"I'm not going to try to pressure you into anything, but I can promise you I'm not giving up."
"You need to."
"Don't tell me what I need right now because you have no idea."
He let me go and then took my hand and started walking me toward the house. We got to the top of the driveway when I stopped walking and asked, "If we could go back before the night of the fire, would you really have preferred it never happened?"
"I lost almost everything in that fire and yet that is still the best night of my life. I had you. So, to answer your question, no, I wouldn't change a thing about it."
"But the song..."
"Had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. My mistakes, my regret. I own them. Do I wish things were different? Of course I do, but life sucks. I learned that long ago. I guess being happy isn't something I get to be..."
I kissed him. Out of thin air rose the need to let him forget again. It brought me back to the first time we kissed and why. I hated seeing him live in such a dark place where there is no hope. We all have demons from our past called mistakes. It's what we choose to do to move past them that define us and in that moment he needed to forget as much as I did.
When my thoughts cleared I realized he was lifting me off my feet and carrying me to the grass where he lay me down on my back before climbing over me. His lips never left mine as we became lost in the moment. The only thing that could bring me back to reality was what landed on my cheek.
Immediately, I pulled away, trying my best to lift him up so I could see his face.
"Ari, don't."
He fought back, burrowing himself in my neck.
"It's going to be okay."
"It never will again, and I'm scared to death of it."
"You're wrong. It's all going to work out. You have to have faith."
I rubbed his back, trying to comfort an obviously broken man. The one man that I always felt was stronger than anything was now crumbling in my arms.
"I thought faith was what brought you back to me."
"It did. I'm here, aren't I?"
"But for how long this time?"
"As long as you need me."
"Then you aren't going anywhere."
I heard myself and was just as shocked as he was at my sudden change in attitude. But what it came down to was simple. We were still all each other had. I wasn't ready to let him go any more than he was of me.
Chapter 5
We lay there for hours just talking about what was coming next for us. Canyon understood that we were only going to be friends at this point. I wasn't ready to go back to where we were before I left. I just couldn't. The one thing standing between us was sleeping in his house. He explained to me that her family wasn't as responsive as she would have liked about the situation, so she was falling back on him for support which I told him was necessary.
I hated the girl with every fiber of my being, but I would never let that come before what any pregnant girl needed.
After it was beaten into our heads, Canyon begged to change the subject, so I chose to talk about school.
I was going back but had no idea where to enroll. Unfortunately, I found out the closest school was the same one Brooke attended and the last place I wanted to be.
"You don't even have to see each other, Ari; the campus is huge. There is no reason for you to drive three hours each way just to avoid her."
"Six hours in a car would very much be worth not seeing her every day, but I can't do that with Shelby to take care of. This sucks huge!"
"I wish things were different, but I can't change this."
"I know. The truth is I don't really blame her; I just hate her attitude about the whole thing. It's like she's holding this piece of you I can't have right in front of my face, bragging that it's something I will never get."
"That's not her. Brooke is simple; she's never been like her sister. You have to believe me when I say this isn't something she wanted, either. It's just what we have to accept."
I grunted letting him know I didn't agree one bit.
"So, when are you going to enroll?"
Nice change of subject, I thought.
"Well, tomorrow, or at this point, in a few hours, I need to take Shelby to school and get her set back up. Then I need to go grocery shopping because we have absolutely no food in there."
I pointed to the house I still refused to call home.
"Why don't you both come over for breakfast? I can make your favorite."
"You don't have to do that. She and I can grab something on our way to her school."
"Seriously, let me do this for you."
"I don't want to see her."
"Brooke will probably still be sleeping anyway."
"Where does she sleep, if you don't mind me asking?"
"In my room."
I stood up, ready to walk away, when he said, "I sleep on the couch, Ari. You don't need to get upset."
"Why doesn't she sleep on the couch? It's your bed!"
"She's pregnant, darlin’. I can't do that. Would you respect me at all if I did?"
"Honestly?"
"Are you serious?"
"Whatever. I get it, but I don't like it."
"Sit back down; there's more we need to talk about."
"I'm getting tired."
"I will only take a few more minutes from you."
I did as he asked but put more space between us than there was before.
"Get over here."
He pulled me back to his side and wrapped his arms around me before he kissed the top of my head.
"I need to know you're going to be okay before I leave."
That woke me up.
"When and for how long?"
"I leave on Wednesday, and it will be a two-week run this time. Five cities in fourteen days."
"Geez, who takes care of the ranch?"
"I hired some guys a few months ago when I started traveling so much. You don't need to worry about that. I just need to know you both are going to be all right."
"Shelby and I will be fine."
"It's okay to need me just a little, though. I won't mind it."
"You have nothing to worry about. Now, I have to get some sleep."
I stood again, but this time I yawned so loud the cows in the next county probably woke up. Canyon got up too, putting his body right next to mine.
"Goodnight, Ari. Sweet dreams."
He kissed my forehead softly and then turned, beginning his walk home.
"See ya at breakfast," I shouted after him.
He turned wearing the hugest grin. "I'll be waiting for you."
***
A few hours later felt like minutes when Shelby came into my room complaining of being hungry. I was just about to tell her to grab a Pop-Tart when I remembered where we were. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already seven-thirty, and I knew how early Canyon ate.
"Go get ready for school, and we will grab something on the way."
"Look at me. I already am, and I'm hungry."
Sure enough she was dressed and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Yes, Arianna," she dragged my name out in annoyance to prove a point.
"Well then give me five minutes, and we can go."
Ten minutes later I had taken the fastest shower of my life, gotten dressed, and walked out into the family room only to find a very infuriated Shelby waiting for me on the couch.
"Sorry, let's just go."
She didn't need to be told twice. She was already out the door before I could grab my keys. We both got into my new truck, and for the first time I looked around and smiled. It was beautiful, and it was mine.
We backed out of the driveway and headed down the road only to make a right turn a few seconds later onto Canyon's driveway. The confusion on Shelby's face was priceless and had me smiling yet again.
"You said you were hungry, didn't you?"
"Yea
h, but…"
I had turned off the truck and was already walking the driveway when I said, "Well, let's go get something to eat then."
I continued to walk toward the house when I heard the sound of her steps gaining ground on me until she was next to me rambling about how she didn't understand.
"Don't ask. Just eat. We need to get you to school. It's already almost eight o'clock."
I swung the back porch door open while Shelby barreled through it not even bothering to knock before she walked into the kitchen. I was two steps behind her when she jumped into Canyon's arms.
"Good morning. Sorry we're late."
He set Shelby down and then walked over to me to brush a kiss across my lips. I was slightly shocked by it only because a few hours before I had told him we would stay friends.
"Do you always kiss your friends like that?"
"Only the ones that won't stay that way for long."
"Canyon, this isn't something—"
"Oh, hush and sit down so I can feed you, woman."
"Yeah, ‘cause I'm starving! We didn't have any food in the house and Arianna wouldn't wake up."
"Is that right? Well, I have exactly what you need right here."
Canyon set down a 13 x 9 pan filled to the brim with egg casserole. As soon as he cut into it I could see the cheese, sausage, and green peppers that I knew were going to hit my taste buds and feel like euphoria in my mouth. Shelby of course got the first serving and immediately dove in. I was second, but instead of eating, I chose to get up and walk to the refrigerator in search of fruit.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
Turning to look in his direction, I saw a gigantic bowl of sliced fruit and my face immediately lit up.
"You remembered?"
"I didn't forget a thing about you. Now sit and eat."
He set the bowl down on the table and took his own seat between Shelby and me before grabbing the spatula and taking a gigantic serving for himself.
"So, did you guys kiss and make up?" Shelby asked with a mouth full of food.
"It wasn't like that."
"We sure did."
We both spoke simultaneously while Shelby looked back and forth between the two of us trying to figure out who was telling the truth.
"We're just friends, Shelby, so no more questions. Just eat your food because we've got to get you to school."
"If you say so."
Canyon put his hand on my leg under the table, and when I looked over at him he was wearing the cheesiest grin while still chewing his food. My hand went under the table to move his, but as soon as it made contact he immediately intertwined his fingers with mine.
I squeezed as hard as I could and said, "You're gonna get smacked."
Only it was Shelby who replied with, "Why? What did I do?"
Canyon burst out laughing, practically spitting his food across the table.
"Nothing at all. Just eat."
"You are so confusing sometimes. Oh, Canyon, can I go see Nyah?"
"Your sister told you to eat, but when you're done you can."
"I'm done."
She threw her fork down hard enough that it struck the plate making it clang against the porcelain before she ran out the door.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you want more?"
He scooped up another ladle full of fruit and dumped it on my plate.
"Thank you for breakfast. It was very nice of you to do this for us."
"I would do anything for you. Don't you know that by now?"
I took a bite of cantaloupe and just looked at him and smiled. It was hard to keep distance between us when everything in my body knew this is exactly where I wanted to be.
We finished eating and cleaned up before we went out to check on Shelby. Finding her was easy. She was inside Nyah's stall brushing her mane as happy as can be.
"Wow, she's gotten so big."
It had been since the day after the fire that I saw her and standing before me she was more beautiful than I could remember.
The sound of Magnus couldn't be confused with anything else once I had spoken out loud. He heard me and instantly started scrambling around in his stall making sure I knew he was there.
"It's okay, boy. I'm coming."
I walked away from Canyon and toward Magnus when I heard, "I guess I'm not the only one who missed you around here."
I wasn't going to last if he kept saying things like that to me. It’s crazy when your heart and your head are waging a war against each other. Who wins in the end? Only one thing was certain at that moment. I was smiling ear to ear, and I didn't want to stop.
Once I reached Magnus's stall, I opened the door and immediately he used my body like a scratching post, rubbing his head against me, practically knocking me into the wall.
"Hey there, handsome. I missed you too. So, Canyon, when does he race next?"
I said it loud enough that he could hear me, but not enough to spook the horses.
Before I knew it I was looking at Canyon's gorgeous face when he responded, "He doesn't. This lucky guy is having a blast with me just studding him out."
"You're telling me you stopped racing him to let him have S.E.X. all the time?"
I tried whispering the letters, but Shelby came screaming back with, "He's having sex?"
I looked at Canyon and realized we shared the same mortified expression.
"She knows about sex?"
"Hell if I know. I certainly didn't tell her."
I looked in her direction but couldn't see her which was the only reason I had the courage to ask, "Shelby, how do you know what sex is?"
"I don't have a clue, but I learned how to spell when I was five. What is it, anyway?"
"I'm out of here, on that note."
I reached for his arm, but he was too quick for me to take hold.
"Canyon Michaels, if you leave me here right now I will kill you!"
He gave me that megawatt grin before he said, "Shelby, I think it's time for you to go to school. Why don't you go get in the truck? We will be there in a second."
"You're coming with us?"
"You bet."
She tore off so fast she practically left a dust trail. I, on the other hand, stopped there with my hands on my hips.
"Why are you coming?"
"To spend as much time with you as I can. Unless you want to answer that last question on your own?"
"Nope, let's go."
Chapter 6
After we got Shelby registered and managed to avoid the dreaded question, I was prepared to take Canyon home. Instead, he insisted on coming with me to do all my errands. By the time we finished, we were starving and decided to stop for lunch before heading to the university for my enrollment paperwork. It didn't seem like we were ever apart the way we fell right back into a comfort zone I never shared with anyone else.
By the time we pulled into the administrative building parking lot my stomach hurt from laughing so hard.
"You have to stop."
He was bouncing his pecs up and down to the rhythm of the music and had it timed perfectly.
"What? And give you your way? Not a chance."
"I'm telling you right now, there is no way you are going to go in there with me like that."
"It's ninety-eight degrees, darlin’'. Me putting that shirt back on would be like walking into a sauna. It’s not going to happen."
"Then you're staying in the truck. I can't have you next to me practically naked."
"Are you scared I would get too much attention? You know full-well only one woman owns my heart."
"The shirt goes back on, or you stay. No exceptions."
“Someone's scared."
I got out and not two seconds later he was wrestling around inside the cab to get dressed and jumped out himself.
"All right, you win this one."
"That's what I thought."
"Don't go getting too cocky, girl. I c
an take it off at any time to prove my point."
"You do, and you're walking home."
"Listen to you all bossy now. Being on your own sure did toughen you up, not that you needed to."
"Can we get this over with?"
"I'm only here to be with you. Wherever you go, I go."
"That just sounds creepy."
I may have said that, but inside I loved every minute I was with him.
"Kinda like a girl I know that used to hide on the side of my house listening to me sing?" We both laughed as he took my hand in his and walked the remainder of the parking lot and into the building.
A delightful woman sat behind the desk wearing a smile as she greeted us.
"Hi, I'm looking to enroll in some classes."
"Are you currently a student somewhere else where we could wire your transcripts over?"
"No, ma’am, I am just trying to get my feet wet as of now."
"Do you have any paperwork from high school that we could use to attest what classes would suit you best? I would hate to start you in a basic level program if you qualify for more advanced."
"I didn't bring anything with me."
I turned and looked at Canyon feeling stupid for not knowing they would need all of that.
"Can you just look it up? She graduated in the top of her class with honors."
I was dumbfounded. How did he know that? The look on my face must have given me away because he explained, "Your diploma came in the mail days after you left. I am very proud of you, by the way."
I was about to thank him when I heard, "What was your name, honey? Your fella is right, you know. It is nothing to get all that information over the Internet nowadays. Back in my time you had to have this in hand or it could take weeks in the mail."
She didn't look older than fifty so I wasn't sure when "her" time was, but it sure sounded miserable.
"Arianna Dubray."
"Okay, why don't you take a seat, and I will grab someone from admissions to come have a talk with you."
We sat there for over twenty minutes before Canyon excused himself to go to the bathroom. I looked around the room and wasn't surprised by the cold staleness in the air. Office buildings always seemed to be this way. The only light in the room came from the woman we already spoken with as she would turn to me and smile periodically.
Let it be Us Page 4
