“How about we go for a ride, and then I take you out for dinner and dancing so all of Rust Canyon can see I finally got the girl?”
She looped her arms around my neck, rising on her toes to press a kiss to my lips. “You’re getting the hang of this date night thing.”
I hauled her flush against me, voice dropping an octave. “You know me, eager and willing to learn how to please my wife.”
A shiver rolled through her body. “Careful, baby. You keep talking like that, and it won’t be the horse I’m riding.”
Nipping her earlobe, I rasped, “Don’t see why it can’t be both.”
With that, I spun us and tossed her on the bed, committing the sound of her squeals to memory as she bounced on the mattress.
This right here was happiness. And we were only getting started.
“Hello, my handsome boy,” Penny cooed, hands coming up to stroke down the neck of her gelding, Echo, as he nuzzled her face through the opening of his stall.
Leaning a shoulder against the wall, I shoved both hands in my pockets. “Tryin’ mighty hard not to be jealous of a horse.”
Her light laughter floated toward the high ceiling, and she flashed me the most brilliant smile. “Play your cards right, cowboy, and you might be able to take his top spot as my best boy.”
“You’re happy.” It was a statement, not a question.
A contented sigh slipped past her lips. “There’s nothing like coming home.”
I couldn’t argue with her there. Even if I was still carrying some of the tension from the altercation with my father earlier, this was where we belonged. And returning married to the girl I’d always wanted but never thought I could have made our homecoming even sweeter.
We got to work tacking up our respective horses, and before long, we were headed out on a late afternoon ride. The sun was still high in the sky on this hot summer’s day, the heat of it searing into my exposed skin and bringing sweat to the surface. Penny still wore the hat she’d stolen from me on our wedding day, which provided protection for the pale skin of her face, but every so often, I caught her lifting the curtain of hair off the back of her neck in an attempt to cool herself.
Without thinking, I pulled on the reins, steering my stallion, Tank, toward our secret spot.
Penny caught my change in direction and followed suit. Though her face was shaded, I could picture the curious expression that passed over her features at my deviation.
We rode in silence for a bit, and when finally, our destination came into view, my wife hummed. Set before us was the tree where our tire swing hung from one of the thick branches.
This place was our safe haven, where we found ourselves when something was weighing on our minds. Pushing her on that swing was therapeutic, the rhythmic motion soothing, and it had always held the power to center me. Also didn’t hurt that, at the same time, I verbally purged whatever was troubling me, letting my best friend act as my sounding board and, often, the voice of reason.
Only once had I ever left feeling worse than when I arrived—the day I learned Penny was set to marry another man.
Two months later, I now returned with her as my wife.
Funny how fast life could change when you finally pulled your head out of your ass and went after what you’d wanted for longer than you could remember.
“Fancy a swing?” I jerked my chin toward the oversized tire swinging gently in the breeze.
Penny hopped down from the saddle with cat-like agility. “If I ever say no to that question, you’ll know I’ve been body snatched by aliens.”
I shook my head, tilting my face toward the sky. This woman was something else, but she was all mine, and I would never take that for granted.
When she peeked back and caught me still sitting astride Tank, she purred, “You comin’?”
God, it was incredible how she could turn me on with just a look. I’d literally been buried inside her no less than an hour ago, and yet my dick stirred to life, pressing painfully against my fly.
Like she knew the effect she had on me, Penny gave a little shimmy of her ass in an effort to persuade me to get a move on.
By the time my boots landed in the dirt, she’d already looped her legs through the hole in the middle of the tire. Coming up behind her, I ran my fingers through the wind-tangled strands of her long blonde hair. Separating it into three sections, I began to weave it into a braid.
“What are you doing?” She craned her neck to see for herself, but I gently guided her head to face forward again.
“Eyes straight ahead, or it’ll end up crooked,” I chided.
