He kissed her long and hard before releasing her. For a long moment they looked at each other.
Ricki turned and stepped over a beam and worked her way through the area that had once been her living room. “I should have seen the signs that something wasn’t right with Deena.”
“You believe in the best of people, Ricki.” Garrett took her hand and brought her to a stop again. “It’s not in your nature to think the worst of anyone.”
“Maybe that needs to change.” Anger over all that had happened made Ricki’s muscles ache. “Maybe I need to be more cynical and definitely less trusting.”
“You shouldn’t stop being you.” Garrett took both of her hands in his. “The world needs more people like you, Ricki. You should be more cautious, but don’t stop believing that there’s good in people.” He squeezed her hands and offered her a little smile. “Leave the cynicism up to me.”
“I don’t know, Garrett.” She drew her hands from his and took in her surroundings with her gaze. “Just look at this.”
Near her feet, she spotted the porcelain picture frame that had held the most recent picture of her family. She crouched to pick up the formerly white frame that was now black with soot and ash. With her thumb she rubbed away some of the blackness on the glass and saw that the picture that had been inside of it was curled and blackened.
The ache at the back of her eyes grew stronger and a tear rolled down her cheek as she stood. She dropped the frame back onto the same spot where she had picked it up.
A strong, comforting arm settled around her shoulders and she tilted her head to meet Garrett’s eyes. He squeezed her to let her know he was there for her.
“I have nothing left.” Ricki let her gaze drift over the ruins again and another tear stole down her opposite cheek. “She took it all from me.”
“You’re alive.” He kissed the top of her head. “That’s all that matters.”
She turned to him and found herself in the circle of his arms again. “You’re right. As long as Xena makes it, too, that’s all that matters. The rest of this is just material.”
Still, after all the love and work she’d put into this house, it hurt like hell that it was gone along with things she had treasured since she was a child.
She leaned her head against Garrett’s chest as he held her and breathed in his scent, for one moment drinking it in before the stench of charred wood and smoke filled her senses again.
Since the fire, she’d had moments where she’d been overwhelmed and she’d felt the depression creeping in on her. But then she’d come to the conclusion that she had her life and hopefully she had Garrett and Xena. She had to move beyond the depression and rebuild.
As he held her, she felt a kind of comfort that no one else could give her.
When she drew away from him, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Are you ready to go home?”
Despite her resolve, another tear rolled its way down her cheek and Garrett rubbed it away with his thumb.
“I don’t have a home anymore.” She managed to choke the words out even though her throat was tight. “I have to start out from scratch.”
The most she’d done was buy some clothing. All she’d had on was a robe the night of the fire. Her friend, Megan, who was about the same size, had given Ricki some things to wear so that she could go shopping. Megan had offered more, but Ricki had said Megan had done enough. Ricki appreciated it more than her friend could know.
Every one of her friends had offered a place to stay until she had her own home again, but Ricki had refused. She hadn’t wanted to impose on anyone.
“Don’t go back to the hotel.” He hooked his finger under her chin. “Come stay with me. Don’t say no this time.”
She paused for a moment, thinking about the lonely hotel suite. Garrett had stayed with her at night, but when she was alone she couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened. “Okay.” She nodded. “Thank you.”
“Good.” He kissed her, his lips firm and warm, and a little of the tension in her body dissipated. “Come on.” He raised his head and their gazes locked. “Let’s go make some new memories.”
Chapter 32
The day was gorgeous as they hiked West Fork Oak Creek Trail outside Sedona. Garrett wore a backpack with the lunch they’d put together while Ricki’s backpack contained a blanket and bottles of water, along with a few other things. What was intriguing, though, was that Garrett was carrying a covered basket and he wouldn’t tell her what was inside.
Xena trotted along the creek, followed by Hercules, an eight-month-old chocolate lab that had been the golden retriever’s best buddy since she recovered from the stab wound.
“Stay close, girl,” Ricki called out and Xena came to a stop beside the creek and gave a short bark of agreement. Hercules paused beside Xena then ran to Ricki and Garrett and bounded around them with enthusiasm.
Garrett rubbed Hercules behind his ears before the lab caught up with Xena who was sniffing alongside the creek.
Summer had faded into fall and the leaves were turning. Trees with leaves of orange, gold, red, brown, and green lined the trail that wended along the creek. It all smelled so fresh and clean, of fall, damp earth, and the scent of water running over moss-covered rocks.
A slight chill in the air made Ricki’s cheeks feel like they were probably rosy, and her nose was cold. A hunter green turtleneck blouse with a plaid, flannel over-shirt, jeans, and a good pair of hiking boots with thick socks kept the rest of her comfortable.
Garrett wore hiking boots and Wranglers along with a T-shirt covered by an over-shirt, and he’d chosen a ball cap rather than a Stetson.
“I saw Aunt Madge at the bakery yesterday,” Ricki said.
He smiled. “How is she doing?”
“Still tickled pink that you and I have been dating since that night she set us up.” Ricki laughed. “She wanted to know how we’re doing.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow. “And you told her…?”
Ricki returned Garrett’s smile. “That I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
He gave her a quick grin. “Good answer.”
She shook her head and laughed.
“Over here.” He nodded to a small, barely noticeable trail that led away from the one they were on. “We’ll follow this path and find a good place to eat.”
They’d been hiking since nine and Ricki was ready for lunch. “So, what did you bring in that basket?” she asked as they headed down the new path.
He gave her a quick grin. “You’ll see.”
She shook her head. “Mystery man.”
Xena and Hercules arrived at a small clearing and stopped and waited for Garrett and Ricki.
“Perfect spot, Xena,” Garrett said and Xena wagged her tail faster.
Garrett slipped out of his backpack and set it down along with the basket. Ricki dropped her backpack beside his and dug out the army green blanket and spread it out on the ground. He unpacked their lunch from his pack along with treats for the dogs.
The dogs were each given a ham bone and they trotted off happily to eat a few feet away. For Garrett and Ricki, there were sandwiches with smoked ham in between thick slices of Ricki’s homemade bread. They’d roasted the ham last night and she’d made the bread early this morning. He’d topped his sandwiches with mayo and mustard while hers just had mustard. They’d also packed dill pickle spears and crisp little sweet pickles as well as sour cream and chives potato chips.
The ground was bumpy beneath the blanket, but at that moment Ricki couldn’t remember ever feeling happier or more comfortable in her own skin. She’d been through so much with her ex and what had happened with Deena, yet everything seemed like a distant memory now.
She’d become so content and happy in her life that she’d been able to gradually get off her meds and no longer needed them. Garrett knew everything about her and had been there for her every step of the way. She couldn’t imagine caring for or loving anyone more than she love
d and cared for Garrett. He was interested in every part of her life and cared for her and everything she did.
After they finished lunch, Ricki pointed to the basket. “Okay, time to tell me what’s in there.”
He looked like he was hiding a mischievous smile. “Are you sure you want to know?”
She socked him in the arm. “You’ve kept me waiting long enough.”
He moved the basket beside him and opened it up. “Now don’t laugh.” He looked at her. “It’s the first cake I’ve ever made by myself with no one instructing me. Promise?”
“A cake?” She grinned. “I promise.”
He raised the lid on the basket and with both hands brought out a plate with the lumpiest chocolate cake she’d ever seen. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh at the silly little-boy expression on his face.
“You promised,” he said. “But you’re laughing.”
She shook her head, still keeping her hand over her mouth, too afraid that she would laugh.
“This is a special chocolate-upside-down cake,” he said and she snickered. “It’s specially made by taking a cake that has fallen and turning it upside down. And then that falls in the middle too, when the frosting is poured on.”
At this, Ricki couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing and nearly started rolling on the blanket. “It’s, um, very nice,” she said between giggles.
“But you haven’t seen the best part.” He pointed to a small red X made out of two short pieces of red licorice. He reached into the basket and brought out a knife and two paper plates while Ricki looked on, still grinning.
He carefully cut a triangular slice with the X in the middle of it and set it on one of the paper plates. The cake, that looked like it had pudding poured over it, fell apart as he put the piece on the plate.
Now wondering if she dared taste it, she looked over the piece while Garrett watched. “Do you have a fork—?” she started when something glinted in the middle of the cake mess, catching her eye. “You dropped something in the frosting.” She tilted her head to the side as she reached for the object and picked it up.
The moment she picked it up she came to a complete stop, her eyes wide. She looked at Garrett whose expression looked almost hesitant.
She brought the thing closer.
It was a ring.
Considering it was covered with chocolate frosting, it wasn’t easy to see what kind of ring at first, but then in the midst of the frosting she saw the sparkle of a diamond. A big diamond.
Her gaze shot back to Garrett and he was grinning now.
“A ring?” She held it up and stared at it as he moved closer.
He took the ring from her as she stared at him open-mouthed. He grasped her left hand in his. “Will you marry me, Ricki?”
“What?” She was so overwhelmed that for a moment she couldn’t think clearly. “Marry you?”
“Just say yes,” he said as he held the diamond close to her ring finger.
“Yes.” She smiled. “I will marry you.”
He slid the ring onto her finger, chocolate frosting and all.
She flung her arms around his neck and he caught her to him at the same time. He captured her mouth in a long kiss, leaving her breathless and dizzy. Garrett had just proposed. He’d just asked her to marry him.
When he drew back she felt an overwhelming rush of joy and happiness. She looked at the frosting-covered diamond in an antique-style setting. “It’s beautiful.” She met his gaze. “Absolutely beautiful.”
He touched her cheek. “You’re beautiful, Ricki. In every way that a woman could possibly be beautiful, inside and out.”
A lump rose in her throat. The way he was looking at her made her feel cherished beyond belief. She’d never felt so loved in all her life.
“You’re a wonderful man.” She brushed her lips over his. “An incredible, wonderful man and I’m going to spend every day of the rest of my life proving it to you.” She glanced at the cake disaster before she looked back at him. “Thank you for the amazing cake.”
He laughed. “I’ll leave the next one up to the baker in the family.”
She shook her head. “You can bake me a cake anytime you want.”
“You haven’t even tasted it,” he said.
“I don’t need to.” She smiled. “It was made by you and I already know I’ll love every bite.” She gave him a little grin. “As long as you didn’t substitute salt for sugar.”
He wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “Oops.”
With a grin he kissed her again.
# # #
Excerpt… Tying You Down
Cheyenne McCray
Butterflies traveled through Jo’s belly as she and Tate headed back to her house. What was she doing, inviting him over for dinner? It was one thing to go out with him, another to have him over for dinner.
She let them into the house. It was a large home that she’d fallen in love with when she moved back to the town. She set her purse on the table in the foyer and he set his ball cap there, too, before she led him to the kitchen.
Hair had escaped her braid and she pushed it out of her face as she turned to face him. “What sounds good?”
He hitched his shoulder up against the archway into the kitchen and hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his Wranglers. His T-shirt was pulled taut against his muscular chest and his hair was mussed from being under the ball cap. “Anything easy.”
She rummaged around in the pantry and pulled out a package of angel hair pasta and a jar of three-cheese spaghetti sauce. “How about spaghetti? That’s fast.”
“Great.” He watched her with an intense look that made her feel a little unnerved. “What can I do to help?”
“Stand there and keep looking sexy,” she said without thinking.
He grinned. “Sexy, huh?”
She shrugged and tried to hide a smile. “You have your moments.” She grabbed the large stockpot she used to boil water in for pasta and filled it with water.
While the water heated, she washed up then cut thick slices of the French bread she had just bought and made several pieces of garlic bread with fresh garlic and olive oil. When the water was boiling, she put the angel hair pasta in then grabbed a package of pre-made salad from the fridge and put it into a bowl.
They talked as she put together the simple dinner and he set the table with dishes she got out of the cabinet and silverware from a drawer. He also set out the wine glasses and opened a bottle of Merlot from her wine rack. She kept wine on hand even though she only drank if she had company.
She was glad he was so easy to talk with and there weren’t any lulls in conversation.
When dinner was ready and on the table, they both slid into their chairs. They sat at the small table in the kitchen rather than the large one in the dining room.
She served a huge pile of spaghetti in his pasta bowl before serving herself a much smaller amount. She was hungry, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was overdoing it today. She forced herself to shove aside thoughts of the chilidog, and bites of curly fries, and chocolate cake she’d had earlier. Spaghetti and a high-calorie day wasn’t going to hurt her. It was something she had to remind herself all the time. Counselors had told her that her fear of eating too much was something she’d probably have to work through for the rest of her life, and she’d found that to be true.
“I had a great time today.” She smiled at him after she’d eaten some of the pasta and a piece of garlic toast. “I don’t know if I’ve had that much fun in a long time, especially on a date.”
He returned her smile. “There’s more where that came from.”
She took a sip of her Merlot then set her glass down. “Angling for another date?”
“Is it working?” he asked as he twirled the pasta on his fork.
“Maybe.” She felt a warmth inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. A sense of contentment that probably should have scared her, but right now it didn’t.
She thought about Tate’s old girlfriend and wondered how much time he’d spent with her at lunch and what he and Daphne had talked about. But that wasn’t any of her business and if she said anything it would make it sound like she was jealous. She wasn’t, of course. She had nothing to be jealous of and no reason to be.
As they ate, she would take him in from beneath her lashes. He was so large and virile, an alpha male that drew her for so many reasons. She enjoyed being around him and the fact was she was incredibly attracted to him, both mentally and physically.
If he was everything he seemed to be, he was a good guy, too, like Charlee had said.
After they put the small amount of leftovers away and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, they walked out of the kitchen into the living room.
He looked at her when they came to a halt. “I had a great day, Jo. Thank you for saying yes.”
She slipped her hands into her back pockets to keep herself from touching him. She wanted nothing more than to feel his chest beneath her palms, his hair sliding through her fingers, his body tight against hers. And the way he was looking at her was enough to make her forget everything…forget every last hesitation she might have.
He reached up and skimmed her cheek with his fingertips, his green eyes studying her for a long moment. He cupped her face in his palms and slowly began lowering his head toward hers.
She caught her breath, a tangle of emotions whirling through her. Fear, excitement, even a little bit of shyness.
And then his lips were pressed against hers and he was kissing her, gently exploring her mouth with his.
It was perhaps the sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced. She found herself surprised that such a dominant man could be so gentle.
She slipped her hands out of her pockets and touched him like she’d been dying to. She ran her palms over his hard biceps to his broad shoulders. Slowly she eased her hands down the firm muscles of his chest before moving back to his shoulders.
Wanting more and more of him, she clenched her fingers in his T-shirt and pressed her mouth more firmly to his. She became the aggressor, desiring him so much that her entire body ached for him.
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