And we just continued riding out every last bit of pleasure.
Taking what we’d needed for such a long time.
And I may not have liked the obstacles we’d faced to get here—but there was no question, it was worth the wait.
She was worth the fucking wait.
And I knew in this moment that I’d wait forever for this girl.
Because Wren Waterstone was my other half.
twenty-one
. . .
Wren
My head restedon Axel’s chest as he stroked my hair in the most soothing way.
I tipped my head up so I could see him. “That was worth the wait, huh?”
“More than worth the wait.”
His phone vibrated for the third time, and he reached for it.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He groaned. “It’s Rafe. Apparently, you’re a hot topic in ‘The Taylor Tea.’”
I held out my hand, and he set his phone there. I opened the article Rafe had sent. “I’ll read it to you.”
“You sure you want to even go there?”
“Yeah. We’re going to hear about it anyway. May as well read it ourselves first.”
“Good point. Let’s hear it,” he said as he kissed the top of my head.
“‘Hey there, Roses. Let’s just say the tea is hot and our cups are overflowing.’” I chuckled. “It is a catchy opening.”
“It’s ridiculous.”
I continued. “‘Our favorite horse girl seems to be back on with her longtime bestie. They’ve been seen everywhere together lately, and the locals have taken notice. Apparently not all rifts are unfixable. However, word on Main Street is that the rift between our favorite equestrian and her brother—the same one who already has a very checkered past in this town—may be irreparable. We don’t know all the dirty details, but there was a blowup at a local restaurant that we shall not name, and the server said that tensions were high. Surprisingly, the anger was geared toward her questionable brother, and not her father, who is expecting a child with his latest mistress.’” I shook my head in disbelief. “Why not just say names at this point? It’s so obvious who they’re talking about.”
“I’m guessing they’re trying to avoid lawsuits, but it’s so obvious that it seems like they could be sued either way if someone wanted to.”
“True. Okay, here’s the last part.” I blew out a breath. “‘So the wealthy family who always puts on a perfect front appears to be permanently damaged. There’s a nasty divorce with a hefty price tag looming, along with an unexpected bundle of joy, and a first-born son who appears to play the villain very well. Our locals are keeping us all well fed on the gossip. And as for our favorite horse girl… Will all this drama have her saddling up and leaving town now that she has her horse back? Or will she stick around to stay close to her cowboy?’”
“Damn. They even used our nicknames.” Axel laughed, but it was laced with irritation. “I’m sorry they wrote about your family.”
“I mean, they’re kind of spot on, as annoying as that is—and the Waterstone family is keeping them well fed these days.”
“Have you talked to Collin again?” he asked.
“Nope. He’s called several times, but I have nothing to say to him right now. The more time passes, the more appalled I am bywhat he did. I’m unable to hide my disgust, so I think it’s best just not to speak to him for a while.”
“You don’t need to fake it, Wren.” Axel wrapped his arms around me a little tighter. “But he is your brother, and you can’t avoid him forever. So maybe you just have to have the tough conversation. Don’t sugarcoat it. Tell him you’re disappointed and angry. You’re allowed to have those feelings.”
“Does he even deserve a conversation after what he did?” I asked, peeking up at him as his gaze met mine.
