by Alexis Gold
Wade found her crouched down, searching through a drawer filled with bread.
“Do you want whole wheat or sourdough?” she asked, peering up at him with a loaf in each hand.
“Sourdough sounds perfect to me.”
“Great. And cheddar cheese or jack?”
“Jack.”
Delaney fumbled with the cheese and grabbed some butter. She seemed really nervous.
Wade walked over, held the fridge door for her, and took the butter.
“Let me help you,” he said, and she was grateful for his consideration and the sense of calm he exuded. As he turned on the stove and buttered the pan, she began to relax. She even laughed as he flipped the grilled cheese in the pan with no hands.
“Oh fancy!” she said, giggling. She hopped up onto the kitchen counter top, and watched as Wade finished up the grilled cheese sandwiches. Delaney told stories about growing up near the beach, and Wade looked at her with wide eyes. He’d never been to the beach before. He imagined Delaney on the beach, with sand in her hair and sunlight sparkling in her eyes.
She asked him about the ranch, and expressed interest in coming to visit; she said she’d always wanted to ride a horse.
“You’d love Whinny. I was there when she was born, but she’d like you. She needs a female in her life.”
“So you’ll take me for a ride, then?”
“I reckon I will if you’d like…” Wade blushed. He stared at his grilled cheese, not daring to look up. Delaney kicked her foot out and it connected with Wade’s leg. He took a step toward the counter where she sat.
“I would like it very much,” she hummed.
Finally, Wade raised his eyes. “Good,” he said, gazing at Delaney longingly, unable to help himself. She was so beautiful—so kind, and charming, and complex. Without thinking, Wade leaned forward, reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. He felt her exhale.
Delaney closed her eyes; Wade leaned in, and kissed her gently parted lips. They were soft and warm, and opened slightly for him. Her hands were in his hair. Wade nestled himself in between her legs, and her body pressed against his. They stayed like this for a long time, just kissing and being close.
“I’ve dreamt of you,” Delaney told him between kisses.
Wade couldn’t hold back the smile that spread on his lips. “You have no idea,” he said and buried his head in her chest. Delaney rested her cheek on the top of his head. It felt so good just to be held—so safe and whole and concrete. She whispered sweet things into his ear, and he held on tighter.
Finally, they let go of each other. Delaney sang under her breath as she washed dishes, and Wade couldn’t stop staring at her and grinning as he dried them. They locked up the diner and moseyed toward Wade’s car holding hands. He wanted to invite her to the ranch, but it was late, and he didn’t want to appear too forward. Delaney was pondering the same issue. She wondered where her uncle was and if it was safe to go home.
Not wanting to impose, she suggested Wade drive her home, and he said of course he would. Before getting in the car, he kissed her on the forehead, and said, “Thank you for having grilled cheese sandwiches with me.”
Delaney beamed at him. “Thank you for making them.”
They held hands all the way back to Delaney’s. It was well past eleven o’clock by the time Wade pulled up in front of the house. He parked the car and got out to open the door for her. Just then her uncle charged out of the house.
“Who are you?” he yelled at Wade. “Where’s Delaney?”
“My name is Wade—”
“I’m right here, Uncle Mike. Calm down,” Delaney interjected.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. Where have you been?”
“I was at work, and then I had dinner with—”
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence. Her uncle swung at Wade, who ducked easily out of the way. He swung a second time; Wade dodged it again, and hit back. He punched Delaney’s uncle straight in the jaw. He staggered backward and fell onto the lawn.
“Get in the car, Delaney!” Wade commanded.
Delaney didn’t need to be told twice. Wade hopped in the driver’s side and started the engine before his door was all the way shut.
“Are you okay?” he asked Delaney.
Her uncle was fumbling on the lawn, trying to stand up, but continuing to slip and fall over. Delaney had her head in her hands.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she mumbled from behind her fingers. “Just drive. Please just drive.”
They drove in silence. Wade was fuming. He couldn’t wrap his head around what just happened. What had gotten into her uncle? He hadn’t done anything wrong! He dared to glance at Delaney. She still had her head in her hands, and he couldn’t tell if she was crying. He felt sorry for her.
“You okay?” he asked after they’d gotten a few miles down the road.
Delaney hiccupped, and finally brought her hands away from her face. Her eyes were red and wet.
“I’m so sorry, Wade,” she said. “I didn’t know that was going to happen. I didn’t think he’d even be home.”
“That’s your uncle, then? Is he always like that?”
“Is he always like what? Drunk?” Delaney shrugged, and turned her head to look out the window. “Yeah, he’s pretty much always that way.”
“I’m sorry,” Wade offered softly.
“Don’t be. You’re the one he tried to hurt.”
“Are you saying he hasn’t tried to hurt you before?
”
“No, I’m not saying that.”
Wade felt like screaming. How could such horrible men exist? He flashed back to when he was a child, when his father would come in the front door with a bottle in his hand, yelling about something or other. Shaking his head to rid himself of the memories, he reached a hand out and put it on Delaney’s thigh. She pulled away at first, but then relaxed. Being touched by Wade was different than other men. It was safe.
Wade pulled into the long driveway to the ranch. “We’re almost home,” he told Delaney. “It’s a shame that it’s nighttime. It’s beautiful out here during the day. I guess you’ll see it in the morning.”
“I can’t wait. I have to work at noon, but maybe you can take me on a ride before that. You said your horse’s name was Whinny?”
“Yeah, that’s her name. Good memory.” He parked the car and squeezed Delaney’s leg. “We’ll ride in the morning. It’s a sure thing.” Leaning forward, he gently kissed her forehead. “Now, let’s go inside. It’s getting late.”
John was asleep by the time they got into the house. He was snoring on the couch, the blankets half covering his face. Wade wondered how his day was. He felt bad he hadn’t been back for dinner.
Quietly, with an arm around her shoulders, Wade led her inside, past the living room, toward his bedroom. Delaney was so exhausted, she was hardly aware of anything. It had been an extremely long day, and she had barely slept last night. She was looking forward to putting her head down somewhere that was quiet and safe. She was grateful for Wade. He was being wonderful.
She wanted to express her gratitude, but she could barely keep her eyes open. He showed her his bedroom and the bed was already made. Delaney plopped down without looking around much. Wade sat down next to her on the side of the bed.
“Do you need anything?”
Delaney rolled onto her side and looked up at him. “I just need to sleep. Thank you so much, Wade.”
“You’re very welcome. Now go to sleep, you’ll be safe here.”
Safe. I’ll be safe here, Delaney thought to herself as she closed her eyes. She was asleep before Wade left the room.
* * *
Wade had a difficult time falling asleep. He couldn’t stop replaying the scene with Delaney’s uncle in his mind—he kept going over it again and again. It had all happened so fast. He recognized her uncle as the man who had come into the diner earlier. He was a large man with a shaved head.
His breath smelled of stale whiskey. His
beard was unkempt and his shirt had stains on it. Wade couldn’t bear the thought of Delaney being alone in that house with him. He was relieved that he had been there, and that she was now sleeping safely in his bedroom.
He was both excited and apprehensive about introducing Delaney to John in the morning. With luck they would get along well. Wade planned on inviting Delaney to stay at the ranch indefinitely. He couldn’t tell her to go back to her uncle’s house. That would be an awful thing to do.
John coughed, and then fell silent. The fire was just a pile of coals by now, but Wade could still feel the heat from where he lay. He finally fell asleep, looking forward to the next morning and taking Delaney out for a ride.
Chapter Five
When Wade opened his eyes, John was sitting up on the couch staring at him.
“Can I help you?” he mumbled.
“There’s a girl in your room,” John said.
“Yes, there is.”
“Who is she?”
“That’s Delaney Hart.”
“And why is she in your room?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Well, I’d sure like to hear it.”
“You will, John. Give me a moment, though. I still need to wake up.”
John hobbled off to the kitchen. It was the first time Wade had seen him off the couch in days. Wade rubbed his eyes and sat up as the glorious smell of coffee wafted into the living room.
“Do you want some coffee?” John yelled from the kitchen.
“Yes, please,” Wade hollered back. “I’ll be right in.”
He stood up and stretched. Delaney’s voice emanated from the kitchen, and Wade hurried to put his jeans on. He heard John ask, “How did you meet Wade?” He strode into the kitchen right as Delaney said, “Well, I work at Sally’s diner. Wade comes in there all the time.”
“Oh! Very nice. I used to go down there with him, but now I mostly stick around the ranch.” He coughed into his handkerchief. “Have you known each other long?”
“We actually just met a couple of days ago,” Delaney said. She was leaning against the counter top with a mug in between her hands. Her long, dark hair flowed down in frizzy waves over her shoulders instead of being pulled back in a braid, and her face was a little bit puffy from sleep. Wade felt a pang of lust as he appreciated how adorable she looked.
“Really now?” John’s eyebrows arched as he took a sip of coffee. “Where do you—”
“Leave her alone, John. This isn’t twenty questions,” Wade grumbled as he made his way to the coffee pot.
“It’s all right. I was just telling him how we met,” Delaney said sweetly. “It’s only been a couple of days, but I feel as if I’ve known him much longer.”
“I could say the same thing about her.” Wade grinned at her as he refilled her cup.
John looked away, giving them a moment to swoon, before asking, “And have you lived here very long? You don’t seem like you’re from Montana.”
“I’m not. I grew up in California. I moved to Montana to live with my uncle when my mother died. I’ve only been here a couple of months.”
“I’m so sorry to hear about your mother,” John said, knowing very well how horrendous losing someone you love can feel. “And who is your uncle? When you get to be as old as me, you tend to know almost everyone in town.”
Wade sat down at the table and the other two followed. Delaney stirred her coffee. Without looking up, she said, “His name is Mike Thompson.”
“Mike Thompson?” John repeated in an astonished tone. “Are you serious? I went to grade school with Mike Thompson. How is he doing?”
Delaney and Wade exchanged glances. She still couldn’t look John in the eye when she said, “He’s not doing so well anymore.”
“Oh, no, why is that?”
Delaney couldn’t bring herself to respond; she was still so ashamed of last night and embarrassed that Wade had been there. She took a sip of her coffee, and, fortunately, Wade came to her rescue: “He drinks a lot.”
The wrinkles on John’s forehead furrowed, and he sighed. “That sure is a shame. He was a good friend of mine when we were boys.”
The three of them were quiet as the conversation lulled and they all got lost in their own thoughts. John remembered the day he found Wade out on his property, how that day had changed the course of his life, and how lucky he felt to have the boy on the ranch. Wade also recalled that day, and wondered what happened to his father after he ran away. Was he still alive? Was he still a drunk? Had he ever gone out looking for Wade after he ran away?
There were so many unanswered questions, and Wade realized suddenly that he didn’t need to know the answers. With the ranch and with Delaney and John, he was content now, and that was what mattered.
Delaney found herself worrying about her future. Part of her longed for sunny California, but she recognized what she really yearned for was her life before her mother died. It was a futile dream that would never be fulfilled, and she knew it all too well. She decided she couldn’t go back to her uncle’s house. He was out of control; she was no longer safe there. She was overwhelmed by the uncertainty of everything. Just as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, Wade said something that surprised her.
“I have an idea,” he said, glancing first at John and then at Delaney. “I was thinking that maybe Delaney can stay here for a while. Life at her uncle’s house is pretty rough right now. I’ve been sleeping out in the living room with you, John, so she could have my bedroom. I go to the diner frequently enough that it wouldn’t be too big of a deal to give her rides to her shifts. Maybe she could even help out around the ranch if she wants. What do you guys think?”
Both John and Delaney were taken aback by the idea. John was the first to respond.
“Well, I don’t see why not,” he commented. “We have plenty of room, and there’s always a lot to do around here.”
Delaney looked like she was about to cry. “Are you serious?”
Wade nodded. “I think it’s a good idea. At least until you get on your feet at Sally’s. Then you can consider other options.” He added, shyly, “if you want.”
John agreed, and Delaney threw herself on Wade and then on John, giving them both big hugs.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say or what I could do to thank you.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” John said. “This ranch seems to have a way of attracting people who need a home.”
“It’s settled then,” Wade stated. “My room is all yours.”
He’d had the idea last night as he was trying to fall asleep. He wasn’t sure how it was going to come across, and he was relieved it went so well. He just wanted Delaney to be safe. And from what he could tell now, she was very happy with his suggestion.
“You still want to go for that ride?” he asked her.
She nodded. He took her empty coffee cup and put it in the sink alongside his.
“Have fun now!” John called after them, and Wade took Delaney by the hand and went outside.
The sky was cloudy and the wind was blowing, but it didn’t look like it was going to rain.
“Here,” Wade said, taking off his jacket and handing it to her. “Take this.”
“Then you’ll be cold.”
“Don’t worry about it. I have another one in the stables. I’ll grab it before we go.”
“Okay, fine.” Delaney slipped her arms inside the jacket and pulled it up over her shoulders. It was big and warm. Wade thought she looked particularly cute in it. As she pulled her hair out of the back and tucked it behind her ears, Wade sneaked a kiss on her cheek. Delaney giggled and they ran into the stables, the wind whirling around them.
Whinny stomped her feet as they approached, excited to see Wade.
“Oh, Wade, she’s beautiful,” Delaney exclaimed when she saw the beautiful, chestnut-colored horse.
“Here, come closer. She likes her nose rubbed.”
Wade showed her how, working fro
m just the right spot in between her eyes down to the tip of her nose. She leaned into their hands, and nuzzled up against Wade. He grabbed a jacket and his saddle. He secured the saddle on Whinny’s back and helped Delaney up onto the seat.
Delaney had never been on a horse before and was suddenly very nervous, but Wade led them outside with confidence and that quelled Delaney’s apprehension. The wind greeted them with a blustery hello. Pulling up his jeans by his belt buckle, Wade hopped onto Whinny’s back and settled in behind Delaney.
“You okay?” he asked.
