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“You better get your ducks in a row. Bringing back another animal is going to sound the alarm. Tallulah isn’t a dumbass; she’ll put two and two together pretty quickly. Then she really won’tstop until this is all said and done.” Dad doesn’t say a lot—he and JW have that in common—but when they do talk, it’s important.
“You’re not wrong.” Tully’s diva takes that moment to belt out a moo to rival the last one, a good thing, too, because it gives us a break from the heavy shit swirling in the truck.
20
TULLY
“There’s a cow.”I swallow. “A mini cow. In the yard.” I look at Dean then back at the mini-Shetland cow. There are so many variables going on here that I’m not sure where to start. I am completely and utterly confused.
“Yeah,” Dean says like it’s no big deal.
“You’re home, too. Did I enter an alternate reality?” My hands are currently full. One hand holds the treats fromWhisked Awayminus one chocolate croissant. I chickened out and did not call my mother. There’s this man in front of me with one of my dream animals in his front yard. I kind of owe it to him to discuss what my future holds before anyone else.
“I’m home, and there’s a red mini-Shetland cow in the front yard. You’re not losing it.” Dean takes off his cowboy hat, holds it to his chest, and moves closer to me. My knees are absolutelyweak. How could he know it was my dream to one day own a comfortable home with cute animals, a cozy kitchen to make recipes in when I’m not working, a colorful garden, and a little bit of land to raise babies? I’ve never once told him that miniature cows were on my list of dreams.
“But how?” I have more questions than answers, and the man who’s currently dipping his knees in front of me isn’t being very helpful. There was a point in time on my way home when I was contemplating sharing with Dean, but now I may have to reconsider that plan.
“Fuck, I was hoping you’d see the little diva, fall head over heels, and save the questions for later.” He takes my bag out of my hand and drops it to the ground before grabbing the boxes of goodies.
“Well, I mean, the main question I have right now is, whose is she?” The red mini cow comes up to me, nuzzling into my leg. It’s almost like she thinks she’s a horse.
“This little thing is yours. She’s a bit of a diva, and I kind of gave her the namesake. Feel free to change it. Where she came from was the same place Honey Belle, Buck, and Raven came from.” I cock my head to the side. This man, who had a mountain of work to do on the farm as well as training horses, stopped what he was doing to rescue another animal.
“Dean.” I swallow, my throat clogging with emotion. “Honey, you’re not giving me a mini-Shetland. You already gave me Honey Belle. However much you paid, I’ll pay you back.” Which leads me to another story I need to tell him, except I’m not sure either of us are ready for it.
“The fuck you will. A gift is a gift, and she’s already bought and paid for. Now, I’m going to go drop these boxes and your bag inside the house, let you hang with the new addition. I’ll be right back.” His lips press against mine. There’s a lot of emotion and unsaid words with how he’s lingering. This kiss has a lot of meaning behind it, one I can’t decipher. My eyes close, hands going to the fabric of his shirt, fingers digging into his muscular chest. Dean groans, deep and powerful, before pulling back. “There’s more where that came from. Soon, sunshine.” Words are nowhere to be found, so I nod. Dean’s hands are full, and I watch him go, leaving me with a munching cutie patootie.
“Looks like it’s you and me, pipsqueak. I’m not sure on Diva as a name. Maybe Bessie, you know, short for Elizabeth, Darcy’s greatest love?” I touch her head, scratching at the long hair that flops over her face. There’s a whole lot I was meaning to do today, but plans have since changed. When my ass meets the grass, my pretty mini cow comes closer, her snout up in the air and chewing grass. Her upper lip is to one side and the bottom one to the other.
“Bessie, you couldn’t have come at a bettertime. Today sucked big time. There were a lot of turning points, and you’re one of them.” I can’t believe I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to before coming to Dean’s house. My big surprise will have to hold out for another day. Since I’m going to have plenty of time on my hands, maybe tomorrow, I’ll work on moving into Dean’s place. You know, a little surprise of my own since he likes to go overboard.
I lean back on my hands, spread my legs out in front of me, and keep my eye on Bessie, the diva. There, it’s settled. Dean can call her diva as a nickname, but to me she’ll be Bessie. There’s a rustling of noise coming from over my shoulder. A quick look shows me the man of the hour in all his glory. His shirt and hat are gone, along with his boots. Damn, there is something to be said for a man in nothing but a pair dark denim-washed jeans. His warmed-from-the-sun skin, tattoos, muscles, and happy trail. My cheeks heat as I think about stripping him out of the last stitch of clothing he’s wearing.
“You two getting acquainted?” Dean asks, slowing his gait the closer he gets.
“Yep, I think we even settled on a name. And honey, don’t get me wrong, Diva is a great name, but look at her personality. She’s a Bessie if I ever saw one before.”
“Is that so? Well, Bessie she is.” He comes up behind me, his knees to my back. I tip my headup, maneuvering my hand to hold on to his calves.
“That’s so. Sit with me a minute?”
“For you, sunshine, I’ve got all the time in the world.” His warmth radiates around me as Dean places himself on the ground behind me. My back to his chest, his legs outside of mine, and his hand goes to my neck so I’m looking at him. “We’re going to have a couple of words, some you may like, some you may not. I figure it’s best to get this out of the way. You get I’m a man’s man. If I feel like buying you a horse, a cow, a ring, a book, or anything your heart desires, I’m doing it because I want to, and I can. I’m not going to expect anything else in return except you. I’m going to protect you even when you think you don’t need protecting. And I’m going to love you with everything I have.” My eyes close for a moment, wanting to remember every single moment—how he looks at me, how he feels surrounding me, and how cherished I feel with the man I love with my whole heart for my whole life.
“Dean.” I go to my knees, spinning around, and straddle his lap. My hands move to the back of his neck, fingers playing with the longer strands. “I love you, so very much.”
“House. Now,” he says right before he kisses me. This time, he’s not holding back. His tongue licks at my lips, and I open for him. There’s no denying I want him in every way possible. Ourlove for one another is shining brightly in the way where when we’re kissing each other, nothing could interrupt us.
“Moooo.”Okay, except that. Dean pulls back at the same time I do, his forehead touching mine as he chuckles, and I’m caught up in my own laughter.
“I told you she was a diva, sunshine. Now it’s really time to get inside.” Apparently, he’s not taking any chances. He holds me beneath my ass and stands up with me in his arms. How that’s possible I have no earthly idea. All I can do is hold on with both hands, which is exactly what I do.
21
DEAN
How we madeit into the house without me tripping or stopping to fuck her against the nearest available surface is a mystery. The only reason for that is I’ll be damned if one of my brothers or parents make an unexpected visit. My mouth is still attached to Tallulah’s, and the palm of my hand is full of her ass while the other slams the door shut.
“Dean.” My name comes out in a soft whimper of need. I stop in my tracks. I’ve got one more surprise in store, one that took a lot of fast planning. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty of people who will stop what they’re doing and lend a helping hand.
