He helps me put my boot in the stirrup, and then I pull myself up and over onto Sunflower. Rhett adjusts a few things for me, and then he mounts his horse Apollo. As we head out of the barn, he turns his baseball cap forward. It’s so bright outside, every time he looks at me, all I see is the dark shadow under his bill.
We ride across the sloping pasture and over a small ridge until we come to a wooded area and a narrow path. I follow behind him through the dappled sunlight until we reach the river.
“Rhett, I forgot how beautiful it is here. Can we go swimming?” When he doesn’t respond, I backtrack. “You know what, never mind. You need to work, right?”
We head to a giant oak where he dismounts and ties the reins of our horses. Then he reaches for me, and I slide off my mount and into his arms. “We can go swimming.”
I bite my bottom lip. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
His hand cradles my face, and his thumb gently swipes my cheek. “Pretty sure I’ve already seen you naked, wildflower.”
It’s my turn to blush. Not sure why he has this effect on me. I’m not usually a shy girl, but he makes me feel vulnerable.
Rhett lets go of me and grabs a blanket that’s tied to the back of his saddle, walks over to a shady area, unrolls it, and tosses it down. He clears his throat. “Been wanting to talk to you about something.”
A knot immediately forms in the pit of my stomach. Is this about what happened with Amber yesterday? Is he going to tell me to go to Boston? That he’s not ready for anything serious right now?
Frozen, I stand rooted in place. “If this is bad news, just spit it out.”
He spreads out a few containers of food. “It’s not bad, but I think we need to discuss a few things.” Rhett sprawls out on the corner of the blanket and pats the spot next to him.
Reluctantly, I join him. “What’s going on?” I set my cowboy hat on the grass and brush a few strands of hair out of my face.
“Just had something on my mind.”
I brace myself for the sting of rejection.
He hands me a Tupperware of fresh strawberries. I take one and fiddle with the leaves. “Is this about Amber?”
“Not really. Not entirely, I should say.” He sighs. “I just want you to know that I have no idea why she got so possessive. There’s been nothing between us for years. Even before we split up, we hadn’t slept together in a while.”
“Can I ask you something? I had the impression your split was mutual. Was it not?”
“No. She screamed and cried it was all a big misunderstanding. Apparently, she wanted to stay married while she fucked my neighbors.”
I wince. “I’m so sorry. I wish I had been wrong about her.”
“I’m not. Because then I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.” He takes my hand. “But I am sorry for putting you in the middle of that shit storm. I feel like an asshole ’cause I couldn’t protect you from all the nasty things she said.”
“I’m okay. I was a little shaken at first because it came out of the blue, but I’ll be better prepared for her now that I know she’s crazy.”
He chuckles. “I really appreciate how you handled things. You tried to deescalate things and… well, I felt like a puffed-up rooster when you said I belonged to you.”
I bump his shoulder with mine. “I’m kinda fond of you. Always have been.”
He pulls me into his lap. “I know, baby. And here’s the truth. I’ve always been fond of you too. Our relationship is different now than when we were young, obviously, but one thing remains—you are a special woman, and I’m a lucky man. I’m pretty sure I haven’t done anything to deserve you.”
Shifting, I straddle him and take his handsome face in my hands. “Don’t say that. You deserve all the good things life has to offer. I’ve always been in awe of how hard you work on this ranch. I know you raised your brothers when you were just a kid yourself.” It’s obvious in their devotion to him. “I can’t imagine how hard that was.”
“It’s nothing they wouldn’t have done for me.” Leaning closer, he grazes his lips across mine. “I’m sorry for that argument we had in the truck. I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Me not wanting more children has everything to do with my baggage and shit that went down with Amber. You’re lovely and amazing, and if I could snap my fingers to get over all that, I would. Asking you to not have kids is a major concession on your part, but if you’re open to it, then maybe we can still work things out between us long term. Gabriel and Austin love you, and you seem fond of them. Would it be terrible if it was just the four of us moving forward?”
Would it be the end of the world to not have my own children?
The truth is, I’m not sure. But I’m not ready to walk away either.
“Can we wait and see how things go? Play it by ear? I’m not opposed to considering it.” It hits me how maybe he doesn’t want more kids because he didn’t have much of a childhood himself. I’ve never considered that before.
He gives me a soft smile. “Thank you for sticking around.”
