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I held up the boots. “Then let’s get outta here. I sure hope they fit.”
She swayed a little, then she backed up and took the boots, peering in to see the size. “Think we’ll be good.”
“Perfect. While you get those on, I’ll raid my ma’s fridge for some food.” I moved away from her to get my head clear. “Anything you hate or are allergic to?”
“Hummus.”
I laughed. “I’m not much for the mushy dips either.”
I gave myself a few extra minutes with the cold fridge door open to hopefully convince my cock to calm the hell down. I found some fresh strawberries and cheese in the crisper. My mother wasn’t exactly the most creative when it came to cooking, so there wasn’t much else to steal. I made a mental note to buy another bottle of wine or steal one from the taproom as I snagged the lone bottle of riesling at the back of the fridge. I grabbed a few carrots for Storm as well.
After shoving yogurt out of the way, I found a lone package of hot dogs in the deli drawer and snagged the package of rolls on top of the fridge along with two plastic cups. Guess that would have to do. If things went well, I’d bring her back to my house after I took her to the spring at the back of the orchard.
It was a nice day for it and there was a fire pit set up there. Me and my brothers escaped there plenty of times on hot days. People would be distracted with the reception and from what Aunt Laverne said, the party was going to go well into the night.
That shithead Reid Pierce had been kicked out of the reception. I was mildly impressed he’d even asked about where Helena had gone to. He damn well didn’t make too much of a fuss when all was said and done. If he’d really cared about her, Pierce wouldn’t have quit until he found her.
What she saw in that robot, I had no clue. Twice in the space that I’d seen them together, he’d bailed on her.
She deserved to be shown something different. And I would be the one to do that.
For one day.
I tucked the food into a soft-sided cooler I could strap to the front of my saddle.
I wished for my own more comfortable clothes, but what I had on would do for a day at the lake. I stripped off the vest and hung it on the back of the chair in the kitchen.
Catching her giving me the once-over made me smile. She tried to hide it, but her eyes grew heavy, and she nibbled her lower lip as she tightened the laces of Zoe’s ancient Timberlands. I was glad she’d scrubbed the makeup off. I’d prefer to taste her than whatever lip dye had stained her lips red.
The soft pink suited her more.
I bet it would match so many other places on her and I was eager to find out.
“Ready?”
She stood. “Yes.”
I handed her the cooler so I could dig in the closet for a blanket. I found a heavy quilt that would give us some space to spread out.
If I was lucky, I’d be spreading her out wide with the sun coming down. I spotted a bottle of sunscreen on the top shelf and stuffed that in my back pocket.
She was as pale as milk. I didn’t need her burning out in the late afternoon sun. I tightly rolled the quilt to strap to Storm’s saddle. Back outside, the sun was still blaring overhead and the sky was a limitless blue.
I smelled rain. Being a farmer all my life, I knew a clear day meant jack shit when Mother Nature decided to take a turn. There would be a hard rain on the overnight.
One that the trees desperately needed.
I preferred to use the aqueducts later in the season. The spring storms did a better job than any man made system ever would.
“Want to try the front of the saddle this time? If you don’t mind being that close to me.”
Just the idea of her moving to sit against my front would be torture, but it would be the best kind.
“If you’re all right with it, I am.”
“Storm will appreciate it as well.” I dug out a carrot and handed one to her. She gave me a huge smile. While she made nice with my horse, I strapped the blanket into the buckles at the back of my saddle. I normally had my saddle bags on for my various tools and walkies, but I hadn’t needed that for the wedding.
She crooned softly to Storm as he chomped his way through his favorite treat.
