“You’re being stubborn, Wren,”I said as I closed the door to Honey’s stall. “Nothing changes just because your father has agreed to take his name off your trust fund.”
Wren and her father were barely speaking, and I knew his offer to remove his name as trustee was a desperate move to try to mend things between them. In an odd way, I was fairly certain he was handing over a small amount of control in order to gain her trust again, so he could control her training.
“Who’s the stubborn ass now?”
“I’m not charging you rent for an apartment that’s just going to be sitting empty.” I moved past her because this conversation was ridiculous.
“Don’t force me to move in with my dad and Chrissy,” she said with a laugh as she followed behind me. “That would be my worst nightmare.”
I turned around, and she was right on my heels, so she slammed into me. “I don’t want your money, Wren. Let it go.”
“Why are you so offended that I want to pay rent for an apartment that I’m living in for free?” She blinked up at me, as if she didn’t have a fucking clue.
“You were taking care of the animals, and that was our deal.”
“And now Butch is back.” She shook her head and shrugged. “I want to pay you back for Wrax and for the back rent and future rent.”
“It’s fucking offensive.” I turned around and had started walking out of the barn when she jogged around me and put her hand up.
“I don’t want to be a freeloader. Why is that so hard to understand?”
I blew out a breath. “Come on. Are you serious? Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Yes. Because from where I’m sitting, this makes no sense. I’m living for free in your rental apartment.”
“An apartment that I have no intention of renting out.”
“And you paid to get Wrax back, and that’s not right,” she said as she threw her hands in the air as if this conversation was outrageous.
“You know what’s not right, Wren?” I tucked the hair behind her ear and waited for her gaze to meet mine. “That we spent two years apart over some bullshit lies. And now, I get you back for a couple of months, and you’re living in an apartment above the garage at my house. You should be in my home. In my bed. Enjoying every fucking minute that we have together before you leave, because who fucking knows what the future holds. You might be gone for a few years if you decide to take this the whole way. And sure, I’ll be there cheering you on. Seeing you whenever I can. But right now, we’re here. You and me. And we could be together—but every fucking night, you go to that damn apartment to sleep because we have so many rules in place to make sure no one gets hurt. But this shit isn’t right. So there it is.”
Her lips turned up in the corners. “You want me in your bed, Cowboy?”
“I want you in my fucking bed.”
“So, you’re saying that you want friends withallthe benefits?”
“Something like that.” I looked away, unsure how much to share.
Her gaze softened, and she placed a hand on each side of my face. “I love you, Axel Chadwick. I’ve loved you my whole life, but I love you in that really ironic way. Like in a way that Alanis Morissette could write lyrics about.”
I laughed. “Tell me.”
“Like, isn’t it ironic—I found the love of my life when he’s been there the whole time, and I was too scared to see it.”
“Ahhhh… that is ironic.” My hand moved to the side of her neck, my thumb tracing along her jawline. “I love you, Horse Girl. And I’ll love you whether you’re in my bed, staying in that dumbass apartment over the garage, or traveling the world and chasing your dreams.”
“That’s a lot of love,” she said, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
“It is a lot of love. And it doesn’t fucking matter if we know where it’s going. I support you. You support me. We’ll figure it out. But when you’re here, and we have this time together, let’s not waste it.”
She reached up and grabbed my cowboy hat and dropped it on her head. “You know the saying… ‘You wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.’”
“Damn straight. Those are some words to live by, for sure.”
“How about we try this again, without allowing anything to blow it up the following day,” she said, her eyes wet with emotion when they met mine.
“The only thing I’ll allow to be blown is me.” I gave her a dirty look. “Now hold on to your hat, Horse Girl. I’m going to carry you back to my place, and you’re not going to fight me.”
