“During my second deployment to Iraq, I fell for a local girl, Jinan,” he said, voice as steady as his gaze. “She left me to fulfill family duty by going through with an arranged marriage. For years I agonized over it. Wondered if I should’ve fought harder. Wondered if he was abusing her. Wondered why I wasn’t enough for her to fight for. But there was this one time, over a very special New Year’s Eve that a certain incredible woman managed to make me forget.”
Sophia’s heart raced so fast it nearly pounded itself out of her chest. “Me?”
“Yes. You.” His gaze softened. “You got to me back then, Sophia. And you most definitely get to me now. But not only that, you get me. You understand how I think. What I want. What I need. And I’ll be honest, it scares the hell out of me. It fueled my misgivings last week. I know that’s not an excuse, but I just wanted you to understand my issues and why I have them.”
“Thanks for telling me. For letting me in,” she said, reaching with her free hand to touch his scruffy jaw. “This thing between us scares me too, Ryder. But being with you makes me happy. And I like being happy.”
“Happy looks good on you.” He smiled into her palm. “I love making you happy. I love making you cry out my name when you come. I love being with you,” he said, cupping her face. “But most importantly, I love you.”
She sucked in a breath, and those damn tears returned. “I love you, too.”
At this, he surged to his feet and pulled her with him. “You do?”
“Yes.” She smiled, holding his face between her palms. “I love you.”
He shifted closer and kissed her then, a happy and excited kiss at first, but then it slowed down to a deep, heartfelt journey of confirmation of everything they’d just admitted to one another. When they drew back for air, he tucked her head to his shoulder and held her tight.
As her breathing evened out, and her legs no longer threatened to buckle, she eased her grip on him and settled more comfortably against him. “I know it’s crazy. It’s only been a few weeks, but I feel what I feel.” And she also felt his strong, reassuring heartbeat beneath her ear, and it empowered her to continue. “I’m sorry about my family, Ryder.”
“Hey,” he drew back, and dipped down to meet her gaze. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did they. It’s part of business.”
“Actually, it wasn’t.” She filled him in on Gino’s dealings, making sure he realized it wasn’t anything her family’s company would ever condone. And that she hadn’t gone on more than that one date with the idiot. “So, once they fulfill the contracts he signed in the Poconos, Colarusso Construction will work New York territories.”
He nodded. “I won’t lie, that is good news. But, if I had to, I’d adjust. I’d figure something out.”
“I know you would.” She played with his collar, brushing his warm skin in the process. “You’re a very resourceful guy.”
“It takes the right inspiration. And you’re it for me, Sophia.” He slid his hands down her back to rest on her hips. “You make me happy, too. The way you look at me. The way your hands feel on me. The fact you even want to be with me…it all makes me happy.”
“Good. I’m glad.” She smiled, into his warm gaze.
“I realized something over the past few days,” he said. “The thought of never having any of that with you again scares me much more than opening up and letting you in. I may have acted like an idiot, but I’m not stupid. I love you. I want you in my life. If I have to commute, I’ll commute. I’ll do whatever you want, whatever it takes to make this work.”
She swallowed past her hot throat, feeling so light and happy she could float clear up to the beautiful ceiling he created. It was his thing. He created masterpieces. Created homes for families to enjoy. Businesses for people to thrive. He created a world of feeling and acceptance and strength for her that she never wanted to leave. “I love you, Ryder. So damn much.”
“Can we give them a standing ovation now?”
The sound of Ben’s voice made her jump. Ryder’s hands tightened around her as they both turned to glance at the back of the theater where two Wyne brothers and their wives stood smiling at them.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “Didn’t know the peanut gallery followed me.”
She slid her hands up around his neck and melted against him. “It’s okay. I don’t care who knows how I feel about you. I don’t have anything to hide.”
“Neither do I. In fact…” A slow, sexy smile stole across his face. “I like it best when there’s nothing between us at all.”
Epilogue
October arrived and brought with it changes in the leaves, temperature, sunset, and Sophia’s life. Good changes. Great changes. Amazing changes.
The fall foliage was breathtaking. Cooler temperatures meant snuggling naked under a blanket with her own personal sexy furnace on a deck overlooking a spectacular lake. An early sunset led to naked snuggling under said blanket. Relocating to the Poconos ushered in new experiences, inspirations, a permanent job at Phoebe’s theater, and unlimited naked blanket snuggling with Ryder. And knocking her designs out of the park for that major musical secured her very first Broadway set design job. Her friends were throwing her a celebration. Today.
“Proud of you,” Ryder said, arms banded around her as he kissed her nose.
They stood inside a banquet hall at the resort where a celebration in her honor was underway. The Wynes were there, including Tyler who’d returned from his summer in Texas, and Mason and Jill who’d arrived back in town late last month. The vibe in the room was one of warmth and acceptance—just like being in Ryder’s arms.
“Thank you.” She spread her palms over his chest, kind of wishing they could skip to the part where they celebrated alone.
But she appreciated all the trouble her friends had gone through for her, and the fact her whole family drove in for the weekend. Ethan graciously offered up the vacant private Wynne condos, which her family was enjoying.
It warmed her heart how they welcomed Ryder from the start. She’d introduced them two months ago, and she wasn’t sure what kind of initiation he had to pass with her brothers, but apparently he’d nailed it. And the more her father saw of Ryder’s work, the more impressed he became. Especially with the resort and the theater. He even offered him a job.
“You sure I can’t persuade you to work for Colarusso?” her father asked again, stopping next to them with his arm around her mother. “We pride ourselves on excellent work, and I can see you would be a great fit.”
Turning to face her parents, Ryder slid his arm around her waist and smiled. “Thank you, sir, but no. I appreciate that you believe I’m good enough for your company, but I am happy on my own.”
Ryder confessed to her back in August that he’d researched Colarusso Construction and several of their jobs, and apologized for his misconception of their practices.
“And I am happy to be making the pierogi with your father later today.” Her mother smiled, nodding toward Ryder’s father, who stood across the room next to Lea while holding Melody. “Afterward, I am going to teach him my ravioli.”
Sophia held back her gasp. Her mother never shared her secret recipe.
“Sounds like you’re both in for a treat,” Ryder said.
Her father patted his belly. “I know my stomach is.”
They laughed, and after her parents moved on to talk to Phoebe’s mother, who was sharing a toast with Ben’s father, Sophia settled in closer to Ryder, feeling happy and blessed. Her niece and nephew giggled with Tyler as they jumped around. And she was really intrigued by the scowl on a certain off-duty officer’s face as he watched Elle laughing at something her brother Tony said.
According to Elle, her research was almost done, and thankfully, “because the stubborn alpha was getting her on last nerve.” Sophia could only imagine the tension inside the cruiser. Probably novel-worthy.
Later that afternoon, after the party ended, Sophia was happy to finally celeb
rate privately with Ryder. Nestled against him in a sleeping bag in the back of the truck, an unopened bottle of wine next to them, she stared out at the vista overlooking the valley. Wine, and scenery, and Ryder. Best way to celebrate. He’d whisked her away to their favorite, special spot, and ever the resourceful and thoughtful man, he backed the truck up so they could watch the sunset from the bed.
“Thank you,” he said, sitting with his back against the cab, arms wrapped around her while he kissed her head.
She turned to look at him. “For what? I should be thanking you for bringing me here. This is perfect.”
“You’re perfect. For me.” His gaze was warm and open, and the way he was staring so deeply made her insides quiver. “When you first came back in June, I fought our connection. I didn’t want to get involved, not because of my bullshit excuse that I wasn’t looking for forever, but because I felt I had nothing to offer you. That I would let you down.”
She reached out to touch his face. “You could never do that.”
Remorse clouded his gaze. “Yes. I could.” He kissed her palm. “I let my mother down. She asked me to go to the store, but I was too busy practicing ball, so she went instead, and died in a car accident.”
“Oh, Ryder.” Her heart squeezed in her chest. “That wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”
“Logically, yes. But not here.” He grasped her hand and set it over his heart. “I could’ve prevented my mother from dying, and didn’t. And I didn’t prevent Jinan from marrying a man she didn’t know. My track record with women I cared about sucked. I didn’t want to add you to the list. I didn’t want to not be there for you, too.”
“But you are there, Ryder.” She held his gaze, letting him see everything he meant to her. “You support and encourage. You’re a blessing. You inspire me. Ground me. Make my heart pound. Make me whole.”
“I know that now.” A fierce, warm gleam entered his eyes, as he gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. “I realized what you needed was just me. What you wanted was just me. And I was more than capable of delivering. In fact, I’d been giving you what you needed all along.”
She smiled. “That’s an understatement. You’re very good at delivering.”
His gaze turned teasing and he waggled his brow. “Yeah?”
“In that respect, too.” She chuckled, running her hand down his abs, the passion running through her.
Cupping her face, he stared into her eyes as he slowly pressed her down on her back. “You’re the love of my life, Sophia,” he said, voice low and warm. “And the best damn thing to ever happen to me. Twice.”
♥
If you enjoyed WINE AND SCENERY, please consider leaving a review. Thank you.
The fun began in Ben’s story Wyne and Dine,
and continues in Mason’s story, Wyne and Chocolate, Ethan’s story, Wyne and Song,
Lucas’ story, Wine and Her New Year Cowboy,
Noah’s in Whine and Rescue, Matt in Wine and Hot Shoes, Keiffer’s story (a Citizen Soldier/Harland County crossover novel), Her Troubled Cowboy, Nicco, Scott, and Jeremy, along with a few others, will all get their stories, too, so don’t miss the rest of the Citizen Soldier Heroes!
Read Brandy’s story in Her Uniform Cowboy
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ALSO BY DONNA MICHAELS
Amazon.com/author.donna-michaels
~Citizen Soldier Novels~
(Harland County Spinoff Series)
Wyne and Dine (#1) (Award Winning)
Wyne and Chocolate (#2)
Wyne and Song (#3)
Wine and Her New Year Cowboy (#4)
Whine and Rescue KW(#5)
Wine and Hot Shoes (#6)
Wine and Scenery (#7)
~Harland County Series~
Harland County Christmas (Prequel)
Her Fated Cowboy (#1)
Her Unbridled Cowboy (#2)
Her Uniform Cowboy (#3) (Award Winning)(Brandy)
Her Forever Cowboy (#4) (Award Winning)
Her Healing Cowboy (#5)
Her Volunteer Cowboy (#6)
Her Indulgent Cowboy (#7)
Her Hell Yeah Cowboy (#8) (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! KW Crossover Novella)
Her Troubled Cowboy (#9) (Citizen Soldier Crossover)
Her Hell No Cowboy (#10) (Sable Hunter’s Hell Yeah! KW Crossover Novella)
~The Men of At Ease Ranch Series~
~Entangled Publications~
In A Ranger’s Arms (#1)
Her Secret Ranger (#2)
The Right Ranger (#3)
~Dangerous Curves Series~
Knight’s SEAL –KW (#1)
Locke and Load (#2)
A DAYE with a SEAL—KW (#3)
Cowboy LAWE (#4)
~Time-shift Heroes Series~
Captive Hero (#1)
Future Cowboy Hero (#2) (tba)
~Related~
Cowboy-Fiancé (formerly Cowboy-Sexy) (Hand drawn Japanese Translation now avail!)
Cowboy Payback (sequel)
~Do-Over Series~
Valentine’s Day Do-Over (#1)
Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings (#2)
~Novels~
She Does Know Jack
Royally Unleashed
The Spy Who Fanged Me
~Novellas~
Thanks for Giving
Ten Things I’d Do for a Cowboy
Vampire Kristmas
DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com
About the Author
Donna Michaels is an award winning, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Romaginative fiction. Her hot, humorous, and heartwarming stories include cowboys, men in uniform, and some sexy primal alphas who are equally matched by their heroines. With a husband recently retired from the military, four children, and several rescued cats, she never runs out of material to write, and has rightfully earned the nickname Lucy…and sometimes Ethel. From short to epic, her books entertain readers across a variety of sub-genres like, contemporary, romantic comedies, and romantic suspense. One contemporary has even been hand drawn into a Japanese Translation. Now, if only she could read it...
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Wine and Scenery (Citizen Soldier Book 7) Page 13