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)
“You’re being a bad influence on my kid.” Chase approaches and holds his hands out for his son, and I pass him over. “Come on, August, you don’t need to be subjected to that smut.”
“Whatever. You make out with his mom every chance you get,” Millie calls after her brother, who just laughs as he walks away.
“Today was amazing.” My voice is rough as I pull Millie against me and wrap my arms around her, burying my nose in her hair. “Nothing like how we usually do things out here.”
“It sounds like it used to be really boring.” She leans her chin on my chest and stares up at me. “This is way more fun.”
“It is that. And there’s less cleanup after when everyone chips in to help.”
“You used to clean up alone?”
“Sure.”
“Nah, that’s not how we do things anymore. This is better.”
I cup her cheek in my hand and brush my thumb over her skin. “You just waltzed in here and shook everything up, didn’t you?”
I’m not just talking about today. She’s completely turned my life upside down, in the best ways possible.
“I—” She frowns. “If you want me to stay out of it, I will. I’m sorry. I just got excited because I like it so much, but I didn’t mean to take over. This is your operation, Holden.”
“Stop.” I tip her chin up and kiss her hard. “You didn’t do anything I didn’t want you to. In case you hadn’t noticed, I love having you here for this, and I never thought I’d say that because the idea of you being here used to terrify me.”
“Things are changing.” She shrugs and then grins up at me. “In a good way.”
“Yeah, in a very good way.”
“Hey, Holden,” Jake says as he approaches us. He’s got his arm looped around the shoulders of a young redheaded girl his age, who smiles up at him dreamily. “Thanks for having us out today. It was fun.”
“Thanks for helping.” I shake his hand and smile at his girlfriend. “Are you two out of here?”
“I have a curfew,” she says with a little shrug. “It’s annoying.”
“It’s okay,” Jake assures her and then turns back to me. “I can come back if you need more help.”
“I think we’ve got it. Everything is pretty much done. Thanks again.”
“You bet. Bye, Aunt Mill.”
“See you later, cutie.”
The young couple walks away, and I notice that she has her hand in his back pocket.
“Uh, Ryan’s had the talk with him, right?” I ask my wife.
“God, I hope so. They’ve been going together for more than a year, and they’re so cute, but there’s no way they’re not having sex.”
“Hmm.” I kiss her temple, and much to my relief, it looks like Jake’s departure is the beginning of everyone else deciding to head out, too.
“Today was fun,” Beckett says with a grin. “Good job, buddy.”
“It was all her,” I say, pointing to Millie, who preens under the accolade.
“Good job, Millie.” Beckett winks at her before walking away.
Eyeing Brooks gathering up his stuff, I figure now is as good a time as any to talk to him.
“I’m going to go catch Brooks before he leaves,” I say to Millie, kissing her head. “Give me a minute.”
“Take your time,” she replies. “I’ll say goodbye to your sisters.”
Brooks looks up at me as I approach. “It went well today.”
“Yeah, it did. Thanks for helping. How’s the truck coming along?”
I haven’t heard anything about it since I dropped the old Ford off to him the day before we lit the ranch on fire.
“It’s a mess, man.” He shakes his head and lets out a half laugh. “It’s going to be a few months before it’s done.”
“I’m not in a hurry. I appreciate you fixing it up for me.”
I’ll never get rid of that truck, no matter what. Millie gave me her virginity in the back of it.
When everyone has gone, and my ranch hands are off to their bunkhouse, I lead Millie to my truck and help her inside, then climb into the driver’s seat.
“I desperately need a shower,” she says with a sigh.
“We’ll get one.” I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. “And then I’m going to make love to you for about three days straight.”
“I’d better hydrate and eat something, too.”
I laugh and kiss her knuckles again. “Good idea.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MILLIE
The hot water is heaven.
I don’t do much ranch work anymore. It’s just once a year that I spend a few days with everyone, because it’s a lot of work, and we need all hands on deck. It always reminds me that I both miss the ranch and that I’m happy owning my own business in town.
Because holy shit, muscles that I forgot were there are already singing and making it known that they’re not at all impressed with working so hard today. But it’s also a satisfying ache because it was on Holden’s ranch, and for the first time in his life, my husband saw how it’s supposed to be.