Swift and Saddled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #2)

by Lyla Sage

but because making friends as an adult is hard. Honestly, I enjoyed solitude, but there’s a difference between that and being lonely.

Now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t remember a time when I hadn’t felt lonely.

“It’s okay to be scared when you’re doing something new.”

To sit next to me while the power was out and weather the storm together.

“You say you’re not nice, or warm, or bright, or any of these other stupid fucking words that people use to describe the sun, but I never asked you to be the sun.” I rolled my eyes, trying to move them in a way that would stop the tears from falling. “I would rather have the moon anyway.”

“You’re the moon,” he said. “And I’m the tides. You pull me in without even trying, and I come to you willingly. I always will.”

Baby Blue was a part of a family. It was a dream come true for the man I…liked. A lot. The man who told me he felt something big for me and was willing to wait for me to get there too.

I would never have to wonder what it was like to be loved, because Weston Ryder would love me all the way.

When I looked in the mirror, it reminded me of the other night at Baby Blue. First I thought about Wes kneeling in front of me, watching the muscles in his back flex as he devoured me. Look up, sweetheart. Take in the view. Then I thought about how we looked together in the mirror and how he felt inside me. I want your eyes on me.

His smile faded a little. He looked like he was thinking—a small line formed between his brows. “Ada”—his voice was hesitant—“I’m sorry if I made you think that I was the type of guy who would be okay with you not doing something you wanted.”

We pressed our foreheads together, and Wes said, “I love you, Ada. I’ll keep showing you, but I needed to tell you too.” I kissed him again. “And if you ever feel like you need to run again,” he said, “can I request that you at least stay inside the county line?”

He saw me for exactly who I was, and he loved me because of it, not in spite of it. And as far as lifetimes went, basking in the warmth of the sun seemed like a pretty damn good way to spend one.

We were a forever sort of thing.

“You told me you would never stand in the way of following my dreams. You’re my dream, Wes. You, and Waylon and Loretta and Baby Blue.”

I followed my dreams, and they led me back to you.”