"I do want one," I declared, "but I've never had one, and I don't know where to get one. They don't have stores!"
I threw my hands up, and the fabric fluttered.
There was a pause where we both kind of accepted what just happened before we broke into laughter. By the time we calmed down, the two of us were clutching our stomachs from having laughed so hard, and I had tears in my eyes.
Even still, I felt a million times better than I had when I arrived. So much relief came from being here at the ranch. There was joy in this home, on this land. It was magical. Honestly, I couldn't fathom a world that was without this place any longer. Atticus and Sean had built something that changed lives.
It changed mine, and I had a feeling it was only the start.
"Well, maybe yours will show up. You never know when," Sean said, his voice taking on an edge. It wasn't in a negative sort of way. He sounded as if he were holding himself back, maybe not suggesting something.
Part of me wondered if it was about Simon because, man, he had Daddy written all over him. I'd never seen or heard anything about him being one, but being on the ranch was a pretty strong indicator that you were into some kinky stuff. I mean, everyone here was, though it wasn't a requirement.
Still, maybe Atticus sensed something in him. Maybe that's why he was here.
Who knew?
Sean went back to flipping channels, even as he kept his arm around me. I snuggled into his side, happy to be close to a friend. It wasn't romantic. There was no arousal of any kind. It was comfort, closeness—the touch I'd been denied with all the working that I'd done and the lack of a relationship.
When he settled on some cartoons, he threw the remote on the opposite side of him and leaned back. "This is perfect," he said.
I nodded and brought my hand toward my mouth. I wanted to stick my thumb between my lips and suck on it, but I didn't want to fall asleep again. Simon would be back with my clothes at some point, and I didn't want him to have to take care of anything alone. Plus, if I slept all day, then it would ruin my night.
It was a tough balance, and really, it was kind of annoying that I even had to think about it.
Instead, I focused on the cartoons and figuring out how the rest of my day would go.
My efforts not to fall asleep were futile.
When I came to, I immediately wiped the drool off my chin and pushed myself up. I was still on the couch, though rather than leaning on Sean, I was laying on a pillow and covered with the throw we had been using. There was no sign of anyone around, and the lights had been dimmed to create a quiet atmosphere.
"You okay there?" a voice called from across the room.
I looked up to see Simon standing in the doorway. He was grinning at me, which set butterflies loose in my system.
My God, he was gorgeous. Just perfect.
From his wide build to his cut jaw, I was enamored. That beard of his was something I could play in for hours, and the rest of him was tempting too. Big arms built from hard work, and hair just long enough I could run my fingers through.
Above all else, his eyes were the true gem. They felt like a caress, like they were moving over me every time he took me in.
I loved it.
I shouldn't have, but I soaked up every second of it.
"I'm okay," I said as I cleared my throat. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."
He stepped further into the room, then came to the side of the couch and dropped into a squat. The position put us almost at eye level , though he was still hovering over me a bit. "Sometimes the extra sleep is necessary. We have to take care of ourselves, bud."
Bud.
There was that word again. It wasn't an endearment that would mean anything romantic necessarily, yet it still trickledthrough me, lighting up my senses and making me want to utter that five-letter word I had no business saying to Simon.
"Yeah, I guess so," I said, my voice still scratchy. "Did you see where Sean went?"
He tilted his head toward the kitchen. "I saw him eating some snacks earlier and then he headed out to see Atticus and check on things once I got here."
"Oh," I said softly.
