Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch, #1)

by Lyla Sage

We clinked our glasses together and took our shots down the hatch, keeping our eyes on each other the entire time. Fuck.

He was wearing denim on denim. What an asshole.

“This is the real world, Brooks, not a fucking romance novel.

I took a pull of the whiskey before setting the bottle on my desk, but I didn’t swallow. I leaned into Emmy, my hand on her throat still keeping her pinned to my office door, and spit the whiskey in her mouth. She swallowed.

I loved teasing her. I sucked her off my fingers, the taste of her mingling with the burn of the whiskey, before I released her throat and stepped back.

Emmy Ryder might have been in like with me, but it was then that I knew I was falling in love with her.

girl ugh

4th ADHD MENTION

“No, loving Stella is the easiest thing I’ll ever do, whether she’s here or not.”

Luke, on the other hand, tried to smooth down his dark hair and looked like he was holding back a smile. God, he was so pretty.

I hadn’t pegged Luke Brooks as a man who had more than one pillow, nice bedding, and a bed frame to boot. I told him as much, and he told me I needed to raise the bar. He was full of surprises.

one flat pillow, no comforter, no bed frame, 3 in 1 shampoo, no mouthwash, toothbrush that has seen better days, and dishes in the sink that have been rotting for days

The Luke I’d gotten to know since I’d come home was the kind of man I could fall in love with. I was starting to think he was the only man I could fall in love with. And that was scary as hell.

“Sugar, you deserve to go out on your own terms. Just because you got dusted doesn’t mean you’re done.”

“Don’t hate the Ryders for giving me what you couldn’t, and I’m not going to stay here if you talk to my girl that way.” My girl.

When I pulled back, he said, “Thank you for coming with me, Emmy.” “I’d go anywhere with you,” I responded. I meant it.

“I’m sorry that you’ve been carrying that by yourself.”

that’s so sweet :,)

The thought of that terrified me, but it also made me feel like the luckiest man alive. I didn’t really know how to be in love, but I knew I wanted to be with Emmy in every way I could. I wanted the kitchen slow dances, nights out with shots, rides through the mountains, hot sex, afternoon naps, and two-lane highways with the windows down. I wanted it all.

“She asked for you.” Teddy shrugged. “Emmy never asks for anything. She just puts her head down and deals with things in the only way she knows how, by kicking shit around in her own brain. But she asked for you.”

Camille and Riley weren’t here when I left, but they were here now, and so was Camille’s fiancé. I couldn’t remember that guy’s name for the life of me, so I just tried never to put myself in a situation where I’d have to say it.

LMAOOO ME

The announcer extended the last “r” in Ryder, and everyone who was there for Emmy stood up and went wild. Most of the people in the stands stood, too. Meadowlark showed up for their sweetheart.

the town’s sweetheart?? that’s so cute

“Emmy!” Teddy called out, and Emmy looked over and started running toward us. Wait, no. Not toward us. Toward me.

I had no intention of giving Emmy up. Ever. Even though I hadn’t seen her, we talked every day. She was mine.

“Thank you,” he continued, “for taking care of my baby girl.” “She can take care of herself,” I said. “I know she can, but you made sure she didn’t have to do it alone.”

It was weird thinking about how I’d known Emmy for nearly my entire life, but we had just been living our lives semi-adjacent to each other. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I was so caught up in her. I loved her. Deeply.

I hated that this was all so fucked up, and I knew it was my fault for falling in love with Emmy, but I could never regret that. I would never regret crossing the line with her. We’d crossed the line together, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I slept a lot better when I was wrapped up in my boa constrictor cowboy.

“He’s down bad for you, Emmy. You should’ve seen him in the stands at the race. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. How everyone didn’t know the man was hat over boots for you before the whole kissing incident is beyond me.

“Some love stories burn hot and fast, but you two are more low and slow,” she said. “It’s a strong and steady kind of love.”

Now, I planned on staying. And I planned on staying with Luke.

I noticed he wasn’t even tacked up. Luke had ridden through the ranch’s roughest trails bareback. All to make it to me.

never ridden a horse before, but I assume riding a horse even on a saddle hurts your butt and cooch. can’t imagine having male parts and riding a horse bareback, yeeshhh

A tear snaked its way out of the corner of my eye. Luke caught it. Just like he’d caught me countless times over the past few months.

He kissed me then, soft and slow. The feeling of his lips on mine was one of those things I’d never get used to. It just felt so right—like, what were my lips even for if not kissing the hell out of this man?

“You’re it for me, Emmy,” he said against my mouth. Now I wasn’t just drunk off his kiss, but off his words, too.

He looked at me hungrily, like a few days without me had driven him insane.

Watching her come was more beautiful than a Wyoming sunset.

6th mention!!!

I didn’t like cream in my coffee, but I’d started buying it for Emmy.