The Secret (Butler Ranch Book 3)

by Heather Slade

  “You are long gone, aren’t you, Naught?”

  He looked at Alex but didn’t answer.

  They walked along in silence for a few minutes, until they rounded a bend and could see the charred vineyards where the fire had gone through. Naughton stopped walking and sat on a boulder along the side of the dirt road that wound its way through their land.

  “How long have you and Maddox been together?”

  “Is that a rhetorical question? You probably know better than I do.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Twenty years.”

  “I’ve known Bradley a little over a week.”

  “What’s your point?”

  He shook his head. “It’s crazy.”

  “You’re falling in love with her.”

  “It’s crazy,” he said again.

  “It isn’t, Naughton. Not at all. I’ve loved Maddox since the day I met him, and he says he feels the same way. We were both too stubborn to admit it, and we almost lost each other.”

  “I’ve never felt this way. Not even close.”

  “Trust it, Naught. She’s one of the good ones, and not only that, she’s it for you.”

  “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

  Alex took her sunglasses off and looked into the clear, blue sky above them. “Hey, Kade,” she said. “Can we get a little help down here, please?”

  17

  It was dark outside, otherwise, Bradley had no idea what time it was, and she was too tired to do as much as pull her phone out of her pocket to look. Maddox had gone in search of his phone to call Alex. He’d told her he’d be right back, and they’d talk about the next day’s schedule.

  If she didn’t smell of dirt and hours-old grape juice, she’d find a corner to curl up in and sleep. Instead, she let her eyes drift closed for just a moment.

  “Hey, sleeping beauty,” she heard Naughton say at the same time she felt his fingers run through her hair.

  “I’m a mess,” she said when she opened her eyes. “Hi,” she added when he smiled at her.

  “Hi, angel.”

  The way Naughton looked at her melted her heart. She couldn’t imagine anyone looking at her the way she’d seen Maddox look at Alex, or Brodie look at Peyton. When he reached under her knees, put his other arm around her waist, and picked her up, Bradley felt certain she was dreaming.

  “Rest your head on my shoulder,” he told her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let her eyes drift closed again. When she felt a breeze, she opened them. “Wait, Naughton. I can’t leave. Maddox is coming back to talk to me about tomorrow.”

  “He knows where to find you,” he said and kept walking.

  Bradley tried to wriggle out of Naughton’s arms, but he only tightened his grip. “I’ll put you down once we’re inside.”

  “Inside where?”

  He somehow managed to unlock and open the back door of his cottage, and set her on her feet once they were in his kitchen.

  “I’m a mess,” she said again when he palmed her cheek and ran his thumb over her lips.

  “Let’s get you out of these clothes,” he murmured, pulling her shirt over her head. Bradley looked down; even her bra was dirty.

  “Have you talked to Charlie or Jean?” he asked, gently guiding her to the chair by the table, and when she sat, he pulled her rubber boots off, and then her socks.

  “I talked to Aunt Jean again this afternoon. She said they’re doing okay.”

  “Are they picking?”

  Bradley smiled. “Not yet. She said another week at least.”

  “Hmm. Looks like I’m going to win our bet.” He smiled and nuzzled her neck.

  “We never bet.”

  “Sure we did. We just never said what we were wagering. I know what I want, though.”

  “That isn’t fair. You already know you’ve won.”

  Naughton cupped her face with his palm. “We want the same thing, sweetheart. Don’t we?”

  Before she could answer, he covered her mouth with his, and then ran his hands up her legs until he reached the button on her jeans. “Stand up for me, angel,” he breathed.

  She loved his terms of endearment—sleeping beauty, angel, even when he called her sweetheart. Like with the way he looked at her, each time he used one, she melted a little bit more.

  “You’re so sweet to me,” she whispered, resting her hands on his shoulders. “You’ve got to be as tired as I am.”

  He pulled her jeans and panties over her hips and tapped each leg for her to step out of them. She was standing naked except for her bra when she heard Maddox at the front door.

  “Open up, Naught. I need to talk to Bradley.”

  She reached for her clothes, but Naught grabbed her arm and swung her up over his shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” She pounded on his back. “Put me down,” she shrieked and laughed all the way up the stairs. By the time Naughton deposited her on the edge of his bathtub, tears were rolling down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

  Naughton was laughing too, but when she looked into his eyes, they both stopped. The heat between them spread as he palmed her cheek with his right hand and turned the water on with his left.

  “Climb in whenever you’re ready. I’ll be back as soon as I get rid of my brother.”

  “Naughton?” she said as he was walking out of the bathroom.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you.”

  Instead of walking out the door, he turned around and knelt in front of her. “Hell with Mad,” he muttered before he covered her lips with his.

  Between the two of them, he was out of his clothes before Maddox pounded on the door for the third time. Naughton reached into the pocket of his jeans that were now on his bathroom floor and jabbed the screen with his finger. “Go away,” he growled when Maddox answered Naughton’s call. “I’ll have her call you later.”

  Through the phone, Bradley could hear Maddox’s laughter before Naughton disconnected the call. He threw his phone on top of his jeans, unfastened Bradley’s bra, and added it to his pile of clothes.

  He climbed into the tub and held her hand in his to help her do the same. Bradley waited until Naughton adjusted the temperature and lowered himself into the water before she sat between his legs and rested her back against his chest. His arms snaked around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and then he reached over to turn on the jets.

  As the water swirled around her body, Bradley couldn’t remember a time she’d felt as content as she did resting in Naughton’s arms.

  She traced a heart pattern on his thigh with her fingertip. “You’re so good to me.” When he didn’t say anything, she leaned over and turned her head so she could see his face. His eyes were closed, and his head rested against the stone behind him. “Naughton?”

  He raised his head and opened his eyes, looking so deeply into hers. She shifted further and brought her palm to his cheek. “You make me feel…I can’t describe it. I’ve never felt this way.”

  He nodded, so she continued. “I’ve never doubted that I’m loved, but since my mom died, I’ve never felt so…cherished.” Her eyes filled with tears, and when she tried to look away, he held her face in his hand so she couldn’t. “Does that sound crazy?” she asked.

  “Not at all.”

  Naughton wished he could bring himself to speak as freely as Bradley had. As he’d told Alex, he’d never felt this way either. How could he tell a woman he’d known for such a short amount of time that he loved her? That was the only word that came close to describing the way he felt. She said he made her feel cherished. She made him feel so much more—alive, yet calm, tranquil almost, as though whatever had been missing in his life, whether he’d known it was or not, was resting her body against his.

  “Have you eaten?” he said instead, and Bradley laughed.

  “Naughton, there’s only one thing I’m hungry for, and it has nothing to do with food.”

  He kissed down the side of her neck as he
covered her breasts with the palms of his hands. He squeezed and then stroked her skin, circling her nipples.

  Bradley dug her fingers into his thighs. “That feels so good,” she moaned. “You can do that as often as you like.”

  “Yeah? You won’t mind if I sneak up behind you in the vineyards and run my hands all over your body?”

  “As good as what you’re doing feels, I wouldn’t care where we were.”

  He moved his hands to her arms and rubbed her muscles, then up to her shoulders. The more he massaged her body, the deeper she sank into him, as though every inch he touched turned to putty.

  Not so for him, though. The more of her skin he laid his hands on, the bigger he grew and the harder he got. She shifted so he rested between the cheeks of her bottom, and it was his turn to moan.

  “I need to be inside you, sweetheart,” he whispered. Bradley reached over and pressed the button to turn off the tub’s jets, and then flipped the drain lever so it opened. She shifted then, so she was on her knees facing him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “There’s no place I’d rather have you be,” she murmured before she kissed him.

  Naughton opened his mouth and grasped the back of her neck, holding her close as he deepened their kiss. Everything he couldn’t bring himself to say, he put into his hands, his mouth, his body, somehow hoping she’d feel it.

  “Are you real?” he asked. “Can this be real?”

  He said it so softly, Bradley could hardly hear him, but she understood why he’d asked. She felt the same way. How could this possibly be real? They hadn’t even known each other long enough for this to count as the honeymoon phase, where they agreed on everything, wanted to do the same things all the time, and always looked picture perfect. In fact, Naughton had seen her at her worst on more than one occasion.

  Side by side they rested on his bed, studying each other. She’d probably already said too much, and now it was Naughton’s turn. If he didn’t have anything to say, she wouldn’t either.

  Naughton closed his eyes and ran his hands over her body, as though he was memorizing every curve. As tired as she was, as much as she wanted to close her eyes too, she didn’t. Instead, she studied the subtle changes in his expressions as he explored her nakedness.

  Naughton wasn’t Bradley’s first lover, but there were few that had come before him. Now that she knew Trey’s motivation for wanting to be with her, she better understood the sporadic nature of their physical relationship. His indifference had added to her feelings of inadequacy, when all along he’d never truly been attracted to her.

  Being with Naughton was like swinging to the opposite end of the spectrum. When he ran his fingers down her arm, chill bumps followed in their wake. It was as if love traveled from his body to hers whenever and wherever he touched her.

  When he’d touched almost every inch of her with his hands, he started over again with his lips. He ran his tongue down the crevice between her breasts while his fingers pinched then soothed her nipples. Bradley was on the verge of an orgasm from that intimacy alone. The farther he trailed down her body, the closer she got to exploding under his touch.

  “Come for me, angel,” he whispered when his hands and lips reached the apex of her legs.

  Her molten need for him reached a climax, and she arched into his touch. “Please, Naughton,” she begged.

  “Tell me what you need, Bradley.” The warmth of his breath re-ignited her already fiery desperation.

  “You. I need you inside me. Now, Naughton. Please.”

  He entered her then, thrusting deep, and filling her emptiness completely. With Naughton inside her, Bradley felt complete. He had said the words himself last night—your body and mine, there could never be a more perfect fit.

  Maddox sent Naughton a text saying Hawks took a crew out already to pick the Viognier, and asked him what was next.

  We’ll walk at three, he answered and then added, with Bradley.

  Of course with Bradley, Maddox responded.

  She slept soundly, her head resting on his chest and her arm around his center. There hadn’t been a woman in this bed before her, and if he had his way, there wouldn’t be one after her either.

  Naughton heard Kade’s voice inside his head as he drifted to sleep. “Feed the white wolf, brother.”

  When the alarm sounded, Naughton felt as though he’d just closed his eyes. This time he’d set it for two, but only so he’d have an hour with Bradley before he had to share her with the rest of the world.

  “I never called Maddox last night.” Her eyes were still closed, and her voice was heavy with sleep.

  “I’m the boss today anyway.”

  Bradley opened her eyes and smiled. “Does Maddox know that?”

  “I’m the harvest boss. His shift doesn’t start until you get in the winery.”

  “So, boss-man, what are we picking today?”

  “I’m gonna let you decide.”

  Bradley sat straight up and pulled her legs under her. “Really?” Her eyes twinkled and her smile stretched across her entire face. In that moment she reminded Naughton of his niece, Spencer, and the way she’d looked last Christmas morning.

  “Yes, really.” He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “What’s close?”

  He shrugged and winked.

  “Are you serious, Naughton? You’re really going to let me decide? I mean—”

  “Yes, Bradley. Now please go back to the excited girl you were two minutes ago and quit doubting yourself.”

  She leaned over and fell against the pillow, back to smiling. “How do you know me so well?”

  This time when he kissed her, he went straight for her mouth. As their tongues caressed one another, Naughton rolled so Bradley was on top of him.

  “My turn to tell you what I want you to do.”

  “Cuz you’re the boss?”

  “Yep.”

  “Where to?” Maddox asked Naughton when they met him on the edge of the vineyard. Brodie was there too, yawning while he waited on the ATV.

  Naughton turned to her and waited too. When she looked at Maddox, he smiled. Bradley thought it was his most endearing trait. When Maddox smiled, it was as though he and the person he smiled at shared a very happy secret.

  “I’m gonna like this,” he said, rubbing his hands together.

  “What’s happening?” Brodie had stretched out on the seat of the ATV, using the front of it as a very uncomfortable-looking headrest.

  “Naughton’s letting Bradley decide what we’re picking today.”

  Brodie yawned again. “Let me know when she’s made up her mind.”

  “He’s no fun,” Maddox said. “So where to?”

  “Merlot,” she answered.

  “Merlot,” Maddox called over to Brodie.

  “I heard her. I’m right here,” he mumbled.

  The first vineyard Bradley wanted to check was close enough that they could walk. Brodie drove ahead on the ATV, saying they’d need it later anyway.

  Naughton wove his fingers with hers and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. The smile hadn’t left Maddox’s face, and now he was whistling.

  “You crack me up,” Bradley said to him.

  “You sound like Alex. Who says ‘crack me up’ anymore?”

  “We do, because we’re the cool kids,” she answered.

  Maddox looked past her at his brother. “It’s good to see you happy, Naught.”

  “Good to feel happy.”

  Maddox’s eyes opened wide, and he shook his head. “Damn, Saint John, you must be heaven-sent to get my little brother to admit he’s happy.”

  “What are we going for?” Naughton asked when Bradley stopped at the first row of Merlot vines.

  She looked at Maddox.

  “Your call. What should we make this year?”

  Bradley looked over the grapes in the first row. Most appeared ripe. First, she tasted a couple, and then used the refractometer to measure the Brix, or suga
r levels. Farther down the row, she tasted again, and farther still, took another set of measurements. From there, she walked several rows over and repeated the process while all three Butler brothers waited with folded arms.

  “I don’t know about you,” she heard Maddox say to Naughton, “but I’m loving this.”

  “Bordeaux,” she said finally.

  “So we pick?”

  Bradley handed the refractometer to Naughton, who took it but set it near the ATV.

  “Wait. You’re not going to…”

  Naughton shook his head.

  “But…”

  Maddox pulled a radio out of his back pocket. “We’re starting with Merlot this morning, boys. Bradley’s making us a fine Bordeaux this year.”

  There were two basic styles of Merlot, and which they chose to make determined when they’d pick.

  Traditionally, Merlot was a primary grape used in the French Bordeaux-style wine, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère.

  The second of the two styles required a later harvest, which would give the wine enough body to stand on its own. Those wines, typically one-hundred percent Merlot, were high in alcohol, lush, and fruity, but lacked the complexity of other wines made from a single varietal.

  While she and Maddox said they were making a Bordeaux, they couldn’t call it that, because by law, only wines made in that region could bear the name.

  They could call it a Meritage, which was the same basic blend, but recently Bradley heard more and more winemakers refer to the blend as a Claret, which was a term the British coined for a wine made in that style.

  Maddox stood between Naughton and her and put an arm around each of them. “We’re gonna have so much fun! I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring both to Butler Ranch and Demetria.”

  Bradley looked at Naughton, trying to gauge his reaction. He smiled, which had to mean he agreed, didn’t it? What a dream that would be, to work in the vines with him, and Maddox too, of course.