When Howard saw me, he visibly relaxed and started to come down the stairs. But, on the last step, he hesitated before his foot hit the ground, staring at the dirt and mud, no doubt. Then he retracted it and stayed put.
“Howard,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled at me and held out his soft, manicured hand. When I didn’t reach to take it, his gentle expression faltered for a moment, and he pulled it back.
“I came to take you back, Helena. I’ve given it a lot of thought while you’ve been gone, and I think we are too compatible to give up on our relationship.” His arm extended again, this time in a fist, and when he opened it, my engagement ring was resting on his palm. “I love you,” he added with his chest puffed up. After he said it, he looked at me as though he’d given me the best gift in the whole wide world.
I was about to tell him to turn around and go when a thick, strong arm came around my waist, and I was hauled back against a hard, muscular chest. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to melt into him or break out of his hold and stand in front of Howard so Stone wouldn’t kill him.
“If you loved her, you would never have let her go.”
Stone’s voice was calm and held a deadly warning in it that I wasn’t sure Howard would recognize. If he did, he ignored it, which revealed that while he was book smart, his common sense needed refining.
“I shouldn’t have. I realize that now,” Howard said with a serious and overly contrite expression. I didn’t think he even realized how fake he was. Most of the people in my previous like were oblivious to the fact that nothing about them or their life was real. Real like the heat of the body holding me close. Real like the feel of Stone’s work-rough hands running over my body. Real like the adoration I saw in his eyes whenever he looked at me. Although, after finding out about Howard this way, I wasn’t sure it would still be there the next time our gazes met.
Howard glanced down at the ground once more and lifted a foot, only to freeze when Stone growled. “Not another step, city-boy. The only thing keeping me from shoving that ring down your throat and breaking that stuck-up nose is the woman in my arms. So, I suggest you don’t come any closer to her, or I might lose my shit.”
James moved off the porch and came to a stop a few feet away from us. Although he put off the appearance of being ready to assist Stone, glaring at Howard like he was a bug to be squashed, I knew he was actually preparing to hold Stone back. Howard was exceptional at one thing and—as far as I could tell—one thing only. He was a fucking brilliant lawyer. None of us wanted Stone facing off with Howard in a courtroom after being charged with assault and whatever else Howard could come up with.
“You’d better go, Howard,” I told him, not bothering to force any emotion into my voice. I didn’t care about him, and I wasn’t going to pretend I carried remorse at breaking off our engagement. Howard looked stunned by my response, as though he’d never considered any scenario where I didn’t say yes.
He looked around with wide eyes before they returned to my face. “You’re not coming with me?”
The warning Stone issued with the subtle tightening of his arm was necessary. There wasn’t a single part of me that even considered Howard’s offer. I shook my head and gestured to the ranch around me. “This is my life now, and I’m happy here.”
“Bu—but—” he sputtered, “your parents said if I made this grand gesture, you’d come back and—”
“One more word and you’ll be running from my bulls,” Stone snarled. His free hand rubbed down my arm soothingly, obviously having felt me tense up like a statue.
Howard had been in contact with my parents? Then it dawned on me. My mother had never been more interested in me than when she was planning my wedding. She’d been dirtied to make it THE event to attend. Clearly, she was hoping I’d come back and give her the opportunity to be the center of attention in her circles by playing the part of mother-of-the-bride in a spectacular wedding that would outdo the children of every one of her friends. The saddest part about that was it didn’t surprise me at all. What shocked me was that I didn’t care. I only wanted one person’s love and approval, and now, I wasn’t sure if I still had even one of those from him.
James spoke up for the first time. “Get the hell off my property, and don’t ever come back.”
Howard finally listened and swiftly went back into the house. After a few seconds, an engine turned over, then the sound of a car driving away.
Lia’s foot started tapping, and she glared at me, her arms folded. “Explain.”
“Why don’t you let Stone handle this first?” James suggested as he walked toward her. When she turned her furious blue eyes on him, he threw a look at Stone that seemed to say, “You’re on your own.” Stone’s chin bumped my head when he raised it to acknowledge James’s silent communication.
“Helena Robinson, how the fuck were you engaged, and I didn’t know about it!” Lia was shouting by the time she finished.
I sighed, and my thumb started rubbing my ring finger again. Until Stone grabbed my hand and laced it with his.
“If this finger was feeling empty, you should have let me put my ring on it, baby,” he murmured in my ear. I wasn’t sure if he was insinuating that it was still an option or a warning that he was retracting his offer.
“It was just a moment of temporary insanity,” I started. “I guess I just wanted what you two have and hoped in time it would grow between Howard and myself. But it didn’t, and I came to my senses. I broke it off right before I quit my job and moved out here.”
Lia stared at me for another moment, then nodded and sighed. “I get why you did it but not why you hid it from me.”
“I was embarrassed. Even when I was still engaged to him, I knew what you’d say if I told you, and I was doing my best to keep my head in the sand about it. Then when it was over, I was kind of mortified that I’d done it in the first place.”
After a few beats, my friend’s face morphed into an expression of understanding. “I suppose I can understand all that.” Then she trotted down the steps and tried to pull me in for a hug. Which turned out to be difficult since Stone refused to budge. She rolled her eyes but didn’t comment on his possessive display. She put her hand on my forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “No more secrets, okay?”
I nodded vigorously. “No more,” I agreed.
James had come up behind her, and he slipped an arm over her shoulders. With a meaningful look at Stone, he guided her back to the house. Once they’d disappeared, I expected Stone to let me go and either yell at me or leave me there. Instead, we stood in the same position for several minutes. His warm breath ruffled my curls, and the steady beat of his heart thumped against my back.
Finally, Stone sighed and buried his face in my hair; inhaling deeply. Then he slowly turned me and held my face in his hands.
“I was so fucking mad when James sent me a text about that fucker. I wanted to kill the son of a bitch and then give you a reminder fuck of who you belonged to.”
I was tempted to tell him I was all for the latter, but I sensed he wasn’t done, and it wasn’t the time for brevity.
“Then I held you in my arms, felt the way you melted into me. I knew you were mine, and it kept me from flying into a rage and doing something stupid.” He dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine before continuing. “After you explained everything to Lia, rather than staying pissed, I’m relieved. Because now I understand you so much better.”
12
Stone
I stared into Helena’s beautiful face, and the plan I’d been trying to come up with suddenly formed. Immediately, I knew what I needed to do.
“Baby, I can understand why you don’t trust in love or marriage. I even think I understand why you fear having children. However, you’re just going to have to live with me telling you I love you every fucking day for the rest of your life.”
Helena gasped and started to speak, but I shushed her and put a finger over her pink li
ps.
“As long as you’re mine, I don’t need anything or anyone but you. All I want is you. We’ll do this any way you want as long as it means that I’m by your side forever.”
Tears had welled up in her eyes, and they started to streak down her cheeks. I didn’t like the sight of her crying, but I hoped like hell they were happy tears.
“What do you say?” I asked, brushing the wetness from her cheeks. “Will you be mine?”
Helena smiled so brightly I was blinded by it, bathed in its warmth. “You love me?”
I nodded. “I’m so sorry if you doubted that, baby. I should have told you before now,” I apologized. “I guess I didn’t think that much about it because I wouldn’t ask a woman to marry me if I didn’t love her.”
“You love me,” she breathed. This time it was a statement, but I responded anyway.
“More than anything.”
“I love you too!” She was bouncing on her toes as she exclaimed her declaration.
I kissed her deeply, my hands sliding down and around to cup her sweet ass. Then I leaned back and grinned at her. “Does this mean your answer is yes?”
She cocked her head to the side with a thoughtful expression. “To which question?”
I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. “Don’t play with me, baby. Tell me you’ll be mine.”
A sly smirk formed on her perfect lips. “If I keep pretending I don’t know what you’re talking about, will I still get a reminder fuck?”
I threw my head back and laughed so hard tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. When I finally caught my breath and could speak again, I winked at her and promised, “Baby, I’ll give you as many reminder fucks as you want, whenever you want.” Helena shivered and gave me a wicked smirk. I plastered on a fake frown and growled, “Keep looking at me like that, and you’re going to find yourself riding my cock out in the barn instead of at home in our bed.”
“Was that a threat?” she asked with an exaggerated eye roll. My response was to stare at her. We both knew I’d follow through with my…promise.
Her ocean-blue pools sparkled, but her expression sobered. She moaned and leaned into my body, so we were pressed against each other everywhere. Then she wrapped her arms around me and tilted her head back to meet my gaze.
“Yes.”
“Exactly. Good thing you’ve had so much practice screaming that word,” I teased before kissing the tip of her nose.
Helena shook her head and laughed. “No, smartass. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
I frowned and cupped her cheek in the palm of my hand. “Don’t say that just because you think it’s what I want.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I want whatever makes you happy.” I kissed her softly on the mouth, then each eyelid and her forehead.
She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, then they fluttered open. “Marrying you would make me even happier than I am now,” she invited earnestly. “Having our babies. Growing old…all that stuff you said before, and everything else. Those things would make me happy. Make me complete.”
I studied her expression and probed her gaze, looking for a sign that she was placating me and this wasn’t really what she wanted. But there was only sincerity and love shining from her beautiful face. I kissed her soundly, then grabbed her hand and started dragging her to my truck parked out front.
Helena giggled and tugged half-heartedly. “Aren’t you going to officially propose?”
I stopped so suddenly that she bowled right into me, and I enfolded her into my embrace. “You said yes, baby. Why the fuck would I ask again and give you the chance to say no?” After another soul-deep kiss, I resumed my path.
“Where are we going in such a hurry?” she asked breathlessly.
“Home first, so I can make love to my fiancée. Then the courthouse so I can bring you home and fuck my kid into my wife.” I paused as I hit the remote to unlock the truck’s passenger-side door. I lifted her from the waist and set her on the seat.
I started to back up and shut the door when her arm shot out, and she twisted my shirt in her fist to keep me from going. “Who says you need to fuck your kid into your wife?”
I grinned and chuckled, “You’re right, I can just as easily knock up my fiancée.”
Helena shook her head, and a mysterious smile slid onto her face. “I meant, maybe the job is already done.”
Epilogue
Helena
“I don’t know how you’ve done this so many times.” I moaned as I shut my eyes and collapsed back against the wall. I was tempted to slither down to the floor and rest my heated forehead on the cool tile, but I didn’t even have enough energy to do that. “Shouldn’t the morning sickness part be over by now?”
Lia chuckled and patted my face with a damp cloth. “It’s different for everyone. Morning sickness is a bitch, but once you’ve got your baby in your arms, you’ll forget about it pretty quickly.”
I pried open one eyelid and stared at her disbelievingly. She crossed her heart and raised her hand like she was swearing on a bible. “I’m serious. They say it’s a chemical thing, something that makes women forget about the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. Otherwise, no woman would ever have another child.”
Another wave of nausea hit me, and I scrambled up to the toilet only to let out a few dry heaves and finish the slide all the way to the floor.
“Since men don’t have this chemical or whatever,” she continued as she wiped my face again, “they would never be able to handle childbirth. Then again, I doubt those wimps could handle it in the first place.”
“Yay for the brave and cursed gender,” I grumbled dryly. “It seems pretty unfair for us to get the hard stuff just because we can deal.”
Lia chuckled, and I heard her get to her feet before she stepped around me and into my line of sight. She squatted and held out her hand. “Think you can stand up?”
I groaned but placed my palm in hers and allowed her to help me sit then climb up onto unsteady feet. I shuffled to the sink and tried to smile gratefully when she handed me my toothbrush.
“Why do you think I go on birth control and make James wear condoms until I’m ready to get pregnant again?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just never have sex again?” I joked around a mouthful of toothpaste.
A male snort of laughter drew our attention to the open door of the bathroom. Stone was leaning against the jamb with his arms folded and his legs crossed at the ankles. How long had he been standing there?
I bent over and rinsed my mouth, all the while glaring at him in the mirror. Then I slowly turned around so that I wouldn’t get dizzy and fall over. Although, I was feeling mostly recovered.
“Is there something funny about your wife puking her guts out on the bathroom floor or pushing what will surely be a giant Kensington baby out of her much smaller vagina?” I snipped.
Stone dropped his head as he pushed off the wall, but I didn’t miss the smile he was trying to hide. He walked toward me, and after a minute, he must have felt he had control over his amusement because he looked at me again. There was a sympathetic expression on his face, but it couldn’t completely hide the twinkle in his deep brown eyes. He stopped in front of me and cupped my cheeks in his palms.
“Baby, I have no doubt that you are stronger than me in so many ways. I’m sure Lia is right and that I’m too wimpy to have babies.”
It was Lia’s turn to snort, but we both ignored her. “Then why were you laughing?” I muttered accusingly.
Stone grinned and rubbed his nose over mine before locking our gazes again. “Because when it comes to abstinence with your husband, you’ve never been able to go through with the threat.”
I gasped and punched my fists onto my hips. “I could totally withhold sex from you, Stone Kensington,” I growled. He laughed, making me even more frustrated. “If I really wanted to!”
Stone raised an eyebrow and watched me in meaningful silence. I was getting pretty irritated with
his doubt. Even if a tiny voice in my head was saying that he was right. No. I had more willpower than that, I told myself.
“Fine. If you want me to prove my point—”
“And I think this is my cue to leave,” Lia interrupted as she scurried out of the room. “Call me later!” I heard her yell. “When you’re not…busy.” Her laughter was the last thing I heard before the back door slammed shut.
Did no one have any faith in me at all?
I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips for a moment, then opened my mouth and said something really stupid… “I bet I can go the whole rest of my pregnancy without sex.”
Monumentally.
Stupendously.
Tremendously.
STUPID.
I was six months into my pregnancy, and my hormones seemed to be permanently set on “horny.”
Stone nodded solemnly, and I pretended not to know he was faking his sincerity. “I’m sure you could, baby. But, there’s no need to go that far. How about we just make the bet for one night?”
Despite my pride, relief that he hadn’t taken me up on that offer nearly swept me off of my feet.
One night. I could make it that long. It was already nine in the morning. Practically half the day was gone, I lied to myself.
Then Stone ran one finger over my cheek and along my jaw. My nipples pebbled beneath his flannel, button-down shirt I’d thrown on this morning because it smelled like him.
His eyes smoldered as the pad of his digit swept across my lips. If I’d been wearing panties, they would have been drenched.
Ride a Rancher: Rancher Only Series Page 7
