by Kait Nolan
“Oh?”
“He came out verbally swinging when I got back. Apparently I’m a bad influence on you. I let him know exactly what I think about his treatment of you, so I’m probably not his favorite person at the moment.”
“The saving my life part should probably mitigate that.” She tipped her mouth up to his for a soft kiss. “Thank you for standing up for me.”
“Always.”
Her stomach gave a monstrous growl, and she laughed. “I can’t wait for food!”
Sebastian dug out an energy bar and some water. “Here. Work on these. I’ll go saddle Brego.”
He made quick work of it, leading the gelding back around to the front of the cabin to load up the rest. Checking the stove one last time to make certain the coals were all the way out, he finished loading the saddle bags and helped Laurel mount. Once he swung into the saddle behind her, she leaned her back against his chest, resting one arm over the one he’d circled around her waist.
“Let’s go home,” she sighed.
Home. That was right here in his arms.
The ride down took longer than he wanted, but at two-up, he didn’t want to strain Brego any worse than necessary. As they hit the farm road that circled up past the north pasture and beyond, the gelding picked up the pace.
“The siren song of breakfast,” Sebastian observed.
“I could definitely still go for that myself. And a shower and clean clothes. Not necessarily in that order.”
Conversation turned to fantasies about what kind of food they were dreaming about.
“Surely we can sweet-talk Athena into cooking for us. I mean, what’s the point of having a sister-in-law who’s an award-winning chef if I can’t beg for…” Laurel trailed off as they topped the rise and the house came into view. Cars were everywhere, parked cheek-by-jowl all in front of the barn and farmhouse. At least a couple dozen people milled about in the yard.
“I thought you sent everybody home.”
“So did I.” Sebastian scanned the vehicles, recognizing several belonging to search and rescue team members. “Guess they needed to see for themselves that we’re okay.”
Someone evidently spotted them because a cheer went up from the assembly.
“You ready for this?” he asked.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Probably not.” He tightened his grip around her waist. “I’ll be right beside you.”
“Holding you to that.”
Logan, Harrison, Ty, and Porter were at the head of the pack as they rode into the yard, stopping just far enough away that Brego didn’t balk at being crowded. The elder Maxwells spilled out of the house as Sebastian dismounted. Lawrence looked like hell, his steel gray hair standing on end, and lines carved deep around his eyes and mouth. The night had aged him a decade. Laurel’s gaze flicked to her parents, uncertainty in her expression before she blanked it and reached for Sebastian. He lifted her down from the saddle, automatically wrapping her in the shelter of his arms as he met Lawrence Maxwell’s eyes.
So many threats and warnings wanted to spill out of his mouth, but Sebastian stayed silent. He was pretty sure his expression spoke for him. After a long moment, Lawrence nodded. Message received.
Then the tide of people broke over them and Laurel was tugged out of his embrace and surrounded by her family.
Brego needed seeing to, and Sebastian wanted to check on Ginger, but he kept a close eye on Laurel. He’d promised she wouldn’t face this alone.
“Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re both okay!” Ari burst through the crowd to throw her arms around his waist.
Sebastian rocked back on his heels, surprised by the onslaught of affection. Not sure what else to do, he ruffled her hair. “Hey, kid. What are you doing here?”
“Are you kidding? The whole family’s here. Actually we’re way past the whole family at this point.”
“So I see. I thought everybody was disbursing after my radio transmission.”
“Well, we were, and then Athena offered to feed everybody breakfast for their trouble,” Harrison explained.
“Yeah, nobody’s dumb enough to turn that down,” Porter added.
“Can I take care of Brego?” Ari asked.
“That’d be great. He’s had a rough night, and he’ll be wanting breakfast and a good rubdown.”
Ari saluted and took the reins, leading the gelding toward the stable.
His friends stepped up, one after another, pulling him into back-slapping hugs. Then came Logan.
He clasped Sebastian’s hand in both of his, his eyes full of emotion. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Not necessary.”
“You saved her life. How bad was it?”
There was no sense in scaring him witless after the fact. “Save those gray hairs for when you have kids. The important thing is, she’s safe, and she’s home.”
“Lieutenant.”
They both turned as Lawrence stepped up. Sebastian looked back at Laurel, who had her arms wrapped around her mother. She seemed none the worse for wear after the encounter with her father.
“Sir.”
The man hesitated, then offered a hand. “Thank you for bringing her home.”
Sebastian angled his head in acknowledgment.
“And I’m sorry for being a jackass.”
Sebastian didn’t like Lawrence Maxwell, but chances were, they were gonna be in each other’s lives for a long time in the future. It’d serve him well to learn to be civil. So he took the proffered hand and angled his head in acknowledgment. “I’m not the one who deserves an apology.”
The older man nodded again. “Working on it.”
Well, that was a start.
“You’re injured. You sit,” Athena ordered. “Dinner’s nearly ready.”
“But the doctor said it was just a mild concussion,” Laurel protested.
“And a sprained shoulder,” Logan added. “Sit.”
She started to push up from the sofa. “Then I’ll help Sebastian with the evening feeding.”
“Nope.” The man himself leaned over to brush a kiss to her temple. “You are officially off-duty. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
Laurel had the sense that the last bit was as much a warning to her father as a promise to her. True to his word, he’d stayed by her side almost all day, acting as her shield. She didn’t know what he’d said to her dad, but so far Lawrence had behaved himself. Still, her stomach tightened as everybody disbursed to their pre-dinner tasks, leaving her alone with him. She braced for a cross-examination, wishing alcohol wasn’t off the menu for the night.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were unhappy?” Her father’s voice was gentle rather than accusatory—a tone she’d never heard from him.
Cautiously hopeful that this time he might actually listen, she didn’t censor herself. “Seriously? You practically excommunicated Logan when he quit grad school.”
He opened his mouth, and she could see him stop himself to change his answer. “Do you want to finish law school?”
“Yes.” That part had never been in question for her.
“Then it’s not the same.”
She was beyond done with his attitude toward her brother. If she couldn’t call him out on it today, when he was less likely to snap back because of what she’d been through, when could she? “Logan doesn’t deserve to be punished for having a different dream than you. He finally figured out what he wanted and he went after it. And he’s made it come to fruition. What he’s done here is nothing short of miraculous, and it deserves respect, even if it’s not the choice you’d make.”
For maybe the first time in her life, her father looked…embarrassed? He heaved a sigh. “You’re right.”
Laurel blinked, positive she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Excuse me?
“You’re right. I’ve behaved badly—to both of you.”
It was official. Hell had frozen over. Maybe she should go buy a lottery ticket.
He leaned f
orward, hands loosely clasped between his knees. “When I was growing up, I had nothing in common with my father. He was a working man—a dairy farmer—and I was a scholar. I resented every hour I had to spend laboring with those cows. He did the best that he could, and he supported our family, always. We never wanted for anything we needed. But I had bigger ambitions. I swore to myself I’d do better for myself, for my family. That you wouldn’t have to do that kind of work, wouldn’t have to sacrifice your potential in the name of just getting by. You and your brother are so smart, so capable, and it was easy to dream big dreams about what the two of you could accomplish. It was easy to pull you into mine. It hurt when Logan didn’t want to do law school. I’d always imagined a father and son firm. And it was worse that he wanted to do almost the exact thing I’d tried to save him from. All those years when you were growing up, I didn’t ignore you on purpose. I didn’t know what to do or say to a little girl. But then you announced your interest in pursuing the law, and it was like I got a second chance. You and I jibed on that front. You’ve done so incredibly well, and I’m so very proud of you.”
“I know. And that was why I couldn’t tell you. Every single conversation we had was about school, about work, about what I would do, should do. I don’t know when the pressure started to get unbearable. I think it happened so gradually, I didn’t even realize until things were really bad. And then it felt like I was in too deep to change things.”
His throat worked. “I should have asked you what you wanted instead of assuming it was what I wanted.”
Hearing him say that was balm to some wound she’d been carting around for years. But the fault didn’t lie entirely with him. “I should have asked myself. But no one asked me. Not until Sebastian.”
Her father hesitated. “You…care for him.”
Care seemed like too pale a word for what she felt for Sebastian, but she’d given her dad enough shocks the last twenty-four hours. “Very much.”
“He’s very protective of you.”
“He’s a good man, Dad. One of the best ones I know.”
“You’re going to keep him, aren’t you?”
Laurel’s mouth fell open. “I don’t know. I hope so. But that’s not entirely up to me.”
His expression was caught somewhere between discomfort and approval. “He looks at you like I look at your mother.”
What was she supposed to say to that?
He didn’t wait for a reply. “When you finish school in May, you’ll be coming back here?”
“We haven’t worked out the details yet, but probably.”
“And what will you do for a living? Your brother at least had a plan.”
“Actually, I have a plan, and it’s something I’m hoping you can help me with.” The idea for this olive branch had come to her on the long drive back from the hospital in Johnson City.
“Me? What can I do?”
“I’ve been doing a lot of research on non-profits and grants since I’ve been here. Sebastian has really taken ownership of the equine rescue, but he’s out of space. We’re looking to move beyond that, into a bigger program that includes equine-assisted therapy. To really turn it into something, he needs his own place, and to afford that, he needs funding. So I’ve been looking into various grant programs, putting together packets on the ones I think are the best fit, that he has the best shot at landing. All my analytic skills and ability to understand legalese mean I’ve got a leg up on most people who’d even look at these grant mechanisms, let alone actually apply for them. I want to help other people through that process.”
“You want to be a professional grant-writer?”
“Yeah. That’s part of it. There’s always a need for someone to help navigate the needless complication. And it’s a thing I can do from anywhere.”
“It’s not what I would have imagined, but I can see how you’d be good at it. What does that have to do with me?”
“Well, I’m a Maxwell, so of course I can’t stop with just that.”
His lips curved. “Got a little of me in you, after all.”
“I don’t just want to help people write grants. I come into my trust in a couple of months, and I wanted to—”
Logan strode into the living room. “Hey, you two! Dinner’s ready.”
“We’ll be along in a minute,” Lawrence said.
Laurel pushed to her feet. “Oh no. It’s rude to keep the chef waiting. We’ll finish talking about it after dinner, okay?”
Her brother glanced between them. “Everything okay?”
For the first time in a long time, she felt like it actually was.
She looped her arm through her brother’s. “Everything’s fine. Let’s eat.”
Chapter 15
In the slightly less dark stretch before dawn, Sebastian watched Laurel sleep. No lines of strain marred that gorgeous face. Her chest rose and fell in a slow, easy rhythm. One of her legs threaded through his, and one hand pressed against his chest, as if she needed to know he was there, even in sleep. She always slept like this with him, and he loved it.
He wanted her. Again. That was pretty much a constant, and this was their last stretch of time this weekend. She had class at eight. He considered waking her, loving the body he’d come to know so well, but they’d already been up most of the night, wringing out as much pleasure as they could from their limited time together. She needed to be sharp for class and he needed to be sharp enough to drive back to Eden’s Ridge. So he watched her instead, memorizing every millimeter of her face so he’d be able to call it up during the long-lonely nights ahead until the next weekend they managed to carve out.
Her eyes fluttered open, and her lips curved. That instant glow in her smile at the sight of him kicked Sebastian right in the chest. Christ, he was a lucky bastard.
He smoothed back her hair, still mussed from his hands. “Hi.”
“Morning. What time is it?” That early morning voice rasped with sleep and sex and had his already hard cock making another bid for attention.
“About 6:30, I think.”
She bolted up. “What? Shit. I should have been up half an hour ago. My alarm must not have gone off.” Springing naked from the bed, she strode toward the bathroom. At the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder. “What are you waiting for?”
“Huh?” He was still distracted from the view.
“If you hurry, we can squeeze in one last quickie in the shower.”
He beat her to the shower, wrenching on the water. As soon as it was warm, he dragged her beneath the spray, devouring her mouth and filling his hands with her body, still flushed from sleep. She rose to him, matching his hunger with her own as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His hand skated down the slope of her belly, between her thighs, to find her already wet and ready.
She tipped her hips into his hand. “Hurry.”
He remembered their first night together, her fevered chant as he’d taken her apart. He didn’t have time for that slow, methodical loving. Next time, he promised, as he lifted her up, pressing her against the shower wall and sliding into her, as the water beat down on them both. She cried out as he filled her, and Sebastian thought he’d never get tired of hearing her unabashed pleasure.
“Hurry,” she gasped again.
He began to move, driving into her, drinking down every moan and cry as he lost himself in the heat they made together. She crested, coming so hard and fast, her orgasm yanked him over the edge, milking him until it was all he could do to keep them both upright.
Breathing hard, she pressed her brow to his. “Maybe that’ll hold us until next time.”
“I give it forty-eight hours. Maybe.”
She laughed and reached for the shampoo.
By the time they were dressed, there was no time for breakfast. They each packed their respective bags, reaching out for more lingering touches.
“I’ll be back on Thursday for delivery.” Since she’d come back to school in January, he’d taken over the weekly N
ashville delivery for Maxwell Organics, just for the chance to see her every week. Sometimes they managed a meal. Sometimes it was just fifteen minutes with her in his arms. Right now it was keeping them afloat.
Zipping her messenger bag, she wrapped her arms around him. “Just two more months until graduation. Then it’ll be all me, all the time.”
“Can’t wait.” He didn’t know yet what their life together would look like.
They’d spent a lot of time since Christmas dreaming. Well, he thought of it as dreaming. Laurel considered it the first part of a multi-step action plan, with assorted variations, depending on which funding they ultimately got. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she’d made him not only see the possibilities but believe in them. With her help, they’d submitted three grant applications so far. They were still waiting to hear the results.
She reached for a sheaf of papers on her desk. “Before you go…I’ve got one more grant application.”
“Another one?” When the hell had she found the time for more?
“I know, I know. But this one is for a new regional non-profit, so there won’t be as much competition for funds. If you landed this one, it would be enough to buy Josiah Massey’s place.”
Sebastian went still. “By itself?”
“Yeah. With enough left over to at least get a solid start on repairs.”
Massey’s place was their white whale. Laurel’s predictions on that front had been wholly accurate. The bank had it for sale, but so far there’d been no interest. They could only hope that continued to be the case until they could get all their ducks in a row. If this grant was really that big…
He sucked in a breath and let it out slow. “Okay. I’ll take care of it.” The grants, at least, gave him something to fill the empty evening hours with while he was missing her.
Handing over the application, she slid her arms around him. “Take care of you, too.”
“I will. I promise.” He shoved the paperwork in his bag and glanced at the clock. “You’ve got to go.”
