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“You’re going to walk inside with me,” I whispered. “No, I’m not.” “Then I’ll carry you inside over my shoulder. Your choice.” I was testing her and she knew it. I wanted her to acknowledge that she felt something between us. We had been playing for fun, but I wanted to play for money. We were in a game of chicken, but she wasn’t flinching.
“Do you want children?” My dad asked Cassandra. She choked on a sip of water and laughed. “No. I can’t think of anything worse than pushing out a baby.” “Kidney stones,” CJ said. I chuckled. “Not even close.” Ray piped up. “Getting kicked by a bull.” I thought it over. “Once or for thirteen hours straight?”
“I’d like to know why I’m being mauled,” she said as she grappled at my belt, nearly tearing my pants off. I kissed up her throat. “And I’d like to know why you’re being so fucking hot and cold with me.” I felt her pulse racing beneath my mouth, and sucked on the spot. “Get your shit together, princess. Do you want this or not?” “Fuck me.”
“You know what the alternative is, Cass. But if you want me to spell it out for you, I will. I want you to stay here with us. Period. My ‘us’ is not an option. My kids think you’re the greatest thing to walk the fucking earth. Frankly, so do I. I want to see what you’re like when you’re willing to accept that you have feelings for us. I know you got your heart broken, but I’m not sorry about that. I’m glad that shit stain is gone. And as fucked up as the situation is that brought you to me, I’m fucking glad it happened because I like seeing you here every day. I like walking into the office
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Maybe I was out of my goddamn mind. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. She hated this ranch. She didn’t like kids. She despised nearly everything about my way of life. And yet she was perfect for it. I saw it every time I looked at her.
“I just want you to be honest with yourself. With me.” “I am,” she shot back. “No,” I barked, cutting her off. “If you were honest, you wouldn’t be so fucking wishy-washy—wanting me and then pushing me away. I’m done with that. If you were honest, you’d admit you’re miserable doing what you’re doing. But that’s on you. If you want to be miserable, then be my guest. You want so badly to be right that you can’t even tolerate the thought that maybe, just fucking maybe you and I could have something good. So yeah. I’m asking for it, Cass. Because I’m not a coward.”
The next day I showed up to work and he had a tablecloth over my desk. You know—the one you and Christian use now. It’s the same one. There were candles and flowers. He said we’d have a business meeting instead, then grilled me a steak.” She cut her eyes to me. “Steak is the way to my heart, and I was a broke college graduate. I didn’t say no. Slowly but surely, he wore me down. Popping with flowers he picked in the fields. Teaching me how to ride. Taking me on horseback rides when the day was done. Leaving me little notes on my desk.”
“You can imagine how angry I was. I thought I had a legitimate job. I was putting away money so I could move away. But I had been here a whole year and fell in love with this land and a goddamn cowboy, whether I liked it or not.” My throat tightened. “He convinced you to stay.” “No, his momma did,”
“It takes a strong cowboy to put up with a bull, and a strong woman to put up with a cowboy.”
“But…” Bree’s eyebrows drew in. “You like each other. And you look at her like you used to look at Mom.” Fuck. Me.
Gracie sniffed. “We thought maybe you never had a chance to take Miss Cass out on a date because you’re always working.” She ramped up the waterworks. “We love you, Daddy, and—”
“You gotta build up an immunity to the puppy face or you’ll go broke.” She rubbed her temples. “Make it stop. I can’t take that look.” I sighed. “We will… appreciate… all your hard work. Thank you for being thoughtful and putting together this nice dinner.” Gracie’s face changed instantly. “So, you’ll date her?” “Jesus, do you know how long it takes me to coach clients into crying during interviews? That child needs to teach acting classes,” Cassandra whispered.
“I want you to,” he admitted. “Cass…” Christian sat back, took his hat off, and ran a hand through his hair. “I want you to stay.” Tears welled up in my eyes. For years, that was all I wanted to hear. Stay. Be here with me. Don’t go. But all Tripp ever told me was to go. To leave. “You have a place here.”
“What if I disappoint myself?” I whispered. The lines wrinkling his forehead softened as tears welled up in my eyes. “What if I disappoint you? What if I disappoint the girls? I don’t want to hurt them. I told you—I’m not warm and fuzzy.”
“I used to have abs,” he said sheepishly. “It’s been a long ten years. Sorry you missed ’em.” “I’m not sorry at all,” I said with a happy sigh against his chest as I smoothed my hand up and down the gentle mountains and valleys of his torso. “If I didn’t make it clear before, I’m quite attracted to you.”
“You make me feel safe. I love when you hug me because it feels like nothing in the world can touch me. You’re like a cave where I can hide when I’ve had a bad day and I know nothing can hurt me. And if memory serves, this body—” I tapped his sternum “—made me come three times last night.”
“Always insatiable for you, my queen.”
“Having fun?” “Mhmm. But there’s no one here my age.” “Sorry about it. Maybe when we start having grand openings you can invite some friends.” “What about a boy?” she asked. My answer was immediate and definite. “No.” “But what if—” “No.” “I’m gonna ask Miss Cass.” “Still no.”
“I like her,” she said thoughtfully. My heart tightened. “Yeah?” Bree nodded. “I mean, I know we have Grandma and Aunt Becks, but Miss Cass is—like—ours.”
“I’m sad that I wasted my time, but I learned my lesson. The people you should be around will make it very clear that you’re wanted and valued.” I chuckled. “And how about the people you’re around now?” “They smell. They wake up far too early. They’re bullheaded and stubborn and infuriating.” “And?” I pressed as we made our way up the porch steps. Cassandra paused at the top. “And I’ve never felt more at home.”
“Rules already?” She stuck her tongue out. “You’re such a dad.” I wove through the house on silent feet before tossing her on the bed and closing—and locking—the door behind me. “I think you’ll like these.” Cassandra shimmied up the bed. “What’s mine is yours. My house, my—”
“I feel you, Princess. Come when you want. There’s more where that came from.” Cassandra gasped, her back arching off the bed when I reached between us and slowly, steadily massaged her clit. “I’ll always give you what you need,”
“Christian?” she said quietly as she tipped her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. I peppered her chest with dotted kisses. “Hmm?” “Thank you for being patient with me.” My hair hung around us as I pressed a kiss to her lips. “I love you too.”
Nate shrugged. “I dunno. They were out of the arena before we got out.” He put a hand on my arm. “You gotta chill out. This is not your fault. You can’t control everything. Don’t make it about you.”
“I’m certain of a few things. I know the sun’s gonna rise tomorrow. I know that my brother’s gonna wake up. And I know that you’re gonna have my last name. I’m just letting you try it on for size.”
I slipped out the door, not bothering to fix my hair, and trudged to the stables. Dottie, Libby, Anny, and the rest of the horses had the audacity to look at me like I was running late.
“Miss Cass—” I turned to find Gracie spinning in her chair to catch me before I went to change clothes. “What do you need?” She worked her lip with her teeth for a moment. “If Daddy ever gets married again and we get an evil stepmother, I hope it’s you.” Well, shit. “I promise to limit poisoning attempts with apples to twice a day,” I said as I hustled back to my room, blinking back tears.
“I thought I could handle it all, but you made me realize that I don’t have to.” I brushed my lips across hers. “And that I don’t want to. I want it to be you.”
“You told me to put that hat on when I wanted to be yours.” She tossed her hair to the side and dropped it on her head, eyes sparkling in the darkness. “And I want to be yours.”
“There are three things I know for certain,” he said as he stood and sifted his fingers through my hair. “The sun is gonna rise tomorrow. My girls love you. And you were meant to be ours.”
