Come Back Home Again (Hope Valley Book 2)

by Jessica Prince

“Doesn’t feel that way.”

  “I know it doesn’t.” Turning my head, I rested my cheek against his chest and hugged him tight, the thump of his heart soothing me. “You’re a protector—it’s just who you are. Something like this is gonna weigh on you. But that’s what I’m here for. When things get too heavy for you to carry on your own, I’ll lighten the burden.”

  His lips brushed against the crown of my head as he murmured, “I love you, angel. More than you could possibly imagine.”

  “Well, that’s good to know,” I said, dropping my head back so he could lean in and kiss me. “Because I feel the same way.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Temperance

  It had been five days since Harley’s death, and almost all of Hope Valley was in attendance for her funeral.

  She didn’t have many friends considering all the bridges she’d burned in her lifetime just to get her way, but no one deserved to go through what she had, and the fact of the matter was she was one of us. Her family was a part of this community, and everyone wanted to show their support the only way they knew how.

  Hayes and I stood side by side at the graveside service, our friends and some of the other men on the force standing around us. We stayed to the back of the crowd, mindful to keep a respectable distance from the family. The last encounters we’d had with the Madison’s hadn’t been pleasant ones. Hayes and I wanted to pay our respects, but neither of us wanted to cause any more pain than what they were already feeling.

  Watching from behind dark sunglasses, tears welled in my eyes as the pastor who’d handled Aunt Reenie’s service spoke so sweetly about Harley Madison, telling stories of her as a child.

  My throat began to throb something fierce as I turned to look at Hayes, I pulled my hand from his and wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling just how stiff he was holding his body as the pastor started quoting scripture.

  “Hey,” I whispered. His aviator-covered gaze came down to mine. “You okay?”

  He gave his head an almost indiscernible shake, looping his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tighter against him.

  I leaned against him, silently pouring all the love and support I could into him.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” I offered as he squeezed me tighter. “But it’s almost over.”

  The pastor said a few more words and ended the service with a prayer, then we all headed toward the long line of cars. I hugged my girls, all of us batting away tears. Leo and Micah said goodbye in typical hot dude alpha fashion, jerking their chins at me and flicking their fingers before taking off back to the station. Carl came in for a hug, promising to check in soon, then headed out.

  Hayes helped me into the Sequoia, then rounded the hood and climbed in, turning it on and cranking up the heat to help fight off the cold from outside.

  The drive back to the farmhouse was made in complete silence, but I didn’t fear that he’d slipped back into that dark place. He might not have been talking, but he held my hand the entire way, resting our entwined fingers on his thigh as he steered.

  We got home and I immediately kicked off my heels, hung up my coat, and moved into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. I could hear him following me, but when I turned to look at him, Hayes was across the counter, watching me with an intensity that nearly stole my breath. “Everything okay?”

  “There’s somethin’ I need to take care of,” he said in reply. “It won’t take long, but while I’m gone, change into something warm, yeah?”

  My head tipped to the side and my brows pulled together. “What?”

  “Just trust me. I’ll be back in just a bit.” He rounded the island, grabbed the back of my neck, and pulled me in for a quick kiss. “Keep the doors locked.” He waited for my nod, then turned on his boots and disappeared from the kitchen. I heard the front door open and close a second later.

  Heading upstairs, I shed the black dress I’d picked out for the funeral. After slipping it back on the hanger and putting it in the closet, I stopped and stared at it, heavy sadness settling in my chest. I prayed to God that I didn’t have the need to wear it again for years to come.

  I dressed in layers, not sure what to expect when Hayes returned, and padded back down to the kitchen. The coffee was finished brewing, and I’d just poured myself a mug when I heard the growl of an unfamiliar engine coming up my drive.

  “What the hell?” I muttered after pulling the curtain aside on the living room window. I didn’t recognize the shiny black truck, but it was impossible to miss Hayes sitting in the driver seat.

  Heading for the porch, I watched him get out and round the hood, asking, “Whose truck is that?” as he climbed the front steps.

  “Linc’s. I switched with him for the night.” He bypassed me, moving into the house and calling, “Let me just change real quick and we’ll head out,” as he ascended the stairs.

  “Head out where?”

  “You’ll see” was his only response before he disappeared down the hall.

  My curiosity was officially piqued, and it took everything in me to hold myself back from rushing up those stairs to ask a million and one questions. He returned a few minutes later, and we finished bundling up before heading back out to Lincoln’s truck.

  Hayes turned the wheel and headed not for the road but onto the dirt path that led deeper into the property.

  My stomach did a little flip as I turned his way with wide eyes. “We aren’t….”

  I watched his profile closely, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a smirk as he kept his focus out the windshield. “We are.”

  “But it’s freezing!”

  Hayes jerked his head toward the bed of the truck. “Already got that covered.” Turning to look out the back window, I spotted two rolled-up sleeping bags and a pile of blankets strapped down securely. “Eden likes to camp, so they had everything we needed.”

  My heart was full to nearly bursting as I turned back around to look out the windshield. The sun was beginning to set over the mountains that surrounded the property, making what was already beautiful breathtakingly stunning.

  A few minutes later, the pond Hayes and I had spent so many hours sneaking away to as teenagers came into view. I hadn’t ridden out this way with Stargazer, so it had been years since I’d been back, but as Hayes pulled to a stop next to the water, I felt like I’d just been transported back in time.

  He put the truck in park but left the engine running, ordering, “Stay in here where it’s warm while I set everything up.”

  I stared out at the pond as memories of our times here flooded through my head. I was so lost in thought that I let out a startled squeak and whipped around in my seat when the passenger side door was pulled open.

  Hayes’s lips were parted in the most beautiful smile as he reached across me to turn off the engine and undo my seat belt. “Ready, angel?” He didn’t bother waiting for my reply before helping me out of the truck and leading me around to the back. He’d zipped the two sleeping bags together to make one giant one, layering a couple blankets beneath that and more on top so that when we climbed in, we were able to bundle up as we snuggled into each other.

  Hayes lay on his back, one arm cocked behind his head and the other wrapped snuggly around me while I pressed against his side, my cheek resting on his chest so I was able to look up and see the sky as it began to grow darker. Neither of us spoke for what felt like a lifetime, content to simply be together just like this. The sun eventually tucked itself away for the night, and millions of tiny stars dotted the black of the night sky. “I feel like I’m a teenager again,” I finally said, burrowing deeper into his side once the moon had risen to its highest.

  His raspy voice made his chest vibrate beneath my ear. “It’s been a shitty couple of days. I wanted to give us both somethin’ that would take away some of the ugliness.”

  Just when I thought he couldn’t possibly make me fall in love him any more than I already was, he went and did something like this, proving to me that I sti
ll had so much further to fall.

  “You’re an incredible man,” I said quietly, turning my face to press a kiss to his chest. And it was the god’s honest truth. He was the kind of man you could depend on, loyal and steadfast to his very marrow. I’d known a lot of people in my life, and Hayes Walker was easily one of the best. “I love you, Hayes.”

  His arm came from behind his head to join the other at my waist, and he used his hold to slide me farther up his chest until we were practically nose-to-nose. “I love you too, sweetheart. Always have. Always will.”

  I felt him shift beneath me, one of his hands reaching down to fish into the pocket of his jeans. When he pulled it back out, I lost my breath at the sight of the beautiful diamond ring he was holding delicately between his thumb and index finger. “This is another reason I wanted to bring you out here.”

  His face began to blur as tears welled in my eyes. My mouth opened to speak, but all that came out was a whispered “Hayes.”

  “Been carryin’ this ring around with me since the day you asked me to move in with you, just waiting for the right time. Don’t know if this is it or not, but I couldn’t wait any longer to ask you to be my wife.”

  “Oh my god,” I breathed as one lone tear broke free and glided down my cheek.

  “Tempie, angel, will you—”

  “Yes!” I cried before he could finish, sitting up and throwing a leg over his stomach so I was straddling him. “Yes, I will.” Cupping his jaw in my hands, I leaned down and peppered his face with kisses, pressing my lips anywhere and everywhere I could reach. I cried while he laughed, but I couldn’t make myself stop.

  I’d finally discovered what it felt like to be overjoyed. It was the most intense feeling I’d ever experienced, heavy and light at the same time. It was the most exquisite feeling I’d ever experienced. It felt like I’d break into a million pieces and float away if not for my skin holding me together.

  When it became clear that I had no control over myself, Hayes moved, rolling me to my back and pinning my body beneath his. He took my left hand and slowly slid the ring down my finger, settling it in place.

  “You love me?” he asked, his heated eyes staring right into mine.

  “Of course,” I answered instantly.

  “You have my back?”

  “Always.”

  His lips tipped up into a small grin. “You’ll help carry the burden when it gets to be too much for me to do alone?”

  Curling my fingers into his sweater, I lifted my head closer to his so he could see my eyes clearly. “Absolutely.”

  “And you’ll let me do the same for you?”

  God, he was going to make me cry again.

  “Yes.”

  He kissed me then, pouring every ounce of love he felt for me into it. He communicated everything I needed to know with just one kiss. I was cherished. I was desired. I was everything to him.

  And I made sure he knew he was the exact same for me.

  “Hayes!” I cried out, my fingers twisting and tangling in his hair as I came, holding his head in place while trying to push it away at the same time as the intensity became too much. He kept going, licking and sucking, plunging his tongue inside me as my body shook.

  It went without saying that Hayes was talented in pretty much everything when it came to the bedroom. But in spite of how well he could get me off when he went down on me, it was still nothing compared to his cock, and even though I’d just come, I wanted more.

  “Please, baby,” I panted, circling my hips and driving them harder against his face. “I need you.”

  His arms wrapped around the backs of my thighs, keeping them in place while his large hands held my hips down. He pulled his mouth away from me and looked up the length of my naked body, his pupils completely blown, turning the brown to black. “What’s my girl need, huh?”

  “To feel you,” I breathed, writhing and trying to break from his unrelenting hold.

  His tongue gave my sensitive slit another lick. “What part of me?” Hayes continued to tease, thrusting his tongue back inside me. “This part?”

  My head thrashed against the pillows. “No.”

  “You want my fingers back, angel? Is that what you’re askin’ for?” One of his hands traveled down and he gathered my wetness before brushing featherlight against my clit.

  I bucked and whimpered. “No. Hayes, baby. Please.”

  “Say the words, Tempie,” he ordered, his breath blowing against my damp folds and driving me absolutely wild. “Told you I’d give you anything you could ever want, but you gotta say the words.”

  I lifted my head, meeting those dark heated pools once more. “I want your cock, baby.”

  That was all it took. He shot up my body and surged inside, his thick, rock-hard length stretching me so perfectly that stars burst behind my eyelids. “Yes!” Planting my feet in the mattress, I tipped my hips to take him deep and drove up against him with each of his inward thrusts.

  “Goddamn it, Tempie,” he grunted, fucking me rough and fast and wild. “Sweetest fuckin’ pussy in the whole world. And it’s all mine”

  A sound akin to a purr rumbled up my chest. I hooked one leg around his hip, pressing my heel into his ass to get him to move even harder. “God, you feel so good.”

  My nails raked down his back, and he let out an animalistic growl. My man loved it just as rough as I did.

  His head bent and his tongue swiped across that spot on my neck before his teeth scraped against the cord of my throat and he gave it a gentle bite. That was enough to set me off. My walls clamped down around him, my back arched, and I moaned as that pressure built and snapped like a dam breaking.

  He followed after me only a few seconds later before losing control of his limbs and collapsing against me.

  The day might have started on a heartbreaking note, but just like he was prone to do, Hayes had taken the bad and turned it into something completely wonderful.

  It was just one of the countless reasons why I was completely head over heels in love with him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hayes

  I hit the kitchen and came to a stop. Crossing my arms over my chest, I leaned my shoulder against the jamb and watched the show Tempie was putting on, humming and dancing as she flipped pancakes on the griddle.

  It had been easy to live in a bubble, just the two of us, for the past thirty-six hours, but that kind of good couldn’t last forever. I was headed back to the station later this morning, however, being able to walk into the kitchen and see my woman dancing around with my ring on her finger provided the kind of sweet that went a long goddamn way in helping stave off that bitter Trick had been talking about.

  Some days the job was complete shit. Some days a case pushed me to question my decision to go into this line of work. But knowing I’d have this to come home to every night and wake up to every morning made days like these a hell of a lot more tolerable.

  As if sensing my presence, Tempie turned and shot me a wink over her shoulder. “You just gonna stand there and watch or actually come in and eat this breakfast I’ve been slaving away at?”

  Pushing off the wall with a deep chuckle, I hung my blazer over the back of one of the barstools and put my gun, shoulder holster, and badge on the island before coming up behind her. She leaned back into me when I propped my chin on her shoulder and looped my arms around her waist.

  “Baby, I told you you didn’t have to wake up early to cook for me. No reason for you to get up at dawn when your day doesn’t start for another couple of hours.”

  She looked back with a quick grin before turning to the stove once again. “Don’t get too used to it. I’m still riding the high of getting engaged to you.” She lifted her left hand and gave her fingers a little wiggle, making the diamond catch the light. “The shine will eventually wear off and I’ll be back to telling you off when you try and wake me for a goodbye kiss.”

  Damn , but my woman was funny. “Good to know.”

  “A
nd be warned. Once we’re married, it’s all downhill from there. I’m talking unshaved legs and sloppy sweats. Better appreciate all this while it lasts.” She waved a hand down her side, indicating the mint-green nightie with ivory lace on the bodice and short hem she was wearing beneath one of my unbuttoned flannels. “This is all for show, buddy.”

  My head fell back on a loud laugh and I squeezed her in my arms before I let her go in order to grab some coffee. Pouring myself a mug, I propped my hip against the counter beside her and took a drink. “We had a good run, I guess. Fairy tales don’t last forever, right?”

  Her mouth scrunched up in a crooked grin. “At least we’re on the same page. Bodes well for when we’re sleeping in twin beds three feet apart every night.”

  I took another slug of my coffee, my lips twitching with humor. “Is it too late for me to back out of this arrangement?”

  She gave me a pitying look before flipping off the burners and sliding the pancakes onto two plates. “Sorry, pal, a deal’s a deal. You entered into a verbal contract, so there’s no going back now.”

  “Well, consider this a lesson learned,” I said with a shrug.

  Tempie giggled and stepped closer, setting one of the plates on the island in front of me and then diving into her own. I did the same, standing across from her.

  I’d just bitten off half a strip of bacon when the mood in the room changed all of a sudden. Giving my attention back to Tempie, I saw her eyes had gone serious. “You’re heading back into work,” she stated.

  I gave her an incredulous look. “Well yeah. Gotta pay the bills somehow, angel.”

  Her gaze dropped down to her pancakes and she started dragging her fork through the syrup, making random patterns on the plate. “No, I know. I’m just… well, with that case….”

  Suddenly I understood why the vibe had shifted. Putting my fork down, I closed the gap between us and rested my hands on her hips, forcing her to face me. “I’ll be all right, angel.”