Swayzie came running in, Lucky close behind her. “Sorry we’re late.” She gasped for air as if they’d run from the top of the lane all the way to the barn.
Hunter glanced at them from under lowered lids. He had a feeling they’d been doing some pretty intense kissing and that was why they were out of breath. Catching them kissing was a common occurrence around the farm.
“You two head on out—we got this.” Lucky lifted Laney into a hug and then bounced around the barn like one of the broncs he used to ride. Laney giggled the whole time. Tonight she wore a tutu, pink riding boots, and a tiara. That girl knew how to put together an outfit.
“You’re good, then?” Jud asked Swayzie.
She gulped air and nodded.
“Because … we don’t want to interrupt …” Jud wiggled his eyebrows.
Swayzie kicked at his backside, but he scooted away. “Jud Westbrook, get out of my barn!”
Laughing, Jud took Wynn’s hand and they headed out for their one date night a week. Being a newlywed couple was hard with little kids around. Swayzie had offered riding lessons/babysitting once a week so they could be on their own for a couple hours. They always came back happier than when they arrived.
Hunter stepped around the horse so he was by the exit. As Jud and Wynn were leaving, he reached out and stopped them. “How do you guys do it every week?”
“Do what?”
“Make sure you’re here on time. I mean, Jud has a crew to run, and Wynn has a booth at the festival. If anyone has an excuse to miss a date night, it’s you two.” He glanced back and forth between his cousin and his cousin’s wife.
They made eye contact and held it. “I guess it’s all about your priorities,” Wynn said.
“For me, it’s all about making sure Wynn is number one. Every woman deserves to feel like she’s the most important thing in her man’s life.” He lifted Wynn’s hand and kissed her palm. “Besides, I’d rather be with her than working any day.”
Hunter nodded. He could attest to that feeling. But he had a big fear on the other side of giving into that feeling—that desire to put Zoey ahead of everything else and at the top of his list every day. “Then how do you ever leave to get work done?”
Jud laughed and Wynn giggled. He pulled her closer and kissed her hair. “It’s the hardest thing I do every day. But I tell myself that the faster I leave, the sooner I can be home.”
Wynn leaned around him and pinned Hunter with a look. “Sometimes I have to kick him out in the mornings—but I’d rather it be that way than him running away from me.”
Hunter nodded. “I guess I’ll let you get on to your date. Any big plans?”
“We’re hitting the corn maze and then gorging ourselves on all the festival foods we won’t let the kids eat.” Wynn laughed. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
They headed off, hand in hand. Darn it all if Hunter didn’t want that with Zoey. All of it—the loving, longing looks; the conversations without talking; the ability to kiss her in front of everyone at any time; the kids; the house; the life … All. Of. It.
If that was the case, then he’d do well to make sure Zoey knew it too. Which was something he’d not done well before. He took his horse and headed out to her trailer, where he tied Penny up. Zoey had just thrown the saddle over Cher Bear’s back and was getting ready to tighten the cinch.
Hunter put his hands on her hips and turned her to face him. “I have a promise for you.”
She tipped her chin back so she could look him in the eye. “Oh?”
“Yeah, I promise to pick you up for our next date.”
She cocked her head.
“And to bring you flowers.”
She moved to push away from him. “You don’t have to do that. I get that you’re busy.”
He tugged her closer even though she was trying to brush him off. It bugged him that she didn’t expect to be more to him—she should. She should have every bit of joy that Wynn got from Jud romancing her. “I am busy. And I appreciate that you can roll with the unpredictability of ranch life. It means a lot to me. But I’m going to do better.”
She smiled softly. “I look forward to that.” She sobered. “And I have a promise for you.”
Hunter came up short. “You do?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I know I scared you the other night. Sometimes I act without thinking how my actions will affect other people. I won’t promise not to act when I think it’s right, but I’ll try harder to be more thoughtful before I do.”
