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“I love you, too.”
With that, we both fell into a sound sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, in the warm sunlight of the Wyoming afternoon.
CHAPTER TWENTY
jenny
Wyoming wasthe most majestic place I’d ever seen. It was incredible to be surrounded by the mountains. The quiet presence of nature, with its beauty, brought me a glorious, if momentary, peace.
I decided that I wouldn’t think about my auntie Theresa or Cole’s father while we were on our trip. As far as I was concerned, they were dead to me. I could deal with their zombie asses when we got back to Boston. For now, all that mattered was Cole. I was going to let myself have this and feel the truth while we were staying at this fantasy-like resort. He was my everything. He was my whole world. I refused to because I couldn’t face what would happen after our contract ended.
That afternoon in our suite, he’d made me come so hard that I felt like I might die. I’d never felt that way before. It was so much more than sex. I was free with him. I was myself. Stripped bare, I gave myself to him and let go in a way I hadn’t thought myself capable of.
I didn’t let myself dwell on the fact that it was temporary. I didn’t think about the future or how bad it would hurt when we separated. There would be plenty of time for regrets.
For now, James, Audrey, Cole, and I had the ranch to ourselves. The happy bubble of our friendship buoyed me. All of a sudden, I belonged somewhere. He’d hired me, but Cole felt like the real thing—a real boyfriend. And Audrey and James were our best friends. It all felt so real. It didn’t feel anything like a contract, even a million-dollar one.
It felt like… A life.
Our party took over the glorious infinity pool, which faced the stunning view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. It was breathtaking. I inhaled the crisp air; it was like five-star luxury oxygen. I’d never breathed something so pure.
“Why is it so quiet here?” I asked. “I would think this place would be real popular.”
“I booked the whole ranch,” James admitted. “The resort is ours.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet of you.” Audrey launched herself at James, and they started making out like the newly engaged couple that they were.
Cole and I busied ourselves by checking out the incredible hot tub. We splashed into the warm water, beaming out at the view. Cole held me close to him. He kissed my cheek. My heart got so big I felt like it might burst.
“These might be the best bubbles in the universe,” I said. “And this might be the best view.”
“It might be.” He kissed me again. He held me even tighter. I was pretty sure I was going to die from happiness.
The rest of the afternoon passed in luxurious splendor. The only other people we saw were the ranch’s staff. They were clad in neutral tones, were perpetually smiling, and served us nonstop cocktails, waters, and gourmet food. I didn’t recognize some of the things on the ranch’s menu—what the heck wasSmoked Garlic Pomme Puree, anyway? And there was bisonlisted as an entree. Wasn’t a bison… Exactly like one of the antelope I’d seen feasting on grass in the nearby pasture?
“Oh my God!” I glared at my friends as I clutched my menu. “No one is allowed to order the bison!”
“Okay, babe,” Cole said seriously. “We won’t, I promise.” James and Audrey were also good sports about it. They swore they wouldn’t eat bison, which helped me relax.
Cole guided me through the rest of the restaurant’s offerings. He assured me nothing we ordered contained octopus, bison,pomme puree, or anything else I might deem disgusting. He ordered me beef carpaccio and rum punches with a straw. Cole cared for me, feeding me bites of his rib-eye steak while rubbing my back. Not to mention what he’d done to me in our luxury suite.Phew!I had to fan myself just thinking about it. No man had ever made me come like that. It was almost embarrassing.
Except that it had been awesome.
And it had been with Cole.
Did I mention that I loved him? I loved him.
I kept my promise to myself, refusing to think about my auntie Theresa or Cole’s father. As far as I was concerned, they were not at the Silver River Ranch in Wyoming, and therefore, they did not exist. They could both go die in a hole, for all I cared.
Instead, I focused on the pool, our friends, and my man. The only infinity pool I’d ever swam in was at the Caribbean resort where we stayed. That had been amazing, but nothing could compare to the clear, dark water of the ranch’s pool. It was todiefor. The water was warm, tranquil, and deep. It contrasted beautifully with the cooler air blowing in from the surrounding mountains.
The snowy peaks and the swaying grasses of the valley below transfixed me. I would never get over the resort’s view. It was the most fantastic thing I’d ever seen. I’d had some bad shit happenin my life, but even I had to admit, God knew what he was doing. The white-capped peaks surrounded us, contrasting with the green, green grass of the valley. The paddock stretched to our right and cut into the mountain base where the resort made its home. I could see the buffalo (or antelope or bison) grazing. They walked back and forth, taking their time. They must eat a lot of grass because they were big boys. A herd of what appeared to be goats ran across the field below us. As an animal lover, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be in that environment. It was incredible. Audrey said we were going to get up early to go for a horseback ride on the trails surrounding the ranch. We would stop and see the buffalo and get to see themup close.
I felt like maybe I’d died and gone to heaven.
The four of us hung out, laughing and talking. It was the best double date of my life. I was so happy for James and Audrey; to see my friend nestled against her fiancé, obviously enjoying herself, was the most incredible feeling in the world. She was living proof, sometimes, the good guys win. If that fact made hope rattle around in my chest like a caged bird—and it did—I chose to ignore it, at least for now.
Cole kept his arm around me all night. The four of us ate dinner by the pool and stayed in the hot tub until stars blanketed the sky. The view was awe-inspiring. It made me feel small, but in a good way. The stars gave me perspective on my problems, which had seemed enormous and incurable. But compared to the sky, they were tiny, like me. Maybe I would wake up tomorrow, and all my problems would be gone, replaced by the clean slate of a beautiful, sunny day.
