His hand slides up to my hair, cradling my skull and pulling me into the hug I desperately needed. The way he holds me tight to his body, enveloping me in the scent of his soap and the warmth of his arms, I think he needs it, too. We cling to one another like Rose and Jack Dawson should’ve done on the floating door out at sea.
“Thanks for attempting to stand up for me. Even if you tossed me under the bus a bit with the crying shit,” he says.
“I can’t help that I love knowing how much of a softie you secretly are. You’re a crieranda cuddler—two facts I wish everybody could know about Chase Thompson.”
“I’d rather you not tell the whole town. Got my shitty reputation to uphold and all.”
I tamp down the urge to tell him about the stupid women at the coffee shop. I’m aching to talk through it after spending the afternoon with their words on replay in my brain, but it’s a conversation best saved for Blair. I won’t risk hurting Chase’s feelings.
Instead, I lick my lips and keep things light. “Damn, wouldn’t want to go fucking with that, would we?”
“Well, if it weren’t for my reputation, you wouldn’t have begged me to fuck you on Derek’s car hood.”
“Begged?” I raise a brow. “Maybe not, but that’s not what’s getting you in my bed tonight.”
With a disapproving click of his tongue, he says, “Cass, I thought you said it was a one-time thing. Now you’re breaking your own rules. This is going to lead to full anarchy.”
“Shut up if you want to get your dick wet.”
“Oh, do I. But after your crappy day, let me take care of you first. Let me make it better.Muchbetter, hopefully.”
“It already is.”
15
Red
23 weeks (baby is the size of a box of Kraft Dinner)
Iflick my Skoal can in my hand, absentmindedly packing a dip of chewing tobacco as I stroll into the fairgrounds behind Jackson, Kate, and the kids. Odessa’s on Jackson’s shoulders, knocking his hat sideways with every other step, and Rhett’s fast asleep strapped to Kate’s back. I can tack up a horse in minutes—under a minute, if I put my back into it—but there’s no shot I could figure out how to work the backpack-type carrier Kate has him in.
Add that to the never-ending list of shit to learn.
The Wells Canyon Winter Fair is the most excitement our town sees outside of rodeo season. Some people might find it odd how excited the whole town gets, considering the primary goal of the fair is for the local 4H kids to sell their project animals—mostly for meat. But amongst the food vendors, live music, and bounce houses for the kids, you have just about every person who lives within an hour drive of Wells Canyon.That’sthe real reason people enjoy it.
The massive hall is filled to the brim with people. At least twenty old-timers are circled up—wearing faded denim and dusty cowboy hats, sitting on folding chairs, and drinking coffee out of Styrofoam cups.Their wives sit similarly a bit further away. With numbers pinned to the back of their shirts, 4H kids run amok all over the place. And a few babies are crying in the distance. It’s overwhelming as shit.
Weaving through the crowd takes forever, thanks to Austin and his inability to ignore people wanting to talk to him. For a man who barely mutters a single damn word at the dinner table, you bring him into a room with a bunch of other ranchers and he’s Mr. Social Butterfly. Well, kind of.He still prefers they do the talking while he nods along like a bobble head.
When we step into the show barn, where some kids are parading around their hand-raised lambs, I finally take a breath. The place smells like various kinds of animal shit, but I prefer that over the suffocating air inside the crowded Agriculture Hall.
My calming exhale is cut short by the blonde-haired beauty standing on the opposite side of the show pen. The past two weeks have been the best of my life, without a doubt. I’ve spent more nights in her bed than my own, touching her and holding her while we sleep. It’s the same routine: eat dinner, talk about our day, curl up on the couch to watch TV, fuck. Then she tells me we shouldn’t be doing this, that it’s only going to ruin our co-parenting relationship once Little Spud comes. She’s given the same speech so many times I have it memorized. Yet, when I leave before daybreak to drive back to the ranch, she squeezes my hand and asks if I’m coming back later. And my answer is yes. Forever yes.
When her eyes lock on mine, I forget about the nicotine fix in my hands and the uncomfortable buzzing under my skin from being in such a crowded place. I knew she’d be here, but that doesn’t make me any less surprised when she gives a small wave and starts toward us. Under the prying eye of every gossip in town, I wouldn’t blame her for outright ignoring me.
“Hey,” she says. Her hair’s tousled and down, falling across her chest. I know her tits are getting more impressive by the damn day, but nobody else can tell how full they are thanks to the baggy black hoodie—my hoodie. Between the loose-fitting fabric and the way her arm’s slungacross her stomach, you’d never guess she’s pregnant. I don’t understand her desire to hide it when I’m sure the whole town already knows. But there’s no way I was going to winthatargument last night.
“Nice hoodie.” The unopened Skoal can slides easily into the back pocket of my jeans. “I think I have one just like it.”
She rolls her eyes at me, a small smile cropping up. “It’s a pretty generic black sweatshirt, so probably.”
“Cass!” Kate practically shoves me out of the way. “A girl! Oh my God, I’m so excited.”
She pulls Cass into a hug, rambling away. “I keep telling Red to give you my number, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess he hasn’t. So, please take it. Call me. Text me. Anything you need, got it?”
Cassidy’s gaze meets mine from over Kate’s shoulder as they separate.
“You better take it. She’s known to be a pain in the ass when she doesn’t get what she wants,” I say, quickly stepping to the side to avoid Kate’s swinging arm. “Actually, this was probably a bad idea to get you two together.”
