Her lips quirk. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too." I press a hard kiss to her mouth. "I've lived here my whole life. I was born and raised on a ranch a lot like this one. I know these people. And I know they're going to love you, Letty baby."
"What about…?"
"What?"
"Tanner and his brothers? I mean…are they going to be mad?"
"Fuck no," I say, chuckling. "Tanner already knows how I feel about you."
"Should we tell him?" she asks, eyeing me in worry.
That wasn't on my list of shit to do today, but I guess it is now. If it'll wipe that look off her face and give her a little peace of mind, I'll talk to him. It won't change anything, though. The Carringtons are good people, who just want the people who live here provided for and happy.
"Yeah, baby. I'll tell him."
Iwait until Lettyis busy in the kitchen to hunt Tanner down, ready to get this over with so I can put her mind at ease. The longer I wait, the more she'll stress, and I don't want that for her. I want her to be able to relax and move forward without twisting herself into knots.
Unfortunately, I can't find Tanner anywhere.
I look for an hour before I give up and stomp back to the mess hall to check on Letty. Half the men are already inside, tucking into eggs and bacon with steaming mugs of coffee in front of them.
Mornings on the ranch are usually quiet. The men don't have much to say when they're up before the sun, still sore from the day before. They've been even quieter since Letty started feeding them. They're happier, too. The usual scowls and glowers are gone, replaced by the kind of contentment that only comes when you've got a belly full of good eating, and the prospect of another good meal on the horizon.
I stride past, heading straight for my girl.
To my surprise, Tanner is in the kitchen with her, stealing bacon from a platter.
"I've been looking for you," I growl.
"Well, surprise, motherfucker," he says, smirking at me. "You found me."
Letty looks nervous as hell.
"You need to move Blaze and Bishop into my place."
"Why?"
"I'm movin' in with Letty."
She whirls around with a spatula in her hand, her eyes comically wide. "Walker!" she hisses. "You can't just tell him that."
"Just did, Sunshine."
"But…but… You didn't even ask if I want you to move in!"
"You sayin' no?" I arch a brow. "You don't want to wake up with me in your bed every morning, Letty baby?"
"Well, I mean, no. I mean, yes, I want that."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I…you…it's…" She splutters for an answer, only to give up when Tanner throws his head back, laughing loudly.
"You move fast, you asshole," he says. "After that second note on her door, I figured it'd take at least a few months for her to forgive you."
"Yeah, well, I had proper incentive." I cock my head to the side, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why do you care how long it took?"
