“What are you thinking about?” she whispered as she woke up in my arms a little later.
“How little it took to get you to accept the sleeping arrangements.”
She stretched in front of me, rolling onto her back, so she could kiss me good morning. “Still enjoying the view?” she asked, quoting me from that first morning when I’d revealed I’d been watching her.
“More every day,” I said, tracing my fingers along her curves. Moments like this where she lay next to me so serenely, I could see our years stretching out in front of us, lazy mornings where we could make love before starting our day. I glanced at the clock discouraged to see that I was already pushing my morning timeline.
She followed my line of sight. “Hop in the shower. I’ll get breakfast going.”
“You could join me,” I suggested.
“And then you’ll be really late,” she said, her voice dropping to the low sexy register that made my body hum.
“Temptress,” I growled, rolling on top of her, showing off the strength that had returned to my shoulder over the last few weeks. I lowered myself to kiss her soundly before forcing myself out of the bed.
“Now who’s the temptress?” she asked, sitting up.
I shimmied my tush at her on my way to the bathroom, smiling as she nailed it with a pillow.
The shower spray matched the warmth I felt having Hope with me. After I’d reluctantly accepted her help, we easily figured out a routine that got us both out of the door in the morning as well as one that allowed us both reentry space at the end of the day. Her presence didn’t make me feel crowded, and while she’d seemed a little hesitant the first few days, Hope quickly seemed comfortable moving around the place like it was her own. It got to feeling more like home with her there, so much so that my place felt empty when she did stay at Pauline’s. My own hands sweeping soap across my skin made me smile thinking of how thoroughly she had come to know my body.
Hope shaped my days, making me feel complete and utterly content. I wanted to trust her with my heart. I wanted the whole package, forever, and I was ready to start planning a life together, starting with living together officially. But I still hesitated. Cranking the water off, I wished I could as easily turn off the stream of commitment issues that coursed through me. Always lurking in the back of my mind were the assumptions I had cultivated when I was with Candy, as well as their repercussions. I reminded myself again to appreciate the day-to-day and not obsess about tomorrow or next year. I brushed out my hair, dressed and joined Hope in the kitchen. She was already lost in a book, a piece of toast held halfway between the plate and her mouth.
“Someone’s hungry this morning,” I commented, pausing to kiss her neck before I sat across from her.
“You forget how long it’s been since I had this kind of regular exercise.”
I smiled and bit into the toast she’d made me. “I’m a firm believer in a good exercise program.”
“Don’t I know.” She stroked my hand and returned to her book, leaving me to plan out my day as I ate. Work mornings, I was always distracted, running through my lessons in my head, thinking about my objective for each class. I was pretty certain that my Men’s Rodeo was tired enough of catching bales of hay that I needed to start them on the steers. I’d been avoiding it just in case I needed to help wrangle the livestock, but was fairly certain I was now up to it, more quickly than I’d anticipated. I attributed my fast recovery to Hope’s physical therapy.
Distracted, I watched her across the table, her breakfast slowgoing since she was too absorbed in her book to remember to take a bite. I’d teased her about how it must be nice to be the boss and get into work whenever she liked, and she’d warned me that come spring, she’d be a lot busier with her garden in order to put as much fresh produce into the diner’s menu as possible.
“Tell me you’re not thinking about getting back on that mare of yours,” Hope said, interrupting my thoughts.
“I’m not,” I said, delighted to not be caught on a subject we disagreed on.
“No? Then why are you watching me?”
“What does that have to do with my thoughts?”
“You watch me when you’re trying to figure out how to say something so that I’ll agree with you.”
“For your information, I was just imagining how fun it’s going to be when you’re the farmer getting up with the sun.”
She put her book down pointedly and took a huge bite of toast as I cleared my plate and started putting my lunch together. “Are you here for dinner?” I asked as I always did.
She stood to clear her dishes. “No. I thought I’d stay at Pauline and Burley’s tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t live here,” she answered, kissing me lightly and disappearing into the bedroom.
“You could, you know,” I said, pressing the issue. I didn’t get why she still felt the need to stay with them a few nights a week. I’m not a fan of the absence makes the heart grow fonder school of thought. I enjoyed her in my home, in my bed, in my life every moment I could have. Silence stretched as I slapped peanut butter and honey onto bread. I grabbed a banana and started slicing it, unwilling to let the topic go.
She reappeared, pulling her hair into a ponytail, her patient look a little too firmly in place to be sincere. “Don’t you think I should at least tell my father that we’re dating before I spring on him that we’re living together?”
“So we are living together?” I asked stubbornly. Her staying for so long through the shoulder injury had blurred the line. It wasn’t like I dramatically presented her with a key and romantic words about it being the key to my heart and home. Once she stopped chauffeuring me around, I thought I could manage on my own, but I’d been so tired after long days without pain medication that I didn’t fight her when she suggested that she still meet me at the house and help with dinner.
“You’re going to be late to work,” she answered abruptly, turning on her heel.
I wanted to put where we were into words, probably because Gabe’s voice kept on reminding me not to get too comfortable or expect more than Hope could give me. I blew him off when she’d told Pauline and Halley about us so quickly, but when weeks passed, and she never mentioned talking to her dad, doubt crept into my thoughts. Hands at my sides and my head tipped to the skies, I thought of how much of herself she had given and felt like a shit for pushing at her just because I got lonesome a few times a week.
I peeked into the bedroom and saw her just standing looking out the window, her arms folded across her chest. I sulked in behind her and slipped my arms around her waist. “Look, I wasn’t trying to start a fight. I just miss you when you’re not here.”
She leaned into me, tipping her head back to rest against my shoulder. “I don’t want him thinking I’ve been making bad decisions just because I’m having good sex.”
I tightened my arms around her. “The sex is only good?”
She elbowed me and turned in my arms when that loosened my hold. “The sex is incredible.”
“Whew. You had me worried there,” I said, kissing her like I had all the time in the world.
“You’re really going to be late,” she reminded me.
“You just…”
“I’m not saying that to get out of talking about my father or where we are.”
I nodded, reluctant to leave. My days of being at the school stable before the students were long past, my priorities completely shifted by the woman in my arms.
“I’ll call you later.” She gave me a quick peck and gathered her things.
I shoved my lunch in my satchel and followed her. We were always careful outside the house, no hugs or kisses beyond the front door. I climbed into my truck and glanced at her in her car next to me. I hated leaving without truly resolving the conflict I’d stirred up. I rolled down my passenger side window, and she lowered hers. “Dinner tomorrow?” I asked. “I’ll cook.”
Even from my driver’s seat, I
could see her shoulders relax, her chin dip a little bit in thanks. She nodded with a smile. “Sure. That would be nice.”
As I drove to campus, I felt better, trusting that Hope would come back to the subject. My instinct was to press because Candy never wanted to talk about our future together. Turning off my desire to look into the time ahead was difficult for me. I needed some lessons on enjoying the present and putting more trust into the future falling into place.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The sound of the bell on the door always caught Hope’s attention, but since she was staying at Pauline’s more each time it rang her body went on high alert, waiting to hear Dani’s voice. Since Dani could now take care of herself, Hope knew people would start to talk if she continued to stay out at the ranch. She loved that Dani didn’t push her to spend the night, that she always gave her the space she needed.
There were a lot of things Hope loved about Dani. She loved the confidence Dani exuded. Her frame might have been small, but her personality was big and magnetic. The eyes of both men and women followed her when she entered a room. She also loved Dani’s quiet, her ability to curl up with a book on the couch for hours and her interest in discussing the characters and plot lines.
Of course she loved everything physical about Dani, her scrumptious lips and talented hands. She loved the way their bodies moved together and rested together. She noticed small intimacies too, how Dani reached across a table to trace Hope’s hand or rested her hand familiarly on her thigh when they drove somewhere together.
Watching Dani interact with Halley made Hope love her all the more. She appreciated the way Dani encouraged her sister to explore her talent with horses and how easily they talked with each other. More often than not, their laughter alerted Hope to the fact that Dani had stopped by for her coffee or for a meal. Not wanting to intrude on their discussions, Hope usually waited for Dani to find her in her office, but the level of animation in her sister’s voice piqued her curiosity. Hope stood up from her desk and stretched, allowing herself a break.
She noted Dani’s smile when she emerged from the office and added another item to her list of what she loved about this woman—how she allowed Hope to set the perimeter of how much they showed affection in public. With many customers present in the diner, Hope settled for a discreet cupping of Dani’s shoulder as she joined them.
“What’s got you so excited?” she asked her sister.
“We’ve been talking about Eights and how awesome she’s doing out at the ranch.”
Hope turned a cautious eye to Dani. She understood that Dani wanted to continue to work with the mare but had felt more comfortable when Gabe was helping her out. She knew that Dani had recently ridden the mare without incident, but she didn’t trust the horse not to blow again. She didn’t know that she would ever really trust Eights. She wasn’t even the one who’d been bucked off, yet the two people she loved most in the world were talking about exposing themselves to what she saw as more danger.
“When Gabe took her out into the pasture, I got to wondering if she’s been bucking just because she’s cooped up. Encourage the forward movement, and maybe we’ll resolve the issue,” Dani said.
Hope frowned. “I thought the whole point of the round corral was to work in a safer space.”
Dani shrugged. “It’s all I have left. The only other explanation is that the students are doing something to scare her at school, but I don’t have a way of testing that without having someone out to the ranch to ride her and eliminate that possibility.”
“I’ll ride her again,” Halley said without missing a beat.
“No you won’t,” Hope interjected.
“Sure I will. Dani said she hasn’t had any more bucking fits since she came off.”
“And we’re all remembering how spectacular that was, aren’t we?”
Dani rested her hand on Hope’s forearm. “Don’t worry. I can’t accept Halley’s offer. I couldn’t risk a student being injured off campus.”
“I won’t ride her as your student. As your future sister-in-law, I’m family, right?”
Hope blinked back her surprise at Halley’s comment, and her face clouded at Dani’s bright expression.
Dani dropped her head, acquiescing to Hope. “You’re right. It’d be a mistake to put a green rider on her when she’s been so unpredictable.”
“Thank you,” Hope said.
“When you said I could do the training class, you said I’m a natural at this,” Halley complained. “I’m used to Hope’s overprotective worries, but this is my choice. What’s the difference between your letting me get on Eights in the school round corral or the one out at Gabe’s place?”
“Back when that boy in your class got bucked off, you said you weren’t going anywhere near that horse again,” Hope said.
“I was embarrassed to get back on her in front of the class, but it’ll just be me and Dani. I’m cool with that. I want to try again.”
The hopeful look had returned to Dani’s face. “I don’t even want you on that horse,” Hope snapped at Dani. She turned her frustration on Halley as well. “But do either of you listen to me?”
“She’s been fine,” said Dani.
Halley’s eyes danced. She clearly sided with her professor, deepening Hope’s frustration.
“She’s dangerous. Why do you refuse to acknowledge that?” She turned on her heel and disappeared into the office furious with the pair of them. She tried to return to planning out the schedule for next week to give herself some time off during Dani’s spring break but couldn’t concentrate. Feeling as she did now, she didn’t even want to go on the short out-of-town trip they’d planned.
She and Dani had disagreed about the horse before, but she had deferred to Dani’s training and experience when it came to making the ultimate decision. That she was even considering putting her sister on the horse made her livid, and the longer the two women plotted, the more time she had to develop both sides of the argument in her head. She anticipated Dani’s points and found fault in all of them. By the time Dani slipped in to say goodbye, she’d been through their fight three or four times and tensed when Dani kissed her cheek.
Dani squatted next to the chair, forcing Hope to acknowledge her. “I know you worry about us both, but if Halley is serious about horses, this is a great opportunity for her.”
“I don’t know why you’re bothering to say anything. You’ve clearly made up your own mind and don’t care what I think.” Dani rocked back on her heels openly appraising Hope, which raised her hackles more. She hated the way Dani remained level-headed, that she refused to get upset and engage in battle. “Do what you want,” she said, sweeping up her keys. “I’ve got errands to run.”
She fumed up and down the aisles of the supermarket, picking up the groceries for Mrs. Wheeler. Did Dani need someone to break something before she would admit defeat with the mustang? She had a perfectly good and safe horse to ride and plenty of colts and fillies that the campus had for training. She couldn’t understand Dani’s pigheadedness.
At Mrs. Wheeler’s, she tried to paste on a more pleasant face, knowing the older woman looked forward to visiting with her each week. Her kitchen was warm and smelled sweet. Hope tried to breathe that sweetness into herself as she unloaded the groceries.
“What’s got you in such a piss-pot mood?” Karen Wheeler asked, not falling for Hope’s act. After drying her hands on her apron, she patted her wavy salt-and-pepper hair unnecessarily. Like everything else in Mrs. Wheeler’s life, it behaved perfectly. Her genuine smile cut deep lines in her weathered face.
Hope happily unloaded her displeasure with Halley and Dani, slamming cans into their place to accentuate the points that Dani had refused to listen to. Having finally voiced all of her concerns and shelved all the items she’d purchased, she dropped into a seat across from Mrs. Wheeler.
“Have a cookie, dear. You’ve certainly worked yourself into a tizzy.”
Hope smiled at the woman who
had always felt like a grandmother to her, especially when she encouraged sweets. She accepted one of the chocolate chip cookies and grumbled about how she wouldn’t have to if only certain people would listen to her.
Mrs. Wheeler laughed. “I’m used to you mothering Halley, which she hardly needs anymore. You know that she’s a grown woman and can make her own choices. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as worked up as this Dani has made you. This seems like something bigger than that little horse, hmm?”
Hope studied the older woman’s eyes, full of youthful twinkle, wondering if she was insinuating what she thought. She’d met Mrs. Wheeler when her mother began pasturing her horse with the widow. Hope remembered talking to Mrs. Wheeler when she’d been allowed to tag along with her mother. Digging into her memory, she found that the woman always had her tiny cookies on hand and encouraged Hope to help herself from the rooster cookie jar that sat on her kitchen counter.
After her mother’s death, her father had sold the horse, and there had been a gap where she hadn’t seen or talked to Mrs. Wheeler. It was only after she returned from college and had started helping her with errands that they talked more. Helping her in the garden had led to expanding the plots which afforded Mrs. Wheeler a small income selling her delicious salsa. As a bonus, Hope grew much of the food there for the diner as well.
Though she was always friendly to Mrs. Wheeler, if asked, she wouldn’t have said the two knew each other very well or were especially close, so her pointed question threw Hope. She was forced to consider that Mrs. Wheeler knew her better than she thought. One minute, she’d been enjoying the way that her sister and Dani got on, and the next she was bitching at them both. Unwilling to explain further about why Halley and Dani’s plotting to ride the horse out at the ranch bothered her so much, Hope thanked Mrs. Wheeler for the cookies and headed for Pauline’s.
Chapter Forty
Springtime warmed the valley, melting the snow and blowing the heavy cloud of woodsmoke from the air. Though the pines kept a fairly constant backdrop of green, Hope watched the buds on the deciduous trees, eager for their variance and for the ground to warm enough for her to get started on the garden out at Mrs. Wheeler’s farm. While riding and barn chores kept Dani outdoors year-round, the seasons made a drastic difference to Hope who spent much more time outside as the days lengthened and the sun took the edge off the crisp mountain days.
The Right Thing Easy Page 21