CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The day before Tyler and Kristen’s wedding came and Gail’s house was a flurry of activity. For Trent’s part, he was running around trying to help set up all the large round tables on the side yard while his brothers hung up the string lights Tyler had purchased. Addy and Kristen were in the house, helping Trisha and his mother get things ready for guests.
The work continued until late in the afternoon. They had taken a longer time than planned setting up a small dance floor since they had to rearrange the tables to make room. But the finished product looked amazing. Tyler flipped on the lights, and Trent could tell with the cream-colored tablecloths and dark rose centerpieces in place tomorrow, the atmosphere was going to be perfect. His mother and the ladies came out to survey the work.
“What about a bachelor party?” Trent asked, toasting with his beer.
“I don’t need one.” Tyler smiled and hugged Kristen to him. “It’s not like I’m going to miss those days at all.”
Kristen chuckled. “Right. The days of the oldest McGowan sweeping women off their feet are over.”
“The only woman I want to sweep off her feet is you. Of course, it will probably be because you have those stupid fur boots on and there’s a foot of snow on the ground,” Tyler joked, causing Kristen to smack his shoulder playfully.
“You like my shoes,” Kristen said in reply.
“Sure, when that’s all you’re wearing.” Tyler kissed her.
“TMI,” Trisha laughed. “TMI.”
“I think Happy needs a friend,” Gail piped in.
“Oh?” Addy glanced down at the small dog lying at their feet.
Happy had tagged along with Trent all day without any issues. The little dog loved riding in his truck on errands, loved playing in Gail’s backyard, and had even had some quality time with Hank.
At one point Trent had lost track of the puppy and had found him over near the barn, sniffing around Hank. He had stood back and watched as the old horse actually played with the puppy for almost ten minutes straight.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking of getting another dog. It’s been years since Sneezy passed away,” his mother said.
Addy sat up at that. “Wait a minute. Sneezy?”
“What?” Trent said, smiling.
“The seven dwarfs?” she said. “You name your dogs after Snow White?”
He looked over at his mother. “It was her idea.”
“We’ve had a Grumpy and a Sneezy. Good dogs, both of them.” She nodded down to the black blob currently snoring at his feet. “Each name fit perfectly, as does Happy with this little guy.”
“Should have named him Sleepy,” Trey said, chuckling. “Or Snorey.”
Everyone laughed.
“What?” Trey asked.
“There was no Snorey,” Trent supplied.
Trey shrugged. “How would I remember? I was five when I watched Snow White last.” He leaned back and crossed his arms.
“He still has a few brothers and sisters at the clinic,” Addy said to Trent. “Someone dropped them off after finding them in a box in an alley. I can check with Dr. Shultz Monday, if you want.”
“Let us know too,” Tyler said, glancing over at Kristen. “We were talking about it earlier today. Of course, it will have to keep until we get back from our honeymoon.”
“How many brothers and sisters?” Trey asked.
Addy looked over at him. “Six total.”
“Hell, might as well sign me up too.” He shrugged. “That way we can keep the family together.”
His mother chuckled. “We’re just a bunch of softies.” She reached down and picked Happy up. The small dog stretched, did a circle in her lap, and then fell back asleep.
“Told you. Should have named him Sleepy,” Trey said.
“You can name yours Sleepy. This one already has a name, and it fits him just fine,” Gail said.
An hour later Addy and Trent left his family and started walking back to their site. Trent carried the still-sleeping Happy home as Addy walked beside him.
“You’re quiet.” She’d withdrawn as the evening went on, he noticed.
“Just deep in thought,” she said.
“About?” He reached over and opened the gate in the middle of the field separating his land from his mother’s and let Addy step through, then latched it again.
“How different your family is from mine.” She sighed.
He reached over and took her hand after shifting Happy slightly so he could have a free one.
“From the sounds of it, your mother is making an effort.”
“She is,” she said. “And I hope she will continue to make changes, but some part of me still can’t let go of the hurt. Part of me will never really trust her.”
He squeezed her hand to stop their momentum. They were standing in the middle of his land, the full moon hovering above them, as his small warm dog snored softly in his arms. He’d never felt more complete than at that moment.
He knew that Addy was still struggling with making a decision about her life, but he hoped that over the next few months, he’d show her that she was where she belonged. Here, with him and Happy. In marriage or not, so long as they were together.
“I hope you trust me now,” he said, scanning those blue eyes of hers. Even in the darkness, he could see the change when her eyes softened as she looked at him.
“Yes.” She smiled. “There was a time in my life I didn’t think I could ever trust you either. I think it never really had anything to do with you but with my mother instead.”
He drew her close, Happy tucked between them. “Sometimes time heals wounds, other times, people change. Just like this.” He leaned in and covered her lips with his. “I never thought I could be here, like this, with you. Now I can’t imagine ever not being like this.” He sighed when he felt her stiffen slightly. “Please don’t overthink things tonight. Just know that I never thought I could be this happy. Never.”
After a moment, she nodded, then intertwined her fingers with his and started walking again. “I invited my mother to the wedding tomorrow,” she said when they reached the trailer. “I hope that was okay.”
Trent nodded and smiled as he laid the small dog down in his new bed, even though they both knew Happy would end up on their bed by morning. “Yes, I think Kristen and Tyler wouldn’t mind.” He rose and took her in his arms. “Now,” he said as he started kissing her, “tell me again about that sexy dress you bought for tomorrow.” He nibbled down the column of her neck.
“I thought you were too tired?” She slowly rubbed her hips against his, sending a wave of heat traveling through his entire body.
“I’m never too tired for you,” he said before his lips took hers again.
He could have spent all night enjoying the feel of her lips against his, her body rubbing slowly along his length.
But soon Addy pushed him back onto the bed, and he helped her remove his boots.
After she tossed first one boot toward the front door then the other, she stood at the end of the bed and slowly removed her own clothes. She inched up her shirt, then tossed it down. His eyes tracked her every movement as she tugged down her pants, then stepped out of them while she watched his expression with equal intensity.
“You’re so beautiful.” His voice sounded scratchy as he felt the air lock in his throat.
Her fingers walked up his legs, then worked on his jean clasp. He let her tug his pants down his hips and off his legs. Her expression turned greedy, seeing him ready for her.
He couldn’t stop the gasp when she wrapped her fingers around him, then followed with her lips. A groan escaped as she moved her mouth on him. His fingers dug into her hair as he threw his head back and concentrated on what she was doing to him.
“My god!” he moaned, his hips moving with her motion.
He’d been holding in his feelings for her, afraid of scaring her off. It was too soon to tell her that he wanted her here, with him, for the rest of their lives. Especially when he knew that she hadn’t even decided what she wanted to do.
But as she climbed higher and his hands instantly went to her hips, he looked up at her and knew that he didn’t want to hold in his feelings anymore. Not now, not when there was a chance it could help her decide to stay with him.
He rolled, sending her sprawling on the bed, gazing up at him. He quickly pulled on a condom before her legs wrapped around his hips, holding on to him. Skin to skin, he slid into her and let those feelings flow out.
Addy lay there, trying to catch her breath. Her ears rang, her head floated a mile up in the clouds, and her body was vibrating from the aftershock that was Trent McGowan.
His heavy body was still pinning her to the mattress, but her arms and legs had long since released his body. His lips still nuzzled against the spot below her left ear, sending goosebumps traveling down her arm every time he let out a breath.
When her mind finally cleared from the fog, she remembered his words. Everything he’d told her with every pump of his hips.
Addy, I’ve been so in love with you. I can’t imagine my life without you. I want you so bad, to be here with me like this forever.
She felt her mind snap into gear as her body settled. When he moved, he took her with him until she was cupped in front of him, his arms wrapped around her.
“Did you mean all that?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes.” She felt him kiss her neck. “I’m sorry if it scares you, but . . .” He sighed. “I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while.”
“What’s a while?” she asked.
He howled with laughter, shaking the bed and her along with it. “The day you drove back into town.”
She squirmed around to meet his eyes. “You couldn’t have known all that when I first got back.”
“Sure I could.” His fingers tangled in her hair. “Part of me knew all that before you left.”
She shook her head. “I don’t . . .”
“Believe me?” He kissed her. “Believe me. I’ve told you the reason I never hit on you. It was all true. You were the one that got away. The one I would have always wished, dreamed, that I’d asked out.” He shook his head. “I was stupid back then.”
“You couldn’t have felt that way about me. You didn’t even really know me.”
“I knew enough. I knew you were one of the kindest, most sincere people I’d ever met. I remember once in grade school, when a bird had flown into the window, you jumped in to stop Brian and his friends from tossing it around. Then you carried it in your shirt into the school nurse. You spent almost a month nursing it back to health before letting it go.”
“You remember that?” She sat up slightly and looked down at him. Even she’d forgotten about Mr. Thomas, the name she’d given the hurt bird. “I didn’t release him,” she admitted. “I only told people I did. Mr. Thomas died a few days later.”
“I’m sorry,” he said simply. “See, even now there is sadness behind those blue eyes for a bird that died years ago.”
She shook her head. “I thought I had you pegged.” She took him in—her man. His hair had grown out again. Reaching up, she brushed it away from his eyes. “You need another haircut.”
He laughed. “So?” he challenged, taking her hand and stilling it.
“So?” She sighed.
“Addy, are you going to leave me hanging here?”
She gazed deep into those hazel-brown eyes that filled her waking and dreaming life now. “Trent McGowan, if you’re trying to get me to say that I love you back . . .”
His quick smile and the flash of that sexy dimple was her answer.
She caved.
“I’ve been in love with you since first grade. When I saw you in your gym shorts and no T-shirt playing basketball with your brothers on the playground.” She leaned in and kissed him. “But as an adult, I believe I really started loving you the moment you kissed me, the moment you made me yours.”
He brought her against him, tight; their limbs tangled as their lips fused.
“Stay with me?” he asked between kisses as he claimed her again. “Move in with me, build a home, have dogs, horses, and kids with me.”
“Yes,” she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Yes to all of it.”
He stopped suddenly, looking at her. “Yes? As in . . .”
“Trent McGowan, you are not going to spoil this.” She used her legs around his hips to get him back down to her. “I’ll expect a proper proposal . . . later.” She yanked on his hair and had his lips back where she wanted them, against hers.