He lifts me up and helps me on, and I trust his every word, movement, and piece of advice. I know I'm in the arms of a capable man, a strong man with a good heart, and when he comes to join me on Daisy, my body relaxes in a way it never has.
He tucks the light quilt in around me, and kisses the side of my neck, then the back of my ear. His unkempt jaw sends hot shivers down my spine, and I know if he took me somewhere and stripped me down this minute, I’d be his forever. High in the sky, the moon hangs, casting gentle traces of gold along everything it touches. He nestles into me from behind, and I let my head rest easily against his chest. “Ready, baby?”
I close my eyes and savor the rasp in his tone, the velvet in his words, the way his strong body feels against mine. “Yes.”
He brings his mouth to my ear, telling me about things we pass as we pass them, the place where the old barn was before it burned, the place his favorite stag broke its leg, where he and Sadie were when she saw the Big Dipper for the first time. The rumble of his voice vibrating through my back is a comforting lull, and being in his arms under the warm night sky is everything.
The day catches up with me, and the comfort of the ride eases me into a sleep. When I wake, I’m in his arms, his soft lips shushing me as he carries me up the stairs and lays me down in my bed. He kisses my forehead and pulls off my boots, and my heart hammers, and tears sting the backs of my closed eyes. I can’t face him right now, so I keep my eyes closed as he covers me with a blanket, then plugs my camera batteries in, and leaves.
And if I wasn’t sure before, on that ride I become very certain. I don’t want to leave Sable Sky.
I don’t want to leave Sadie.
And I’m absolutely in love with Landry Vaughn.
CHAPTER 22
GO TO SLEEP, SADIE (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD)
Over the last few days,I made Quinn a little outdoor editing suite. With Tate’s help, I fenced in the back porch using some old sheets and put a flameless lantern in there, brought a few pillows out from the living room, and we’re putting the finishing touches on it now, stringing up some twinkle lights we borrowed from Love.
“I just think that my genius ought to earn me a place higher in your win speech,” Tate says, passing me a nail which I keep pinched between my teeth as I fiddle with the end of the twinkle lights. Damn wires are so small it’s like trying to nail up a strand of hair.
“We went to school together,” I remind him, “and if anyone knows you’re a dummy, it’s me.”
Tate polishes his fingernails against his shirt. “Welp, thisdummy came up with the genius plan that’s saved your hide, so I don’t feel so dumb right about now.”
I nod. “Your fly is down.”
He checks, and I laugh. “Fine. Deny me of the victory. But we both know, I whipped up a little plan that’s getting your neck out of the chopper.”
I finish getting the twinkle lights up and peer into the window to make sure Quinn and Sadie are still busy with Sadie’s hair. She wanted some fancy braid tonight that I couldn’t do, and she almost had a meltdown until Quinn came down and saved the day.
“She’s the solution, that’s for sure,” I admit to my best friend, putting my back to the house as I face the open farmland, the setting sun leaving it glowing and gorgeous. You wouldn’t know it’s one of my biggest sources of stress by the way I take it all in. I love this land.
“Why do you sound like you’re getting a tooth pulled admitting that?” Tate says, bracing his hands against the banister as he comes to my side, taking in the beauty of the land we both live on.
I peer back to make sure Quinn is still occupied, and then cast a sideways glance to my friend. “It’s gonna wreck Sadie when she leaves.”
Tate’s dark eyes flit between mine, and the moments of silence that follow my admission has my gut clenching with nerves. When he finally looks away, staring off in the distance, I know he’s seen my real fears. “Sadie’s gonna be hurtin’ when Quinn leaves,” he says, reshuffling my words but repeating the sentiment.
Irritation climbs my spine because I know what he’s doing. “Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“Mm-hmm.” He nods his head, knocking the wide brim ofhis hat back to scratch his hairline. Across the property, adjacent to my patio, a voice echoes from his property.
“Daddy! Mama’s cobbler is ready! Come home!” A moment later. “I’m gonna eat yours if you don’t come back!”
He cups his hands to his mouth. “Petunia Marie, leave my cobbler alone!” Tate turns to face me, wearing a satisfied little smirk that doesn’t do anything but irk me more. “Gonna be hard on Sadie,” he hedges, eyeing me.
“Yeah,” I agree, irritation running rampant through me. “It is. And that’s not funny to me, Tate.”
He holds his hands up, innocent. “I ain’t laughin’ at that.” He steps back, toward the stairs, inching his way toward his place. “But I’m just over here thinkin’ maybe Sadie won’t be the only one broken up over Quinn when she goes.”
I don’t acknowledge that because it’s downright foolish of me if I do. What good comes of me admitting how I feel? Then everyone can give me sad head tilts and little half smiles for months after Quinn leaves? No fucking way. I’ve had enough of that shit.
Tate pushes open the makeshift door we made to enclose the space, tucking the sheet back for a moment as he sticks one leg out. “Or maybe she doesn’t go at all.”
I cut my glare his way, and he smiles, leaping off the back steps into the burgeoning night. “Have a nice night, Landry.”
