by Amelia Shea
“That’s exactly what I expect, darlin’.”
Grey could hear her soft breath on the line. He wished he was there, to see her face, get a read on what she was thinking. He knew Tripp had planted a world of doubt in her head. He even understood. What he had for her, what he felt? Everything between them was real, and he needed her to understand.
This wasn’t getting him anywhere. He needed to see her.
“Darlin’, I’m gonna hang up now, gotta see how fast I can get a flight back. I’ll text you the details. When I get home, I expect you to be there, you understand?”
He cursed his demand. Her silence was not a good sign.
“You still there?”
“Yes,” she muttered.
He shook his head and laughed. There was no humor behind it. It was the kind of laugh a person gave when he believed the fates were stepping in and blocking his destiny. “I imagined the first time I said I love you, you would actually be standing in front of me. I imagined you seeing my love in my eyes. You’d know what I felt before those three words slipped past my lips. I should have said it sooner so you would know how I looked when I said them.” He paused. “I love you, Britt. I’ve never spoken more truthful words in my life.” It was an admission that was a long time coming. He promised himself, if he did get her back, he’d say those words to her every chance he got.
“I wish I could see your eyes too,” she whispered.
For the first time in three days, he could breathe easy.
“Let me see how fast I can catch a flight, darlin’. Britt, promise me you will be there. No running. Just flew across the country for you, now I’m gonna fly back for you. Don’t make me chase you again.” His voice rumbled. “’Cause I will, Britt.”
Her voice was low. “I’ll be here.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Britt sat on her front porch steps, taking the last swallow of her coffee. This had been the longest ten hours of her life. She spent last night tossing and turning, getting no sleep, cursing herself for not hearing him out the night of the dinner. She replayed everything that went down and kept seeing Grey’s regretful face begging her to let him explain.
Everything he said on the phone yesterday, he was right. She just assumed what Tripp said was the truth. Why? Did she have so little faith in their relationship? He didn’t deny it. Although she had to admit, she didn’t give him a chance. She was so hurt and upset she let her emotions take over and shut him out.
I love you, Britt. His words played over and over in her head.
This was so messed up. How could their relationship go from damn near perfect to completely fucked in a matter of hours? Fucking prick bastard, Tripp. Feeling regret of her own, she knew Tripp was only a small part of the issue. The bigger issue was she didn’t trust in Grey the way she should have. She heard the worst and assumed it was fact. That was on her.
She had spoken to Darcy about five hours ago, after she listened to all nine frantic messages.
“Did he leave yet?”
“Yeah, Marcus drove him to the airport and he took the red eye. Oddly enough, Marcus and Grey got along really well when they no longer wanted to beat the crap out of one another.” Darcy laughed.
Britt snickered, almost wishing she could have watched the whole scene Darcy described.
“I liked him too, ya know, in case you’re wondering.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell yeah! He’s hot as hell. They make them yummy in Montana, huh?’
Britt giggled. “Yes, they do.”
“I also buy his story, Britt. Should have seen him, he was wrecked. I don’t get the whole land thing but the man I saw last night wasn’t a guy after property. He was a man coming for his woman. Hear him out, Britt.” Her voice got soft. “I’d hate for you to give up this thing you got with him over a misunderstanding. You deserve a guy who’s gonna love you, Britt. And that man loves you.”
“Thanks, Darcy, for everything. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I’m kind of bummed you didn’t come home. At least I would have gotten to see you before your cowboy came to whisk you back to Montana.”
Britt giggled. “Guess you will just have to come see me here.”
Darcy sighed. “Me on a ranch? Should be interesting.” She laughed. “Look, gotta run. I’m already late but call me tonight, okay?”
“Okay.”
Her call with Darcy had been a few hours ago. She had gotten a text from Grey when he landed over an hour ago. She’d gotten nothing since.
“Hey.”
She looked over to see Lucas at the end on the porch.
“Hey.”
“He on his way?”
Britt shrugged. “Maybe. Got a text he was at the airport when he landed but nothing since.” She snorted. “Maybe he changed his mind about me.”
Lucas looked over his shoulder, around the house. From where she was sitting she couldn’t see what he was looking at. He looked impassive, not showing any emotion. His head tilted back to her. “Maybe not.” He backed up and turned to the barn.
She was watching Lucas’ back when Grey appeared in the spot Lucas had vacated. He had his usual cowboy uniform on—jeans, collared shirt, and boots. His hat hung low, the brim grazing his eyes.
Neither of them spoke a word and just stared at each other. Those blue eyes locked on hers. They were saying so much without saying a word. I love you, Britt.
Grey stalked over to her, leaning down, taking her hand in his and pulling her up. Without a word, he led her around the house. She saw Bullet, his horse, grazing in the back.
He let go of her hand and untied the horse from the rail of the back fence. She took a step to him. “Grey.”
He turned around and gripped her hips, catching her by surprise. He heaved her up onto his horse. She grabbed Bullet’s mane, her heart racing, her thighs locking around the horse. What the hell was he doing? She had no time to question him because he was mounting behind her.
Settling on Bullet, his body flush with hers, he grabbed the reins and edged the horse to a trot. She knew from the path where they were going. The Point had one way in and one way out. The ride up was about ten minutes, and they did it in silence.
Once at the top, Grey dismounted and tied the horse to the large oak. She waited for him to help her down, but he didn’t. Instead he walked toward the edge of the point. He stopped with his back to her and just stood.
Britt slid off the horse and adjusted her jeans. Folding her arms, she walked over to where he stood. It was a beautiful day. Hot, of course, but there was a warm breeze and the sky was blue.
She turned to Grey’s profile. He looked deep in thought.
“I thought only someone who grew up here could appreciate what I saw when I look at my land. See the beauty of it. I remember watching you stand here when you took the tour. I couldn’t figure out what you were doing, what you were seeing.” He snorted. “I was sure you couldn’t see what I saw. You didn’t grow up with this land, these views. Not a chance you could appreciate it, not like me.”
“Then I saw you.” He looked over at her, his eyes warm. “I saw you sitting up here and I saw it. You looked beautiful, hair shining, your face solemn, at peace. I saw you close your eyes against the sun and I knew it. You saw what I see when I look out. That was the moment I fell in love with you.”
Britt looked out at the point with her eyes tearing up, seeing what she always saw. Cal’s dream, which had warped into her own. Ironic, a girl who grew up in the city streets with sidewalks, traffic, and the bustle of a thousand people, could feel truly at home on a quiet ranch with mountain views and content peace.
He turned around to face her, staring intently.
“I didn’t deny it because I couldn’t. There was a small truth in the tale Tripp told. But if I’m going to explain, I need to start from the beginning. Will you let me explain?”
She nodded and stared down at his hands as he clasped them together with hers. “My connection to y
ou was instant the moment I set eyes on you. Foolishly, I thought, what a lucky guy I was. Not only was I getting my land but I may just be getting to spend some time with you. Then when you changed your mind, I got angry. It may not have been fair to you but it’s the truth. The night with Jasper and Tripp, all of us were so angry we weren’t getting back what we deemed as ours. We spent hours drinking whiskey to wallow in our self-pity. For my brothers, they were grieving the loss of Gracie Point but for me I had a double hardship, I lost the land and the girl of my dreams in a matter of seconds.”
“Sweet talking me, Grey?”
Grey smiled, sliding his hand up to her cheek. “It’s the truth. That scheme came from Tripp’s mouth not mine. I’ll admit I was amused by it. Not the plan but that my brother, who I share blood with, could be such an idiotic prick. Mostly Jas and I just laughed at Tripp coming up with the ridiculous plot. It was my mistake. And I should have shut him down the same way I did when he mentioned it again and I nearly handed him his ass.”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
He conceded, “It would have been a long time coming, trust me.”
He lowered his head to rest his forehead against hers. “Everything with us was real, still is real.”
She hated the ugly green monster creeping up in her head. If he was giving her full disclosure, then she wanted to know everything.
“What about Joanne?”
His face clouded in confusion. “What about her?”
“She said when the plan was done, you’d finally get back to you and her.”
Grey’s eyes widened and he burst out laughing. Britt tried to pull away, taking notice of his humor, but again, he wasn’t denying it. She pulled away, but he clasped his fingers through hers. He cocked his head.
“Darlin’, I’m not sure what the hell she was thinking but Joanne and I have gone on exactly one date. It didn’t even end with a kiss. I have never touched her. We went out once, and five minutes into the night, I realized it was a mistake.” He raised his eyebrows. “My date with Joanne was about six months ago, long before I even knew Britt Montgomery existed.”
“So, now what? Where does that leave us?”
He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her into his chest. She grazed her fingers over his arms, looking up.
“Depends, do you believe me?”
Looking at him, seeing the honesty, she nodded. He was telling her the truth. Although she didn’t like that there was any talk, even joking about her, she took it for what it was. They didn’t know her, he was angry. Hell, she probably would have done the same thing.
Hugging his arms around her waist, he pulled her off her feet, landing his lips on hers. It had felt like forever since she’d kissed him and he took his time, stroking her eager mouth. Her hands cupped his jaw, angling her head to deepen their kiss.
Grey lifted his head. “To answer your question, this leaves you and I, together, hopefully naked in my bed in record-breaking time.”
She giggled, tossing her arms around his neck.
Grey carried her back to the horse and they did make it back to his house in record breaking time. Spending the next day, together, naked in his bed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Britt stood in front of Grey’s porch, eyeing the empty flower bed. Armed with five flats of flowers and all the tools she’d need, she was determined to get it done. She tapped her finger against her lip, deep in thought. How hard could it be?
“Plant shrubs. It’s less maintenance.” The burly voice came from her left. Even without looking she knew who it was.
She shook her head, focusing on her clean canvas of dirt. “Shrubs are neat and orderly, they have no flair. I want it to say welcome to our home.” She spread her arms as if she was a game show host and grinned. Then she dropped her arms and shrugged. “Not, yeah, we live here.”
Mr. Fords chuckled. He seemed to do that a lot around Britt now. A lot had changed in the past two months.
He sauntered over to the porch and took a seat on the top step. She hadn’t had many conversations one on one with him, but there had been a few. She was learning the head of the family wasn’t at all as he appeared. Oh, he was stern and all business when it came to the ranch and how it was run. However, there was a softer side. Although, she had her doubts many people ever saw the lighter side of Edward Fords.
“You set for the season?” he asked.
“Yep, Lucas has got everything done and prepped. We should be starting as early as next week.”
“Need extra hands?”
Britt smiled as she walked over toward him. She leaned against the railing and rested her foot on the bottom step. “No, we’re good.” She smirked and cocked a brow. “Do you need any help?” The question earned her a hearty laugh.
While Whisper Point and the Triple R ranch remained two separate properties, help was always offered. She had taken it a few times. However, with the hiring of two more ranch hands, they were set.
“Looks like you found your calling. Who would have thought?”
“Not you, that’s for sure.”
He shook his head. “No, not me.” He glanced up at Britt. His lips tightened in a line. His demeanor changed and became serious. “I wouldn’t have chosen you for Grey.”
Her smile faltered and she hoped he missed it. She didn’t doubt she wouldn’t have been top choice for his son as a wife. However, she could have done without hearing him actually say it.
“Ouch.” She scoffed with a smile, playing off the dig. It hurt, though, like a punch in the gut.
“It’s true. I would have chosen differently for Greyson.”
And the hits just keep on coming.
This was quite the blow to her ego. She took a deep breath and glanced down at her sneakers. Forget the sucker punch to the stomach, she now felt the stabbing to her heart. She had to wonder if he was trying to make her cry. She wouldn’t do it. Grey and Britt loved each other, and nothing else mattered.
“Do you think your father would have chosen Greyson?”
Her head remained bowed, but she glanced up to meet Mr. Fords’ gaze, answering without a second thought. “Yes.”
He smiled thoughtfully. “My father would have picked Mrs. Fords for me too. She would have been his top choice. In fact, he sat me down after our first date and told me I’d be a fool not to marry her.” He shrugged. “His opinion had no bearing on my decision to make her my wife. I didn’t need him to tell she was the one for me. I knew it five minutes into our first date.”
There was the sweet and soft side only a select few got to see. As much as this conversation was not going in Britt’s favor, she couldn’t help but give him a slight smile. His head tilted to the side and the corner of his eyes wrinkled.
“Now ask me if I would have been her daddy’s first choice as a husband.”
Britt raised her eyebrows.
Mr. Fords smirked before clearing his throat. “His exact words were ‘Boy, you’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell of ever taking my daughter for your wife.’ Then he told me to get off his land or he would shoot me and bury my body where no man would ever find it.”
Britt was stunned. She couldn’t imagine anyone talking to Mr. Fords like that and living to tell about it.
“How’d you win him over?”
“I didn’t. The man is ninety-seven years old and every time we go visit him in the home, he makes a point of telling my wife she still has time to leave me and marry someone else.”
Britt burst out laughing.
“So, you see, Britt, you and I are more alike than you may think. We may not have been the first choice but we were the best choice.”
Her eyes welled up. She was pretty sure his words were the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. Coming from Grey’s dad, she didn’t realize how important it was to be accepted by him. She kept telling herself, as long as Grey loved her, his family would fall into line. To hear it from his dad, her heart swelled. She had a sudden urge to hug him,
but he got up from the stairs quickly.
“I still think shrubs would be better,” he said, walking past her. His hand landed on her shoulder and gave a squeeze before he walked away. They would have to work up to the hugs. She wiped her tears.
He was about ten feet away when she shouted, “I knew you liked me.”
He continued down the path without looking back and said, “You’re growing on me.”
She watched him until he rounded the barn and disappeared.
»»•««
Grey stopped his truck short in front of the garage, his eyes narrowing in on the tight backside bent over the flowerbed in front of his porch. Long tan legs in flip flops and cut off shorts showed off the curve of her ass cheeks, and a pink tank top. His girl.
He hopped out of the truck and stalked over to her. She barely had time to get up before he had his arms around her waist, hoisting her over his shoulder.
“Grey.” She screeched, followed by a soft giggle. “What are you doing? I’m not done with the flowers yet.”
He snarled, his hand landing on her ass and squeezing. “Oh, you’re done. Can’t expect a man to come home, see his woman bent over looking like a sexy pin-up cowgirl and not take her to bed.”
He stalked through the house down the hall, turning into his room to drop her on the bed.
“I’m sweaty and gross,” she protested.
Grey didn’t care. He wanted her, and he had to have her now. His cock was demanding it.
“Please…” she pleaded.
He smiled at the idea popping into his head. He turned around, walking out of his room and into the bathroom. He let her down, backing up a foot and folded his arms.
“Thank you. I’ll be quick.” She winked.
“No need to make it quick, darlin’.” His gaze followed her body to her toes back up to her face. He smirked. “Strip for me.”
“Will you be joining me?”
“Hell yeah.” His voice lowered to a deep growl. “Now, what did I tell you?”
Britt kicked off her flip flops and leaned into the shower stall, turning on the water. Taking a step in front of him, she kept her eyes on his while pulling off her shirt. Reaching around her back, she unclasped her bra, letting it fall off her shoulders to the floor.