“Yes, baby.”
“Donottell me that you’re taking me to the ranch.”
He’s quiet, so I turn to him and poke his shoulder.
“Ouch. Domestic violence already?”
“Tell me we’renotgoing to the ranch for a party.”
“I can’t tell you that because although I didn’t specifically say in my vows that I wouldn’t lie, it was implied.”
“Is it just the siblings and the kids? Because if that’s the case, it’s okay.”
He frowns over at me. “What are you worried about, Wildfire?”
“I’ve barely seen your parents since I’ve been back. Just briefly at Blake’s engagement party.”
“Okay. My parents always loved you.”
“Sure, before I was the bitch who broke their baby boy’s heart.”
Suddenly, Brooks pulls the truck over to the side of the road, jumps out, and strides around to me. He opens the door, unfastens my seat belt, and turns me to face him. His hands cup the sides of my neck.
“You willneverrefer to my wife as a bitch ever again. Do you understand me?”
Holy fucking shit.
“It’s an expression, Brooks?—”
“One that I won’t tolerate. You’remine.I love you so much that I would burn this fucking world to the ground for you. So you won’t speak about yourself that way again.”
“Br—”
“Say you understand.”
I rub my hand up and down his chest. “I understand.”
“Good.” He leans in to nibble my lips. “It’s going to be great, baby. I promise, I wouldn’t take you into a situation that could hurt you. Never.”
With a nod, I offer him a smile. “Okay. Maybe the hunger was making me act unreasonably.”
With a snort, he bites my lower lip, then gets me back into the seat belt. Within a few seconds, we’re back on the road.
“So it’s a party.”
“I’m not telling you anything more.” He shoots me a grin. “Love you. Mean it.”
“You’re a weirdo.”
Shaking my head, I can’t help but reach for his hand as he pulls onto the ranch road, and a couple of minutes later, we pull up to the old farmhouse that Brooks grew up in. I spent so much time at this house back in the day.
“Beckett and Skyla live here now,” he says as we just sit for a minute and let the memories come. “Mom and Dad have a place in town. Not too far from us, actually.”
“There are about twenty million cars here.”
“Or, you know, twenty.” He smirks and climbs out and then comes to fetch me again. “Let’s go, Bride.”
“You’re getting such a kick out of this.”
