by Em Petrova
He laughed at her words. “I’ve never seen you sick before, Wyn honey.”
“I guess we’ve both seen new sides of each other. Can we stop playing cat and mouse now and call ourselves a couple?”
“There’s the small matter of your five brothers and the fact that your family doesn’t even know you dumped Austin.”
She pushed out a sigh. “I’ve got some business to take care of. Want me to tell my brothers?”
“Hell no. Just let me think on the situation for a bit, okay?”
“You’d better not be blowing me off. As soon as we get back home, you’d better not avoid or ignore me.”
He smoothed a hand over her cheek. “Couldn’t if I tried.” But maybe he should. Fuck, she was so young.
She snuggled closer, and he felt her body relaxing against his. Whether she wanted to sleep now or not, she needed it. She wasn’t recovered from her bout of illness yet.
“Sleep, love. I’ll wake you when we get to the airport.”
She made a small noise but a minute later her breathing pitched to a rhythmic cadence of sleep. Her thick hair tickled his nose and every bump of the highway made his hard cock jerk up into her backside. He was getting good at biting off the groans, but much more of this and he’d go mad with lust.
It was impossible to stop his mind from wandering—to taking Wynonna as his bride and building their own place on the ranch, of coming in from the fields and holding her all night. Raising horses together, their little ones rodeoing, as was the Calhoun way. And dogs—they’d always have room for dogs.
Would her brothers really mind him being so much older? They hadn’t approved of her being with those other guys. But dammit, he was the type of man she needed. A man who would care for her and protect her.
The kind to love her right.
Dammit, he did. Had forever. Wynonna Calhoun was a whirlwind of a woman, and there couldn’t be one more suited to him. If she was smiling, he knew she wanted to do something bad. If she was laughing, she’d already done it. Who knew how to tame her—or bring out her wildest side—better than him?
Sure as fuck not that pretty boy city slicker.
In the airport, she took time to sign autographs and snap photos with fans. She even gave a short interview for a young girl’s school paper. Mav knew she’d be the most popular girl in school that week, for sure.
He’d never been anywhere with Wynonna this way. In town, she got stampeded by fans and he always kept an eye on her. But here, he wanted to tuck her under his arm and guard her from everyone.
“Wynonna! Is the Rope ‘n Ride show in its last season?” someone called.
“Sure as hell hope so,” she muttered but smiled for the man approaching.
Mav pushed her slightly behind him and eyed the man. “Ms. Calhoun has a flight to catch. We’re sorry, but no questions please.”
“She didn’t even answer my one and only question.”
“And she won’t be if you use that tone. Now please back away.” Mav fisted his hands and squared his shoulders, prepared for a fight. But the man stepped off. Mav gripped Wynonna by the upper arm and led her through the small gathering crowd toward their gate. The faster he got her on the plane, the sooner he’d be able to draw a deep breath.
When they outstripped the people, Wynonna shot a glance at Mav from the corner of her eye. “You make a good bodyguard.”
He grunted. “I didn’t appreciate how forceful he was with you.”
“I don’t have to tell you I’ve had worse. But thank you, Mav.”
He caught her gaze, and his heart gave a slow roll. It was a sweet tea sippin’ on a summer’s day roll. A fireflies at twilight in the back of his pickup roll.
“The faster I get you home, the better I’ll feel,” he said to cover his emotions. The last thing he needed was to start spewing love words. Especially since they needed to keep things on a slow pace. She couldn’t barge in and announce she wasn’t marrying Austin anymore, because she was in love with Mav.
They found their seats, and he gave her the window. She didn’t look out it as they got into the air, high above the fluffy cloud layer, though. No, she was looking at him the whole time.
And damn if he could look away.
* * * * *
“Oh my darling girl. I’m so glad you’re all right.” Wynonna’s momma bracketed her face with her hands and searched her face for verification she was whole.
“I’m fine, Momma.”
“Come sit down. Let me get you a glass of orange juice.”
The kitchen was filled with cameramen, and Wynonna ignored them as she settled at the long table. She felt like weeping with relief to be home. The minute she’d met Mav’s family, she realized she’d made a mistake in going there looking for answers. They couldn’t tell her anything about Mav—because they didn’t know him. What they believed was wrong to the millionth degree.
And she felt terrible about dragging him up there.
Momma set a glass of juice before her, along with a plate with two blueberry muffins. Wynonna’s appetite had been nonexistent for days, but now her stomach cramped with hunger. She reached for a muffin and broke it open.
“Here’s the butter. You could use it. I swear, it looks like you’ve lost ten pounds.”
“It was a bad flu.” She buttered a muffin and bit into it. For thousands of miles of air travel, she’d tried to form a speech to her mother about why she’d taken off. Especially at this time of year when they were preparing for her father’s ceremony. Those thoughts were suddenly gone, and she was left scraping up new ones.
“I’m sorry I left at a bad time.”
Her mother nodded, a crease of concern between her brows. “The girls got the preparations handled. We’re all set for tomorrow.”
“Good. They’re better at it than I am anyway.” She swallowed another bite and met her mother’s stare. “You’re probably wondering why I left.”
“That thought’s been on my mind, I’ll admit,” she drawled in her even tone. The one that said she wouldn’t yell but didn’t exactly approve.
“I’ve been confused, Momma.”
“About what?”
She stared at the few crumbs on her plate and the second muffin she hadn’t touched. The one she’d eaten seemed too big for her stomach, making her uncomfortable. “About marrying Austin.”
“Oh dear.”
“I know y’all think I was hasty in getting engaged to him, and I hate admitting you were right, but I realized it.”
“So you went after him to tell him this?”
“No. You know I went to see Mav’s family.”
Her mother captured her gaze, and Wynonna squirmed like a little girl about to be told her punishment.
“I broke things off with Austin over the phone. But then something happened. With Mav.”
A camera was at her left, and she waved a hand for them to give her some room. “This is private, and I don’t want it on the show. Got it?”
“Sure thing, Wynonna,” the guy said. “We’re under contract to roll at all times, though.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She returned to her mother and waited for her to say something about what Wynonna had just told her.
Her mother covered her hand with hers. The warm, comforting weight of it pinning her own to the tablecloth brought tears into her eyes. “Oh sweetheart, you’re in love with Mav, aren’t you?”
Relief at not needing to say the words rushed through her system, and she bowed her head. A tear fell to wet the tablecloth, leaving a darker spot on the checked cotton. “Oh Momma.”
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“How’d you guess?”
“I know you better than anyone, Wyn. I’m your momma, and mommas see things other people don’t. Like their little girls eyeing men that her brothers wouldn’t think are right for her.”
Wynonna looked up. “What do you think?”
“That you’re a strong and beautiful woman who needs a man with enough stre
ngth of character to stand by you. Those other guys weren’t right.”
“But you let me date them.”
Her mother gave a loud laugh, and the camera guys smiled too. “How was I meant to stop you? Like puttin’ the brakes on a bull.”
She sniffled and swiped at a tear, a begrudging smile tugging at her lips. “I guess you’re right.”
“I am.” She got up from the table and breezed to the fridge to get her more juice. “You say something happened with Mav?”
She nodded. Thinking of the tenderness he’d treated her with when she was ill. And the authority with which he’d gotten her through the airport crowds demanding so much from her. Not to mention the extreme flames between them in bed.
Her momma plunked down in the chair again and leaned back to stare at Wynonna. “He’s finally realized he’s in love with you too.”
“I… He hasn’t said anything like that.”
“But he took you to bed.”
“Momma!”
“Don’t ‘momma’ me. I’m a modern woman, and it’s impossible to have six children without knowing a little about sex.” She gave her a look from the corner of her eye, and Wynonna waved her hands.
“TMI, Mom! I don’t want to know anything about sex from you.”
She chuckled again and swiped the muffin off Wynonna’s plate. “That’s a man who’ll treat you right in bed, young lady. Don’t let him go.”
“Oh God, please stop. I can’t take it, Momma. But seriously, I’m not sure I can push him to go forward with a relationship. He’s worried about betrayal of trust and what y’all will think. And he says he’s too old for me.”
“Lord, I say it’s about time. And if you believe your brothers prefer a city slicker to Mav, you’re crazy. Ask them.”
“Nooo, I’m not asking them. I don’t want to breathe a word of this yet.”
“Ask us what?” Buck stood in the doorway, looking between them.
Wynonna dropped her face into her hands in an attempt to hide the blush climbing her face. “Let’s just get through the memorial first, okay, Momma?”
“You’re running the show. Or haven’t you noticed, dear?”
* * * * *
“Cattle bloat. No question.” Mav stared at the calf.
“That’s what we thought.” Ridge hitched a thumb into his back pocket.
“How long she’s been like this again?”
“Last night we found it poorly, lying down. Then we got her up and she walked into the barn under her own steam. Now…” He waved at the animal lying on its side. “I’ll get the tube,” Ridge said.
“We can try it, but we might need to puncture the stomach to let the gas out.” He’d done it before, but he didn’t relish it. It was a downside of the cattle business—a necessary evil. And it only meant relief for the animal.
Ridge gave a hard nod. “Guess we let her go too long.”
“Sometimes there’s no way of telling without giving it time. Let’s do this.”
Mav was on edge, but this would be the highlight of his day. After facing the Calhoun boys’ interrogation, puncturing a cow’s stomach would be a treat.
They’d made demands about what was going on, but he’d managed to keep the focus on his past. Told the story of his PTSD after the war and how he’d always believed he was on the verge of going crazy. At that, the Calhouns had been shocked but agreed with Mav that he wasn’t that man his family always believed he was.
Still, they wouldn’t want him fucking with their little sister.
The screen door banged so hard that Mav winced. He knew damn well who was slamming the door with that much force. Wynonna hadn’t been home for an hour and she was already terrorizing the ranch.
Mav didn’t look around when he heard her footfalls, but when a warm puff of air washed over his nape, he froze.
“Hey, Cowboy. Told my momma.” Her breath was gone, leaving his flesh chilled. He looked up in time to see her sashaying around the corner of the barn. Those hips… And damn, how did she turn the nickname Cowboy into something so erotic?
Seconds later, Zodiac thundered across the yard, its rider clinging to the saddle with red hair streaming from under her hat.
Ridge let out a whistle, the hose in hand. “She’s feeling better.”
“Seems so.”
Ridge made a noise in his throat and handed Mav the tube. As Mav got to work guiding the tube down the calf’s throat to help remove the trapped air, Ridge was silent. Mav knew it was just a matter of time before he started firing more questions at him.
He hadn’t gotten the tube inserted halfway when Ridge opened his mouth. “Wyn hasn’t said a word about Austin. Mighty odd, wouldn’t you say?”
“She’s been pretty sick. Hold this, would ya?” He passed the end of the tube off to Ridge as a way to distract him.
“You feelin’ okay?” Ridge asked.
“Me? Yeah, feel fine.”
“Looks like your face might be red.”
Son of a bitch. Mav grunted and turned his attention to the calf. The air wasn’t budging from its stomach despite the tub. Which meant the next course of action was to puncture the stomach.
The calf was bellowing, which was common. They got mouthy in this situation, and they protested a tube down their throats. Mav dropped the tube to the ground and grabbed the trocar and cannula.
“Wyn hasn’t said anything about her fiancé to you?”
Mav closed his fingers around the instrument and took care of the calf’s problem with one quick jab. He gained his feet, watching the animal closely. “Nope.”
“He’s all wrong for her,” Ridge said.
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
“Not often we aren’t. Look, she’s already looking more alert.” He nodded toward the animal.
“I think she’s about to get up.”
The cow folded its legs beneath itself, and with a heave, stood.
“Wobbly but standing,” Mav said with a puff of relief. Now if he could get out in the open and avoid the Calhouns Interrogation Round Two, he’d be happy.
“Hey, you got the calf feelin’ better.” West arrived on the scene. “Now maybe you can do something about our little sister.”
Mav looked between the brothers. He hadn’t been born yesterday—he knew when someone was trying to lure him into spilling more than he was willing. Wasn’t happening.
He brushed off his hands and sidestepped the brothers.
“Wyn seems fine to me. I’ve gotta check the feed stores and head to town.” He lengthened his strides and got the hell out of there before they ambushed him with more questions about Wynonna. He didn’t want to discuss her yet—not when he had no idea what was really going on between them.
Sure, he wanted her naked and wet all the fucking time, that he’d take a swing at anyone who hurt her. But he’d never be selfish enough to act on something that wasn’t good for her.
And I haven’t decided if that’s me yet.
* * * * *
“Memory jar’s on the front table, and the photo board’s in the kitchen where everyone will see it when they sit down.” Joy pointed in the directions she spoke of. The house gleamed from top to bottom, after Momma had organized them into a cleaning party. Or whipped them into doing it, rather.
“The Halls are here.” Ryder stepped into the kitchen, and Joy turned into his arms. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. “Looks beautiful in here. Love the flowers.”
“Thanks, baby.” She went on tiptoe to kiss him.
Wynonna watched the exchange, feeling a small pang of regret that she couldn’t grab her man and hug and kiss him too. The couple went outside, and their voices reached her as they greeted the Halls, neighbors who’d known her parents all their married lives.
When was Mav going to quit being so stubborn and just let it happen? She knew he wasn’t so wimpy that he’d avoid telling her family, so was he still hung up on the I’m-no-good thing? Because she thought she’d proven h
e wasn’t what his family had made him believe all these years with one little trip to Oregon.
“Wyn!”
She pushed out a breath and walked to the screen door to see who was calling her. She saw a group of rodeo people standing there—people she hadn’t seen in many months, and she pushed through the door and leaped the steps.
“Girl, I haven’t heard from you for too long! Where you been hiding?” The tallest female in the bunch was still a head shorter than Wynonna herself. She hugged Maren tight, knocking their hats askew in the process.
“Just been busy.”
“Training your horses?” Maren asked, pulling free of her embrace and righting her hat.
She was too embarrassed to admit she hadn’t done much with her horse training business lately, so she just nodded. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Mav rounding the porch. She tried to control the skitter of her heart at his close proximity, but she still ended up a little breathless.
Mercy, if this feeling never went away and he never accepted they could have a relationship, what was she going to do?
She turned to the two rodeo guys standing there. “Where’s my hug?” Olean Reynolds asked, holding out his arms and slouching so he could hug her. He was known as String Bean in the circuit, as tall and lanky as his nickname.
She threw her arms around him. He lifted her off her boots, and she kicked a little for show. He set her firmly down again and Jamie Darringer lifted her next. She squealed as he whipped her in a tight circle and swore she heard a familiar low growl coming from behind her.
She didn’t dare look around when Jamie set her down. Let Mav get jealous. If he wanted her, he knew where to find her. He could ask her to walk away from the group right now, spend all day in bed and miss her father’s own memorial party and she would go in the drop of a Stetson. She couldn’t think of a better place to spend the day than in Mav’s bed.
With a wave toward her friends, she led them up onto the porch, where they all took comfy chairs. The camera crew rotated around her, annoying her today. When Lane and Delaney showed up with the new little Calhoun and got the attention off her, she was glad.
As her friends bantered about who was out with an injury in their sports and who would be on top this year, she listened with only half an ear. She was very aware of a tall, broad figure lurking around the edge of the porch railing. That black hat was Mav’s better hat, the one he wore for funerals and such. He looked dashing as hell, though she preferred his battered hat. It was part of him, completed the whole package.
