Chapter 38
Colt
A massive snowstorm barreled through the county Christmas evening, and it dumped a shocking amount of snow. The barn door had to be shoveled out from under three feet of snow just so we could get in to feed them, and Cheyenne had spent the night. She panicked about not being able to get to her horses, but thank God she had neighbors who were generous enough to go feed them for her. There was no way she was getting home anytime soon, and we were both trapped at my house.
The howling wind that had thrown my truck off the road last night ceased to exist as the entire countryside shone in its dress of white. This area hadn’t seen snow like this in over a decade, and it was only a punctuation to the perfect holiday I had spent with Cheyenne at my side. I couldn’t imagine spending holidays any other way after having her for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that’s when the reality of the situation dawned on my conscious mind.
There was still that job offer, and we hadn’t talked about it last night.
Granted, I didn’t want the date to alter her decision in any way. I didn’t want her to think that I was using the date as a tool to show her what she was leaving. I merely wanted to show her that she wasn’t alone. I wanted to show her that family was more than blood and didn’t always reside under the same roof. I wanted to show her that a community like this was a family because we rallied beside one another when someone needed it the most.
Yes, we bickered, and we fought, and we stuck our noses where they didn’t belong, but when push came to shove, and one of ours was being bullied and battered, we stepped up to the plate. Every single time.
I wanted to show Cheyenne that she had a family within this community. I wanted to show her she didn’t have to run anymore. If anything, I wanted to use that moment as a time to really make her see that if she took this job, she didn’t have to view it as running away. There was nothing she was running from anymore, and I wanted to empower her to make this decision based on what was good for her.
Not the bad that she still thought she was always fleeing from.
We hadn’t discussed the job offer, but I also got the distinct feeling from last night that she intended to stay. The dinner boasted pineapple ham, whipped garlic potatoes, and an array of sautéed and roasted vegetables. We all ate, talked, laughed, and learned about one another, and I got to see the light in Cheyenne’s eyes really return for the first time since her barn had first burned down. I saw the woman I was falling for, and it ripped me apart that I might actually have to let her go.
“It’s so beautiful,” Cheyenne said.
“And it really piled on last night.”
“How long do you think I’ll be trapped here?” she asked.
“I mean, I would hope you don’t actually feel trapped.”
“I just meant in terms of the horses. My neighbor will have to continue feeding them until I can get back,” she said.
“I’m sure they’ll be glad to help. Your neighbors only got a few chickens and a couple of goats. I’m sure they don’t feel burdened.”
“I hope not.”
I wrapped my arms around her tight frame while we watched the untouched snow glitter on the ground. Trees were covered, and the barn was practically hidden, and the only thing I could think of was the fact that, in a couple months, I might actually lose her.
“Cheyenne?” I asked.
“Yeah?”
“Have you thought any more about that job you were offered?”
She turned into my arms, tipping her head back, and I lost myself in the pool of her eyes. Never had a woman felt so natural and so perfect pressed to my body the way she was, and I knew if she left, I’d never find another woman like her. There was only one Cheyenne, and I had the pleasure of wooing her into my bed time and time again. She bared her body to me on several occasions, trusting me with not only her beauty but her pleasure, and the vulnerability I’d seen peppered along the curves of her skin would cry out for my lips.
All I wanted was to never go another day without being able to touch her.
“It’s a good thing we set up those heaters,” she said. I knew she was diverting away from the conversation, and I simply went with it. She had a lot on her mind, and whatever made her comfortable is what I wanted as well.
“If it makes you feel any better, I went around and checked all of them yesterday. Including yours.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep. I slipped out for a bit yesterday while you and Tiffany were napping on the couch. Michael helped me make sure they were all wired up and ready to go should more snow have dumped overnight.”
“God, you’re incredible,” she said breathlessly.
I stood there with her and surveyed the snow-covered world a little longer, but my nerves were absolutely shot. I couldn’t go into the New Year not knowing what was going to happen with Cheyenne, but she started in on the conversation before I could ask again.
“This job is everything I could’ve ever asked for,” she said.
“I know.”
“Financial security and more time with horses. I wouldn’t actually own the place, so I could devote all my time to what I love most.”
“I know,” I said.
“Rehabilitation and therapy are what I do, and they even have a summer program where children with debilitating diseases get to come and ride and learn about the horses. God, I would love something like that,” she said.
I felt my heart sink to my toes, and for the very first time, I clamped my arms down onto Cheyenne tighter than I’d realized. She yelped a bit, and I had to let go, but the whole of my body wanted to plant her in front of me and hang on. In that very moment, I knew she was going to take the job, and the woman I’d fallen in love with would be gone forever.
I’d fallen in love with Cheyenne, and I had no idea if I could let her go.
“But…if I’m careful with the funds from the auction, I could get by with my routine for the next two years before I had to worry. That would give me enough time to come up with other grants and streams of revenue to keep this place going, and there’s nothing stopping me from implementing my own little program for the kids around here.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. Between the donations of things people had to offer, the donations you collected, and the proceeds from the silent auction, my barn is completely restocked. The money we garnered is just going to basic maintenance right now. If I wanted, I could take a bit of that money to advertise a summer program of my own. Not only would I be helping a community I love, but I’ll be surrounded by those that love me back.”
My eyes searched hers while my heart fluttered in my chest. She was actually considering staying, and all I needed her to do was say the words. I took her hands within mine and brought them to my lips. I was shaking with anticipation over what she would say, and her eyes sparkled with her smile as her cheeks slowly curved upwards.
“You mean the world to me, Colt. It wouldn’t be easy leaving you behind,” she said.
“Please just say it,” I said.
“I’m turning down the job offer. I actually placed the call late last night after the dinner.”
I threw my arms around her and picked her up off her feet. We swung around the kitchen while the world settled itself into its dance of white, and it began to snow again as I held her close to me. She was staying. She was staying with her sanctuary and staying in town and staying with the people she knew loved her more than anything in the world. She was staying with me.
“I love you, Cheyenne,” I murmured into her ear.
“I love you too.”
She wrapped her legs around my body, and I stood in the middle of my kitchen and held her. The relief and love that cascaded down my limbs filled my body with a strength and security it hadn’t felt since I saw that man approach her at the auction, and my lips pressed small kisses onto every inch of her skin that I could reach. Her grip around my neck grew tighter, and her hips began to roll into me, and I knew exactly where I was taking her the moment I walked us out of the kitchen.
“I’m so happy you’re staying,” I said as I made my way up the stairs.
“How about showing me?”