Home on the Ranch: Tennessee Bull Rider

by April Arrington

  “For tonight?” she added quickly. “We can...”

  Pretend. Imagine the past never happened. See what it would feel like to wake up to each other in the morning and start a fresh day together under the same roof like a real family. See if it felt real and solid enough to last a lifetime. And decide if it might be worth the risk to her heart.

  “We can what, Amber?” Nate asked softly. At her silence, he tugged her into the hallway then turned, his palms cupping her jaw and tilting her face up to his. “Talk to me.”

  The words stuck in her throat as she looked up at him. Good grief, how to phrase it? How could she explain without sounding desperate and unsure? Which was exactly what she was at the moment.

  “We can see how things go,” she said. “Just for tonight.”

  He studied her face for a moment, then moved closer. “I want to stay, but I need you to understand something first.” He held one of her hands in his, pressing it tight to his chest. Each strong beat of his heart drummed against her palm. “I don’t want this to be for just one night. I want so much more than that. I love you, Amber.”

  A rush of pleasure flowed through her but a heavy weight of uncertainty followed. Did he really? Or was she just part of a package deal?

  She wanted him, too. Loved him. Her heart swelled and the words rose to her tongue but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. One night was all she could manage for now.

  His eyes darkened and he dipped his head, brushing his lips over her cheeks, then touching his mouth to hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him, weaving her hands through his hair and tugging him closer. His low moan vibrated against her lips and she trembled against him.

  He lifted his head. “Are you sure you want me to stay?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, smoothing her thumb over the stubble lining his strong jaw. She smiled. “And just to clarify, I want to do more than sleep.”

  He grinned, the sexy tilt of his mouth and warm look in his eyes making her melt. Bending, he slipped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, then scooped her up to his chest.

  She laughed, hugged his broad shoulders and nuzzled her face against his warm throat as he carried her to the bedroom, breathing him in and forgetting everything but the moment. The feel of him. The idea of being safe. Of loving and being loved in return.

  He lowered her gently to the bed, then covered her body with his. His hands were warm and purposeful, slipping her shirt over her head, then trailing over her curves.

  She reached between them and tugged at his belt, but his hand covered hers, stilling her movements.

  “Wait.” He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing each fingertip and searching her eyes. “Let’s go slow. I want us to feel everything this time.”

  Heat rose in her cheeks at the reminder of her words. Her eyelids fluttered shut as he kissed her. His lips parted hers, his tongue sweeping gently into her mouth, his taste filling her senses.

  “Open your eyes, Amber.”

  His low tone sent a delicious shiver through her and she complied. The soft light from the bedside lamp highlighted the strong angles of his jaw and sensual curve of his mouth.

  “I’m with you this time,” he whispered, pressing closer. “All of me.”

  A shaky sigh escaped her and she wrapped her arms around him, slipping her hands under his shirt and caressing the sleek muscles of his back. He lowered his head, pressing soft kisses down her neck and over the sensitive skin of her upper chest.

  He removed her bra, then lowered his head to her breasts, his mouth caressing and tugging. Her head fell back and her hands cupped his head, fingers spearing through his soft hair. He groaned and moved lower, lips tasting and teasing.

  She explored him, too. Tugged his shirt off and ran her palms over the light sprinkling of hair across his chest and down his abs. Slid her bare feet over the thick length of his legs and gripped his muscular buttocks, her nails pressing him tighter between her thighs as he donned protection, then joined his body to hers.

  He pressed deep, then moved gently, their lips touching and breaths mingling until emotion overcame her and he followed.

  Afterward, he gripped her thigh and rolled to the side, taking her with him. His big palms massaged her back and bottom, increasing the tender pressure with each of her soft moans. She propped her cheek on his thick biceps and smiled as he brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.

  The gentle tenderness in his touch and strength of his hold made her feel so secure. So cherished. So...loved. As though she was the most precious part of his life.

  “I could get used to this,” she murmured.

  Nate pulled her closer. “I hope so.” He stared down at her and questions filled his eyes. Ones she was too afraid to face. He ran his finger over her cheek. “We need to tell Landon the truth.”

  There was a shift in his tone. A serious note full of purpose that sent a chill down her spine and dispelled the warm rush of hope that had risen within her.

  “I don’t want to keep it from him anymore,” he said. “I could call him in the morning and ask him to stop by.”

  “Then everything will change,” she whispered.

  “For the better.” He brushed his lips across hers. “We could get it over with before the party, then put it behind us and move forward.”

  Who could move forward? She and Nate in their relationship once the air had been cleared and they could start over? Or Nate in his friendship with Landon once Landon was satisfied Nate had done right by her?

  But what if the fallout with Landon was so bad their friendship couldn’t recover and Nate chose to leave because of it? Or, if several years from now, Nate decided an adventurous, carefree tour of the circuit would be more fulfilling than living a mundane life in the middle of nowhere out of duty?

  Her throat tightened. She’d be left to pick up the pieces on her own. And she wasn’t sure she had another fresh start in her.

  “Let’s not tell him tomorrow,” she said. “Maybe after the weekend when things settle down.”

  Nate studied her for a minute. He moved to speak twice, seemed to think better of it, then rolled to his back and held her tight. His tone was gentle but his body tensed beneath her. “We have to tell him, Amber. It’s not fair to him for us to keep lying and we can’t put it off forever. You won’t be alone. I’ll be right there with you and we’ll tell him together.”

  Amber looked away, the thought of tomorrow more intimidating than ever. “After the weekend,” she said. “I promise.”

  Chapter 10

  Nate settled Savannah into the stroller, fastened her safety belt, then stepped back and smiled. “I swear, you three are the cutest cubs in Tennessee.”

  Three sets of fuzzy bear ears tipped back as Savannah, Dylan and Mason looked up at him. Savannah, blond curls escaping her costume hood, grinned. Frowning, Dylan picked at the soft beige circle on his belly. And Mason laughed as he brought his foot to his mouth, then gnawed on the soft claw props protruding from the toes of the outfit.

  “That’s my boy.” Nate laughed. “Show that costume who’s boss, Mason.”

  “I think he’d appreciate that comment more if you’d worn one yourself.”

  Nate smiled wider as Amber rounded her SUV and walked over to the stroller. Her gold-and-white Goldilocks dress rippled in the night breeze and her long blond hair fell over her puffed sleeves in shiny waves. Her long skirt, white tights and gold shoes were entirely respectable for Elk Valley Ranch’s Halloween bash, but a wave of heat swept through him despite the chill in the air.

  He doubted he’d ever be able to look at her again without wanting to hold her close, love and protect her. Hell, he’d felt that way all week. Which was exactly why the engagement ring he’d bought several days ago was burning a hole in his pocket.

  He hadn’t wanted to scare her off by moving too fast. He’
d wanted to give her time to trust him again. But it had become increasingly difficult to leave her and the babies each night and return to the ranch. Midweek, he’d finally decided to move forward and take a chance. He’d met with Mac, told him he was putting down roots in Elk Valley and asked if the assistant manager position at the ranch that he’d shirked for so long was still available. Pleased, Mac assured him it was.

  Afterward, Nate set plans in motion for tonight’s proposal. And when Amber invited him to stay last night, he’d begun to believe she had finally forgiven him. But as soon as he’d mentioned telling Landon the truth, she’d grown distant again and carefully steered the conversation in a different direction when he brought it up a second time this morning.

  Lying to Landon was something he was no longer willing to do, and the fact that Amber was still unwilling to tell him the truth unsettled Nate more than he’d expected. Almost as much as her silence after he’d told her he loved her.

  “There’s Goldilocks and only three bears,” Nate said, motioning toward Amber then the babies. “I think we’re covered.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You could’ve been a woodcutter or wolf. Either of those would’ve gone well with the theme.”

  “Probably, but everything was picked over by the time I made it to the store yesterday. There wasn’t much to choose from.” He grimaced. “Well, unless I was willing to be an extremely large banana or half-naked cop. Neither of which appealed to me.”

  “Hmm. That’s a shame.” Amber eyed him over, then grinned. “I think the banana would’ve been kinda sexy.”

  Nate laughed, her teasing tone lifting his spirits a little. “Ah, but it didn’t have pockets.”

  “Why would that matter?”

  Heart kicking, he dug past the small jeweler’s box in his jeans pocket, tugged out a set of keys and jingled them. “A man always needs pockets.” Especially tonight. “Besides, I’m not in the mood to pretend.”

  Tonight he was in the mood to be completely honest and up front about his intentions.

  Unable to resist any longer, he slid his arms around her waist, tugged her close and kissed her. A soft cry of surprised pleasure left her mouth and entered his. He smoothed his hands up her back and wove his fingers in her long curls, his chest warming when she hugged and kissed him back.

  “All right, now, cut that out,” a deep voice boomed. “There’s one room still available in the lodge if you need a rental.”

  Reluctantly, Nate released Amber and smiled at Mac over her shoulder. He wore a lumberjack costume. “Do I get a family discount?”

  Mac’s mouth quirked as he and Dani walked down the driveway toward them. “If it’d mean being able to walk my property at least once without interrupting you two, then yeah.”

  “Leave them alone, Mac.” Dani, clad in a bright orange shirt, smacked his arm playfully. “This is Nate’s home, too, and he can kiss Amber whenever and however he pleases.”

  Nate bit back a laugh and nodded. “Thank you, Dani. I take it you’re a pumpkin tonight?”

  She rubbed her hands over her pregnant belly. “Yep.”

  “A beautiful, sexy pumpkin,” Mac said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck.

  Dani hummed her approval, then smiled at the babies, the green paint on her face shimmering in the moonlight. “Oh, the four of you are adorable, Amber. You’ve got to enter the costume contest.”

  Amber smiled. “Well, we hadn’t planned on that but—”

  “But nothing.” Dani laughed and scooted around the stroller. “Will you come inside for pictures and let the judges know you’re entering? Even if you don’t win, you’ll still have a nice set of professional photos to remember how cute they looked.” She smiled, eyes excited. “Please, Amber?”

  Amber laughed. “How could I possibly say no?”

  Nate and Mac watched as they pushed the stroller up the path.

  Mac whistled low. “Man, we’re two lucky bastards.”

  “I hope so for my sake.” Nate rubbed his clammy palms over his jeans. “Is everything ready?”

  “Yep. The pumpkins are lined up by the stage, ready for display. I’ll light ’em right after the costume winner is announced, then yank the sheet off and you’ll be in business.”

  Nate nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s just hope Amber’s answer is yes.”

  Mac clapped a hand on his back and nudged him in the direction of the banquet hall. “Don’t worry. It’s all gonna work out. The way she looks at you, the answer won’t be anything but yes.”

  “I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sometimes I think she’s starting to trust me again but I still don’t think she does. Not really. And we haven’t resolved things with Landon, either.”

  “You could always put it off. Wait a while longer until you’re sure.”

  “No.” Nate held up a hand. “I’m sure about how I feel and what I want. That’s not going to change no matter what her answer is.”

  “Well,” Mac said, “try to relax. I have a feeling everything’s gonna work out fine.”

  They walked to the banquet hall, Nate praying Mac was right with every step.

  It was a clear night and the grounds were packed with cars, trucks and people. By the time they entered the banquet hall, the party was in full swing. Colorful strobe lights swept across a dance floor packed with witches, mummies, wolves and every other figment of the imagination who twirled, laughed and enjoyed themselves in time with the heavy beat of music. Several reception tables loaded with hors d’oeuvres and punch lined one side of the large room, and tables with ornate centerpieces filled the other.

  “Think you’re going to pull in a pretty penny tonight,” Nate said above the music.

  “We are,” Mac returned. “Couldn’t have done any of this without you, brother.”

  “I was thinking things over the other day,” Nate said. “If Amber’s interested, I propose our first local partnership be forged with Elk Valley Café as our official caterer.”

  Mac smiled. “Sounds fantastic to me. What’s even more fantastic is having you back for good.” Mac stopped when they reached the dance floor and laughed. He lifted his chin toward the other side of the room. “I think Landon might need some help.”

  Nate followed his gaze to the snack tables. Landon stood by the punch bowl, smiling politely and shaking his head at Exie. Undeterred, she smoothed a hand over the short skirt of her angel costume, scooted closer to his side and giggled up at him.

  Nate laughed. “Yeah. Think he’s been cornered again.”

  He made his way through the crowd and visible relief appeared on Landon’s face when he spotted him.

  “You all right, man?” Nate asked, smiling.

  Landon tipped his cup back, swallowed a healthy swig of punch, then looked heavenward. “I’ve been better.”

  “Oh, Landon’s just upset because I’m giving him a hard time about not wearing a costume.” Exie patted his biceps, snuggled closer, then froze. She stabbed a finger at Nate. “And here’s another one. I don’t believe this. How could the two of you come to a Halloween party and not wear a costume?”

  Nate shrugged. “We just hit thirty, Exie. From here on out, comfort rules and the rules of comfort say Halloween costumes are not worth the pulling, bunching and chafing involved.”

  Exie harrumphed. “Well, I’m not going to let the two of you get away with it.” She spun and headed toward the dance floor, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll be back.”

  “Great.” Landon dragged a hand over his face, then smiled. “Thanks for stealing me a few minutes of reprieve.”

  “Not a problem. How long you been fending her off?”

  “Since I got here.” Landon checked his watch. “Forty minutes ago. Thank God Amber made a pitcher of spiked punch.”

  Nate laughed. “I tried hinting to her that you weren�
��t available when I picked up a few pumpkins the other day but I don’t think she bought it.”

  “You got more pumpkins for Amber?”

  “In a way.” Nate palmed the ring in his pocket. “I have a surprise planned for her tonight.”

  Landon smiled. “What kind of surprise?”

  “A good one.” The lingering guilt he’d felt over deceiving Landon crept up his neck and heated his face. “Hopefully.”

  Landon’s smile widened. “Well, you did a good job with the costumes. Amber brought the babies over earlier before Dani took them to the lodge for the kids’ party. They all looked great.”

  “Happy Halloween!”

  Bobbie Jean waved as she and Amber edged their way past a couple on the dance floor and joined them. She twirled around, lilac streamers and a glowing skirt wrapping around her bare legs as she moved.

  Nate laughed. “Bobbie Jean, that’s the best jellyfish costume in Elk Valley. You’ve got my vote for the contest award.”

  “Mine, too,” Landon said.

  “Thank you.” She beamed. “They’re announcing the winner soon so I hope to see my picture on the big screen.” She pointed to a large white projection screen on the stage. “Although, my vote is actually going to Savannah, Mason and Dylan.”

  “I wouldn’t put my money on that,” Amber said. “Mrs. Darlene is one of the judges and I’m not sure she’s forgiven me for my outburst at the fall festival.”

  Bobbie Jean waved the worry away. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure she developed a grudge for someone else the next day. And besides—” Bobbie Jean pointed at a small table by the stage “—Charlotte and Will are judging, too, and I know they’ll have your back.”

  “Charlotte and Will, huh?” Nate asked, glancing in their direction.

  He hadn’t run into Charlotte since he helped her pick out a horse for a trail ride at the ranch. And he hadn’t been all that friendly to Will that night in the café after realizing Will had met his kids before he did. But nowadays Nate was in a more congenial mood and he had to admit, the polite soft-spoken brunette and upstanding banker made a cute couple.