“I thought she was just being nice.” Margie had asked those questions the first time she stopped in at the diner.
“Oh, she was,” Ross agreed. “Margie is very nice, but she also can get the lowdown on someone in five minutes. According to Margie, once word got around that bozo here was in the library every week, the entire single female population of Trusty became avid readers.”
“What?” Wes snapped.
“That makes total sense.” Callie nodded. “I didn’t have any comparison since I had only started when you came in that first week. Wes, that makes sense. Think about Tiffany and—”
“Dempsey?” Ross asked.
“Who else?” Wes answered.
“Shit. And Callie…” Ross laughed again and covered it with a cough. “Sorry. You’re picking out books for him and watching women leach on to him? And you’re still with him?”
Wes punched him in the arm.
Ross grabbed his arm. “Shit, Wes. Think about it. Would you like it if Callie came to the ranch and Cutter or Chip hit on her?”
Wes’s jaw clenched. Callie felt him tighten his grip on her hip.
She crouched beside Sweets to escape the heated—and awkward—conversation. “It’s okay, sweetie. The boys are just fluffing their tail feathers.”
“Well, I’ll put a stop to all that,” Wes said in a serious voice.
Ross laughed. “Right. Good luck with that. I have to get back to town. I’ll be sure to tell Margie you two are an item.”
“Good. Thank you.” Wes embraced him. “Thanks for coming out.”
Ross opened his arms toward Callie. “Step on in here, Callie.”
She moved into his arms, grateful for his easy nature. “It was nice to meet you, Ross.”
“You, too. You did good with Sweets.” He ruffled Sweets’s head. “The webbing on her paws will be fine in no time. As you can see, she’s no worse for the wear.”
Wes reached for Callie’s hand and drew her into his arms again.
Ross picked up his medical bag and shook his head. “My brothers are falling like flies. I’m going to have to stop drinking the water.”
Wes planted a kiss on Callie’s cheek. “Or maybe you should guzzle it.”
Chapter Twenty
“THIS IS AWFUL, but I thought he’d never leave.” Wes leaned his butt against the desk, and Callie stood between his legs. Her hair was disheveled, and she had dark crescents under her eyes. When she leaned her cheek against his chest on a restful sigh, the way her body melded to his told him she was flat-out exhausted. He gathered her hair in one hand and kissed her shoulder.
“Think your friends would mind if you stayed with me tonight?”
“Mm-mm.”
“Butch is bringing our gear down from the camp. You can soak in my Jacuzzi tub and I’ll spoil you.”
“That sounds nice.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Can we stop by the cabin and let them know, so they won’t worry?”
“Of course. Let’s take the four-wheeler so you don’t have to walk.” He kissed her cheek. “I haven’t gotten to thank you for rescuing Sweets.” He glanced over her shoulder at Sweets, curled up and half asleep by their feet. “Thank you.”
“I love Sweets,” she whispered. “I love you.”
Callie loving Sweets was huge to Wes, but nothing compared to her saving Sweets despite her fears.
They took the four-wheeler over to her cabin and found the girls drinking on the back deck, freshly showered and wearing shorts and sweatshirts. Sweets bounded onto the deck and covered them all with wet puppy kisses.
Bonnie hugged Callie. “How are you feeling? Are you okay? Wes, is she okay?”
“Yeah. Just tired.” Callie pushed her hair from her face in that tired way that kids did using their whole hands.
“Do you guys want some Skinnygirls?” Kathie asked.
“What on earth are skinny girls?” Wes asked. “I heard you say that the other night, and not one man on this property has any idea what it is.”
Kathie and Christine raised their glasses. “Drinks.”
Bonnie grabbed the bottle. “Skinnygirls. It’s a brand. Want some?”
Wes drew Callie into his arms again. “No, thanks. I’m a one-woman man.”
“Aw, that’s too cute.” Christine took the bottle from Bonnie and shoved it at Wes. “Now take a drink so we can welcome you to our club. It looks like you’ll be around for a while.”
Wes took a swig from the bottle and shook his head. “Ugh, you guys like that? I think I’ll remain a one-woman man, but thanks for the initiation.”
“We like it, but most men don’t. Now you know that temptation is never worth it.” Christine nodded at Callie. “I’ve got your back, Cal.”
A breeze swept through the trees, rustling the leaves. Callie wrapped her arms around herself. Wes rubbed his hands along her arms, warming the goose bumps.
“Would you guys mind if Callie stays with me tonight?”
“Not at all. We assumed she would,” Bonnie said.
“You’re sure? Because I know you guys are leaving tomorrow night, and this is your girls’ trip. I’ve sort of monopolized her.”
“Oh my God. We’re leaving tomorrow?” Callie clung to his arm.
“Jeez. I totally forgot, too,” Christine said.
“Yeah, it kind of crept up on me, too, in all the excitement.” Wes hugged Callie.
“All the more reason for you to monopolize her. Pass go, collect two hundred dollars, and enjoy your ride on the Reading Railroad,” Christine said with a wave of her hand.
“Christine.” Callie turned bright pink.
Christine laughed. “He knows I’m joking. Besides, you’re not a railroad. You’re more of a delicate flower petal sifting through life on a breeze.”
“Oh please. Get rid of that purple prose.” Kathie rolled her eyes.
Wes loved the dynamics between them, and he could see by the blush on Callie’s cheeks and the smile on her lips that she enjoyed Christine’s jokes more than she might want to publicly admit, even though they were a little racy. He loved her racy side, and the fact that she kept it tucked away made it even more special. “Cal, do you want to grab whatever you need for tonight?” Wes asked.
“Yeah. Good idea.”
Once she was inside, Wes turned his attention back to her friends. “I’ve got a special day scheduled for all of you tomorrow, and the barn dance is tomorrow night if you have the energy for it.”
“Callie’s a hell of a dancer, Wes. She won’t want to miss that,” Kathie said.
“She is?” What other surprises did she have in store for him?
“Yup. She can dance, cook, and apparently scale mountains and shoot. Heck, she’s a real pioneer woman.” Christine leaned back in her chair and kicked her feet up on the arm of Kathie’s chair. “Take care of her tonight so we don’t have to hunt you down and make you drink Skinnygirls until you gag.”
“No danger of that.”
Callie joined them wearing a pink hoodie and carrying a small bag, which Wes took from her. They said good night, and with Sweets on their heels, went back to the four-wheeler and drove up to his cabin.
As they climbed the porch steps to his cabin, Wes felt tension leave his body like a valve had opened.
“This is beautiful.” Callie walked across the decking to the screened porch. “You even have a fireplace out here? This is amazing.”
“Thanks. It’s not very big or fancy, but I like it. I split my time between my house in Trusty and the cabin.” He opened the door. Sweets darted past Callie and jumped onto her bed beside the couch.
“Someone’s glad to be home,” Callie said.
Home. Yeah, it is home.
“When I realized that you owned the ranch, I wondered if you lived here or in Trusty.”
“Well, with you in my life, I have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot more time in Trusty.” He kissed her again. “I used to think that this place was perfect, you know? I thought I was hap
py here. But now I realize that I wasn’t happy. I was content. There’s a world of difference between happy and content.” He squeezed her hand. “Now that you’re here, I’m happy.”
She leaned in to him with her hands pressed flat on his chest, one of his favorite positions. “I love the things you say to me.”
He kissed her softly, and she pressed her body to his.
“I say the things I do because of how you make me feel. Why don’t you relax, and I’ll run a bath for us.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Unless you want to take a bath alone.”
She fisted her hands in his shirt and shook her head with an adorably seductive look in her eyes; then she went up on her tiptoes and he met her halfway for another delicious kiss.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right down.” He went upstairs and filled the Jacuzzi with water, then dug through the linen closet until he found the bubble bath Emily had left there and the candles he kept in case he lost electricity. They’d have to do. He poured bubble bath into the running water, then lit a few candles and set them on the counter and the windowsill.
Passing through his bedroom, he realized that in the eight years he’d owned the cabin, he’d never brought a woman there. He felt a sense of pride for having stuck to his guns about not messing around with the guests—until Callie. Callie changed everything, and he was glad she did. He wanted her to feel good about being there and to know how special she was. He quickly stripped his bed and put on fresh linens; then he pulled a reading light from the nightstand drawer and set it on top. Not that she’d be doing much reading. In truth, he didn’t care what they did, as long as he could hold her through the night and wake up with her in his arms.
They’d been so swept up in each other that they hadn’t talked about how soon she was leaving. How could tomorrow be their last day together at the ranch, and why did it feel terminal? He had to stay until Tuesday evening to catch up with the staff and interview prospective employees. Suddenly twenty-four hours seemed not nearly enough time left before they had to spend a long twenty-four hours apart. How could the same amount of time feel like it existed on opposite ends of the acceptability spectrum?
He turned off the tub and went downstairs. Callie was curled up in his recliner, leafing through his photo album. Jesus, he could get used to this. She felt so right in his cabin. Like she belonged. She lifted her eyes and smiled a sleepy, half smile that drew him to her.
“I hope you don’t mind.” She closed the photo album.
He sat on the arm of the chair and opened the album. “Not at all. Let’s look at it together.” He flipped a few pages. “There’s no rhyme or reason to the album, as I’m sure you noticed. They’re just pictures I’ve kept over the years.”
“I know. I had the urge to organize them.”
“Alphabetize? Catalog by location? Person?” He kissed her again.
“It’s a habit. I can’t help it.”
“We’re quite a pair. I can organize my backpack for any situation, but give me paperwork, or photos, or basically anything other than a backpack or outdoor gear, and I’m a mess.” He shook his head.
“I’ll drive you crazy with organization and my fears.” She looked down at the pictures.
“I love your organization, and, babe, you are the bravest woman I know.”
“I’m a sure thing. You don’t have to lie to me.”
God, you’re cute. “I promised I’d never lie, and I won’t. Think about this. For a person who’s not afraid of heights, scaling a mountain is easy. It takes determination and skill, but it doesn’t take the same level of fortitude that conquering your fears does. For a woman who’s afraid of heights to do what you did today? To do what you’ve done the entire time you’re here? That’s bravery. Callie, being brave isn’t about if you can do something. It’s about being willing to try to get from point A to point C when point B scares the hell out of you. It’s about spirit and strength.” He looked down at Sweets, sleeping soundly in her bed, healthy and safe, and his heart was so full that he had to take a moment just to breathe. He hadn’t known that Callie’s loving Sweets enough to risk her life and face her fears could make him love her even more. After a beat or two, he pushed past the emotions, and he continued.
“It’s about loving someone enough to do what you don’t think you can. Babe, you are the epitome of bravery.” Like following my gut and saying what I meant even when I was afraid you’d feel smothered.
She touched his cheek. “You make me feel braver than I am. When Sweets yelped…Oh my gosh, Wes. I just about died. I mean, she’s so little, and you should have heard her. I was petrified, but all I could think about was that if I was petrified, how scared was Sweets?”
He set the photo album on the coffee table. “That’s why you are the most courageous woman I know. Come on. Let’s take a warm bath so you’re not too sore tomorrow. We can look through the pictures in the morning if you want.” He held her hand as they went upstairs.
“So this is how you woo your women? Leave them alone on Mount Everest with a rambunctious puppy, scare the heck out of them, then lure them into your arms with promises of warm baths?” She said it with a glint of mischief in her eyes and a teasing smile.
“You’re the first woman I’ve lured into my cabin.” He led her into the bathroom.
“Wes,” she said in a breathy voice. “You lit candles.”
“Mm-hm.” He drew her hoodie over her head and pressed a kiss to her lips as he wrapped her in his arms. “You took care of Sweets. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.” Trailing kisses along her shoulder, he unbuttoned the front of her shorts, then hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and shorts and drew them down to her feet. She stepped out of them and he felt her body chill despite the steamy bathroom. It took all of his willpower to restrain from carrying her into his bedroom and loving her every which way he could. He helped her into the bathtub, then stripped off his clothes, stepped in behind her, and wrapped her in his warmth.
Callie sighed gratefully as she sank, neck deep, beneath the bubbles. “This…is bliss.”
Her body slid against his, delicate and slight against his breadth. His inner thighs pressed against her hips, and her ass pressed against his groin, making him swell with desire. This wasn’t his plan for their time in the tub. As much as he loved having her naked body against his, what he wanted more than anything was to help her relax, to take away the stress of the day, not to have her think sex was always on his mind…even if on some level, with Callie, it was. How could he help it? She meant so much to him, and sex was a natural part of their coming together.
Callie rested her head against his chest with another contented sigh. “Thank you.”
“For?”
She ran her hands along his thighs, and he closed his eyes, relishing in her touch.
“This. For being you.”
“Hard to be anyone else.” He soaked a washcloth and washed Callie’s shoulders; then he gently washed each arm. He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the scratches that marred her tender palms.
“I want to know more about you,” he said honestly.
She leaned to the side a little and looked up at him with a sleepy smile. The arc of her breasts lifted above the bubbles. She looked devastatingly sexy.
“Like what?”
“Favorites? Dreams? Worst memory? Everything, Cal. I want to know what made you who you are.” The question surprised him as much as it probably surprised her, although she didn’t appear surprised. Her gaze was thoughtful, as if she were thinking about the question.
“Favorites? That’s a broad question.”
“Favorite authors or books? Is there a…I don’t know, a literary place you wish you could go?”
“A literary place? Yeah, only every library in the world. I don’t even think Kathie would ask me that, and she’s a writer.”
“There’s a difference between a writer and a boyfriend.” He ran the washclot
h down her thighs, glad he was her boyfriend and not the writer.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Let’s see. Favorite authors or books? I really love Jane Austen, but I think everyone does, so that’s kind of cliché, and her books aren’t my favorite genre. I love Sophie Kinsella and Jane Green. Oh, and the Brothers Grimm, of course.”
He had no idea who some of those authors were, but he mentally filed them away for future reference. “What’s your worst memory ever?”
“That’s a strange question. Don’t you want to know my best memory ever?” she asked.
“No, because we haven’t created it yet.”
That brought Callie’s hands to his shoulders and her warm, hungry lips to his. He drew her up onto his lap and guided her legs around his waist. Her skin was feathery soft as he cupped her rear. Her breasts pressed against him. The taut points of her nipples were hard against his chest as they kissed like they never wanted to part. Oh, how he wanted to make love to her, to lift her bottom and lower her onto his throbbing erection until he was buried to the hilt, but this—feeling her curves against him, her body open and willing, her desire raw in each stroke of her tongue—was too magnificent to rush.
Her skin pebbled with goose bumps. Without missing a beat, still lip to lip, tongue to tongue, Wes scooped warm water into his hands and brought it to her shoulders. The water trickled between them as he deepened the kiss. He ran his hands down her arms to her waist—to warm her, he told himself. But the feel of her shapely body only spurred his desire, and he was powerless to fight the temptation any longer. He tangled one hand in her hair and drew their lips apart. Callie’s eyes closed, and she let out a seductive sound that brought his mouth to her neck. Kissing wasn’t enough. He wanted to consume her. He settled his teeth on her neck and drew in a long, sensuous suck.
“Oh God, Wes.” She arched her back, bringing her breasts away from his chest.
Two perfect mounds of beauty that he had to have. He brought his free hand up and cupped her breast while he sucked her neck and she writhed against his hard length. In one swift move, he laid her on her back, her legs still around his waist, and he pushed into her until he was buried deep, their bodies beneath the water, bound together with love and need. Callie clung to him, fingernails carving moons into his back as he loved her with all the fervor he’d been holding back. Moving masterfully, he gripped her ass in one hand, tilting her hips and angling his to hit the spot that made her eyes roll back and her neck arch. Callie panted, clawing at his back as he quickened his pace. Her insides tightened around him.
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