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Sierra took my hand and gave me a slight pull. I dropped my head forward and looked into Sierra’s baby-blue eyes. “It was last Christmas and we had been driving on my parents’ ranch. We stopped at one of my father’s hunting cabins and before I knew it, I was making love to Ryn and something I’d never felt before swept over me. I told her I was falling in love with her.”
Sierra smiled. “What happened?”
I let out a gruff laugh. “My admission scared the fuck out of me, and right before that, my dad started talking about my feelings toward Ryn and some stupid fucking bottle. He called it the journey of love bottle. Some fucking family tradition you do with the person you’re wanting to spend the rest of your life with.” Pushing my hand through my hair, I let out a breath. “I had been seeing another girl off and on. Her name was Liberty. I hadn’t talked to her for some time, but I called her and told her I missed her. Ryn overheard the phone call and headed back to Austin in the middle of the night. Of course, it didn’t help I barely spoke two words to her after I let my emotions take over and told her I was falling in love with her.”
Sierra’s hand came up and covered her mouth. “What a dick move.”
Closing my eyes, I nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
Turning on her heels, Sierra headed to my truck. “Take me back to your place, Tristan.”
Walking behind her, I asked, “My place?”
Sierra stopped at the passenger side door of my truck. Looking up into my eyes, she nodded. “We have some serious talking to do, my friend.”
THE MOMENT I SAW SIERRA and Tristan dancing, I felt sick. I couldn’t pull my eyes away. Dodge shouted he was going to get us drinks as I nodded and watched Tristan pull Sierra from the dance floor.
“I’m going to head to the restroom. Be right back!” I shouted to Dodge who nodded his head.
I quickly made my way through the crowd. I couldn’t believe how packed it was. By the time I finally made it across the dance floor I started down the hallway. I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched Tristan and Sierra.
I couldn’t move. I wanted desperately to turn and walk away but I couldn’t. I stood there the entire time watching as Tristan worked Sierra up into what was clearly an orgasm. Sierra said something to Tristan and then quickly turned and started walking. The moment Sierra and Tristan saw me, they stopped dead in their tracks. I politely declined Sierra’s invite to join her and Tristan. When Tristan said he was ready to leave, I silently said a prayer of thanks. I knew I wouldn’t have been able to stay and watch him and Sierra together. I already felt like I wanted to get sick.
“Ryn? Are you even listening to me?” Dodge shouted over the music.
Looking at him I smiled. “It’s the music. It’s really loud.” He smiled and nodded his head. “Want to leave?”
“I think so,” I said as I nodded my head. After seeing Tristan and Sierra together, I was no longer in the mood for dancing. Grabbing my purse, I slipped out of the booth and began making my way out of the club and to Dodge’s truck. Dodge took my hand in his as we walked silently through the parking lot.
The image of Tristan’s hand up Sierra’s dress filled my mind. As I stepped into Dodge’s truck, I grabbed his hand. Smiling I said, “I want you.”
Leaning into the truck, Dodge kissed me softly. “Your wish is my command.”
Dodge jogged around the truck, got in and headed back to the house I was renting. We weren’t even through the door and we practically had our clothes off. “I want it slow, Dodge. I want to feel you inside me all night,” I whispered as I slipped my panties off and made my way to the master bedroom.
Dodge didn’t disappoint. He took his time as he made love to me. Each touch I prayed would push Tristan further from my heart. If only it had worked. When we finally called out each other’s names, Dodge rolled off me and pulled me next to him.
“Sleep, sweet Ryn.”
Closing my eyes, I felt my tears fall. I was doing exactly what Dodge said I was doing—using him as a means to push Tristan away. I needed to decide once and for all what I was going to do. Was I moving on with Dodge or would I allow Tristan to keep a hold of my heart?
Running along the beach, I found myself looking for Tristan. Dodge had left to head back to Austin. He was going to try and make it back down in a few days and I felt like a fool when I practically begged him to come back. I thought back to what he had said to me before he left.
“Ryn, we need to talk when I come back. I need to know if this is going somewhere.”
Ugh. Why can’t Dodge just keep it like it is? Why do we have to take it further?
“Hey, Ryn!”
Her voice stopped me dead in my tracks. Sierra.
Turning, I attempted to smile. A surge of jealousy ripped through my body. That should have been me against the wall with Tristan’s fingers inside of me.
“Oh hey, Sierra,” I panted between breaths. I hadn’t realized how hard I had been running.
“I’ll be finished up by this afternoon with the painting and then I’ll be out of your hair.”
I nodded my head as I took in a few deep breaths through my nose. “Sounds good, Sierra.”
She tilted her head and stared at me. “Hey, listen I’m sorry about mentioning you and Dodge being together yesterday morning.”
My heart dropped. I wanted to ask her if Tristan had said anything about it. Had the comment bothered him? Was he unaffected by it or did it piss him off knowing I was being fucked by Dodge?
Smiling politely, I said, “S’okay. I just didn’t know how Tristan would feel about it, because you know we dated not too long ago.”
Sierra narrowed her eyes at me. “Do you still have feelings for Tristan, Ryn? I mean, there is nothing at all serious going on between us.”
Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes at her. “Really? Because last night it sure looked like he was being pretty serious with that orgasm you obviously had.”
Oh God. I sounded like I was gearing up for a catfight.
Sierra gave me a weak smile. “I’m gonna go ahead and head back to the house and finish up the painting. Enjoy your run, Ryn.”
Turning, Sierra took off running toward her house. Dropping my head back, I let out a long frustrated moan. “Shit!” I said as I began jogging. I had really liked Sierra and it wasn’t her fault she and Tristan had a past. It’s not like Tristan was taken, not that that would stop him anyway.
I wasn’t sure how long I ran for before I stopped and sat. Staring out over the waves, I thought back to the day I decided I would never again let anyone make me feel like I was nothing.
Staring straight ahead, I stood there and listened to Tristan talking to another woman. Tears began streaming down my face as every moment we had spent together the last two weeks vanished in an instant.
“I’ve missed you too, Liberty. Yeah, it’s been okay. I’m ready to get back home. When can I see you?”
Every gentle touch of his fingers on my body now meant nothing. Whispered words in my ear . . . nothing.
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I stood. I hated myself for the way I was feeling. As much as I wanted to tell Dodge that I would be his everything, my heart was putting up one hell of a fight for Tristan. Closing my eyes, I could still feel his breath against my skin.
I’m falling in love with you, Ryn.
My head was telling me it was all a lie, but my heart couldn’t erase the look in his eyes when he made love to me that night. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to make sense of it all. One minute Tristan professed his love and the next, he made plans to meet up with another woman. Was he scared of his feelings? Did he regret the whispered words?
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I jumped. Shaking my head, I pushed all thoughts of Tristan away.
The name flashing across the screen made me smile.
Joyce. Tristan and Lark’s mother.
“Hello,” I said, attempting to sound chipper.
“Kathryn darling, how is the beach?”
Smiling, I began walking back toward the beach house. I had just seen Joyce a few days ago at Lark’s wedding. Azurdee and I had grown really close in the last ten months. I was happy she and Lark had found their happily ever after.
“The beach is wonderful. How are you and Peter?”
Peter was Tristan and Lark’s father. He was spit and fire like his sons. His passion in life, besides his wife, was the hunting ranch he owned.
Letting out a gruff laugh, Joyce said, “He’s out on the four-wheeler. I’ve asked him not to ride that thing, but he won’t listen. He is stubborn and has to do things his way or it’s the highway.”
Huh, must have passed that down to his son.
“You know boys and their toys,” I said with a giggle.
“Kathryn, I want you to come visit us. We haven’t seen you in so long.”
Laughing hard, I shook my head. “Joyce! I just saw you at the wedding.”
“We were too busy to visit. MaryLou wants you to finish that quilt you started a few months back with her. You don’t want to break the poor old lady’s heart, do you?”
I stopped walking as my mouth dropped open. “Joyce Williams, you are not laying a guilt trip on me right now?”
“Oh, but I do believe I am.”
