“I’m trying to convince Lola to join our book club,” Rhett tells him, shifting to sit straight.
“Well, consider me thoroughly convinced,” I tell him with a light laugh. I could use a good distraction from the real world.
“I’ll join too. What better way to find out what Lola’s ideal husband is than a book club that talks all about it?” he says, shooting me a wink as he produces a small bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back.
“Awww,” Rhett swoons. “That’s so sweet! You lovebirds get inside. I’m gonna give y’all some privacy. Cal will be here to swap with me soon.” His round cheeks pinken with his wide smile, and it makes me sad to think about these guys not being around as often after we get things sorted. Bittersweet, for sure.
“Thanks, Rhett. You guys are the best. Honestly, I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you.”
“Oh, Miss Lola. Dance lessons when your studio is up and running again will be more than an even trade. We’re really liking it in Hidden Valley, and the guys and I are thinking it might be time for us to officially call this place our home,” he says, and hope unfurls inside me, a grin tugging at my lips.
“We’d love that, Rhett. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that Hidden Valley is the perfect place to start over, even when you think your life is unrepairable.”
“It sure seems like it,” he says, shooing us inside.
Ryder leans over, wrapping his thick, muscular arms around me and hoisting me up as a squeal flies past my lips, replacing any of my earlier apprehension with excitement. “Come on, little lady. You heard the man: We should get inside,” he says, playfully swatting my butt once we pass over the threshold into the house.
He sets me on my feet long enough to adjust his position so his arms wind around me, tugging me against his chest. My hands flatten over his firm pecs, the muscles rippling under the bunched-up black fabric of his V-neck.
“Ryder Lockhart, who’d have thought something as simple as a plain t-shirt could looksogood?” I purr, flirting shamelessly with my husband now that we’ve both agreed to remove the word “fake” from the title. Our marriage had never been anything close to a sham, and despite the terrifying events since my arrival, I’m so glad we’re on the same page with that revelation.
“I could ask the same of you, darlin’. But I won’t because I already know the answer,” he says, dipping his chin to catch my lips in a hot kiss that melts any remnants of the icy block that settled in the pit of my stomach. “Whether you’re wearing my clothes, your own,or nothing at all, you’re the most magnificent person I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
I push up onto my tiptoes, winding my arms around his neck. I do my best to meet him in the middle, closing the distance between the extra foot of space between our mouths.
The muscles along my neck ache as I crane my head back, meeting his pillowy-soft lips again. His tongue swipes along the seam of my mouth, pleading for entry. His large hand drops to my ass, squeezing tightly as I gasp. It’s just the distraction he needed to slip his tongue into my mouth, licking and tasting as my knees wobble beneath me. I moan into his touch, desperate for more of him.
He pulls away just long enough to drag in a ragged breath and whisper, “I still can’t believe you’re mine.”
My heart bursts at the seams before he sews them back together with the firm press of his lips against mine.
Nugget’s loud barks from the couch startle me, and I work to suck a few steadying breaths into my lungs before bending to greet him. “Hi there, Nuggs. Have a good nap?” I ask the tiny tan ball at my feet.
He jumps straight up, licking my cheek in response.
Ryder’s hearty chuckle fills the room, adding more warmth to the already-warm space with curtains in deep shades of red, tan-colored walls, and framed photographs onevery wall.
“It seems I’m not the only one who missed you,” he says, reaching down to pick up Nugget, holding him against his wide chest. He presses a kiss to the top of his head, ruffling his big, pointed ears before setting him back down.
The air in the room shifts when he releases a strained sigh. “Can we go sit and talk?” he asks, waiting for my response before hanging his hat on the horseshoe-shaped hook by the door and slipping out of his dark-brown leather boots.
We take a seat on the couch, first sitting on opposite ends as anxiety hammers through me, churning the contents of my stomach. Barely a handful of seconds pass before Ryder gathers me in his arms and places me in his lap.
“I know there was a lot going on the day of the fire, and it’s taken us all some time to calm down from it, but I think it’s time we come up with a plan now that we’ve had a few days of reprieve.” His soft blue eyes are locked on my brown ones, snaring me in his worried gaze.
“It was nice to pretend everything was okay for a little while though,” I admit with a humorless laugh—not that our several-hour-long discussion about saving the barn was easy. “But you’re right. It’s time we stop avoiding the inevitable and waiting for the other shoe to drop,again.” There’s a war waging inside me between the parts of my past that want to pretend nothing is wrong and the pieces of my future desperately begging me to resolve this.
Ry gathers my hands in his, a subconscious habit at this point, drawing methodical circles along the pulse at my wrist. “I’ve been thinking about what Mayte said about my brother and Lemmon,” he admits, this conversation taking a completely different turn than I’d expected.
“You think Ezekiel might have something to do with this?” I ask, my brows pinched, weariness filling me. Sure, Zeke has never been a very forthcoming person, but surely he wouldn’t harm his own family, right?
“No—” He shakes his headbefore dropping his chin to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut as he gets his bearings. “God, I don’t know. I don’twantto believe he could be involved in any of this, but he’s always been so withdrawn. With what Mayte mentioned the other day, she planted a seed I’ve been ignoring until this afternoon.”
“What happened this afternoon?” I ask without hesitation, my limbs feeling tingly as nausea builds inside me.
“When I went to check in on Dad this morning, he mentioned he couldn’t get ahold of Zeke last night. For a man who’s rarely anywhere besides his home and the ranch, it makes me anxious to consider what he could’ve been doing. And then—” He scratches the back of his neck, looking visibly uncomfortable.
“And then what, Ry?” I ask tentatively.
