Patty's Homecoming, page 4
part #1 of Montana Wranglers Series
It really was decidedly odd that Blake wouldn’t tell her what happened, but she brushed it off. She would find out eventually. That was the trouble with small towns and small ranches, there were no secrets. “So what’s new in your life, Blake?” she asked and leaned down to pick up a rock, skipping it across the water with ease.
“Not a whole lot, got a new truck,” he said with a shrug. He moved to sit on a fallen tree, one boot up on a rock that he draped an arm over. “The old one finally decided to just fall apart, almost literally, in the middle of town. Which was convenient and yet as frustrating as it can get. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same stuff as always.” He pulled his hat off and scrubbed a hand over his short hair. Then he pinned her with a look. “Can I tell you something and not have it get back to your father?”
Patty turned and looked at him and frowned. Moving his way, she took a seat on the tree at his side and bumped her shoulder to his. “You can tell me anything, Blake, you know it.” Bumping into his shoulder was a bad thing, stupid really. He was as hard as the rock his boot was on. “Talk to me. You will feel better after you do.”
He was watching her, and finally nodded. “I’m thinking of leaving,” he said quietly. “I love the ranch and the work, even most of the people. Hell, your dad’s been there for me most of my life and I can never repay him for that, not in a million years. But I’ve been feeling restless of late.”
Patty frowned and shook her head. “Daddy would be devastated,” she whispered quietly. “However, you have to do what makes you happy, right?” She didn’t like the thought of him leaving. Blake had always been a part of the ranch. Hell, he was as much of the lifeblood of the ranch as her father was. “What is it that you want to do, Blake?” God that hurt her to ask, but she could no more hold him back than her father would.
“Family,” he said softly, sliding his hat back on. “Can’t seem to get it here so maybe I need to go and chase it down. Especially since whenever I think I’m close it vanishes and stays away for too long. I’m guessing it’s not meant to be. If it was, well…” he shrugged.
Her heart hurt, it ached for him. “I’m so sorry Blake,” she told him quietly. “I honestly don’t know what to tell you,” she admitted to him. “It really sucks,” she whispered, “to be so in love with someone, to want to give them all that you are and for them not to see you. If anyone understands what you are saying it’s me,” she whispered honestly to him. Because she did. She loved two men—she loved Blake and Corbin with all of her heart, but she knew that she would never have them and that was just heart-wrenching.
He was watching her, but when he let loose with language he didn’t use around her, she was shocked. Not quite as shocked as when he lifted her into his lap. “Bloody hell, woman, why can’t you just admit you love us as much as we’ve loved you all these years? Instead you’re going to just fucking run off once more and leave us bleeding in your wake, is that the plan?”
“What?” What the hell? “You, huh?” Holy shit, she had to be dreaming. That was the only way around it. Yep, she was dreaming. “You love me?” she heard herself whispering. “Who is ‘we’?” Her heart clenched and she prayed, she prayed that it was Corbin. “I do,” she admitted and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. “I love you,” she said so softly that she was sure that he didn’t hear her. But how? “How did you know? How long? God, why didn’t you ever say anything to me?” she demanded in rapid succession.
“Corbin and I have loved you since nearly the moment we met you. It changed over the years into real love, real need, and still we knew that you needed to find yourself. We tried to be there when you were here and to let you go when you had to do your schooling and finally your business. But it was hard, we were fighting our own instincts to come and collect you. When you didn’t talk to your dad for a while I knew I had to go and find you. Corbin hates to fly so I got the easy vote there to track your ass down, spank it and bring you home. Over my shoulder and hogtied, if necessary.”
“Instead I came here.” Hugging him, Patty shook her head and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. “I’ve loved you boys all my life. I went to New York because I was sure that there would never be a future for us. I was sure that neither of you boys would ever see me as anything other than the pesky girl that followed you around all the time when we were younger.” She rubbed her cheek to his shoulder and held onto him tighter. “What happens now?”
“That’s up to you,” he said quietly. The tension had drained from his body at her words. “I know you don’t want your father to know, and I understand it. But we may need to tell him something if you decide to stay this time. And we will need to figure out if we remain on the ranch proper or move to the slice of land Corbin and I bought a while back. It’s on the eastern border closest to the house, so it’s only a ten-minute ride or twenty by car. Close enough to keep working here but far enough away your father won’t miss you easily.”
“Why wouldn’t I want him to know?” she asked with a frown. “God, knowing Daddy he already knows and has been laughing his ass off watching everything happening.” She touched her fingers to Blake’s lips and her frown intensified. “Why? Why wouldn’t I want my father to know? I have three men in my life that mean the world to me. You, Corbin, and my father. Good heavens, if anything he will begin to laugh and crow about me staying home and then start to bug the two of you about grandchildren.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, no judgment on his face, just acceptance of her words. At her nod, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Then by all means, tell him whatever you wish. But I still think it would be best if we move to the plot of land. It will afford us some privacy since Corbin and I normally are in the bunkhouse and your father most definitely won’t let you in there.”
“That’s a very good point. Besides.” She wrinkled her nose. “I think that one of us would end up killing Trevor if we were to have to deal with him on a more steady basis.” Especially the things that the perverted ass would likely say. “What do you want?” she asked him softly. “And why didn’t you ever come to me? God, I was sure that I had been wearing my heart on my sleeve where you two were concerned.”
“You most definitely were not,” he said with a small, crooked smile. “Had you been, we never would have let you leave the last few times. Besides, you were starting your business and it was then thriving. We didn’t want to get in the way of your dreams or anything that you were good at and wanted so desperately. We figured in time that you would either come home for good or we’d get so fed up we’d just haul your ass back.”
“I am home for good,” she said with a smile. “And if you really do want me, there isn’t a soul that could stand between us.” Rubbing her cheek against his, she whispered against his ear, “You seem to have a serious fascination with my ass. Why’s that, Blake?”
“Ever since you developed hips you’ve had this walk that gets me hard, instantly. When you were living here I was a throbbing hormone twenty-four seven. I find myself staring at your ass whenever you’re in front of me and it’s in my line of sight. I can’t help it, it’s all your damn fault.”
“Then I say that we do something about it,” she told him quietly. “We should totally do something about it. I really and truly think that we need to do something about this throbbing hard-on that you have had.” She hurt like hell, but she was so ready to be with him that it didn’t matter. She didn’t care how much she hurt, she wanted him.
“You are in pain, Tish,” he said quietly. “And I don’t want to hurt you, unintentional though it may be.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek, moving his mouth to her neck and nibbling on her skin. It was gentle, with just a hint of teeth that he soothed slowly. “I want you so badly that my balls are blue and have been forever. They may never return to their proper color. But I can’t and will not hurt you.”
Her fingers tightened around his shoulder and she shivered in reaction to his words. “God you are killing me here,” she whispered softly. “I want you so much that I swear I don’t know where you end and I begin,” she admitted quietly. “I think I will always want you, always need you. I will never have enough of you, Blake. Now that you have opened that door, I will never let you close it,” she warned him softly.
“I don’t intend on closing it, unless we’re on the same side and it’s to shut out the world.” Lifting his head, he stared at her, his eyes intensely focused on her. Then his gaze dropped to her lips, the look a lot like a touch. “We should get back, dinner will be soon and since we’re taking our time we’ll need a bit of it. But first,” he said, dipping his head. Then he kissed her, hard, fast, and took full control as he devoured her mouth.
Patty wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. She loved this man and had all of her life. She kissed him back with just as much hunger, just as much need as he was giving her. Finally, when they pulled back from each other, she licked her lips and sighed. “Yes, yes we should get back for dinner but man, that kiss.” It was amazing and she would totally do another if he would, too.
He licked his lips and then flashed her a crooked grin. It had her tightening her hold on his neck. “I think we should try that again, a little slower this time. Then we’ll head back for dinner.” Dipping his head again, he captured her lips and gently teased her, nice and slow. He definitely took his time with the second kiss, exploring her mouth with infinite patience.
When they parted after a long and leisurely kiss, she sighed. “Heaven’s sakes Blake, I knew that you were dangerous but never had I imagined you would be that dangerous.” Leaning into him, she sighed. Nodding, she brushed her nose to his. “Will Corbin be there at dinner or will we need to track him down to have a talk, just the three of us?”
“He’s out in the back forty with the cattle. They’re sorting them out and bringing in those that will be heading out the day after tomorrow. We can ride out there if you want but there are others out there. And I don’t think you should be sleeping on the ground, Tish, you need a nice soft bed.”
“I know that, I do. Believe me, I know. Maybe another time I will go with you boys on the back forty, but not right now. Right now, I know you are right. I do need a bed. Very much so.” She knew her limits, and this was one of them. “We will talk to him when he comes home. No one else needs to know what’s going on between the three of us until we want them to know. I don’t care who knows, but until the three of us have discussed it then they don’t need to know shit.”
“I know, P,” he said quietly. Brushing a kiss to her cheek, he pulled back. “We should get back. It’s been a long day and I’m starting to feel it. I’m sorry, Tish, I’d stay out here longer but I’ve got another rough one tomorrow, unfortunately.”
“It’s okay. I am exhausted and I hurt like hell. I want to take one of the lovely drugs they sent home with me and just rest.” There was a moment’s hesitation and she asked, “Are you going back to the bunkhouse tonight?” She wanted him to stay with her. Plain and simple.
“I should, I have to be up at four,” he said. He was watching her, “But if you want me to, I’ll stay with you tonight. Just don’t go and get upset with me when I’m gone when you wake up.” Urging her up, he stood and led her back to Rusty, who was munching on grass and ignoring them.
“I know how the life is, Blake. I do, however, want to feel your arms around me when we are sleeping.” Patty shrugged and added, “But if you think it would be too awkward I understand.” Especially when he saw her body. He was going to shit fucking kittens when he saw her.
“Why would it be awkward? I mean, besides your father being only a few doors down from your room. Or the fact he’ll know I’m in there no matter what we do. He’s pretty much psychic when it comes to you,” he said. Grabbing the reins, he swung into the saddle before he moved his foot from the stirrup and held out a hand to her.
Letting him help swing her up onto the back of the horse, she settled against him with a wince of pain. “Because when you see me you are going to cuss the house down and then Dad will be there and he will cuss and it will be bad. Very bad,” she admitted honestly.
“Do you not want me there, Tish?” he asked. He turned Rusty’s head and they got moving back toward the main house. “I know you were hurt, Patricia. Whether I see what was done or make a call and get the original pictures from the hospital, I’ll see what that bastard did to you.”
“Yes,” she whispered and then tensed with shock. “What? You, how? How could you possibly be able to get those?” she asked softly. Shaking her head, her forehead to his back, she said, “I want you there, Blake. I want to keep you and sleep with you for the rest of our lives. I know you need to see, to understand just how dangerous this guy is. He did this to me, and he was supposedly in love with me. At least that’s what he said many times in trying to get me to marry him.” She shuddered. “And I never once led him on. At all.”
“That isn’t love, Patricia, that’s obsession. He only believes it to be love because he can’t feel the true emotion. It’s beyond him. He’s too much of a controlling person. He needs you to love him but he has to control you and everything about you. He was exerting control over you, showing you who was boss and, for that alone, he’ll die painfully. It would have been worse had you married him. Thankfully you didn’t, I’d hate to have you see me that pissed off.” He shot her a look over his shoulder. “I have contacts, Tish darling, lots and lots of contacts who owe me huge favors. Calling in a marker to find out what this asshole did to you isn’t that big a deal. I’d call them all in if necessary.”
“Well save them, because you never know when you might need one,” she whispered softly. “I will show you. All of it.” She just hoped that he didn’t decide to travel to New York that night because of it. “Just promise me that you will hold tight and not go off to kill him?”
“I will promise I won’t go running off tonight to kill him. Tomorrow will be another story,” he said. His tone said that he wouldn’t be giving anything more than that in the moment. “Tonight is you and me, Tish. I want to be there for you, and I’m not going to do anything that makes you change your mind or alerts your dad to what’s up.”
“Thank you for that,” she said with a smile. “I need tonight. I need every night after tonight as well. I want forever, nothing less will do. Ever. You are who matters to me,” she admitted to him quietly. “We will deal with him together.”
“We’ll see just how riled I end up.” He grunted, shooting her another look. As they rode, he put a hand on her leg and gently rubbed her outer thigh. “Tell me the craziest client request you had for a room design.”
She knew what he was doing and was thankful for it. “I had a client want me to design a room for his frogs. Yes, his frogs. We are talking pond, trees, the whole works. In a high-rise. Talk about permit hell.” She muttered. “The hardest, however, was the woman that changed her mind literally every day. I had to drop her as a client and found out later that she had a multiple personality disorder and that’s what was happening. I was talking to different people and didn’t know it.”
He chuckled, the vibrations moving through her body where they touched. “That had to be tough. I find it hard enough to deal with one person and one personality, but multiples would be definitely crazy. What was the best job you ever had, the most satisfying?”
“It was a freebie job I did,” she admitted to him, “for an eight-year-old who had just gone through his first round of chemo for leukemia. He was such a sweetheart,” she whispered honestly. “And so easy to please. He was the sweetest and most amazing child. His parents, not so much,” she admitted with a frown. “They ended up divorcing and it was just plain ugly. He and I would spend many hours together making plans for his room. It was really bad during that time,” she admitted.
“That’s nice of you to do, darling,” he said quietly. “Not many would. But that’s what makes you such an amazing woman. You have a big heart and always go that extra mile for people, even those you don’t know.” He fell silent as they came into sight of the main house.
“What can I say, I had a great role model growing up,” she told him with a smile. Seeing the house, she sighed. “Time to go in. Let’s just hope dinner will be fast and then you and I will be able to retire very quickly,” she whispered. “I really, really want to just climb into bed with you and forget everything.”
“You should plan on having a hot bath, Tish,” he told her as Rusty carried them toward the stables. “You’ll sleep better with a full belly and relaxed muscles. I’ll even grab some of the rub I have and give you a massage if you want. Or we can just put it on all your aches and pains and it’ll work nearly as well, since I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that the rub would be good right now. I’m pretty much covered in bruises and cuts so I think that the rub would be just plain bad. I will take the hot bath though, because it will be nice to be in there and relaxing.”
“You’ll want the rub, Patricia, trust me on that. We’ll apply it carefully to the bruises and avoid any cuts. In the morning you’ll thank me,” he said as they approached the barns. He pulled Rusty to a stop and jumped down. Turning, he reached up to help her down gently. “Go on up to the house, I’ll be there in a few minutes after I get Rusty settled and grab the rub.”
“Sounds good.” She hesitated only a moment before leaning into him once more and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, already turning to head back toward the house. The smells of food cooking had her belly grumbling loudly in reminder of how long it had been since she ate.
