THIRTEEN

 

 

Avery awoke the next morning, alone, covered with blankets, and still wearing her unflattering nightgown. Reese had once again disappeared, but this time she understood his hasty departure. She’d been a complete blithering idiot last night, and he would have been foolish to have stayed.

She slid out of bed, still bleary-eyed, and when she spotted the box of pictures on the floor, a whole new wave of grief swept over her. This time, however, she chose to wash it away with a hot shower. Wallowing in sadness wasn’t something she enjoyed doing, so instead she decided on a quick breakfast, and a long ride to quell any lingering blues. It was time for a complete mental makeover. Her days of accepting the status quo were over . . . she knew that now.

Life moved on, she told herself once she’d showered, dressed and applied a minimal amount of makeup. You either moved on with it or stayed behind in the quagmire of naiveté and despair. It was time she toughened up and took the blinders off. Her parents had taught her to move on, to look forward and to look back only when you were forced to. Last night she’d been forced to look back, but with razor-sharp clarity this time. The sun was shining on a new day . . . a new beginning, and she had every intention of holding on tight.

Maybe her dad had done everything to protect her, but in doing that, he had also covered up the truth. Well, not anymore. She intended to find out all the details of her mother’s disappearance. She decided that more aptly fit her needs this morning. Death was a term her dad had used, but Avery had no proof her mom had died. Hell, she’d never even seen an obituary. Her dad had forced her into moving forward, and now that Kaya had ignited a desire to know more details about her mom, moving backwards seemed like the only possible way to learn the truth.

On her way out of her bedroom, she shoved the box of pictures into the closet and shut the door. From now on, those pictures were hers, and she’d be damned if anyone would ever take them away again.

She’d kept the picture with the date stamp out, and shoved it into her pocket. At some point she would confront Chuck about it. She wanted to know all the facts, no matter where those facts led.

That one picture stuck with her like a punch in her gut. She couldn’t shake it. A big part of her still didn’t want to confront Chuck about it, but the lawyer in her needed all the facts so she could move on with her life. If he and her dad weren’t willing to give them to her willingly, she’d have to use legal means. But one way or another, she would know exactly what happened to her mom.

The burning question at the moment was why? Why had everything that concerned her mom been turned into such a secret?

As she walked closer to the kitchen, she could hear voices, male voices, and assumed Chuck had come in to grab a cup of coffee along with some of Kaya’s fabulous muffins with his ranch foremen, something he occasionally did, as they discussed the day.

But when she turned the corner, and entered the bright kitchen, she immediately came face to face with Reese Cooper.

“Mornin’,” Reese said with a lilt to his deep, velvety smooth voice. He sat on a bar stool in Chuck’s kitchen, holding onto a black mug that sported the Circle Starr brand. Chuck was busy filling his own mug with coffee from the glass decanter on the counter.

The tranquil scene was so shocking to Avery, she missed her footing and stumbled, catching herself with her next step.

“You okay?” Reese asked, jumping up to help her.

“Fine,” she told him. “Not used to these new boots yet.” Of course that was an out and out lie, but she didn’t want to say anything to muck up the balance of things. Instead, she wanted to get out of there and let the two men get to know each other.

“Can I get Kaya to make you one of her delicious omelets?” Chuck asked acting as though everything was normal. As if he and Reese always had coffee together in the morning, in his house, in his kitchen.

“I . . . um . . . what?” Avery could barely think, let alone answer a question.

“How ‘bout if I just pour you some coffee?” Chuck asked, looking very much like a Cheshire cat.

“Maybe you should sit down. You look a little pale,” Reese said as he walked over to her.

“Maybe I should,” she said. Reese guided her to the row of rustic, leather and metal bar stools that lined the tall counter. “And I’ll take that coffee, thanks.”

“Coming right up,” Reese told her once she was securely seated. Her world was already on shaky ground, and this scene only added to unsteady her already precarious footing.

“Cream and sugar?” Chuck asked, looking calm and relaxed and ready for his day. He wore his usual dark, pressed jeans, a white shirt, a wide belt with a rodeo buckle and black boots. His boots were spit-shined, his white hair was combed back, and his face was clean-shaven, except for his mustache, of course.

Reese looked a bit worse for wear with a scruffy chin, tousled hair, a wrinkled gray T-shirt, jeans, and boots that needed polishing in the worst way. Still, Avery thought he was perhaps the hottest guy she’d ever seen . . . especially in the morning . . . and especially now.

“Just plenty of cream, thanks,” she managed to get out.

Chuck handed her a white mug that contained her creamy coffee. It also sported the Circle Starr brand. All the dishes and flatware in the house had been specially made. Apparently, Chuck liked to be reminded of his success whenever possible.

She took a couple cautious sips of the hot liquid and at once her muddled head began to clear.

“First off,” she began. “One of you want to tell me how it happened?”

“How what happened?” Reese asked then he took a big bite of one of Kaya’s blueberry muffins. “These are so damn good. Kaya sure can bake.”

“Don’t play coy,” Avery shot back. “You both know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Reese gazed over at Chuck, grinning. Something Avery never thought she’d see, but grateful it had somehow happened.

“We decided to call a truce,” Reese told her.

“What kind of a truce?” Avery asked, feeling as though she’d just walked into an alternate universe. After everything that had transpired between these two, she wondered what the heck had happened to change Reese’s mind.

“A ceasefire to see if we can hammer out some kind of deal,” Chuck admitted, looking all proud of himself. A slight grin pulled at the corners of his mouth, the deep laugh lines around his eyes prominent.

She drank more of her rich coffee, the aroma filling her senses with the promise of a new and exciting day. It went down warm and easy, but upon arrival, her stomach clenched tighter with each gulp.

“And how’s that working out for you so far?” Avery asked, hoping it was going well, but with Chuck and Reese, she wasn’t holding her breath on a positive outcome.

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Reese said with a grin and a lightness to his voice, as if he was really trying to be open-minded.

“I don’t know exactly what that means,” she said out loud, even though it was more of an afterthought rather than an actual comment.

“It means we’re making progress,” Chuck said with conviction. “Reese has gone over the new changes we made to the agreement, and we both think we can make this work. We should have the new agreement drawn up in the next day or so.”

“I’m all for that,” she said, but instead knowing she needed to really research that agreement. She no longer trusted anything Chuck said, and after last night, she was surprised at Reese’s new attitude towards Chuck. If anything, she thought he’d distrust him even more.

She poured out the remainder of her coffee into the sink, leaving the empty cup for Kaya. She’d learned the hard way that Kaya liked to load the dishwasher herself. Avery had tried a few times, only to get a scolding from Kaya on the proper way to fill a dishwasher. She’d more than learned her lesson after the second lecture. Kaya ran the house and she didn’t like anyone getting in her way. “If you two don’t need me, I’m heading out for a ride.”

“Nice day for it,” Chuck told her, his arms pressed against the high counter, looking as if he was staying put for a while.

“You want company?” Reese asked, but she knew he wanted to stay right there and talk to Chuck. She didn’t know what was going on with him this morning, but he sure was into it . . . whatever it was. She only hoped their egos had been checked at the kitchen door.

“No, but thanks for the offer. You two go on doing what you were doing,” she said. “But promise me one thing.”

“Anything,” Chuck told her.

“Whatever happens between you two, no more secrets.”

“I’ll make that promise,” Reese said, then he turned to Chuck. “Are you in?”

“All in,” Chuck said, looking sincere, but Avery had a strong feeling he didn’t mean it. That it was all lies. It amazed her how different she felt about Chuck this morning, how different she felt about her dad, and all because of a date-stamped picture. “That goes with all I know about your mom as well, Avery.”

His words took her by surprise, and the sip of coffee she’d swallowed felt like a boulder caught in her throat. “I didn’t mean . . .”

“Maybe not, but anytime you’re ready to hear the truth, I’m ready to tell you everything I know. Kaya told me about the box of pictures she left for you.”

Avery’s heart skipped a beat. She so wanted all the information she could get, but she didn’t want it to distract from Reese’s talk with Chuck.

“It’s about you and Reese this morning,” Avery countered, putting the skids on any discussion about her mom, at least for now.

“This is about me being honest with two people who mean more to me than almost anyone else,” Chuck said. “It’s time.”

But could she believe him? She would need to verify everything with facts, with documents. She needed to put him off for a bit until she could form a plan. “Can you please tackle one set of truths at a time? I’m not ready for a bunch of honesty this morning. I need a little more time to assimilate everything.”

“Take all the time you need, Avery. I’m always here,” Chuck told her, then he took a few more swallows of his coffee. Thing was, she had a momentary rush of fear about asking him about the picture she’d found in his office. She spotted something dark hidden behind Chuck’s eyes that she felt certain would rock her world.

Goosebumps pummeled her skin as she turned and headed out the door. “Thanks, Chuck. I’m sure I’ll take you up on your offer. Just not this morning.”

Then she walked out of the kitchen, rubbing her arms as she headed for the stables. She looked forward to a solitary ride on her favorite horse, hoping like heck Chuck and Reese could work things out in a way that would benefit Reese.

No matter what happened, this time she would do much more than just skim the paperwork. She would make sure there were no loopholes that Reese and his family would fall through.

That was the most important issue at the moment. Learning the truth about her mom’s disappearance, and what that picture meant could wait until she formulated all the right questions . . . not only for Chuck, but for her father as well.

Still, when she finally mounted English Rose, her mom’s words came rushing into her thoughts, as tears filled her eyes . . .

“The first step is always the hardest.”

“And after that?”

“The world is yours.”

“The whole world, Mama?”

“The whole world, my darling.”

 

 

REESE AND CHUCK moved their conversation to the front porch, where the activity on the ranch seemed almost surreal to Reese. The contrast between the two ranches was almost comical. Circle Starr buzzed with motion, men and women gearing up for the day arrived every few minutes. Their pickups and vans parked in clusters in the gravel parking lot up the road. And this was only a small fraction of what went on elsewhere on Chuck’s land.

Secretly, Reese had always been jealous of the Circle Starr, always envied Chuck and his ability to not only keep his ranch profitable, but he envied his acumen for business as well. Not only could Chuck run a highly profitable ranch, but he knew how to run a business and make it not just successful, but incredibly lucrative.

Because of Avery’s steadfast belief in Chuck Starr, and because Chuck had told Reese that morning that he knew about Kaya’s delivery of the box of pictures, Reese had decided to cut Chuck some slack. Still, it didn’t change his mind about Chuck. That date-stamped picture still had to be explained, but for the moment Reese decided he might be able to understand Chuck’s game if he poured on the honey rather than the salt. So far it was working. Chuck had shown him nothing but the utmost respect.

It was a side of Chuck that Reese had only seen one other time—in that restaurant when Reese was a kid. This was the man Reese wanted to reach out to. If he could tap into that aspect of Chuck’s personality, the two of them might have some sort of a future after all.

Just as Reese settled against the wooden railing on the porch, he caught a glimpse of Avery riding. The sight of her so confident up on that magnificent mount, heading off in the direction of the Cooper ranch, brought on a wave of emotion that Reese hadn’t expected. His eyes watered and his throat squeezed merely watching her ride, that luscious red hair of hers catching the sunlight. Avery had captured his heart, and all he knew was that he had to have her in his bed, and in his life.

“Are you in love with her?” Chuck asked as he walked up behind Reese. The whole thing seemed unreal to Reese, him standing on Chuck’s porch, talking to him in a calm manner, as if they’d been friends their entire lives.

“That’s a personal question.” Reese wasn’t in the mood to answer it. Besides, the way he was feeling these days, love seemed more elusive than it had ever been. And he especially didn’t want to discuss it with Chuck Starr, a man who he’d always thought of as the enemy.

“I was in love once,” Chuck confided. “Didn’t know it at the time, or maybe I just didn’t want to admit it. Either way, I was a fool not to fight for her.”

Reese knew Chuck was speaking about his mom . . . another surreal moment. “What stopped you?”

Chuck came up next to Reese, but didn’t look at him, which was probably a good thing. Reese needed time to absorb all of this, time to let it settle into the parts of him that still thought Chuck would spew nothing but lies, that all Chuck wanted was the Cooper ranch in order to make his own ranch complete.

“Lots of reasons, but none of them stacked up to what I lost.”

“Maybe, secretly, you were happy to see her go. After all, a baby’s a big burden to a young man without a dream.”

Reese couldn’t imagine himself not fighting for what he wanted. That kind of thing was part of his DNA, part of what made up his persona. Hell, he and his dad had been fighting to keep the Cooper ranch intact ever since he could remember. No wonder his dad had won out. The man had been all about the fight. And even before he died, Reese Sr. never gave in, and never gave up. Chuck had simply been lucky in getting the other acres of land from the other ranchers when what he had truly wanted, what had eluded him his entire adult life, Reese’s dad had taken from him: Catherine, and his only child.

And he’d done it without bluster and without shame.

“Oh, I had plenty of dreams, all right, probably too many for my situation,” Chuck said, his voice sounding low and raspy. “No. In hindsight it was more that I wanted to do right by her. I wanted her to be happy.”

That was something Reese had never thought he’d hear coming from Chuck . . . that he’d been thinking of someone else’s happiness. Was Reese supposed to actually buy this?

“So you only wanted my mom to be happy? You gave up everything in order to please her. I’ve known you for a long time, Chuck. I have to admit, that’s a lot for me to swallow.”

Reese had a hard time buying anything Chuck was saying. It sounded like bullshit to him, a way to make Reese have empathy. But Reese knew how this man worked. He’d seen Chuck in action, and it wasn’t pretty. He tried to be open to Chuck, but talking about his loving his mom and how he only wanted her to be happy bordered on offensive. Over the years, Chuck had singlehandedly caused his mom nothing but strife.

Still, Reese took in a mental deep breath and tried to make nice.

“What you know about me has been colored by your dad, a man who hated everything about me.”

“Can you blame him?”

Reese anticipated an answer that smacked of arrogance.

“He had everything I wanted. Can you blame me for trying to get it back?”

“So that’s what this whole thing has been about? You trying to regain your happiness? That’s rich.”

Reese wanted to laugh out loud. Chuck owned the world, had more money than even some of the other richest people in the world, and complained about his happiness.

Bullshit, pure and simple.

“Yes. When everything first came down, I didn’t think my personal happiness mattered. As time went on, it seemed that nothing else mattered. I can’t do things in a simple way, only in a big way. I’m learning to slow down. Learning that there’s a middle of the road that can please both sides.”

Reese stared over at this devious man and wondered if Chuck could ever take the middle of anything, much less when it came to dealing with his son and the mother of his child.

“What would you have done differently?” It was a question that required an answer Reese might actually believe.

“I would have fought harder to change her mind. I would have fought harder to keep my son, to keep you in my life.”

Reese stared at Chuck for a moment, trying to decide if what he’d just said was genuine. The man looked sincere enough, but Reese couldn’t read his heart. On the contrary, Reese’s dad had worn his heart on his sleeve. What Reese Sr. said was always exactly what he meant.

“From the way my mom tells it, you gave up rather easily.”

“I was young and naive. I thought if I let her go, she’d come back to me, especially since she told me that she’d dreamt about me. That I was her soul mate.”

Reese could hardly believe what Chuck had just said. He took a step back from the railing. Or did he fall back from the railing because his legs had turned to mush? Either way, he almost thought he hadn’t heard him correctly. “She dreamt about you? She told you that?”

He nodded as a faint smile drifted up to his face. “Yeah. I never forgot that. I wanted to remind her about it when she told me all about your dad and how he was the right choice for her, under the circumstances, but I felt as if reminding her would only start an argument. I wasn’t up for upsetting her. I knew being pregnant with my baby was tough enough on her.”

Reese hesitated for a moment, deciding on whether or not to share his own dreams about Avery with Chuck. In the end, he knew he couldn’t keep it from him considering Chuck just might be the only person, other than his mom, who would understand. “I had the same type of dreams about Avery. Matter of fact, I’ve had the same kind of dreams about Avery before I ever met her. Since I was a kid.”

Chuck finally looked over at him. “Have you told her yet?”

“Yes, but now I wonder if that was the right thing to do. It hasn’t really made us any closer.”

Reese didn’t know why he was suddenly telling Chuck any of this, but it felt right. Felt as if he needed to do it. Needed to tell Chuck what Avery meant to him.

“She’s a force to be reckoned with,” Chuck said in a hushed voice. “Just like her mom.”

Reese had decided that Kaya had done the right thing by giving Avery all those pictures, but what he didn’t understand was why Chuck hadn’t done it years ago.

“Avery doesn’t seem to know much about her mom, about what happened to her,” Reese said while still gazing in Avery’s direction even though she’d vanished into the horizon.

“Her dad wanted it that way,” Chuck told him. “I honored his wishes.”

Reese wasn’t buying that answer. There had to be something more to it, more than what Avery had told him, that her dad had been protecting her. Something bad must have happened to her mom that both men had kept hidden. That black and white picture of Avery’s mom said it all. Something ugly went down, and both men had tried to cover it up.

But what?

With all the other secrets swirling around his own family, he couldn’t imagine what might be swirling around in Avery’s. Or like she’d said last night . . . maybe it was all related, and he didn’t mean it in a bloodline way. More in an underhanded, corrupt way.

“She deserves to know the truth, whatever it is.” Reese gazed over at Chuck, making sure he knew this was an important issue to him. Their eyes locked for a moment, until Chuck looked away.

“If and when she asks, I’ll tell her. So far, she hasn’t asked.”

“I think the time is fast approaching. Are you prepared for it?” Reese asked, trying to get a feel for Chuck’s sincerity.

He saw none.

After last night, Reese knew Avery was ready to hear whatever Chuck was willing to tell her.

“And you? Are you ready to hear the truth?”

Reese turned to Chuck. “I’m ready to hear your version, if that’s what you mean.”

“Your dad was a good man.”

You could have knocked Reese over with a feather. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever have thought he’d hear those words coming from Chuck Starr.

“I know. Too bad you couldn’t have told him that a long time ago.”

“I did, but he didn’t care.”

“And why do you think that was?”

Reese didn’t know where this conversation was going, but for some inexplicable reason, he decided they needed to have it. If he and Chuck were ever going to come to any sort of terms, Reese needed to know what Chuck truly thought of his dad. That is, if Reese could believe what Chuck had to say. That part remained questionable.

“Fear,” Chuck said.

That gave Reese a chuckle. Apparently, Chuck categorically didn’t know Reese Sr. on any level. “My dad was the least frightened man I ever knew.”

“Maybe so, but not when it came to losing you.”

“Impossible. I idolized him.”

All of Reese Sr.’s children idolized him. He was their rock, their pillar of strength. If he’d ever been afraid of anything, none of them ever saw it. If anything, between their mom and their dad, they were tough as steel when it came to anything outside their home. With their kids, however, they were the most loving parents any kid could have.

“Maybe so, but I was always a threat. Still am, in your eyes. I’m not trying to take his place, Reese. I know that could never happen.”

For once Reese heard genuine candor in Chuck’s voice. Maybe, just maybe, a crack had formed in Chuck’s bullshit armor. Reese decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Then what do you want, Chuck? I mean, underneath all the bravado, what are you hoping to achieve? Now’s your chance to be honest, to bare your soul, so to speak. You’ve offered me half your fortune for doing essentially nothing to deserve it other than simply being born with your genes. Money won’t make you my dad. That role went to the man who was there for every major and minor moment in my life. Who worked alongside me, who stood by me, who had my back, and who loved me unconditionally. You can’t compete with that. Knowing all of that, where do you think you can fit in?”

“As your business partner, and perhaps in time, your friend.”

Reese stared into Chuck’s deep green eyes, trying to understand this man . . . his biological father. Was he on the level? Was he worth the effort? Could Reese ever forgive him for all the stress he’d caused his family, and more importantly, his dad?

“I expect a lot from my friends: loyalty, reliability, and above all, honesty,” Reese told him, his voice purposely terse. “I can try to deliver my part. Can you?”

Reese felt a renewed sense of purpose. As if he’d just laid everything on the table and it was time for Chuck to uphold his end of the deal. If he didn’t, Reese intended to move on.

“I’ve been waiting for this chance all your life, Reese. You won’t be disappointed. You have my word.”

Chuck looked different, somehow. Sincere. Open. Genuine. Without giving it another thought, Reese stuck out his hand.

Chuck took it and Reese instantly felt the weight of that tight, brief handshake. Not only was Chuck’s hand smooth and soft, not unlike someone who worked at a desk all day, but his handshake seemed practiced rather than sincere. Still, Reese decided to let it go, understanding that flushing out his past skepticism would take time. All Reese knew for sure at the moment was that he wasn’t going to sign anything until all those reports came in that his dad had run. Until that happened, all the handshakes in the world wouldn’t get Reese to sign anything . . . his daddy didn’t raise a fool.

Without hesitation, Chuck slapped Reese on the shoulder like they were old pals and hadn’t seen each other in a while, then he let go, as a wide grin spread on his wizened face. It took every ounce of fortitude Reese had to not recoil in self-doubt and shame. Somewhere deep inside of him, he felt as if he’d just shook hands with the devil.

He quickly tossed that thought away, because when he realized what that made him, he shuddered.

“You won’t be sorry, Reese,” Chuck declared. “I give you my word.”

“Good to know,” Reese answered, but he couldn’t quite shake the bad taste that lingered in his mouth.

 

 

BY THE TIME Reese left the Circle Starr, he’d been loaded down with not only a thermos of coffee, but also an assortment of Kaya’s muffins. Plus, both Reese and Chuck had worked out a list of compromises that Chuck had agreed to incorporate into yet another partnership agreement. The number one compromise was for the Cooper ranch. Although Chuck’s lawyers had already made some changes to the new agreement, they still weren’t enough to suit Reese. As it stood now, the Cooper ranch would be under the umbrella of Circle Starr Enterprises, but Reese and his mom would have the final say on any and all business that transpired on the ranch.

That wasn’t quite enough of a compromise, especially when the mineral rights would also be under the Circle Starr umbrella. Not knowing exactly what those minerals were under the Cooper Ranch, Reese couldn’t agree to this, at least not until he had some real answers. Chuck was quick to assure him that signing now wouldn’t impact the Cooper’s mineral rights. Besides, Reese still would own half of whatever was under the Cooper land. That part remained the same.

Not exactly the terms Reese had hoped for, but so far, what was already written down would afford Reese the ability to continue to run the family ranch the way he saw fit. Another big compromise was their brand. Reese had negotiated to legally keep the Cooper Ranch brand. However, Circle Starr Enterprises would absorb and pay off all the Cooper Ranch loans, and pay for any repairs and upkeep on the ranch, which included the ranch house. Reese knew his mom would be in favor of those terms, especially since she’d wanted a new kitchen for several years. He looked forward to telling her these new terms.

Reese hadn’t signed any of the documents yet, but at least he and Chuck were now taking the time to painstakingly go over Reese’s concerns. What made the terms even sweeter was Chuck’s willingness to compromise. In all the years Chuck and his dad had tried to work together, Chuck had never been willing to give an inch . . . a trait Reese’s dad had all but refused to deal with.

Reese wondered what his dad would think now. Would he believe this new compromising Chuck Starr, or would he still be cynical? Reese could almost hear his dad telling him to tread lightly, remain wary, and proceed with extreme caution.

Reese intended to heed his dad’s warnings and test the waters first, making sure the Cooper family came out ahead in this game.

Chuck’s lawyers would work up the new agreement and deliver the documents to the Cooper family lawyer sometime in the next few days. Then Reese and his lawyer would make sure everything worked in favor of his family before he put pen to paper. He refused to sign anything without his lawyer’s approval.

There were times during the discussions when Reese had to stop and tell himself it was okay to be talking to Chuck. Years of bias had made even being in the same room with Chuck almost impossible. He felt as if he’d been on the verge of a major panic attack the entire time he’d been with Chuck. Now, as he drove onto the Cooper ranch the tightness in his chest began to finally subside, and all he could think about was catching up with Avery.

He didn’t know exactly where she was, or if she had decided to cut her ride short and head back to the Circle Starr. But Reese had a hunch from the direction she’d rode in that morning she might be headed out to his ranch.

Within what seemed like minutes, he saddled up, filled a saddlebag with a few of Kayla’s outstanding muffins and the thermos filled with coffee, grabbed a small blanket, and headed to the one place where he knew he might find Avery . . . the pasture where he’d seen her that very first day.

When the pasture came into view, he couldn’t see her, then as if she’d known he would be there, she appeared and rode towards him . . . red hair streaming down her back, oversized cowgirl hat shadowing her face as she and that gorgeous mare of hers came riding up to him, as if on cue.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she approached, her face flushed from riding hard. Just the sight of her perched on that horse took Reese’s breath away. Did she know the kind of impact she had on him? Did she know how much he wanted her? How much he thought about her during his day, and how much he longed for her at night?

He wondered if she could see it on his face now, in his eyes.

“Last I heard, this was still Cooper land. What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

He liked the way that sounded . . . that she’d been waiting for him, thinking about him, maybe lusting for him as he did for her. He liked that a lot.

“How’d you know I’d come?”

“I didn’t, but I was hopeful.”

A smile pulled at her lips as a soft breeze stirred the colored wildflowers and tall grasses that encircled them, as sunshine frolicked with her hair, as he longed to hold her in his arms.

“I brought muffins. I noticed you left without any breakfast.” He dismounted, secured the reins around the horn, pulled down the saddlebags, grabbed the blanket and spread it out on a piece of flat ground where the grass wasn’t too high. The weather couldn’t be better for a picnic and Reese intended to entice her to stay.

“If you brought coffee, I promise to be your personal servant for the rest of my life.”

She dismounted and the two horses trotted away, then buried their heads in the sweet grass.

“I brought coffee, but if you’re going to be my servant you should know I can be really picky about how my shirts and jeans are pressed. I never leave the house in un-pressed jeans.”

Reese enjoyed teasing her, and getting her to laugh, especially after last night. He knew her mom still weighed on her mind, and he wanted to try to help ease that load.

“This might be a problem.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know how to use an iron. Didn’t have a mom growing up to teach me all those domestic things.” She said it with a smile, but he knew deep down inside she was hurting. He only hoped that whatever Chuck had to say about her mom wouldn’t devastate her, wouldn’t be something she couldn’t handle. He considered being there when Chuck spoke to her about it, but how he would manage that, he didn’t quite know.

“Then you can’t be my servant.”

“Does this mean I can’t have the coffee? Because, if you reconsider, there are other things I’m much more qualified to do.”

“Like what?”

She took his hand and they both sat down on the blanket. Then she leaned in and kissed him. When their tongues met, and her hand pressed down between his legs, causing him to go rock hard, he unbuttoned her shirt and gently caressed her breasts, delighted that she hadn’t worn a bra.

When she pulled back, he said, “That much coffee is bad for you.”

“What coffee?”

“All the coffee I’m planning on brewing up for you.”

His gaze fell to her lovely full breasts, nipples taut and hard, waiting for his touch. He slid her shirt off her arms. He wanted her naked in the sunshine, lying on his blanket while he ravaged her beautiful body.

“Enough to fill a river?” she asked as she yanked off her boots, tossing them aside. He did the same, sliding his boots off into the grass.

“Enough to fill an ocean,” he said as he ran his hand over her breasts, teasing each nipple with his thumb, enchanted by how quickly her body responded to his touch.

“I like the way you think,” she said, while she slid out of her jeans and panties, ready to give herself to him, right there, under the bluest of skies. He loved seeing her naked, all the soft curves of her body tempting him every time she moved. Her skin seemed to glow in the sunshine, as if she was lit from within. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her, her skin soft and smooth as a flower’s petal.

“I like the way you feel,” he said. Then he leaned into her, running his hand down her belly to the center of her body, finding her wet with excitement for him. He couldn’t help the moan that escaped from somewhere deep inside of him as his fingers slid into the very core of her.

She moved away from his kiss, leaning back on the blanket, arms supporting her as she offered all that she had to him. The sight of her so exposed and vulnerable excited him like nothing he’d ever experienced before. It ripped away any and all of his defenses.

“Is that all you like about me?” she teased, bending her legs, then letting her knees drop to her sides. He pushed his fingers in deeper as she tilted her body up so he could feel all the warmth that she had. His thumb danced over her center, and her breathing slowed. He loved how she responded to his lightest touch, as if she’d been waiting for him, anticipating his moves.

“I don’t know where to begin,” he said, as his gaze devoured her. “How about if I show you?”

“Did I happen to mention that I like the way you think?” Her voice was a whisper that mixed with the breeze then floated into his soul.

“Did I happen to mention that I like the way you . . .”

But he didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before they came together on the blanket in a tangle of red-hot heat.