Rugged Hearts

by Amanda McIntyre

  “Aimee,” Wyatt blurted out suddenly. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her aside. She stumbled and fell to her knees in the snow. Livid, she struggled to her feet in time to see a man, head down, his arms tight around Wyatt, pushing him backward across the parking lot. A moment later, they fell and rolled in a tangle of fists and curses over the snow-covered gravel. She realized it was Mr. Metallica and he’d managed to get Wyatt on his back. He swung and his fist connected to Wyatt’s jaw. Angry impulse drove Aimee forward and she leaped on the man’s back. She dug her fingers into his eye sockets.

  “You psycho bitch!” He shook her off like a rag doll. She landed on her back and saw the anger in his eyes as he stumbled toward her. The distraction gave Wyatt time to recover and he grabbed the guy and swung him around to meet his fist. Dazed by the force, he took a step or two back and then fell as he held his face and moaned obscenities.

  Wyatt collapsed to his knees, his lip bleeding.

  Aimee rose shakily to her feet and moved toward him. Someone grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to her feet, holding her back from helping Wyatt. She impulsively began to fight against the man.

  “Aimee, it’s me.” It was Rein. She turned to look at Wyatt and saw another one of Mr. Metallica’s friends charging toward him.

  “Wyatt!” Aimee issued a warning and stepped back when a dark blur flew past her.

  Dalton tackled the man to the ground. He hauled him by his shirt and held him with his fist poised. “You picked the wrong family to mess with,” Dalton warned. Mr. Metallica tried to stand on watery legs and braced himself against a car.

  “Let him go, Dalton,” Wyatt clambered to his feet and walked toward Aimee.

  Dusty and a handful of patrons stood at the top of the steps, watching the commotion.

  Wyatt looked down at her as he knocked the snow from his hat. “Sorry. There wasn’t much time to warn you. You okay?”

  Aimee frowned and noticed the long tear in her puff jacket. “Dammit, this was my favorite coat.”

  “It wasn’t warm enough for around here anyway,” he remarked and stamped his hat back on his head.

  “Don’t you start with me, Wyatt,” she retaliated.

  “Kids, kids. Let’s play nice. Now is anybody hurt? No broken bones?” Dalton asked as he joined his brothers and Aimee.

  “Bruised jaw,” Wyatt stated, rubbing it gently. “Probably my fingers, too.” He wiggled them. “Nothing broken, though.”

  Dalton eyed Steve and his friends as they hobbled toward Dusty’s. “I think loudmouth probably got the worst of it.” He grinned at Aimee. “Did you wrestle in college?”

  “Show’s over, folks. Back inside.” Dusty stood at the top of the steps with his arms folded across his chest. He blocked the way of the troublemakers. “Where do you think you boys are going?”

  “Inside for a drink.” One of the men punched his fist into the air.

  “Not in my place, you don’t. My advice is to get your friend here over to the Billings ER and have that nose of his looked at. But as far as you all coming here, I never want to see your faces in my bar again, you understand?”

  “That’s bull, man,” Mr. Metallica mumbled. “He started it.”

  “It seems to me you did with that little act in the bar with our host for the evening. You pushed too far, and there are plenty of eyewitnesses to the fact.”

  “You all right, Wyatt?” Dusty called to him.

  “I’m fine and sorry about the table, Dusty. I’ll replace it.”

  “Damn right, you will. You want to press charges? Sheriff’s just a phone call away.”

  “Nope, I suppose in a way I had it comin’,” Wyatt responded.

  “And you, dumb ass?” Dusty spoke directly to the bloodied man. He shook his head. Dusty nodded. “Good. Now you boys get on out of here. The rest of you, let’s get back inside and remember the real reason we came here tonight.”

  Aimee brushed the snow from her coat.

  “Do me a favor, you two,” Wyatt spoke to his brothers. “Could you take care of the cleanup and help Aimee when it’s over?”

  “And just where do you think you’re going?” Aimee asked in surprise.

  “Home. Where I should have stayed.”

  “Hell, no.” Aimee turned and called to Dalton. “Tell Sally I had to leave.”

  Dalton waved in response, but tossed a smile at Rein.

  She faced Wyatt. “You and I are going to have this out come hell or high water tonight. My place is closer. Take me home.” She breezed past him and climbed into the cab of his truck.

  Wyatt drove through town and neither spoke. Aimee wanted to thank him for coming, but she was thinking more about what she was going to say to him when they got alone.

  “Do you have some ibuprofen?” he asked, his eyes on the road. He hadn’t looked at her once since getting in the truck.

  “Probably,” she remarked and considered she might need it herself before the night was over.

  They rode for another few moments in silence.

  “I’ll replace your coat,” he offered.

  Aimee snorted. “You’ve been gunning for my coat since the first time we met.”

  He sighed.

  “Take a right, there in the parking lot. I’m the spot on the end.” Only then did Aimee realize and thankfully she’d slipped her phone and keys in her coat pocket. She’d have to call Dusty’s and have Sally get the book bag she’d left behind the bar. She felt his eyes on her as he followed her up the stairs. She hoped to find a gentle way of approaching the subject of Jessie, this woman who’d apparently left a deep scar when she betrayed him and let him know she wasn’t like her. Aimee let herself in, dropped her keys on the counter, and turned to face him as he came through the door. “You can hang your hat over there.”

  He took off his hat, tossed it the counter, and grabbed her shoulders, planting a firm kiss on her lips.

  “We need to talk,” she cautioned, though the next kiss, gentle this time on the side of her neck, caused her to rethink the idea. She accepted his mouth on hers and released a soft groan. She’d missed the taste of him, but they had things to discuss. Maybe after just one more kiss….

  “We can talk later.” He nuzzled the sweet spot beneath her ear and unzipped her coat. It fell to the floor. “When you sang tonight….” His cool hands snaked under the hem of her shirt and she shivered with anticipation. “Was it only Sarah you thought of? Because I burn for you, Aimee. It started the night you showed up on my doorstep, and it’s been building ever since. I can’t get you out of my mind.” He tugged her shirt over her head, pinning her hands over her head as he kissed her soundly. He leaned his forehead to hers and gazes locked, let his fingers trail down her throat to her chest. With a flick of his finger, he unsnapped the front of her bra, setting her breasts free.

  Aimee pressed her back against the door, her arms imprisoned in his grasp. His mouth left her skin on fire. “Wyatt,” she whispered through her desire.

  “Bedroom.” He brushed his lips over hers.

  She nodded and when he freed her hands, it was as though he’d freed the lust he’d built inside her. She grabbed his shirt, needing to touch his flesh, wanting him naked, feeling her body next to his and it didn’t matter if they made it to the bedroom or not. Buttons spewed everywhere as she yanked his shirt open and with a wicked grin, he helped her remove his T-shirt. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him fully, pressing against his hard muscle. His arms clamped around her and she leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He slammed her against the wall, and his mouth captured hers.

  “You’re sure about this?” He leaned back to search her eyes.

  Aimee pulled his face to hers to show him she was damn serious. Somehow, they made it down the hall, where he tossed her on the bed. She sat up to unsnap his jeans and he brushed her hands gently aside and knelt to remove her boots. Surrendering to the moment, she lay back, waiting for him to finish before tugging her skirt down and t
ossing it aside.

  Wyatt paused as he hooked off his boots and stared down at her. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  He shoved down his jeans and his boxers went with them.

  Aimee swallowed, seeing this man of the earth, honed exquisitely by hard work. His erection hung thick and heavy as he sheathed himself and knelt one knee on the bed. He leaned down and touched her cheek, and kissed her slow, causing her to ache.

  “Let me show you what I’ve wanted to do, Aimee.” He left a trail of kisses down her body and gently slid her panties down her legs. He nudged her knees and she parted willingly, accepting the gentle stroke of his touch. She fisted the sheets, her body rising with desperate need.

  “Now, sweetheart,” he said quietly and entered her, pushing deep. A groan of pleasure tore from his throat even as an orgasm ripped through Aimee’s body. The friction of his rapid thrusts brought her up again. Her sighs quickened as he took command of her body. She hooked her legs around him, her fingers digging into the flesh of his biceps. He was rock solid, every inch flexing against her skin—hard flesh to soft. She screamed out his name, followed by a bout of laughter, riding out the mind-boggling climax and together they collapsed in an exhausted heap. He leaned up on his elbow, his breathing labored. “Good God woman, are you laughing? His smile warmed her heart. “I gotta tell you it’s not exactly good for a guy’s ego.” He shifted to his back, drew her under his arm, and pulled the sheets over them. Then he kissed her temple. “But I love to hear you laugh, and if making love to you is how I get to hear it, then so be it.”

  “I laughed at my scream,” she confessed. “That’s never happened to me before, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to much worse coming from my neighbors having monkey sex. I guess maybe I realize how great it must have been.”

  “Monkey sex, huh? Just for good measure.” He banged his fist against the wall, and then turned to face her. “You are amazing.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

  “It was fun. Can we do it again?” She searched his face. This was it. His was the man she wanted to wake up next to every morning.

  “Give me a few minutes and we’ll see what we can do to annoy your neighbors again.” He chuckled.

  “You came prepared?” She crooked her brow at him.

  “Damn straight. It was going to be your place or mine, if I had any say in the matter.”

  Aimee rose to her elbow. “Wyatt, aside from the fabulous sex, you have to know by now how I feel about you. And I’m not looking to change the way you are, but I really need to understand what happened at the bar tonight.” She prodded gently and hoped he would open up to her. If he could do that, she figured they had a good chance at a relationship. She held her breath and waited.

  He flopped to his back with a sigh and stared at the ceiling. “It’s something I’ve hung on to for far too long, probably. Rein said I’ve used it as an excuse so I wouldn’t get hurt, I guess.”

  Aimee lifted to her elbow and looked down at him. “I would never hurt you, Wyatt. Not intentionally, not like Jess, or your mom.”

  His gaze darted to hers. “Dalton, I take it, has filled you in?”

  “I prodded.” Aimee shrugged. “They love you very much, you know. I don’t think they’d have told me if they thought for one minute I might hurt you.”

  He toyed with a tuft of her hair. “You’re not like either of them, Aimee. I think I knew that the first time we met. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone like you. Hell, I’m not even sure I deserve someone like you.” He studied her face. “Truth is, I love you and I hope you can find some way to see potential in my stubborn, sorry hide.”

  Any residual uncertainty she had about them dissolved. “You know, Montana, whatever else you may think about that silly class, you have a most powerful way with words.” She leaned down to kiss him. “And aside from thinking your hide is about damn near perfect, I’ve already fallen for you in a big way.”

  “Not just because I can make you scream?” He tugged her hair.

  “I won’t lie, Wyatt. That’s a gift.” She smiled at how relaxed, how natural it was to lie in bed and talk. “Welcome to my apartment, by the way.”

  “It’s a might small.” He laughed and she punched his shoulder.

  “First my coat, then my apartment. What am I going to do with you, Wyatt Kinnison?”

  He raised his brow and turned her on her back. “I have some ideas.”

  “I mean, after that.” She smiled up at him.

  His gaze softened. “Marry me. Come live at the ranch. Sleep in my much bigger bed. Help me keep my brothers in line. Fight off mountain lions.”

  “Is that a multiple-choice question?” Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. He kissed her, though once was never enough once they got started.

  “It’s kind of a package deal.” He searched her eyes. “I told you I wasn’t into the dating scene. When I find something I want, I go for it.”

  She curled her arms around his neck. “And what else do I get with this package deal?” Though deep down she’d made her choice the day he’d kissed her in the parking lot, she loved how his sexy smile could turn her bones to ash.

  “I’m so glad you asked.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Wyatt stepped out onto the front porch, coffee cup in his hand. The late May morning still held the sharp chill of winter, but the rain from the Northwest had cleansed much of the landscape and swept away the snow in the valley. He took a deep breath, unable to remember when a spring morning had smelled so good. The scene in front of him filled him with a familiar calm. He was a lucky, lucky man. There had been a number of changes in his life these past few weeks.

  “Oh, I see you found the coffee.” With several bags and her travel mug, Aimee struggled to get out of the front door. Her sunglasses she had clenched like a pipe in her teeth.

  Wyatt stepped to her aid and took her overnight bag with a heavy heart. “You know we have plenty of room here. Why can’t your folks just come here for the weekend?” The two of them hadn’t been apart for a single weekend since their engagement just after the New Year. For him, it was like someone had lifted the blinds to the real world. He never knew he could love someone so damn much.

  Aimee glanced up and stuck her sunglasses on the top of her head. “We’ve been over this, Wyatt. I told you my dad is old-fashioned.”

  “But they have to know we’ve been practically living together,” he argued in the slim hope to convince her to stay. Lying down beside her on a Friday night and waking with her snuggled next to him on Saturday mornings was like breathing.

  “It’s for the weekend. The wedding is two weeks away, sweetheart. This will be their first time here. Go with me on this, please.” She took his chin and planted a slow kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back before you know it and then we’re going to have to discuss which side of the bathroom counter is mine.” She smiled. “Now, we’re set for dinner Saturday night, right? Steaks on the grill?”

  Wyatt nodded as he walked her to her car. “Seven o’clock,” he responded, amused by her bossy tone.

  “I’ll stop at Betty’s and pick up a pie and I’ll bring a salad.”

  “I love it when you talk food.” He leaned in the window and kissed her.

  “You’re trying to stall me.” She glanced at him.

  “Guilty. Why don’t you call in sick and let’s go back to bed and talk more about food?”

  She chuckled. “Very tempting, but I do have students showing up in my classroom in thirty minutes and with any luck, barring any impromptu deer crossings, I should slide in with ten minutes to spare.”

  “You might be surprised what I can accomplish in that time.”

  She tipped her head and smiled. “I love you.”

  “Love you more. See you tomorrow night.” Wyatt stepped back and watched her circle around the drive. “Check your book bag,” he called to her and she waved.

  “Seriously, are you two leaving notes for each other? How old
are you?” Dalton trotted down the steps and headed toward his truck. “I’m going down to cabin four to help Rein get those cabinets in. How’s our mama today?”

  Wyatt had completely forgotten to check the stock cow. “I haven’t had a chance to check on her yet.”

  Dalton eyed him with skepticism.

  “Sue me. I’m not going to have any alone-time with Aimee for three days. I slept a little later this morning.”

  “I doubt sleep had anything to do with it.” Dalton paused before he climbed in the truck cab. “You want me to check on it, Romeo?”

  Wyatt pointed his cup at his brother. “You wait until the real deal happens to you, my brother.”

  He snorted and shut the door behind him, then stuck his head out of the window. “I sure as hell hope not, ’cuz I about gag from watching you two.”

  Wyatt raised his cup. “And that’s why you’re my best man.”

  He climbed the porch steps and eased himself into one of the rocking chairs. Just a few more minutes of the view and then he’d get on with his day.

  “Hey,” he called to Dalton, who stopped his truck in front of the porch. “Don’t forget we have dinner tomorrow night with Aimee’s folks.”

  His brother nodded. “Got it. As long as I don’t have to cook, I’ll be there. And oh, if it wouldn’t tear into your mooning-over-your-woman time, you might get up off your dead ass and give us a hand down at the cabin.”

  Wyatt flipped him off and Dalton laughed. “Hey, look at it this way. The faster the cabins get up and running, the sooner Rein and I can move out and leave you two lovebirds the run of the house.”

  Wyatt considered the possibilities. “I’ll be down as soon as I check on things in the pen.”

  The phone’s shrill ring caught his ear, and he raised his cup to Dalton as he hurried to answer it. Maybe Aimee had left something behind, though it wouldn’t be a hardship to run whatever it was to the school. He reached for the phone and his smile dissolved when he saw the unknown telephone number showing on the caller ID. He hesitated before picking it up. “Hello?”