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“You’ve been blissed out on billionaire dick, Rosie. I didn’t want to burst that bubble.
And as the glasses clink, Tabby adds, “And shit-talk Rhys because he’s the fuckin’ worst.”
And I realize I always look forward to seeing him.
I look for a safe place. I look for West. When I hear his laughter, the tension in my body eases a bit.
the occasional signed sports jersey. I only recognize one—Jasper Gervais, a famous hockey player.
“Take that back, Tabby Cat. Those claws hurt,” West announces, popping up from behind us like a fucking jack-in-the-box. I start, but then the weight of his warm hand rests against my lower back and I instantly relax.
“What are you doing here?” Ford saunters through the swinging gate, staring daggers at Rosie. She grins maniacally. “Came to cheer you on.” Ford doesn’t take the bait. In fact, he continues scowling at her. “You’re not dressed like a cheerleader.” She shrugs. “I could be later.” “No. Please, god, no.” West has his hands over his face, laughing. “I am so happy for you guys, but please do not have these conversations in front of me.” When he drops his hands, the amusement is clear on his face.
My eyes lock with West’s, and I get a soft wink from him.
The man flushes right as Ford turns to Rosie and mouths Terence?
He doesn’t get to finish because a man so tall, so broad that he looms like a mountain over Terence approaches from behind. He is beautiful and terrifying all at once. Built like a warrior, scowling like a predator. He doesn’t hesitate to rest an oversized palm on the back of the skinny guy’s neck. It could be a friendly gesture—but it’s not.
Tabitha glosses over the jab with an eye roll, zeroing straight back in on West. “Never thought I’d see the day that Skylar Stone walked you like a dog, but here we are.”
“The way you fill out those jeans is criminal, Rhys.” Then me. “Your hands don’t need to be that big, Rhys.”
“How dare you defend Tabby’s honor, Rhys? You piece of shit.” Tabitha drops her head into her hands, rolling her head against her palms. “You guys are not helping. We hate him, remember?”
“You don’t have to take care of me. I’ve been drunk before.” “I know,” I say before I hop out of my seat and round the truck to her side. I tug open the door and look up at her.
“Helping me out of cars now, huh? Thought you knew you don’t need to take care of me.” My throat feels hot and so do my cheeks as I turn away. I need to go get her a bottle of water before I do something stupid like shove her up against my truck and kiss her.
“I know I don’t need to. Doesn’t stop me from wanting to, though.”
“Go to bed.” My head tilts. “That always feels good.” She huffs out a laugh and peers up at the bank lighting above us. “Why does everything you say sound sexual?” My cheeks hitch and I toss her a wink when she finally peeks over at me.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know what, Weston?” Her voice is low, so I bend slightly to listen. She stands on her tiptoes and hits me with a salacious smirk right as she whispers, “You’ve been dreaming about kissing me back. And I’m thinking that if I kissed you again, right here…you wouldn’t pull away.”
What I don’t ignore is another fake news headline from West. I’m grinning before I even open it. BREAKING NEWS: Style experts say wearing red lipstick every day is so in this season. I hope he never stops sending me these. And I may need to stock up on that lipstick now.
Last night, I secretly hoped he’d follow me. Blast through the door to the guest bedroom, shove me against the wall, and kiss me senseless. And against all my better judgment, I would’ve let him. I wanted him to.
The sign from the road said Wild West Ranch. The logo depicted a saddle in a rope frame, but as I drew nearer, I saw a piece of paper tacked to the bottom with duct tape. On it, and clearly drawn by a child, a similar logo with a unicorn inside the frame. The title that curved around the bottom said Sparkly Turquoise Unicorn Ranch. It made me laugh as I stood there staring at it. Although I barely know Emmy and Oliver, I could tell she drew it, and her big brother wrote the words for her.
The endearing simplicity of it. The charming lack of pageantry. Rose Hill has proven to be all those things. And I love that about this place. About West.
“Didn’t see you around today,” I eventually say. “Were you looking for me, fancy face?”
“You’re welcome in the house. You don’t need to do that.”
“What about the mouse?” I smile, finally braving a glance up at his handsome face. “I’ve seen him a few times now. He’s growing on me. I’ll be fine. It’s like exposure therapy.” His responding chuckle is soft and warm, and I can hear the bristles of his stubble as he scrubs a hand over his chin. “Wherever you’re most comfortable.”
The thought of West canoeing on a dark lake by himself tugs on my heartstrings. “Can I come?” He turns to me, his expression betraying his surprise. “You wanna come canoeing in the dark with me?”
“I do. Is that okay?” His throat works on a heavy swallow. “I’d love that.”
“Fancy face, we aren’t fishing.”
“Do you even know how to fish?” I shrug and pull my hand from the water. “No, but you could teach me.”
A flash of the bunkhouse follows. West’s cozy, white farmhouse with its red tin roof. Children’s toys scattered across the lawn. That’s the house that makes my heart beat faster.
“What are you afraid of?” I figure if he’s going to skirt the question, I will too. “People finding out my tits are fake.” He coughs, thumping a fist on his chest to clear his airway. I’m not sure what he’s choking on. Hopefully, the words Can I see them?
“Then who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks, Skylar? Who cares if anyone finds out? You love them. They make you happy. No shame in that.” “What about you?” “I mean, listen, I’m not gonna lie. They make me pretty happy too.”
When he speaks, his voice is all gravel. “Well, I’ve been here to see you try to pet a bear. I’ve seen you with a bruised face. I’ve seen you get anxious. And Skylar? I like all those versions of you. You have me. You’ll always be relevant to me.”
I’m just stuck here. Alone. When the kids are at their mom’s house, it becomes abundantly clear that if I don’t go to people, no one seeks me out.”
I’ve known West for what feels like a blink of an eye and a lifetime all at once.
He calls to me the same way I call to him. Desperately. Thoroughly. Without even meaning to. Which is why I look him in the eye and whisper the painful truth of it. “I will miss you terribly.”
They may have been made for me, but it feels like they were made for him.
fancy face.”
And rather than letting me go and saving himself from the cold water… He comes with me.
“Are you—” Right as I’m about to ask her if she’s okay, she bursts out laughing. It’s a deep belly laugh, magnified by the wooden dome overhead. It’s too dark for me to make her out, but I can feel her arms moving.
“Only us,” she wheezes, treading water. “This would only happen to us.”
With Skylar, the complications don’t feel so complicated.
God knows after that intense, sudden pang of missing them, I’ll probably do anything they want.
“Okay, first, I won’t be erasing that from my memory.” I chuckle, watching the grass between my feet turn to dry dirt and pine needles as we pass closer to the house. “Thank fuck, because it’s burned into mine.”
You’ve made it clear that you want to protect their space”—she huffs out a breath—“and, god, do I respect you for it.”
“You’re a great dad, West. I may not know you that well yet, but I know you love your kids in a way that I wish every kid got to experience.
She’s being so mature and responsible. Two traits I love.
She went with being responsible. And I was going to say Fuck what I said. I want you.
So I settle on showing her. I’ve got an entire week with the world’s biggest cockblockers in the house to show Skylar that with us…something is different.
“Was thinking we could go out fishing after lunch.”
