Cowboy Up

  "I think it bothers me more that you think I wouldn't want that."

  She deflates in my hold, just a tiny bit. "You were clear when we talked about it how you felt about marriage. Even if we were at that point where we'd be talkin' about it, I know where you stand."

  "Stood, Linney. I'm not standin' there anymore."

  "What?" she breathes.

  I smile, leaning my face closer, and take her mouth in a deep kiss. She grabs ahold of my hair, pulling slightly, and sighs into my mouth. I kiss her slow, moving my tongue against hers in lazy glides. Her hips start moving against mine in a dance of pure torture. Each time she presses forward, I thrust up off the bed, and it doesn't take much of that for us to become too breathless to continue kissing.

  "One of these days," I tell her as I roll her onto her back, "I'm gonna have a talk with you about our future." My hips lift and I reach between us to guide my cock into her body. "And darlin', I'm gonna have one hell of a different way of explainin' my thoughts for our future than I did back then. Until that time comes, you just let me love you slow and fuck you bad."

  13

  CAROLINE

  "Close" by Ryan Kinder

  The second he starts moving inside of me, I know this is different from any other time. Our night at the motel had been fueled by lust and the mystery the darkness created. It had been frantic, both of us knowing we only had that night. Earlier, in the shower, it was just as rushed, but driven by the need, our tantalizing past few weeks. This though . . . this is a profound kind of coupling. With every slow thrust I can feel the words he knows I'm not ready to hear. But, as I look up into his clear eyes, I hope he can see what I'm not ready to say.

  I'm quickly becoming dependent on what's building between us, and after hearing what he just said, I know I'm not alone.

  I could go the rest of my life with nothing more than what he's giving me now as long as I continue to feel wholly and completely adored by him. I might not have tons of experience with relationships, but I do know what we share is special. He hits a spot deep inside me and I push my head back on a moan.

  With each lazy thrust into my body, I feel him battering down the remnants of the walls I've put up. With each precious kiss, he promises me a future without hurt. When he looks deep into my eyes and plunges into me, I clamp down and come so hard it steals my breath. And when he starts picking up speed, taking me harder, I drag my nails down his back and feel my orgasm bleed into a second. With my moans echoing his, his come shoots into my body, and I know I'm going to give him every bit of myself until he has it all.

  I close my eyes with a smile, my legs falling from their tight hold on his hips, and rub his back lazily.

  "You hungry?" he questions when my stomach's grumbling breaks the afterglow.

  I hum my answer, but don't move to actually do something about it and let him go. We both groan as he slips free.

  "Come on. Let me feed you, darlin'," he jokes with a smile when my stomach continues talking.

  He tosses me one of his shirts with a handsome smirk, watching me closely as I cover up. I can only imagine the blush covering my body under his watchful gaze, but it isn't from feeling shy. When he groans a complaint over losing the sight of my naked body, I feel the heat of arousal and pride knowing I can make a man as perfect as Clayton Davis come undone like that.

  I push my hair out of my face and smile up at him. He says something under his breath about never letting me wear clothes again before pulling his jeans over his own nakedness. He has to tuck his still-hard length down before zipping them up, leaving the button undone.

  "That can't feel good," I muse, pointing out the impression of his erection clear through the worn denim.

  "It's not, but if I don't get us both fed, I won't have the energy to do anything about it later."

  "You sound like I'm a sure thing," I joke.

  "Prayin' you are, darlin'. I'd live in that sweet pussy if I could."

  I gasp, swatting his abs. He only smiles bigger and pulls me to my feet, kissing me hard. When we finally manage to leave his bedroom and get some food, it's almost nine at night. I have no idea how two hours passed so quickly, but I shouldn't be surprised by his stamina. I know from our first night together he can go until I pass out from his lovemaking.

  "I think I'm goin' to sell when the rebuild is finished," I tell him after taking the last bite of my sandwich.

  He doesn't look away, frowning slightly.

  "I've been thinkin' about it a lot these past few weeks and, well, I don't really want to be livin' forty-five minutes away anymore. I used to think bein' that far from Pine Oak was a good thing, but now, not so much."

  His face gets soft when my explanation sinks in. "What are you thinkin'?"

  "The buildin' next to the hardware store is openin' up. The lady who owned it doesn't want to deal with the trouble of ownin' a business now that she's gettin' older, so I was considerin' opening back up there."

  "Miz Jordan's? The florist?"

  "Yeah," I answer quietly, looking at my plate knowing he's likely thinking the same thing I did when I found out that was the only place in town available for rent.

  "Darlin', that's right next to your mama's salon."

  "I know."

  "Not that I don't think you could handle it, but Caroline, that woman bein' that close to you makes me feel a whole lot of unease."

  I nod, looking away from the intensity in his gaze and pushing some of the chips left on my plate around with my fingertip.

  "I love the idea of you bein' closer, darlin', especially if that means you're goin' to be doin' it sooner than later, but I'd be lyin' if I said I was okay with puttin' you that near to her."

  "There's nowhere else, Clayton. I've looked. I wanted to know all my options before I brought it up to you. I want to come home, not just because of us, but because I don't feel safe in Wire Creek either. Being here, well, I don't need to constantly worry."

  He frowns. "I thought they ruled the fire an accident."

  "According to the report, but I'm not sure."

  He steps around the island and pulls me into his arms. "Why do you think it wasn't an accident, Caroline?" I can see the concern written all over his face and in the tense set of his shoulders.

  "I think someone's been tamperin' with things. Materials are goin' missin' and yesterday Joe, the contractor, told me some of the electrical he had finished was pulled out. How would that even happen?"

  "I'm not sure," he says thickly.

  "We only passed inspection because Joe worked through the night to fix the issue, but somethin' in my gut is tellin' me I shouldn't go back there. I wanted to talk to you before I put a for-sale sign in the window and start lookin' for somewhere else to open up again. Whether that's here in Pine Oak or maybe in Law Bone, either way, I don't want it to be in Wire Creek anymore."

  "Don't buy the Jordans' old place. It might look like the only option now, but havin' you that close to your mama isn't gonna happen."

  "I'm goin' to have to look at Law Bone, then, and the only thing I found there was clear on the other side of town. Not that I'm lookin' for a new space based on the distance to your place, but . . . uh." I stop when he flashes me a wide, toothy smile. "What?"

  "Linney, I think we need to start basin' your search off how far it is from the ranch, so don't get embarrassed when you say it because, darlin', I agree."

  "Now that I'm going to sell, Clayton, I need to find somewhere to live that isn't a motel. I can't use the ranch as my base when I might find somethin' to rent that's on the other side of you, but close to a potential space for the store."

  He throws his head back and laughs. "How many nights have you been at that shitty motel, darlin'?"

  I shrug. "It's been two months since the fire and I started stayin' there not long after that. I don't know exactly how long though."

  "Let me rephrase that. How many nights since we started explorin' us have you actually stayed there?"

  "That's di
fferent, Clayton. We haven't exactly had tons of time to get together between me bein' busy durin' the day either sleepin' or monitorin' the build, and you've got a busy schedule of your own here. By the time I get a few hours in at Hazel's and get here, it's been so late I either fall asleep or you insist I stay."

  He steps closer, smiling down at me with the most open expression of affection. "Darlin', it might've started out that way, but I haven't wanted you anywhere else for weeks than in my bed. You want to make up one of the guest rooms as yours, do it, but I think it's time we both admit this is your home."

  "Clayton," I breathe, not knowing how to respond to him.

  "I've got an idea about the store, but I need to check some things out before I get your hopes up. Until then get the place in Wire Creek on the market, check out of that goddamn hotel for good, and get your sexy ass where it belongs."

  "It's too soon," I weakly argue.

  "Then put your clothes in one of the guest rooms instead of mine!"

  "But--" I start, only to stop speaking when his hand covers my mouth.

  "I wouldn't be sayin' it if I wasn't sure, Caroline. You don't need to be in that motel. You didn't want to stay with Luke and Lucy, and I think we both know that under this roof is where you belong."

  "I . . . okay," I agree, not letting myself look for reasons to keep arguing against this.

  "Okay," he parrots with a grin that makes my heart pick up speed.

  "If you change your mind though--"

  "No way in hell that's gonna happen, sweetness."

  "This is insane."

  His chest rumbles as he laughs low and deep. "I think we're pretty good at doin' things with a little insanity, darlin'. That's half the run of our ride together. I never know what's comin' next and I'm not findin' it a bad thing to give up control if I've got you with me doin' so."

  There aren't any more words after that as his mouth takes mine in a doozy of a kiss. By the time he has me passing out from exhaustion, there isn't a single concern on my shoulders anymore, and I go to sleep with a smile on my face all because of the man who is slowly becoming my everything.

  14

  CAROLINE

  "Happy People" by Little Big Town

  "Let me get this straight," Quinn says, folding another baby blanket and placing it on Leighton's coffee table. "Clay, my allergic-to-anything-resembling-commitment brother, is not only in a super-committed relationship, but also livin' in sin with his girlfriend?"

  Leighton snorts, throwing some tiny yellow baby socks at her best friend's head. "You make it sound so scandalous, Q."

  "And you aren't shocked?"

  "Well, no, not really," Leigh answers, looking down at her lap, but not before I see the smirk on her face.

  "It's only been two months!" she exclaims.

  "So what?"

  I stop petting Leighton's giant cat, Earl, and chime in. "We've technically known each other our whole lives. I had a crush on him before I started datin' John. I guess it's just our time now." At my words, they both look over at me with jaws wide open.

  "You had a crush on him back in high school?" Leigh questions with a smile.

  "You hussy!" Quinn laughs. "He's six years older than you."

  "What?" I blush. "He's the most handsome man I've ever known."

  "That's so sweet." Leigh sighs dreamily, wiping her eyes as they fill with tears.

  I gape at her in shock when she starts crying harder. Hoping to find some sort of help from Quinn, I'm utterly flustered when I see her crying as well. "Uh," I hedge.

  "What the fuck is goin' on?" a voice thunders behind me.

  At the sound of her husband, Leighton waves him off and sniffles loudly. "Stop growlin', cowboy."

  "Did you hear?" Quinn cries toward her brother.

  "Hear what?"

  "Caroline moved into the ranch house."

  Maverick stops in his path and turns slowly to assess me. I haven't gotten very close to the middle Davis child, but I also haven't spent tons of time around him since Clayton and I stated dating. The few interactions we had were brief, and he studied every move his brother made with me. What I hadn't gotten in the months since Clayton and I started dating was his younger brother smiling freely in my direction. It's so shocking I can't do anything but stare at him.

  "Well, I'll be," he finally says, his grin growing even wider. "I bet that bitch Jess isn't too happy about this news."

  I shake my head.

  "What's that mean?" Quinn questions, sniffling loudly.

  "Just what I said, Hell-raiser."

  "Why would what Jess thinks even be relevant right now?"

  "You must not have been hearin' the gossip flyin' around town. I know Leigh told you about it because she said you were goin' on and on about how nasty Jess is."

  Quinn looks at Maverick like he's grown a second head. "She mentioned Jess was sniffin' around Clay, not details! I've been stuck at home on bed rest for a whole week, asshole. How am I goin' to get the good gossip when I can't even waddle my ass into town?"

  Leighton laughs, finally dry-eyed. "I forgot to tell you what I heard when I was at the PieHole last week. Sorry, Q. I got distracted when you started talkin' about your cervix and everything."

  Quinn's eyes go from Leighton's to her brother's, over to mine, then back to Leighton's when no one goes to explain further. "Well! D, don't just sit there. Give me the goods!"

  I sigh but don't say anything.

  "It really isn't a big deal. His ex put her hands on him in the middle of the day smack-dab in the center of town. Jana told me that he grabbed her hand off his crotch the second he realized--a second too late, I should add--that she was goin' to touch him there. She didn't hear what he said, but rumor has it that it was somethin' about her bein' a used-up slut that he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot-long cattle prod, even if he wasn't madly in love."

  "I think you're embellishing it just a little, Leigh," I add, rolling my eyes to hide the fact that my stomach is going nuts at the mention of love.

  "She isn't far from the truth," Maverick says, sitting down next to his wife and rubbing her stomach. She looks at him and smiles before placing her hand on top of his.

  "How is that woman still even sniffin' around? They've been broken up for years and I know he isn't stupid enough to have gone back even for a quickie, seein' as she's been with half the town."

  Leigh hums in agreement when Quinn stops talking. "Did he ever say why they split in the first place?"

  They look at Maverick first, but he doesn't glance away from his wife's belly, ignoring them completely.

  "Uh," I stammer, "I love you two and all, but if you haven't heard it from him before now, you aren't gonna hear it from me."

  I might've gotten back the friendship that was broken when I left town after high school, but my loyalty will always be to Clayton now.

  I ignore the annoyed glances they both shoot me and meet Maverick's gaze. I'm not sure what I expected, but a wink followed by a low chuckle damn sure wasn't it.

  "You know!" his wife snaps accusingly. "You hadn't even come back to Pine Oak when he was datin' her."

  "Didn't have to live in Pine Oak talk to my brother, darlin'."

  "Well?" Quinn probes, looking at her brother.

  "Yeah, right, Quinnie. And don't y'all be givin' his girl any shit for bein' faithful to her man. If Clay wanted y'all to know his personal shit, he'd tell you. You both know damn well you wouldn't say a thing if the roles were reversed, so give her the respect of doin' the same."

  They stay mute as he leans down to kiss Leighton's belly before pressing another kiss to her lips. After rising from his seat, he walks by his sister and pats her head. Leaving the room, he shuts the back door softly. The girls share a look, then glance at me in shock.

  "I think," Quinn breathes, "you just got a Maverick-size stamp of approval."

  "She totally did," Leighton agrees with a smile.

  Earl licks my hand and meows, clearly sick of me not petting
him anymore. I lean back, fighting a grin. Five minutes later, he's not too happy with me when Leighton shoos him off my lap so I can help her carry all the newly washed and folded baby items to the nursery. Quinn, knowing she'd be pressing her luck if she got off the couch since she's ready to pop, doesn't come.

  "You seem happy," Leighton muses in the nursery.

  "I am," I confirm with a smile.

  "I haven't said it, but I'm really happy that you and Clay are together. It's not just that he's good for you--you're good for him. He's always been super private about his personal life, but I hope you know that both Quinn and I are here if you ever just want to talk to your girls about things. I respect the fact that you might never do that too, just so you know. We might be nosy, but Mav wasn't wrong."

  "I'll keep that in mind, Leigh."

  "A little advice from one girl who fell for a Davis to another: just don't ever tell Quinn about your sex life or you'll never hear the end of it. That girl is as weird as it gets when she finds out about that stuff."

  I chuckle. "Noted. Don't ever tell Quinn how good her brother is." My eyes widen when I realize what I just said. "What are the chances you'll forget that?" I ask Leigh.

  Her whole belly moves as she laughs softly. "Not even a little bit, but don't worry, I won't say a word. I've got a cowboy of my own, so I know how to keep quiet."

  When we go back into the living room, Quinn is asleep on the couch and Earl is curled up in a tiny space between her belly and thighs. A large cat, some breed Leighton called a Maine coon, there's no way he can be comfortable with his back half hanging off the couch, but he's purring away regardless.

  "I'm goin' to let y'all rest and head home," I tell Leigh, feeling my heart skip a beat at the idea of home being the ranch. "I promised Clayton today I'd finally let him teach me how to ride."

  I give her a hug, promising to call later, and walk out to my car. It'd be quicker if I knew the four-wheeler trails, but I don't mind the short drive. It's hard not to love it when every turn gives me the most beautiful views of Pine Oak's backcountry. Miles and miles of green pastures.