Wilde Ride (Love is a Cowboy Book 2), page 16
“If the other camps are growing smaller, could you combine the free sessions into one per summer, to help with the cost? Maybe do a few paid camps as well? You’ve got it all down pat, and I know people would pay.”
“But again, it goes against why we started the camps.”
“There’s nothing wrong with making a profit, Emeline.”
She shook her head. “It would be so much more work.” She looked at me, and her eyes were filled with sadness. “I think this is a dream that’s slowly going to fade away, sooner than later. Holding the clinics makes more sense for the ranch. We might even be able to do more fun things with the cabins.”
“What about doing a dude ranch?”
“A dude ranch?”
“Yeah, why not? People would love to do that.”
She chewed on her lower lip, then looked back out over the view. “Can you imagine people coming onto the ranch and Caden having to deal with them?”
We both laughed.
“He would lose his ever-loving mind.”
“He would.” She exhaled. “Maybe it’s time I concentrated on growing the equine side of the ranch. I really do love my job, and the camps are so much work. I know my mother was glad to step back from the major planning and handling of them. Now I see why. I can’t imagine doing a camp every single week for three months. No, thank you.”
“Em, you’ve been doing these camps for several years. Do you think maybe you’re simply longing for something different?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. Something just hit me that night that you brought up the clinics. It’s almost like something shifted in me. I want more. The only problem is, some of what I want is…”
“Is?” I asked.
She looked like she was struggling to say what she wanted to say. “Unattainable…that’s the only word I can think to describe it.”
“What is it that’s so unattainable?”
I studied her profile while she remained silent. The desire to pull her into my arms and tell her I’d do literally anything if she would simply smile was almost overwhelming. I never had a connection this strong to Caroline.
I’d always had a connection to Emeline, though, even when we were younger. She just had something about her that I was drawn to.
She looked at me, and our eyes locked. The air between us seemed to heat, and my body came to life as her eyes darkened, and when she licked her lips, I dropped my gaze to watch the motion. We both leaned closer to one another.
I was about to bridge the remaining distance between us when Emeline scrambled back.
I frowned. “I’m sorry, I thought you—”
She quickly stood. “That’s the problem, Levi.”
Confused, I also stood. “What’s the problem?”
Emeline motioned between us. “This! You’ve repeatedly said you aren’t interested in a relationship, yet the more time I spend with you, the more confused I get. I want…”
I took a step closer. “You want what?”
Her mouth opened, then quickly shut.
“Em, please tell me what’s going on in your head.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She slowly shook her head before dropping it with a sigh. “It’s you, Levi. You’re the one I want. I have for years, and I thought…”
Her head lifted, and our eyes met.
“I thought it was a crush I was over, but I’m not. If anything, my feelings for you are stronger than ever, and everything in my life feels like it’s changing, and all I want is…” She closed her eyes and whispered, “You.”
“Em—”
Her eyes snapped open, and she took a step away from me. “You don’t have to say anything. I know the last thing you want is a relationship. I know. And I also know you think I’m too young for you. And then there’s Caden, even though he told me he’s fine with it, and Rhett, and just stupid life!”
Walking up to her, I did the only thing I knew was right in this very moment. I cupped her face in my hands, and kissed her.
She opened to me almost instantly, and the kiss immediately grew deeper.
Emeline melted against my body as she wound her arms around my neck. I dropped my hands from her face and gripped her hips, drawing her body closer to mine. This kiss was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life. My fucking knees felt weak, and my heart pounded so hard in my chest, I was sure Emeline could feel it.
After what felt like an eternity, we slowly drew back. I leaned my forehead against hers and drew in a deep breath.
“You’re not too young, Em. And Caden isn’t a problem. And I wasn’t wanting a relationship…but then you came back into my life and everything changed.”
She moved her head back. “What do you mean?”
I smiled as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “My marriage with Caroline wasn’t a happy one. We had happy times, and I’m grateful for my kids, but something was always missing, and I could never put my finger on it. Maybe it was because we were forced into marriage so young, I don’t know. Together, we were like wind and fire. She was always angry, discontent, and no matter how hard I tried to make her happy, I just fanned those flames instead. It was a dangerous combination. We didn’t match.
“I wish Caroline all the best, but she wasn’t the person who caught my soul on fire. Since I’ve been home, spending time with you has made it crystal clear that you’re that person, Em. Every time I’m near you, something inside me comes to life. I’ve been trying to ignore it, because a part of me keeps saying I need time for myself and for Rhett. But he’s thriving here beyond all my expectations…and I’m tired of fighting whatever this is between us.”
She swallowed hard. “Levi, I have to be honest with you about something.”
“Please do,” I begged.
Her eyes closed, and she seemed to be debating before she snapped her eyes open again, and she just let it all out.
“I feel something so profound that I can’t explain it, and I don’t want to hide it anymore. My mother told me that I needed to tell you how I felt, and so did Caden, but I didn’t want to lose our friendship. But then I think about Ensley and Grady, and I don’t want to go the rest of my life regretting that I wasn’t honest with you about how I feel.”
“How do you feel, Em?”
Her eyes fell to the ground.
I placed my finger under her chin and lifted so her eyes met mine once again. “How do you feel, Emeline?”
Pressing her lips together, her eyes filled with tears.
“Please,” I whispered.
“I’m in love with you, Levi. I know you don’t feel the same way about me, and that’s okay. I don’t want it to come between us, or for you to feel awkward around me.” Her eyes closed. “Oh God, I should have kept my mouth shut.”
I drew her to me and held her tight as she buried her face against my chest. “I’m glad you told me, Em. I can’t say I’m in love with you—”
She tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her go.
“But I can say what I feel for you is so much more than friendship. Truth be told, Em, I’ve always been drawn to you. Even when we were younger, there was something about you that made me want to spend time with you.”
She lifted her head slightly and peeked at me. It was so fucking adorable, I wanted to kiss her again.
“I’ve got a crazy idea,” I said with a wink.
“What’s that?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.
“What would you say to going out on a date with me?”
A smile erupted across her beautiful face. “I’d say I like that idea.” Then she glanced over my shoulder. “Look at the sky.”
When I turned, I was captivated by a reddish-pink sky. It somehow felt like the most perfect place on Earth for us to express how we felt about one another.
“We should get going before we lose daylight,” she said.
When I looked back at Emeline, she was gazing out over the valley. It was clear she loved this place with her whole heart.
I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. Kissing the back of her hand, I smiled at her.
“We could count this as our first date,” she said softly, her eyes drifting to my mouth as she spoke.
Nodding, I quickly pulled her to me, causing her to laugh. “In that case, I think we should probably kiss once or twice more, don’t you think?”
Wrapping her arms around my neck, she nodded, lifting up to her toes. Her mouth met mine in another explosive kiss.
If just kissing this woman was driving my body insane, I didn’t even want to think about what it would be like to make love to her.
My hands slipped under her shirt, and when I found her nipples hard under her bra, I rubbed my thumbs against them, causing her to moan. The sound traveled straight to my cock, which throbbed in my jeans. I hadn’t even taken myself into my own hand for the last few months, and if this kept up, I’d come in my pants.
Emeline’s hands found their way under my shirt, and the feel of her skin on mine was enough to make my mind go blank. For a moment, I considered pulling her to the ground and taking her right there. Luckily, I regained power over my dick, and my mind started to work again. I wasn’t about to have sex with Emeline on the ground, out in the open. Not for our first time.
She drew back eventually, panting as if she’d just run a marathon. “We should stop.”
“Agreed,” I said, my own breath sounding heavy. “I’m going to guess you’re not gonna be able to break away this week for that date?”
Looking sad, she slowly shook her head. “I don’t think so. Starting tomorrow, it’s going to be very busy days.”
“Then we’re going to have to get creative.”
Her brows lifted. “Creative?”
“If you think I can see you every day and not at least kiss you again, you’re crazy.”
She giggled as she took my hand. “I’m sure we can figure something out. We need to get going.”
We headed down the path, walking hand in hand until we got to the pasture. Both horses were still there, only a few feet from one another.
Emeline whistled, and her mare lifted her head, then happily trotted over to us. The gelding followed. We mounted up and rode back down the trail in silence. It was a comfortable silence, though. Giving me time to think about how I’d let Rhett know that Emeline and I would be going on a date.
I didn’t think he would have a problem with it, but how would everyone else feel?
Emeline
I was positive that once we got back to the barn, everyone would know Levi and I had kissed. Hell, my lips still tingled, and my heart rate hadn’t returned to normal.
As we rode up, Levi looked my way and winked. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
Marshall approached us, along with Caden and Lilibeth. When my eyes met hers, she attempted not to grin but lost the battle.
“Trail okay?” Caden asked as Levi dismounted.
Levi nodded to Marshall as he took the horse’s reins. “Thank you, Marshall.”
“Everything was fine,” I replied, sliding off and quickly walking my horse toward the wash station.
“We can take care of the horses, Emeline,” Marshall said with a smile. “I’ve got Tommy here to help out.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I asked.
Marshall chuckled. “It is my job.”
I squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Marshall.” Turning to face everyone, I couldn’t help but notice how Caden was glaring at Lilibeth. “Is everything okay?”
Lilibeth grinned. “It is. We had a bit of a situation earlier, but everything’s fine now.”
Caden made a grunting sound.
I took in my brother…and noticed he was soaking wet. “Caden, why are you wet?”
He shot a look toward Lilibeth, who covered her mouth with a hand to hide her smile, and that seemed to make Caden even angrier.
“She,” he dramatically pointed toward Lilibeth, “made me look like an utter fool.”
“You did that all on your own, cowboy,” Lilibeth retorted, hands now on her hips.
Levi glanced between the two of them. “What happened?”
Caden shot Lilibeth yet another dirty look.
She motioned for him to tell the story. “Please, do tell them what happened. I don’t think I could do it justice.”
Caden rolled his eyes, then sighed. “One of the kids got stuck.”
“Stuck?” I asked. I knew it wasn’t anything bad because Lilibeth’s shoulders were bouncing in her sad attempt to keep from laughing. “Stuck in what?”
Now the corners of Caden’s mouth twitched as he fought not to smile. “A flowerpot.”
Levi and I both said at the same time, “A flowerpot?”
Lilibeth burst into laughter and turned her back on us, walking away some.
Caden cleared his throat. “He thought it would be fun to try to sit inside that big terracotta pot that Grams has had for years.”
“He?” Levi asked. “Please tell me it wasn’t Rhett.”
This time, Caden covered his mouth…and turned away slightly.
“For fuck’s sake,” Levi muttered. “Did my kid get stuck in a damn pot?”
Caden nodded. “He did. But I got him out.”
Lilibeth was bent over, crossing her legs. “I’m going to pee!” she cried out as she fell into another fit of laughter. I couldn’t help but giggle, and I wasn’t even sure why. Although the picture of little Rhett stuck in the flowerpot was kind of funny.
Caden lost the battle to stay mad and finally chuckled.
“All right, so if he got out and he’s okay, what’s so funny? And, Caden, that doesn’t explain why you’re wet and why you seem pissed at Lilibeth?” I asked.
As if remembering he was supposed to be angry, Caden stopped laughing and glared at Lilibeth again. “Because I had it all under control, and she was trying to micromanage the situation.”
“The situation of my son being stuck in a pot?” Levi clarified.
“Yes. I knew how to get him out.”
It was Levi’s turn to smile. “Because you have experience with being stuck in pots?”
Lilibeth positively screamed in laughter. “I said the same thing!”
“No, I just knew how to get him out, and this one started to argue with me in front of Rhett’s entire cabin, and then…well…it doesn’t matter. I got Rhett out.”
“He tried pulling Rhett out. But he lost his grip, stumbled backward, and landed in the water trough!”
My hand flew to my mouth, and I started to laugh. “That explains why you’re wet.”
“I would’ve been fine if Lilibeth hadn’t been trying to ‘help’,” he finger-quoted. “She tripped me.”
Lilibeth gasped. “I did not trip you! You stumbled back, then tripped over a bucket. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Caden glared at her again, which only made her laugh harder.
“But Rhett’s definitely okay?” Levi asked.
“He’s fine. I’m going back to my side of the ranch now,” Caden said before turning on his heels and stomping away.
Lilibeth looked at me and shrugged as another small giggle slipped free.
Levi shook his head at Caden’s retreating back, then turned his focus on me. A smile spread on his face, and for a moment, I totally forgot that Lilibeth was even there.
“Thank you, Levi, for joining me on the ride.”
“It was my pleasure.” He walked up, kissed me on the cheek, then turned to my friend. “See you around, Lilibeth.”
We both watched silently as he walked in the same direction as Caden.
When he was out of sight, Lilibeth turned and grabbed my hands. “Okay, what happened between the two of you?”
I gave an innocent shrug. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she blinked a few times. “Don’t even try to do that to me, Emeline Wilde! Your cheeks were flushed when you two rode up, and you had a look about you.”
I laughed. “A look about me?”
“Yes! And he kissed you on the cheek just now, but I swear he almost went for your mouth.”
“He’s done that before.”
She tilted her head, and I could see the frustration slowly building.
“Okay, fine—we kissed.”
Lilibeth blinked again, this time in confusion. “That’s all you’re going to give me? You kissed? Was it a peck? Did tongues meet? Was it good or was it average? Are you going to kiss again? I need this information, Emeline!”
I laughed and wrapped my arm around hers and headed back through the barn. “Let’s go to my office. I don’t want anyone to overhear.”
Once inside my office, Lilibeth grabbed the bag of Swedish Fish that I always had on my desk and took a few out. She sat down and bit the head off of one. “Go on, I’m listening.”
Sitting across from her, I grinned. “The kiss was beyond amazing. It was passionate, yet sweet. Levi didn’t hold anything back. And his touch…oh my gosh, his touch lit my body on fire.”
Lilibeth danced around in her seat like a five-year-old. “Oh my gosh! Are you going to see each other tonight?”
I shook my head. “Not with the camp and everything going on. We’re planning to go on a date, though, once this first camp session is over.”
Her smile slowly faded. “Why don’t you sound more excited?”
Leaning back in my seat, I said, “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Why not? Emeline, I’ve seen the way Levi looks at you, and trust me when I say, he isn’t thinking about how he wants to be just friends.”
I let out a sigh. “The fact that he said he wasn’t looking to get into a relationship. What if that kiss didn’t mean the same to him as it did to me? What if Rhett isn’t ready to see his father date someone? Not to mention Caroline.”
Lilibeth leaned forward and pointed a Swedish Fish at me. “Trust me. When I saw the two of you at the perfumery, it was obvious Levi had more than friendship feelings for you. Even Caden said so.”
My brows shot up. “He did?”
