorry I was an asshole about Hazel,” I said to Sam as the two of us rode out to check on the cattle in pasture five. They’d been slippery, somehow repeatedly breaking through the fence and finding their way to the frozen creek. Last year we almost lost a heifer to some frozen mud. I didn’t want a repeat.
“You’re in love. I get it. But you must not see the way she looks at you, or you wouldn’t be jealous.”
We rode together in the cold air of the bright blue-skied morning. “Fuck. I am. I’m so in love with her I can’t see straight.”
He let out a low laugh. “I’ve been there. It’s perfect fucking agony.”
“When? Who?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Long time ago. It’ll never happen again.”
“So, when are you heading back to the circuit?”
He shrugged and sighed. “I’m not.”
“What?”
“I can’t keep doing what I’m doing. I haven’t told Mama yet, but I’ve had enough concussions they’re telling me I’ll have permanent damage if I don’t stop. I’m gonna retire.”
That…that was something I never thought would happen. All of us. Home. Together.
“Are you okay with that?”
Popping his collar to protect his neck, he nodded. “Yeah. I’m tired. Tired of being alone all the time, of traveling everywhere, trying to stay on top. Mama’s heart attack really shook me, you know?”
“It shook us all.”
“I’ve been a real asshole, not coming home more often.”
“Yeah, you sure have.”
He laughed and shot me a look that said I was gonna get it. “You gonna be okay with me bunking with you permanently?”
“You can stay in that little two-bedroom as long as you want. I’m gonna marry my girl, Sam. Build her a house, give her the life she deserves.”
“You’re really serious, aren’t you?”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”
The grin he gave me was so filled with light, I wondered if retiring had taken a weight off his chest none of us knew was there.
A horse with no rider paced in the distance, stamping his foot, clearly distressed. A gash on his flank had my gut twisting. “Oh, shit, who the hell is that?”
“That’s Tucker’s horse,” Sam whispered, real fear in his voice.
“Where is he? Do you see him?”
“Dammit, no. Why was he out here alone?”
I pulled my radio from my pocket and called in for help, checking to make sure no one had picked him up already. But nobody had heard from him. He’d likely gone out for an early morning fence check and didn’t think he’d need the help. Cocky.
“There.” Sam pointed at a stretch of fence that was down, a crumpled dark figure on the ground. Before I could register what he was doing, he bolted, taking his horse as fast as she’d go.
I caught up just as Sam was moving Tucker’s hat from his face.
“Tuck. Jesus, Tuck, wake up.” He was frantic, panicked. Tucker’s face was bloodied, and his wrist hung at an unnatural angle. But he blinked, moving slightly even though the barbed wire pulled on his skin. “Don’t move. You got yourself tangled in the fence.”
“Sammy?” Tucker asked, a strange gentleness in his voice.
“What were you doing out here alone?”
I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on right then, but Tucker wasn’t in good shape. He needed to get back to the lodge and to a doctor. Calling in on my radio, I relayed what we’d found, and Clint was in the truck before the line went silent.
“Hey, Tucker, Clint’s on his way, okay?” I took one look at his pained expression, the pale, drawn complexion, the blood trailing down his cheek from his temple, and I knew it was bad.
“What happened?” Sam asked, looking him over closer. “Can you remember?”
“Horse spooked. Threw me right into the fucking fence.” He coughed, and the sound was heavy and wet.
Fuck.
At best, he had broken bones. At worst, he was bleeding internally.
It took ten minutes for Clint to show up, but Hazel was with him, all business. Serious. Determined to help.
She was on him without even a second glance at me, getting his vitals, checking for any sign he might have a spinal injury. It was amazing watching her in action. When she was sure he’d be able to safely move into the bed of the truck, we all helped him up and settled him there. Sam rode with him, and I remained behind to bring the horses in. I hoped like hell Tuck’s horse came in on his own. We’d have to call Clare in to see to the injury on his flank.
By the time I got back, Clint, Tucker, Sam, and Hazel were long gone, leaving me with Ever, Buck, and Sera.
“Is he gonna be okay?” I asked, handing Buck Sadie’s reins.
“Not sure. Hazel said it looked like a broken wrist and possibly one of the bones in his forearm. Cut on his head wasn’t so bad. Scalp wounds bleed like a son-of-a-bitch.”
“Did his horse come in?”
Sera nodded. “Yep. Clare is already working on stitching him up. Laceration’s not so bad. He scraped himself on the barbed wire too.”
“Good you two found Tuck when you did,” Buck said. “It’s cold enough he could’ve froze to death.”
“I know. What was he doing out there alone?”
“We ride alone all the time. Maybe he just needed to do some thinking?”
Dismounting, I brought Ranger in and went through the process of removing his saddle and tack before finally giving him a treat and letting him loose in t
he nearest pasture. “This is why having a rodeo king competition is a bad idea.”
“Because you think the city boys are gonna get themselves killed?”
“Yeah. And we’ll end up sued. If Tucker can get hurt like this, a seasoned ranch hand, what’s gonna happen to those guys?”
“You make a good point,” Ever said, leaning against the fencepost. “But you know the network will have everyone sign a waiver. Just like they did before.”
“A waiver doesn’t keep anyone alive.” Buck took off his hat and stared down at it. “But if we have ourselves a bonafide rodeo king helping to oversee things, maybe we can make it work.”
Sera smiled. “Sam?”
“He told you he’s staying?” I asked.
“He did.” Buck put his hat back on and looked to Ever, who simply nodded.
“I’ll pitch it to the network. I think it’s a great idea, and it’ll help ease Sam into retirement.”
Sera’s grin was wide. “I’m so happy Sam’s staying.”
“I think we all are,” I said.
“We all are, what?” Mama’s voice came from around the corner as she approached. Everyone clammed up. This was for Sam to share, not us. “Oh, fine, have your secrets. Clint just called. Tucker’s going to be fine. He broke two ribs and his right wrist. He’ll be out of commission for a few weeks, so that means more work for all of you. You best get started.”
That was that. Mama walked back toward the house while Ever followed, keeping a close watch on her.
“Well, at least she’s back to normal,” I said to Buck.
“You’re tellin’ me.”
19
Tristan
Two weeks had passed since Tucker’s injury. He hadn’t come back to the ranch. Clint had dropped him off at home with the promise that when he was recovered, his job would be waiting for him. So Sam took up the slack, taking on Tucker’s duties while I focused on rehabbing the three new horses that arrived at Buck and Penny’s. Caring for the neglected animals was a full-time job in and of itself, one which Penny seemed to have taken to during her spare time.
