Never Kiss a Cowgirl, page 22
It might’ve sounded almost chauvinistic to some, but it’s what she needed to hear. Belonging to Asher gave her a place, and a home, and her person back. “Are you mine?”
“Every bit of me, baby, and I’m going to prove it every single day.” Asher kissed her, and that’s all it took. She’d made it back, and she had to pace herself and practice patience because she wanted it all, and she wanted it right now.
“No need to prove anything. I see it every time you look at me.” She touched the side of Asher’s face and stared into those beautiful eyes.
“Good,” Asher said, putting her down. “Let’s get going then. We’ve got a life to get to.”
“That we do, my love.”
Chapter Eighteen
The bulls were in the small pen and Asher stared at the herd as she took deep breaths. She had a few weeks to get back on the proverbial horse before competitions started back up again. Then a few more months before they ended up in Vegas, and she wanted to be at least in the top three. The top spot might not be something she could protect in the first competition, so right now all she needed was to be able to do well enough not to drop out of contention.
“Are you okay?” Reagan asked when she stepped next to her and put her arms around her waist. “You look a little nauseous.”
“More nervous than nauseous. It’s hard not to think about that damn bull and the pain in my foot.” She’d promised to be honest, and that’s what she was going to be.
“Baby, turn around.” Reagan loosened her hold enough for Asher to face her. “I need your head in the game. The time we’ve spent together is special, and I’m glad I was able to help you get back on your feet, but I don’t want to do it again.” She stood on her toes and kissed her. “You’re ready, and you’re stronger than you were before the accident. Trust me, I made sure of that. If not, you’d be handcuffed to the bed right now.”
“Okay,” she said. The protective jacket she wore in practice was hanging on the fence, and Reagan helped her put it on. She then motioned for Owen to put the meanest bull in first. Might as well find out if she really was ready. She placed her hat over one of the fence posts and put on the helmet.
“Love you, honey, and I have one word of advice,” Reagan said as she tugged on the front of the jacket.
“Forget this and let’s head to the barn?” She smiled against Reagan’s lips and moaned when she felt Reagan’s tongue against her own.
“Thanks for putting that thought in my head, and I haven’t been able to look Helki in the eye for the last two weeks.” Reagan kissed her again, making Asher drop her hands to her ass. “And no. My advice is to remember to stay away from the bull when you jump off. You’ve got enough pins in that ankle to last two lifetimes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The rest of the bulls were on edge when the guys roped the one she wanted and put him in the chute, which made the bull she was going to ride a little out of control. She took another deep breath and got on, glad to have the mouth guard in when he kicked back and shook his whole body. The jarring shook the nervousness loose, and she smiled at the ranch hand holding up her rope. It all came rushing back—the adrenaline, the power of the animal, and her will to get on and try. She ran her hand up and down the rope her usual ten times and got into position.
“You good, boss?” the hand on the railing asked.
She nodded and tensed her legs. The bull twisted out of the chute in a way that almost dislocated her shoulder. For the first time in her career, she counted in her head. All she had to do was hang on, so she put her hand up and started. Seven, eight—she finally got to the magic number, and it was like the chains came off. Fear had to be respected, but she couldn’t let it overpower her enjoyment of the sport.
The bull twisted again as if wanting her off, so she waited for him to straighten before she jumped clear of him, keeping her eye on him the whole time. Once she was on the other side of the fence, the relief at not losing this part of herself before she was ready to let go made her scalp tingle. She smiled when she felt Reagan put her arms around her from behind.
“I can’t say that I’m not terrified, but I am glad that you’re the best at this. Now finish up your practice so we can take a shower and cook dinner.” Reagan came around and kissed right over her pulse point.
Once they’d admitted their feelings for each other, things had changed. Reagan was living at Pemberley, they put together most of their meals themselves, and Reagan slept next to her every night. It was everything they’d planned a long time before, and Asher was loving the experience. Being at home and taking care of the person you loved didn’t sound exciting, but it’s all she’d ever wanted.
“You want to head up to the house? Wade can help me finish here.” She waved her hand to get another bull ready as she hugged Reagan to her.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight. Your foot seems to be holding up well, but I want to make sure it’s not bothering you to the point you have a setback.” Reagan stepped back and took her hand. “I’ll be happy to sit with him and judge how you’re doing for very different reasons. Though I give you a perfect score on how you look in these jeans.” She laughed when Reagan slapped her ass.
She spent another hour riding before Wade called it a day, saying her form was almost back to perfect. The mechanics of bull riding never changed, only the strength you could maintain to stay on the bull. The worst of her ordeal was almost over. Now all she had left was to get ready for the first competition and try her best to win, to generate momentum for the rest.
When dinnertime rolled around, Reagan put a plate of grilled fish and vegetables in front of her, and she smiled. Their diet had changed to well-balanced and high-protein meals, but Reagan’s talent in the kitchen seemed to help build muscle, so she never complained. The routine suited her, but there was that small voice in her head that warned Reagan would get bored and pull away. Their future seemed both real and intangible.
“What’s going on in that cute head?” Reagan asked. She cleared the dishes and sent her back to her chair when she got up to help. “Relax and just tell me. You know I’ll wheedle it out of you eventually.”
“Nothing important.” Not bringing it up would delay that dreaded conversation one more day, but she wasn’t being fair. Reagan didn’t act like she was ready to head back to her condo and away from her.
“Then let’s talk next steps,” Reagan said as if reading her mind. “We leave in two weeks, and I’m thinking once you start competing it’s going to be a few months crammed with stuff to do before we arrive in Las Vegas.”
“That sounds right. If you can’t make every event, that’s okay.” It was like the fish had been seasoned with a healthy dose of depressants in it. She had to snap out of this before she ruined their night.
Reagan stared at her and wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Listen to me because I’m only going to say this once. There’s no missing anything on my part. I’m going to be there, and I’ve already decided to ask for leave from my job, which they should be okay with because Harry wants me at every competition.” The dish towel landed somewhere behind Reagan, and she stepped between her legs and cupped her face. “Do you not believe me when I say I love you?”
“I do, and I’m being a fool.” She had to make her actions match those words. “Want to take a walk with me?”
“Since you ate about three pounds of fish, I think that’s a good idea,” Reagan teased her. “You can tell me all about how you’re going to make room for me in your closet.”
“There’s plenty of room in there now, so feel free to add more clothes than you have already.” She held her hand out, and Reagan didn’t hesitate to take it. “Do you need anything?”
“I have everything I need.” Reagan smiled at her and squeezed her fingers. “I did want to talk to you about something.”
“Sure.” She opened the door and headed out the back. There was another car at Rickie’s, and she imagined she was enjoying her time off after Reagan took over dinner prep. “What about?”
“It’s about what Uncle Wade and you have planned for Moon Touch’s land.” Reagan moved closer and wrapped her hand around her bicep as if trying to keep her close.
She’d shelved plans for the expansion she’d thought incessantly about for two years. She knew Reagan believed Asher never planned to take something that important from her. The tracts of land Silas and her father had left them would stay separate. If Reagan thought Asher hadn’t talked about her plans because she was afraid of where it would lead, she was wrong. There were more important things in life than bigger and better.
“Sweetheart, we’ll figure something out so Moon Touch stays profitable even if Wade wants to downsize.” That would work if both Wade and Reagan wanted to enjoy the livelihood the land afforded them. “Whatever you two decide is good with me, and I’ll do whatever you both need.”
“Honey”—Reagan stopped her from taking another step. She stood in front of her and put her arms around her neck—“if I hadn’t been an asshole, you and my uncle would be on your way to the best deal for all of us. I read over all the plans you gave me, and I think it’s the best way forward. What you built here deserves to be finished. There’s only one thing I want.”
“What?” She gazed down at Reagan, reminding herself how beautiful she was. Even from an early age, Reagan had lit up her brain when she smiled at her like this. Now it was even a bigger reaction, and she pulled Reagan closer. “Tell me, and I’ll try to give it to you.”
“I want you to listen to me. Stop living in your head so much, trying to figure out what I’m thinking.” Reagan squeezed her face between her hands until Asher’s lips puckered. When she laughed, Reagan joined her. “I’m telling you what I want, but it’s like you don’t want to hear it.”
“You haven’t specifically said what that is, so don’t blame me,” she said, sounding funny since Reagan hadn’t let her face go.
“I want you to start merging the operations. Give Uncle Wade what he wants and in turn what I want. Our dads had a dream for this place, and I doubt it was to keep them separate.” Reagan stood on her toes and kissed her softly. It was the kind of kiss meant to show how much someone loved you and only you. “Your dreams have to be mine and vice versa.” That seemed to jog something in Reagan, given the way she dropped back on her heels. “Unless that’s not what you want.”
“It’s time for both of us to stop guessing and just ask. I’m sorry for not talking to you, but I didn’t want you to—”
Reagan put her fingers over her mouth. “I love you, Buck, but more than that, I trust you. It’s been a while, but I’m guessing all those big cows you have need room to stretch their legs. Are they going to bully Uncle Wade’s herd?” The sun completely set, leaving them in the purple glow of twilight, and she couldn’t help herself and lowered her head again and kissed Reagan.
“Everyone is going to get along, I promise. And if we’re going to do this, then we need to do what you said.”
“What are you talking about?”
She combed Reagan’s hair back and loved how soft it was. “We need to merge our operations.”
“I can’t accept that, honey. Uncle Wade has been downsizing Moon Touch, so it’s not fair for you to offer me anything.” Reagan took her hands and pulled her toward the rockers on the back porch. “All I want out of this deal is for you to keep the hands on. They love you, so I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to join your place.”
“Uncle Wade will be thrilled, and you need to think long-term. You can leave the day-to-day to me, but you need to be involved. It’s the only way this is going to work. If you really want to be here, then help me with the big picture.” She led Reagan to a rocker and knelt between her legs. “What I want is a partner in all things. If you’re not interested in that, it’s okay, but I need to know.”
“Baby”—Reagan squeezed her shoulders—“I ran from this life.”
Asher closed her eyes and gave herself a quick pep talk not to show emotion. “You did.” The words didn’t sound like they were being strangled out of her throat, at least to her. Giving in would make the pain that much worse this time around because she willingly inflicted it on herself.
“The thing is, though, I ran back to it even faster. That first morning we spent at the cabin, and I looked out at the mist, the cows, and you—it stilled my head. There was no thought, no regret, and I wanted to laugh at what a complete fool I am.”
“For wanting this?” She wanted the answers to come faster if only to unravel the tension in her chest.
“For staying away so long. You, my love, are a hard person to forget, much less get over.” Reagan smiled as she wiped the tears Asher only then realized were falling. “Why would I give that up after I’m lucky enough to have been gifted it?”
“Tell me—I need to hear it.”
“I might be a fool, like I mentioned, but I want it all. Perhaps it’s too early to say this, but I want you and everything that comes with having you.” Reagan pulled her forward with one jerk and held her as if she’d disappear if she let go. “That’ll mean you’re mine. Only mine.”
“That’s a given.” They’d kissed plenty since that first day, but this one was like what she imagined people sensed right after saying their vows. It wasn’t just a kiss to entice, but something that proved you belonged somewhere and to someone. To Reagan.
“Thank you,” Reagan said as she rested her forehead against hers.
“For what?” She glanced down when Reagan started sliding her T-shirt up. They had to get inside before any of her clothes came off.
“I thought this would take so much more time.” Reagan smiled against her lips. “Spending more time naked so you’d warm up to the idea of letting me in.”
She rocked on her heels and stood up to offer Reagan her hand. “I think we need to review that last part upstairs.”
“You have the best ideas.”
“Give me some time, and I’ll show you how true that is.”
Chapter Nineteen
The clinic was full even though it was eight in the morning. Reagan hadn’t come in since she’d started working with Asher, and seeing the patient load now made her feel a bit guilty. Not that she’d change what she’d done, since she’d gotten what she most wanted, but Kendra and the others had been good to her from her first day.
“Can I help you?” Kendra said, holding her hand out. “I’m Kendra, nice to meet you.”
“Come on, you’re the one who sent me out there.” She pushed Kendra’s hand aside and hugged her. “And I owe you an expensive dinner to thank you for that, by the way.”
“The cowgirl got her head out of her ass, huh?” Kendra said softly before she stepped back.
“She wasn’t the one with a bad learning curve, my friend, but she does have a good heart. It’s been some wonderful weeks.” They walked arm in arm back to Kendra’s office, and she shook her head at the offer of coffee. “I wanted to talk to you about taking a leave of absence.”
“Asher’s pushing you to quit your job?” Kendra seemed surprised at that.
“No”—she shook her head—“Asher’s actually pushing me to come back while she’s finishing up the circuit that comes before the championship in Las Vegas. I can’t prove it, but I think she’s scared to have me watch. Like I’m going to change my mind if I’m there.”
“When you first came back and finally told me about her and what happened, I would’ve thought Asher was right. You weren’t a fan.” Kendra sat next to her and placed her hand on her forearm.
“Still not a fan, but there’s no way I’m letting her go alone. I love her, and I’m not going to be away from her that long.” Thinking of being away from Asher now gave her more anxiety than the thought of seeing Asher did six months ago. “I’ll quit if I have to, but I’m going with her.”
“Don’t get crazy on me. Take the time and keep Asher in one piece. When she’s done, we’ll talk about scheduling.” Kendra laughed and squeezed her arm again. “Make sure to stay in touch, and if something happens, which I doubt it will, I’m a call away.”
“Reagan said you were a good friend,” Asher said from the doorway. “She was right.”
It’d become one of her favorite things every day, to watch Asher exist in her skin—the broad shoulders she carried with confidence, the jeans that were just tight enough to make the ass worthy of staring at, and the legs that went on for a mile.
Today the jeans were faded with a small hole below the knee, and the golf shirt was tight at Asher’s biceps, and it wasn’t tucked all the way, just where the belt buckle she’d won at the Dome sat proudly, sort of a reminder of what could happen or how far Asher had come since the accident. She wasn’t about to ask why she’d picked that particular one.
Asher was handsome but not in the way she’d describe a man. She was no man wannabe, but she was strong, solid, and hers. The way Kendra was staring at Asher reminded her she was going to have to get used to that too. Asher had that kind of effect on women. Even when they didn’t fit, were from different worlds like Jacqueline, they appeared entranced.
“She is, and you weren’t as long as I expected.” She stood and wrapped her fingers under the buckle and tugged Asher toward her. “Did you get everything you needed?”
“I did, and Harry says hi. She told me to stop being such an ass and go with the fact that the girl loves me.” Asher lowered her head and kissed her. “We have time for lunch before we head back.”
“Good, let’s go to my place. I wanted to talk to you about something.” She put her arm around Asher’s waist and turned to face Kendra. “Thanks for the time off, and I promise I’ll be back when all this madness is over.”
