Page 79 of Heartstrings & Horseshoes

After waking me up overnight to fill my body and lavish me with pleasure, Connor insisted I take the day off from the ranch. I wake long after the sun had risen, a stark contrast to the pre-dawn start our days have had since adopting ranch hours.

I pause as I reach for my phone. A crisp note is neatly folded and propped against my favorite water bottle.

Hydrate. I’ve got big plans for you tonight.

Pamper yourself and spend the day oversharing with the girls.

But be ready for me to pick you up at seven.

I’m finally taking you out on our first date.

Love, your boyfriend.

My ears ring like my eardrums have burst. Izzy and Livy are screaming like preteens. My god, the high pitch may cause long-term hearing loss.

“I KNEW IT!” Izzy screeches.

“Oh my god, will you shut up! I don’t want Reid or anyone else hearing about my sex life,” I chastise.

We’re in the privacy of her and Reid’s cabin, but the ranch is one giant revolving door. Someone could come in and hear us at any minute.

They resume screaming and while I want to bury my head and hide, I’m a hundred times more excited than them. So, I join them.

My voice grows hoarse from screaming but I’m floating on a cloud.

We settle into the chairs on Izzy’s back porch with glasses of iced tea and a sleeve of double stuffed Oreos and can of Pringles each.

“Spill. Tell us everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.” Livy bounces in her seat.

“Not everything…I don’t want to know what Connor’s junk looks like.” Izzy gags.

“Speak for yourself,” Livy says, waggling her eyebrows. “I bet he’s packing.”

The flaming blush that saturates my cheeks answers for me, eliciting a squeal of joy from Livy and disgusted groans from my sister.

“Start from the beginning,” Olivia demands. “You left dinner last night in such a rush, we were worried.”

“I’m sorry if the wedding talk went too far. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Izzy says, taking my hand.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m over the moon happy for you sissy. Sure, for a minute there I was upset by how far away marriage was for me, but it was the push I needed to finally tell Connor I’m in love with him,” I assure my sweet sister.

“All the things we’ve held back over the years bubbled to the surface and once everything was out in the open, I asked him to kiss me.”

Livy flails her arm out in excitement and sends her glass of iced tea careening to the ground. We flinch, expecting the glass to burst but Izzy says, “Shatterproof. Reid says you can’t grow up on a ranch with three boys without having shatterproof dishes.” Izzy dries the floor and picks up the glass without a second thought.

“Anywayyyyy,” Livy pushes.

“Kissing led to grinding, which led to the bedroom. To be honest, the sex was the least important thing that happened last night. We admitted we’re in love with each other. And aside from rings and a marriage license, we’re committed to each other for life,” I say wistfully.

“Who cares!” Livy says. “YOU FUCKED CONNOR!”

A deep voice from the sliding glass door scares the pee out of us. “I told you so,” Reid says to Izzy, reaching over to drain her glass of tea.

“I told you at their birthday party last year and you didn’t believe me,” he says smugly, but with no malice behind the words, my sister making moon eyes at him.

Reid pats his front and back pockets—“Where’s my phone? James owes me a hundred bucks”—and disappears back into their cabin.

We dissolve into giggles, and I don’t care if it’s at my expense. I have everything I’ve ever wanted.