“I like him,” she admitted. “Rachel’s picking me up in twenty minutes. Pick a present,” she said, changing the subject.
“I like the makeup organizer with the brushes,” Tara informed her. “I’m packing my bag. I wish we had extra money for a pair of those short pajamas. Mine stink.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be able to work again soon,” she reminded her. “Then we can do a bit of shopping.”
“I wish you’d let me get a job and help. Kara earns money from the farm stand,” Tara told her. “Have fun with Rachel. Tonight, can’t get here soon enough,” she said, heading to her room.
Riley smiled, thinking the same thing. She put her boots on and stuffed the money into them. Waiting on the front porch, she started down the steps as Rachel pulled into the driveway. “Thanks for picking me up,” Riley said as she closed her door.
“You’re welcome. I’ve pulled out several scandalous outfits for you to try on,” Rachel said as she drove toward her house. “What did Tara pick as her present. I’ll pick it up as soon as we’re done.”
“She wants the makeup organizer. While you’re there, can you pick up a new pair of pajamas for Tara? You know, one of those short sets?” Riley asked, pulling the money from her boot.
“I know you’re low on funds. Why don’t you let me cover it and you pay me once you’re working?” Rachel suggested. “I trust you.”
“I prefer to pay you now. It’s not wise to borrow money from friends,” Riley said firmly.
“How do you feel about trucks?” Rachel asked, glancing her way. “You can’t keep having us take you back and forth between our houses. Matthew will let me use his. He’s using one of the extra trucks and mainly the horses while they’re moving the cows.”
“Are you sure? It costs more money than I make in ten years,” Riley said, thinking about the freedom of traveling around the ranch on her own.
Rachel rolled her eyes. “No. It’s why I asked you,” she said sarcastically.
“Gosh, you’re such a bitch sometimes,” Riley said, laughing.
“I know, right?” Rachel joined her as they pulled into the garage. “Let’s go get you dressed up.”
Two hours later, Riley stood in front of the mirror staring at the blue baby doll nightie. It came with a thong, but Riley refused to wear a piece of dental floss between her cheeks, despite Rachel’s insistence.
“You’re stunning,” Rebecca complimented her. “Garrett will lose his mind when he sees you.”
Delaney nodded. “You’re gonna rock his world. Remember, you don’t have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.”
“Right,” Riley nodded, biting her lip.
“Do you remember how I showed you how to put on the lipstick?” Rachel questioned her.
“Yeah,” she said nervously. “Light the candles, turn on the music, and position myself on the bed,” she repeated.
“Lipstick before getting onto the bed. You want him focused on your mouth,” Rachel reminded her again.
“Right. Candles, music, lipstick, and bed,” she chanted, glancing over at Rebecca.
“You got this,” Rebecca encouraged. “Don’t get caught up in all the mechanics of it, have fun. Rachel has this down to a science and can have Matthew panting like a dog in no time. Some of us take a little more time.”
Rachel frowned. “I’ll have you know he’s usually not panting. Matthew fumes when the credit card bill comes in and I’ve forgotten to tell him what I spent. Sometimes, it might be because I threw his white dress shirts in with my reds to save time. He doesn’t like it when I cuss him out in front of the cowboys. He has some weird obsession with wanting them not to think of me as a bitch. They already know it and I wear it loud and proud.”
Delaney laughed and shook her head. “You should’ve seen her and Matthew when Rachel first arrived. The woman drove him mad. At one point, I thought he’d go bald from pulling his hair out.”
“We disagreed a few times,” Rachel admitted. “At least he doesn’t peer at me like Julio does Rebecca. The man has it bad. They’re sappy sweet together. Do you ever fight?”
“All couples argue. What’s important is learning to talk things out and to forgive your partner. Relationships require work. It’s not always about the honeymoon phase,” Rebecca said quietly. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way.”
“We haven’t fought, although Garrett sometimes gets bossy. It’s usually because he’s trying to protect me, but it grates on my nerves. If I can run a ranch at sixteen and raise my sister, I don’t need a man to tell me I’m doing too much,” Riley said, as she turned in the mirror. “Do you think it should come down a little longer? My ass is showing.”
“Trust me,” Rachel assured her. “He’ll be happy to see it.”
Rebecca rose and walked over to the mirror and took Riley by the shoulders. “Sometimes, a man can act bossy as a way to prove his power over a woman. That’s never okay. Other times, you have men who stay in protective alpha mode because it kills them to see you hurt. Make sure you know the difference.”
