by Kim Fox
***
Rory took a deep breath as he sat in Candice’s chair, inhaling her sweet scent. It was the middle of the night and the inn was closed but he felt compelled to come in and sit in her chair behind the reception desk.
It had been a long and painful night but his face was healed, his heart was healed and he was excited to move on.
He no longer felt like he had to be loyal to Nikki anymore. They weren’t dating, they weren’t mates, they weren’t friends, they weren’t anything.
For the first time in a long time, he was free.
But it wouldn’t last long.
I’m going to ask Candice out tomorrow.
five
“I don’t want to be here, Bubbles,” Candice muttered as she walked into the inn and placed her bag under the desk.
She had been feeling shitty all night, ever since she’d met Rory’s mate.
Candice really liked him and she thought that he liked her too, so it had come as a real shocker when she found out that he was already taken. By a galactic super bitch on top of it all.
Bubbles swam in the fishbowl, watching her closely. She understood. Bubbles always understood.
“I just want to curl up in bed, watch Sex in the City and eat Oreos all day,” Candice said, slumping down in the chair. She pressed her fingertip against the cold glass of the fishbowl. “Are you with me?”
Bubbles swam forward, trying to give her a fishy fist bump but the glass got in the way.
“That’s my girl,” Candice said, smiling. “You’re such a Samantha, Bubbles.”
She perked up as the door opened and Ashton walked in. “You’re not allowed in here,” she said with a smile. “You’re on your honeymoon!”
Ashton laughed as he walked over, leaning on the desk with a smile. “I’m here to replace you for the day.”
“What?” she asked, jerking her head back in surprise. “Am I getting fired?”
“No,” he said with a laugh. He walked around the desk and pulled out her chair with Candice still in it. “Sorry, alpha orders. Get up!”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, still unsure as she slowly stood up.
“It’s a beautiful summer day out there in sunny Montana,” he said, plopping in her chair. “Go enjoy it. You have the day off.”
Candice cocked her head to the side as her eyebrows squished together. “Really?” she asked, still thinking that it must be a joke or something.
“Yup,” Ashton said, poking the fishbowl with his finger, making Bubbles swim away in a panic.
“But you’re on your honeymoon,” Candice said.
“Take it up with Joan,” he said, grabbing a pencil and shoving it into the electric sharpener. “Her orders.”
Candice couldn’t enjoy the day if Ashton was stuck in here while he was supposed to be with his beautiful bride. “I feel bad.”
“Don’t,” he said, tossing the sharpened pencil aside and grabbing another one. “I just dropped Lauren off at the rafting place for the day. Her coworker Kaholo screwed up the paperwork again and she has to go in and fix it. I have nothing to do,” he said, sharpening the pencil. “Have you ever stuck your finger in here?”
“Can’t say that I have,” she said, watching him carefully. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Will you go already?” he snapped, grinning at her. “Before I change my mind.”
“Maybe just a short walk,” she said, hurrying to the door.
Candice stepped outside and smiled wide as the sun washed down on her face. Nothing felt as good as sunshine on your face when you were supposed to be inside working.
I’m sorry, Bubbles. I’d take you if I could.
Candice smiled. I’m sure she won’t mind. She gets to stare at a hot bear shifter all day.
She walked around the inn and gasped when she saw Rory waiting there for her.
“Oh,” she said, startled by him. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said, taking a deep breath.
She stood there awkwardly, fidgeting with her hands. She hated that it was awkward with Rory. It was never awkward with Rory.
“I should explain about yesterday,” he said, clearing his throat.
“No, you don’t have to,” she said, shaking her head. She suddenly stopped and stared at him. “Yeah, who was that?”
Rory sighed. “This girl that I used to date back when I didn’t know any better. It’s all over now.”
Candice nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. “She told me that she is your mate. Is that true?”
“No!” he spat out, nearly choking on his words. “Definitely not!”
“Oh,” she said, taking a relieved breath. “That’s good to know.”
“It is?” he asked, his eyes widening as he watched her.
She bit her bottom lip as she nodded. “Yeah. It’s good to know.”
They both grinned and smiled as they watched each other for a moment, the unsaid words hanging between them that they both knew were on the tips of their lips.
“So,” she said, swinging her shoulders. “I have the day off.”
“Really,” he said with a nod.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?”
“Maybe a little,” he said, smiling that sexy smile of his. “Want to go horseback riding?”
Candice could have kissed him. “I sure do, cowboy!”
***
Rory glanced at Candice as the horse backed away from him, neighing and shaking his head wildly.
This isn’t starting out too well.
They were at the Vega Ranch, borrowing two horses from the Vega Brothers. Julius and his mate Ava were trying to help them out but the horses weren’t cooperating.
“Can you smell a little less like a wolf?” Julius asked, struggling to hold onto the bucking horse who couldn’t get away from Rory fast enough.
“Not really,” Rory muttered to himself.
Ava was so apologetic. “We have had problems with wolves trying to sneak into the stables,” she explained. “They must smell your wolf and that’s what’s freaking them out.”
Freaking out was an understatement. All of the horses were acting like the stable was on fire.
“Why don’t we just go out for a nice lunch instead?” Candice said.
“What about this one?” Rory asked, pointing to a huge black stallion in the stall near the door. He was enormous and didn’t look afraid at all.
“That’s Aristotle,” Ava said. “He’s Alexander’s horse.”
Rory was in awe as he walked over, staring at the magnificent stallion. If he was strong enough to carry Alexander, the huge polar bear shifter, he was strong enough to carry him and Candice.
He slowly stuck his hand through the wooden slats and the horse stepped forward, sniffing his palm with his rough skin. He wasn’t afraid at all. But of course, he looked like he could handle a few pesky wolves.
Rory was so mesmerized by the horse that he didn’t notice Candice walking over. She stood beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder as she reached out to pet the horse.
“Would Alexander mind?” Rory asked.
“Probably,” Julius said with a grin. “But we don’t have to tell him.”
They brought Aristotle out and Rory climbed up on his wide back. They didn’t use a saddle so that they could both ride on him. The horse easily carried them both on his strong legs and powerful back.
Candice sat behind Rory, holding his body tight as Aristotle trotted across the valley. He smiled as her perky breasts pressed up against his back and her luscious thighs squeezed his waist.
Rory smiled, feeling like a real cowboy as they toured the Vega Ranch, heading over the rolling hills, through the majestic meadows, crossing the slow moving rivers and galloping around the sparkling lake.
It was a gorgeous day spent with a gorgeous girl and Rory couldn’t have been happier.
They let Aristotle take a break, even though he didn’t
look like he needed one, and sat down under a large weeping willow by the lake.
“Look,” Candice said as three ducks flew down, skidding across the lake as they landed. “They’re so beautiful.”
Rory couldn’t take his eyes off of her to look. She was prettier than any ducks that he’d ever seen.
Her amber eyes were sparkling in the sunlight over the beautiful freckles dotting her upper cheeks. He couldn’t believe that he was able to hold his feelings for her back for this long. Now that he no longer felt that he had to be loyal to Nikki, his feelings for Candice were swelling like a balloon.
It was always so easy with Candice, so natural. Nikki had been the opposite. It was always so hard with her. She was never happy, never satisfied, always upset at him for one thing or another. He could never win with her.
It’s all over now. You were young and stupid, and you won’t make that mistake again.
“I can’t believe you dated that woman,” Candice said with a laugh. “She must have been a nightmare.”
“She was,” Rory said, picking up a rock and tossing it into the water. “I always thought the problem was me.”
“It wasn’t you,” Candice said with a chuckle. “It was definitely not you. She is a piece of work.”
Rory shook his head, thinking back on it. “I was pumped up with hormones and I didn’t know any better.”
Candice gave him a comforting smile. “We’ve all made those kinds of mistakes when we were young,” she said.
“Did you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Tony Mitchell.”
Rory hated him already.
“He had the coolest eight-speed bike,” she said, laughing. “I thought he was so cool. He said the F word and he even smoked cigarettes.”
“Sounds like a catch.”
“He wasn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “He stole my favorite pencil case and threw it in the river. I was crushed.”
They relaxed under the soothing weeping willow as the gentle breeze tickled the soft hanging branches. They laughed as they told stories about their exes.
“I thought I was cursed,” she said, inching a little closer to him. She turned to him, looking up with soft, beautiful eyes. “Until I met you.”
The moment was too perfect to resist. Rory leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.
“Mmmm,” she said, licking her lips when it was over. “Worth waiting for.”
“Definitely worth waiting for,” Rory said before kissing her again.
He wrapped his arms around her perfect body and kissed her with all of the passion and desire that he had kept suppressed for so long.
They stayed like that for a long time with their lips locked and their tongues dancing.
“I think we have an audience,” she said, smiling when they finally pulled away.
Rory laughed. All three ducks were watching them from the lake, quacking for more.
He held Candice close as they watched with a smile on their tingling lips.
“I’ve never kissed a cowboy before,” she said, looking up at him with a grin.
Rory slid his finger across the rim of his hat. “And?”
“I liked it,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “Cowboys are good kissers.”
He squeezed her tight and laughed. “Just don’t go kissing any other cowboys,” he said. You’re all mine.
“Deal.”
Candice laughed when she looked to the left. “Hey cowboy,” she said, grinning. “Our ride is riding home without us.”
Rory jumped up when he saw what she was looking at. The huge black stallion, Aristotle was across the meadow, running wild.
“How did he get loose?” Rory asked, glancing at the tree that he was sure he tied the horse to.
“Did they not teach you how to make a knot in cowboy school?” she asked, teasing him.
“I was too busy learning how to kiss a cowgirl,” he said, grinning back at her.
She jumped to her feet, licking her lips. “Good choice.”
They ran through the meadow toward the crazed horse but every time they got close, the horse would just speed up, sprinting in all directions like a mad man.
“You circle around that way,” Rory said, laughing as they tried to reel him in. “And I’ll go this way.”
Candice ran around to the back while Rory tried to close the distance but the horse broke through the gap, sprinting away like his tail was on fire.
“We suck!” Candice said, laughing. “Why does our horse hate us?”
They tried again with a different approach. But Aristotle was quick and when he pivoted at the last second, Rory slipped trying to catch him and fell into the dirt.
Candice was bent over, clutching her ribs from laughing so hard.
Her laughter was contagious and before long they were beside each other laughing like crazy as the horse sprinted back to the lake.
“Maybe we should call a taxi,” Rory said, wiping his eyes.
“Or maybe,” she said, pulling him down into the long grass of the meadow, “we can hang out here for a bit.”
She pulled his collar toward her until his lips came down on hers in a soft kiss.
Rory didn’t care if Aristotle ever came back. He was happy right here.
Just like this.
six
“I love this song,” Candice said, turning up the volume on the radio.
She leaned over the console between her and Rory and rested her head on his round bicep, enjoying the soft sound of The Lumineers singing to them.
Today had been unreal. Candice had spent a magical day with Rory, touring the Vega Ranch on horseback and taking breaks to lay around in the soft grass and relax. They spent much of the day kissing and fooling around, and Candice couldn’t have been happier.
He was so hot and such a good kisser. She giggled as she licked her lips, remembering how they tingled when his lips were on hers.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, looking down at her as they drove.
“Nothing,” she said, wrapping her arms around his body like a second seatbelt. “Today was just unexpected. It was a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”
He took a hand off of the steering wheel and threaded his fingers through her hair, making her moan. “It was long overdue.”
After they finally caught the crazy horse and dropped him back at the stables, Rory took her out to a delicious dinner at the Steakhouse in town. They had the corner table beside the fireplace and it was all very romantic. She was really falling for him hard now.
They pulled into the Wilde Ranch and Candice sighed when she saw her car parked beside the others. She didn’t want this perfect day to end.
She sat back in the seat, staring ahead at the dark forest with a smile on her face as The Lumineers sang to her. “And I won't leave until you come downsta-”
Rory cut the engine, shutting off the lights and song. He turned to her with a smirk on his lips.
“This day flew by.”
“I know,” she said, resting her head on the back of the seat. “The best first dates usually do.”
“Should we keep it going?” he asked, “or quit while we’re ahead?”
She smiled as she thought about it. “I could go for another hour or two.”
“Good,” he said, opening the door with a new burst of energy. “Let’s do it!”
They got out of the pickup truck and walked toward the inn, holding hands. Everything felt so easy with Rory. So simple. It felt like there would only be smooth sailing up ahead.
“The crew is still up,” Rory said, looking over at the campfire by the trailers. Their laughter was being carried over by the cool night breeze.
Candice had always been a little jealous of the crew’s friendship. They always hung around the campfire at night, laughing and telling stories. It always looked like so much fun, especially when she had to go back home to a lonely apartment. She had often looked at Jennifer curled up with Cole or Lauren snuggled on Ashton’s l
ap and wished that she could do the same with Rory.
“We can go over and hang out,” she said, excited that she could get to be a part of the group.
“Really?” he asked. “I didn’t think that you’d want to hang out with my friends.”
Candice was a bit confused until she remembered who Rory had dated before her. “I’m not like the other girl that you dated,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I play nice around other people.”
They headed over, holding hands as they walked. Cole was in the middle of a story that had everyone laughing.
“Wait,” Joan said, waving her hands in the air. “Candice, Rory, come sit down. You have to hear this!” She could barely talk, she was laughing so hard. “Cole, start over.”
Cole bounced up and down on his feet, looking excited to have a bigger audience.
Candice and Rory sat down in two empty seats beside each other. She smiled as he brought his chair right beside hers as close as possible without sitting on her lap.
The fire was roaring in front of her, warming her feet up as it crackled and popped. The stars were out over her head, she was curled up next to her crush, all she was missing was a-
“Beer?” Ashton asked, opening the cooler. “I have light, strong, and what-the-fuck.”
“I’ll take a what-the-fuck,” Candice said.
Rory grinned at her. “Make that two.”
Ashton tossed them each a can. The first one sailed over the flames of the fire and landed in Candice’s hands. She cracked open the tab and took a sip of the incredibly strong beer. It was so harsh that it made her eyes water.
I should have taken the strong. But she wasn’t about to change it now. Rory looked so proud that his girl could handle a what-the-fuck beer.
“Okay, start,” Joan said, still laughing as she watched Cole. “From the beginning.”
Cole turned to Candice with a big smile. “Okay, so I was-”
“Tell her about the part with the flying wiener.”
“I’m trying to,” Cole said, flashing Joan a look. “Okay, so I was-”