Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“I am focused.”
“Holden.”
Now my eyes find hers and narrow.
“Husband, I have a question.”
“Fine.” I sigh and go back to work building a taco. “What’s up?”
“When do you guys brand and castrate at your ranch? Isn’t it almost time for that?”
I frown over at her. “Yeah, it’s actually on Thursday.”
“Like, three days from now?”
“Yes.”
She blinks. “I want to help. It’s my favorite time of year.”
Stunned, I stare at her. “You want to help?”
“Of course, I do. I’ll have to go get my horse. I’ve been wanting to do that anyway. I miss her. I know that Lucky and the kids are taking good care of her, but this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing her. Anyway, what can I do to help before Thursday? Do you have the food tent ready to go?”
“What food tent?” My head is spinning. My wife wants to help me on one of the most important days of the year on my ranch. I always have the Blackwells come help, and a few other neighboring families, but never the women.
My dad would have blown a gasket.
“The food tent.” She frowns at me. “Don’t you feed all those hungry cowboys?”
“I usually order sandwiches or something.” I shrug, suddenly feeling like I’ve been missing something important.
“Okay, I’ll handle the food. Erin and Summer will come do that. I’ll be working with you, though. I’m a cowboy, not a helper.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “You’re a cowboy?”
“Hell yes, I am. Just wait and see. You know, you should invite your sisters out to see what it’s all about. I assume if they weren’t even allowed to ride horses, they weren’t allowed to help on the most fun day of the year, either.”
I raise my eyebrows. “I guess I should invite them.”
“I’m going to offer to teach them how to ride.”
Stunned, I push my plate away and cross my arms over my chest. “Why?”
“Because they grew up on a ranch, and they never got to enjoy it. They’re going to now, if I have anything to say about it. Actually, Jake is really great at teaching people to ride, and they have a bunch of awesome, gentle horses at Ryan’s ranch, so I’ll see if your sisters want to go out there. It’ll be fun.”
She takes a bite of her taco, and, oblivious to the fact that she just keeps saying all the things that make me fall even more in love with her, she keeps going.
“What time should I have everyone come out there?”
“Huh?”
“What time do you start on branding days?”
“Around eight, I guess.”
“Easy peasy.” She licks some salsa off her hand. “I’m excited. I hope I can help at my family’s ranch this year. My dad might not let me.”
“No, your dad won’t let me,” I remind her gently. “You can go, baby girl.”
“Not without you.” She frowns down at her half-eaten taco. “I’ll talk to him.”
In a daze, we finish eating, tidy the kitchen, and then head for bed. It’s after nine, and we both have early mornings.
Not to mention, I want to make love to her once more tonight.
So, in the dark, after she’s shed her lounge clothes and we’re under the covers, I roll over her and nestle myself between her thighs.
“Now it’s going to be soft and slow,” I whisper against her lips. “I’m going to make love to you, wife.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
She grins, and I slip inside of her, wiping that sassy smile off her delectable lips.
With long, slow thrusts, I move inside of her. “You’re so incredible.”
“You’re incredible.” Our voices are hushed in whispers as we make love in the quiet.
She wraps herself around me, holding me to her, and I bury my face in her neck.
“Can’t get close enough,” I murmur.
“I want all of you.” She kisses my cheek. “Give me all of you.”
“You have it. You’ve always had it.”
She clenches down on me, and I come just as hard as before, rocking into her wet heat.
Later, after we’ve cleaned up yet again and are curled around each other, we lie still; the only sound in the room is our breaths.
Suddenly, in the quiet, I hear her whisper, “I love you so much.”
My throat closes, and I have to swallow hard before I tug her close, tip her chin up, and in the moonlight whisper back, “I love you, too. So much.”
Her eyes widen. “I thought you were asleep.”
A chuckle escapes my throat. “You only whisper sweet nothings when I’m asleep? I’d better start staying awake longer.”
“It’s not nothing.” She cups my cheek in her little hand. “It’s the biggest thing.”
Full of emotion, I kiss her palm and then her lips. “It’s everything.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MILLIE
I’m pissy today.
I can totally admit it. My mood is dark. First of all, I’ve barely seen my husband since Monday night. He’s been up and out extra early the past two mornings because he has to get ready for branding day, and he’s cleaning up from the fires. He worked an eighteen-hour day yesterday, not getting home until almost midnight, and then he was up and out again before four this morning.