Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I breathed against him, smiling like an idiot again. “I don’t care if it’s crazy, either. I just want to be with you.”
“Jesse, do you realize that Kane saw us kissing, and we both still have all of our fingers and limbs intact?”
I laughed, peppering him with kisses again. “Damn right.”
“We’re not on a bloody heap on the floor. He still wants to talk to us both. And all he did was make fun of us a little bit?”
“It’s a Tennessee miracle,” I said.
“I need to go buy a lottery ticket, or something. Fuck, you’re my boyfriend, too. I—”
He stopped, letting out a long breath as he leaned back. I saw in a second that his expression had changed a little, and when I saw his eyes get watery, I reached out to stroke his hair.
“Mason, what’s up?”
“I… just realized that I felt something today that I haven’t felt since Dad’s been gone,” he said softly. “I felt like I had family. Like Kane was some disapproving father who didn’t quite understand my decision, but… loved me for it anyway.”
“It’s true,” I said.
A tear broke off down his cheek, but he smiled at the same time. “I know he isn’t my family, but in a way, he’s the closest thing I’ve got. And Finn, and now Ori, because the two of them are attached at the hip.”
“You know what? I can tell how much they care about you, too.”
His tears dried up. The sad expression left his face, and he morphed back into the rugged, handsome cowboy in a quick minute. A guy who looked like he had everything figured out. A guy who talked to anyone. A guy who smiled and had fun, even through the shittiest situations.
My cowboy.
My fuckin’ favorite.
“Oh, we are going to be the menaces of the Hard Spot Saloon,” Mason said, a devilish grin on his face.
“Mason, I want to be your boyfriend more than anything, but I’m telling you right now that you’ll never get me to do a keg stand, cocktail stand, or a stand of any kind.”
He laughed. “No. But we get to be together. As a couple.”
Something fluttered in my chest. “That’s not something I’ve ever gotten to do publicly.”
“Get ready for me to walk you around like you’re a celebrity,” Mason said. “Holy shit, I am so lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one. I tamed you.”
He gave me a smoldering look. “If you think I’m tame, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
I leaned in and kissed him. “Yeah. I take it back. Don’t ever become tame, because I still need to punish you.”
He groaned, nuzzling against my neck. “You are so hot.”
The ice rink beside us had slowly been filling up as we talked, and I became aware of it again now, looking out at a couple of dozen people out there, making their way around the ice.
I was able to be here with Mason—publicly, and unashamed—actually acting like he was my boyfriend.
It was a gift.
The simplest thing, but something I’d wanted for so long. I’d thought this summer would have to be a slow process of focusing on only myself, getting back to hard work on classes, and lone-wolfing it the only way I knew how.
Instead, the summer bloomed.
Hell, it was a fucking riot of blooming color, since Mason walked into my world. Always unexpected, and never tame. And you know what?
I fucking loved a hot mess.
EPILOGUE
MASON, TWO MONTHS LATER
I reviewed the details of the appointment, my finger hovering over the button to tap confirm.
“You look hot when you’re nervous,” Jesse called over from across the room.
I was on the couch, and he was in the kitchen. We had all of the windows open in the living room, letting in the warm, breezy summer air. Yesterday there had been a thunderstorm, and all day today, the air had been clear and bright, like the rain had washed away the haze.
Jesse was putting dishes into the dishwasher, because that was just something he’d started doing, since the first time he’d ever visited my house.
He helped. Without me asking, and without any expectations.
It was just one of the ten billion things I loved about him.
I pulled in a long breath, looking back down at my laptop.
“How did you know I was nervous?” I asked.
“I can tell. You still look good, though.”
“You always say that. Whether I’m nervous or sad or happy or…”
Jesse smiled over at me. “Because you always look hot, babe.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. But whatever you’re nervous about, you can do it.”
I used that energy to reach down to the laptop and just click confirm.
“Okay. I did it,” I said, shutting the laptop and standing up. “I… have two riding lessons booked for this week.”
Jesse put down the towel he was holding, looking up at me. “Really?”
I nodded slowly, crossing over from the living room to the kitchen. The moment I was near him, he reached for my waist, sliding his hands around me to pull me in close.