“I think I’m in love,” Cheyenne said.

Payton gasped on the other end of the line. “What?” she squeaked. “You’ve only been there for a week.”

Cheyenne winced. “I know. Seems like it’s been longer. Payton, I never knew a man could be like this. I mean, I’ve seen Mama and Daddy together but I thought they were flukes, you know? And seeing you guys together it was kind of the same. I never imagined I would find a guy that made me think of forever like Sheridan Lane does.”

“Wow,” Payton breathed. “That’s a hell of a turnaround. I mean, you could barely speak to the man.”

“I know,” Cheyenne sighed. “And there was no reason for that. I mean, I think I just worried that when I talked to him all he would be able to see was me bloody and broken and useless that night, you know what I mean? I didn’t want that. But I don’t think he does. He looks at me like … I don’t know. Like he sees more than anyone else ever has.”

Her voice drifted away as she thought about the morning. They’d met in the hallway. He had an armload of clothes in front of him, and Cheyenne had blushed as she saw the swim trunks on the very top. Sheridan had grinned at her embarrassment.

“Want me to wash your suit? You’ll need it tonight.”

Her embarrassment had exploded, and she’d whirled away to get the suit, and to give herself a moment to breathe. When she’d returned, though, he’d been grinning like a fool. She’d tossed the suit at him and was about to turn away when he’d grabbed her hand and pulled her back. His eyes had gone soft.

“I won’t tease you anymore if you don’t want me to, but you’re so cute when you get flustered.”

He’d kissed her then, right there in the hallway, his tongue gliding into her mouth, the dirty laundry between them. Cheyenne couldn’t remember ever becoming so aroused so quickly as she did during that kiss.

She shifted in her chair. She was still wet, and throbbing.

“Cheyenne!”

“What?” she snapped.

“I called your name and you didn’t answer me.”

“Oh, sorry.” She could feel her cheeks heating again. “I was uh, thinking about something else.”

“Obviously,” Payton laughed. “Probably something about six five, with yummy hazel eyes and dark hair.”

“Yes, you’re probably right,” she admitted. “I’m hooked, Payton. He said he wants to marry me.”

“What?” Payton screeched. “Are you joking?”

“No. He asked me on another date— you heard about the mess yesterday right?— then he said, let’s just skip the dating and go straight to engagement. He says he’s ‘nuts’ about me, and I make his house a home.”

“Wow… yes, I heard about yesterday. Wade is a douche. You know that. Brock said you threatened him with back child-support. Brilliant, I thought, because he was always more concerned with himself than anyone else. And did Sheridan say the word love?”

“No, but he hinted at it. And we… well, we didn’t have sex, but almost.”

Payton gasped again. “Dude, you’re killing me! Seriously? Good for you! You’re not a nun anymore.”

Cheyenne chuckled. “I was never a nun, but I think everything happens for a reason. In a crazy way I’m glad Wade returned because it made me look at Sheridan in the right light.”

“Yes. He really is a good guy, Cheyenne, and I’ve thought for a long time that you guys would be good together, if you ever gave him a chance.”

Cheyenne smiled. “Well, I’m giving him a chance. We’re learning each other right now.”

“Good for you. You deserve so much, Cheyenne. You and the girls.”

“They love him,” Cheyenne admitted. “They brought me a paper this morning. They’d taken an official poll and four out of four kids thought that we were good together. My three also voted to stay at the sheriff’s house rather than go back to our own. They also added a paw print to that paper, which I assume was Daisy’s vote.”

Payton laughed. “I hope you write all this stuff down. Those kids are precious and they deserve to have a dad that loves them. It sounds like Olivia is on board too.”

“I think so. She gave written approval for them to move in. I’m sure the girls talked her into in, but I love that she actually went along. I’m falling in love with that kid. I try not to overstep my bounds but I want to love on her.”

“You know, families mesh all the time.”

“I know.”

She loved the feeling of them all together in Sheridan’s house, but she didn’t want to move too fast.

“So,” she said, changing the subject. “Did you walk through the venue?”

“I did, and everything is ready. I called all of the delivery people and they’ll be there at seven a.m.”

“Okay. I have two in-service days, then I’ll be done for the summer. If there’s anything after that that needs taken care of I can do it, probably.”

“I think everything is ready, Cheyenne. You’ve got the little favors at your house, right?”

“Yes. In that back office area.”

“Okay. I’ll run over there in a couple days to get those and we’ll be set. Don’t worry about anything. This will be a beautiful wedding shower.”

Cheyenne sank back into the chair. “Okay. Thanks, Payton. I’m going to go rustle up something for lunch.”

“Okay. Later. Keep me posted, woman!”

She laughed. “I will.”

Cheyenne swiped her phone to hang up and set it down. She picked up the paper the girls had signed. All four of them. She didn’t tell Payton, but she was anxious about becoming a stepmom to Olivia.

They would work it out.

Cheyenne cooked a little and cleaned a little and worked on end of the year reports for school. But she always found herself looking for Sheridan. When he was mowing it was easy. She could tell by the noise where he was. And she could hear him tinkering in the garage when he was done. Was he as keyed to her presence as she was?

The girls played in the pool all day, coming in for snacks and drinks. Cheyenne found some chicken breasts in the freezer to roast for dinner, as well as some veggies. Then they settled onto the couches in the living room to watch new movies.

It was kind of funny actually, watching the girls watch them. Sheridan’s gaze connected with hers more than once as people kept shuffling around until Cheyenne and Sheridan ended up side by side. Shrugging lightly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and settled back into the cushions, his long legs propped in front of him on the table. Cheyenne mirrored his pose, relishing in his warmth and strength cradling her.

They watched two movies back to back, but the three younger girls fell asleep partway through. Olivia headed downstairs with a smile at them, promising not to be back up till morning.

They shut the tv off and carried the girls to bed, then, like smugglers in the night, they separated to go to their rooms and change.

Sheridan was already in the pool by the time she got there. Cheyenne’s heart was racing as she padded across the patio and sat on the side of the pool, dangling her legs in the water. The evening had cooled, but the cement was warm beneath her bottom.

“Are you coming in?”

She gave him a considering look. “Not sure. I might just skip that step.”

Grinning, Sheridan plowed toward her, causing a wake in the water. Cheyenne scrambled up, laughing, as he lunged out of the pool.

“I felt your eyes on me all day today,” he told her softly. “It was distracting and exciting.”

She nodded, backing up as he stalked her. “I know. I felt you watching me as well.”

Her gaze flicked down to the bulge in his shorts. “I would like to see you more though.”

Sheridan grinned and as she lowered herself to the same lounge they’d been on the night before, he lowered himself beside her, propping himself up on one elbow. “You’re beautiful,” he told her softly. “Enticing, motherly, seductive…”

Cheyenne chuckled, reaching out to run her hands over his muscled chest, then down the soft line of hair on his abdominals. “I want to see you this time,” she whispered.

The bulge beneath his shorts flexed and she chuckled again, reaching a palm out to stroke him lightly. Sheridan groaned, dropping his head to his bicep. “You’re going to kill me.”

Cheyenne leaned into him and kissed his lips lightly, then harder. “I don’t want to kill you,” she told him finally, “I want to love you.”

Sheridan’s eyes opened and she was shocked at the vulnerability she could see in his expression. “I want that too.”

Cheyenne’s heart thudded as she eased off of the lounge, then held a hand out to Sheridan. “Come on.”

He took her hand and rolled to his feet without a word, following her silently inside the house. They paused as they closed the French door to make sure no one roused, but she didn’t hear a thing other than the refrigerator running. Her heart was about to pound out of her chest. “Do you mind if we go to your room?”

He shook his head and took the lead. Angling across the living room, he headed to his bedroom, the farthest away, tugging her along behind him. She’d peeked in once, but hadn’t dared enter before now. This was his space. He closed and locked the door behind them.

Cheyenne couldn’t see much other than some big pieces of furniture. The bathroom light was on, casting a warm glow. Sheridan paused in front of the bed and turned to face her. “I promised myself last night that I wouldn’t move faster than you were able, so you have to tell me everything. I’m not going to ruin what we have by jumping the gun. Do you understand?”

Cheyenne nodded, her throat tight with emotion at his consideration. And honestly, she was kind of flying by the seat of her pants right now. Last night had been amazing, but it had left her wanting. All day today she’d been hungering for him, but she wanted complete satisfaction, not just the little snack they’d had last night.

“I want … everything,” she admitted. “I want to feel like a woman again, not an object of pity. Yes, I was traumatized by a man, but my life didn’t end there. My needs didn’t end there. I want to feel complete, again, and free of all that went before. You know what I mean?”

He nodded. “I can’t understand completely, but I promise you, I won’t hurt you, ever. You mean too much to me to ever even consider giving you less than my best. I will do everything in my power to be what you need.”

Tears blurred her vision. That statement right there was more valuable to her than any ‘I love you’.

Taking her courage in her hands, she stripped off her bathing suit, and forced herself to stand proud before him. Sheridan’s gaze followed her movements and he smiled at her, lifting his brows in question.

“I want you to touch me, damn it, and kiss me,” she hissed. “And I want to see all of you.”

Sheridan reached for his trunks and Cheyenne forgot about her embarrassment, her breath stalling in her lungs. He’d felt substantial last night, but that could have just been her. Oh my, no… it hadn’t been her imagination, not at all.

Sheridan Lane’s body was beautiful, his penis long and thick, and excruciatingly erect. He was absolutely beautiful. Unable to help herself she reached out to touch him, cup him. His head dropped back on his neck and his hands clenched at his sides, as if he wanted to stop her from exploring.

“I’m not far from the edge, Chey. I’m warning you. I thought you wanted me to touch you?”

“I forgot about that as soon as I saw you.”

With sheer force of will, Sheridan reached for her so he could kiss her. Cheyenne moaned as he cupped her head, his tongue gliding deep into her mouth. He moved inside her mouth like she knew he would move inside her body, strong and deep, careful, loving. With one hand he reached down and cupped her bottom, pulling her groin tight against his own. Her hands skirted around his back to his own behind, shaping and massaging, then up his strong, muscled back.

One of his hands crept between their bodies to fondle her nipple, massage her breast. Cheyenne panted as he shifted to the side so that he could slip a finger down lower, into her body. She was drenched, ready for anything he could give her.

Her thighs quivered as his finger massaged her clit, dragging a series of gasps and cries from her. Sheridan pulled back to grin down at her. “I think somebody was as aroused as I was today.”

He held his hand up, and it glistened in the light from the bathroom. Cheyenne shifted, rubbing her thighs together, but it just wasn’t the same as his talented hand.

“I want more,” she whispered.

Sheridan led her to the bed and lowered her down onto her back. He followed, his hand immediately going back to her slit. Cheyenne squirmed and widened herself for him, allowing him better access. His lips claimed her own as his finger sped up, circling exactly where she needed him to. Jerking her lips away, she cried out, so close to the edge. Then he bit down, ever so lightly on her hard nipple.

Cheyenne arched and cried out, her body not her own to control anymore. Sheridan held her as her pleasure crested, then eased. He laved her nipples with his tongue, and pressed kisses between her breasts. His penis was wedged against her hip, grinding carefully.

That tiny, involuntary movement reminded her of her deeper need, her need to be filled. Pushing against his heavy chest she laid him flat, then lifted one leg over top of him. Sheridan’s eyes widened, and he seemed about to say something, but she hushed him with a kiss. Reaching between them she angled his dick toward her center, and sank down.

Oh, blazes, there it was. Her body took his own in one long glide, so much easier than she’d expected. It was because of the preliminary work he’d done, getting her ready, she thought.

Cheyenne swiveled her hips, relishing the feel of the deeper, darker pleasure that was building. Sheridan groaned, his hands lifting to cup her breasts. “You are stunning,” he told her softly. “Please don’t stop.”

She had no intentions of doing anything of the sort. In fact, she needed to speed up. Cheyenne rocked herself against him, panting, reaching for that pinnacle again. Beneath her, Sheridan’s abs tightened as he rocked up into her, his breaths coming in gasps. She could tell by the way he clutched her hips in time to the movements that he was as close to orgasm as she was. Though her hips were aching and one thigh was cramping, she forced herself to move faster.

Sheridan cried out first, his body arching up off the bed and into hers even harder. That had been exactly what her body needed, that extra hardness, because her orgasm slammed into her, arching her back, almost unseating her. Only Sheridan’s strong hands kept her there as his body played out its release beneath her.

When Cheyenne finally allowed herself to lay forward, Sheridan’s strong arms around her and hearing him whisper I love you over and over again in her ear, she broke into sobs.