LOLA-MAE
The sound of the rain lulls me to sleep, or maybe it’s the weight of Harlan’s arm draped around my waist. Either way, my eyes close, and I don’t hear anything else until there is movement beside me.
Turning my head, I look over at him in the dark room. I open my mouth to ask him if everything is okay, but he tugs the sheets up my body before he murmurs into the darkness.
“Go back to sleep. I gotta check on the barn.”
Gripping the sheets, I push myself up to sitting. “Is everything okay?” My heart is slamming against my chest at the thought of something happening to his animals.
“Just a bad storm. Gonna make sure everything is locked up tight.”
I don’t like the sound of that, but he doesn’t give me the chance to ask any more questions. Instead, he stands and then he walks out of the room. I didn’t realize he was already dressed in jeans, boots, and a Carhartt jacket.
He closes the bedroom door behind him, and I don’t even try to fall back asleep. I know I won’t be able to, so I lean back against the headboard as I take in the room.
My body is sore after my muscles have been in positions that I could have only fantasized about a couple of nights ago. A few hours ago, they became a reality. A shiver of desire slides up and down my spine as I think about all the different ways Harlan twisted me up into a pretzel in this bed.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I stand before I walk over to the tall chest of drawers against the wall. I open the third drawer and find his plain white T-shirts, no doubt what he usually wears beneath his pearl snap button-downs. I take oneout of the drawer and slip it over my head. It falls down to just below my ass, somewhat covering my body.
Walking over to the window, I look out at the ranch. I can hear the rain slamming against the windows. It almost sounds like hail, but I know it’s just heavy rain. Unfortunately, I can’t see anything.
It’s pitch black outside. I can’t even see the barn, my car, or my house. And I know where they are in relation to this window. Maybe it’s not just because it’s dark out there, maybe it’s also because the rain is coming down so hard there’s no visibility at all.
It sounds really nasty, and I can’t imagine going out in that. I think about Harlan being out there alone, protecting his animals. I lift my hand to my chest, my heart beating so fast that it almost feels as if it skips a few beats.
I’m not sure how long I stay there, but when the sky begins to lighten, and my knees ache, I realize that it’s got to be close to dawn. Tearing my gaze from the still dark landscape, I look over at the small clock on the nightstand.
It’s five in the morning.
Shifting my focus back to the window, I try to make out anything. It’s still too dark, but I can’t stand here any longer. I need to move. And before I realize what’s happening, my feet take me down to the kitchen. I don’t know why, but making breakfast seems like the best idea in the whole world.
The absolute best.
Even if it’s not.
Chapter Thirteen
HARLAN
The rain slamsdown against my body. It feels like I’m being pummeled with a paintball gun. Spirit is nestled in his stall, no worse for wear. He doesn’t twitch when I walk into the barn and look around.
I’ve had horses spook during thunderstorms before, which is a really risky attribute to have here in Hill Country, considering there seems to be a thunderstorm at least once a month. Spirit is always calm. Nothing seems to rattle his cage.
Walking over to my quad, I start the engine. I need to check on the cattle. I’m not sure why, but it feels really goddamn necessary. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this in a storm, but I do tonight.
Maybe it’s just because I’m uneasy about Lola-Mae and me. Not only is it really goddamn new, but I’m really fucking bad at this kind of shit. The last time I had a girlfriend, I was in high school. I just don’t know what the fuck I’m doing here.
Riding out to the field, I see my cattle. They’re all huddled together beneath the cluster of large oak trees. All seem to besafe and accounted for. I shouldn’t do it, but I decide to drive the fence line to check for damage.
Another crack vibrates throughout my entire body, a rumble, a roar, and then light fills the sky. I don’t know how long I’m gone, but I stay out until the storm passes, ensuring that every single part of my fence is secure.
I’m probably going to end up sick from this shit, from being out in this, but I need to stay busy, and this is the way to do it. And while I meticulously check it all, I think about Lola-Mae.
I think about being inside her. About how I’ve fallen for her, and I don’t know much about her, but what I do know, I want to keep to myself… forever.
When the storm passes, I head back toward the house. It’s dawn. I don’t know if Lola-Mae is awake yet, but being lost inside my own head for hours is enough to annoy the absolute shit out of myself. So I decide that I need to get out of my head—and inside her.
Parking the quad next to the house, I walk through the mudroom, stripping off all my wet clothes until I’m down to my boxer briefs. I step into the house but stop the moment the scent of bacon and eggs assaults my senses.
