Page 45 of No Bed Of Roses

That made her laugh. She hadn’t been back up there since the incident with the ladder. She’d spent time on the main floor, where she’d found a ton of older equipment that was mostly in good shape.

As usual, she waved at the mural of the farmer and horses painted on the side of the barn. It made Levi chuckle, but she’d also spotted him nodding at the painting. It helped her feel connected to the land and the people who’d worked it. Until the day before, she hadn’t felt any connection to the family she had left. Today was different. Her father didn’t despise her and he wanted to repair their relationship.

She squeezed Levi’s hand and leaned into his shoulder. “It really is a good place. I’m so glad I accepted Tansy’s invitation to move here.” It had brought her not only her land, a dog, and a better relationship with her father, but Levi too. Without him, none of the others would be possible.

Definitely time to check out the hayloft, and maybe check off an item from her bucket list as well.

Inside the barn, Levi double-checked the ladder and then motioned for her to go first. Hopper was happy sniffing out the main floor, but they left the small door open in case he needed to go out.

She forced herself not to hesitate as she climbed the rungs. Levi had repaired the ladder, and she trusted him. Still, she was grateful when she climbed off the ladder and into the hayloft.

Levi hopped up behind her. “How did that feel?”

Of course, he knew she’d been thinking about the last time she’d climbed it. “A little scary, but okay.”

He grinned. “Me too. How about we see if that window opens and get more light in here?”

They moved through the dim light and found the window. It was a slider type. She’d seen that from the outside. Instead of two halves that opened outward, this door slid along a track on the outside of the barn.

Someone had added a latch which secured the door, although she wasn’t sure how anyone could get to the window from the outside. Even in a small barn, the window was high off the ground. She would guess at least thirty feet.

The key she had for the padlock on the front barn door also worked for this one. Levi slid the door to the side with a grin. “Nice. It moves easily.”

“Don’t fall out.” She moved herself back a step from the opening. It was a long way down.

Levi didn’t appear stressed about the height at all. With one hand on the wood above his head, he looked out but then stepped back as well.

From the window, they could see across the back of their fields and the forest that grew all around the area. The hills and mountains were gorgeous. “It’s like a painting. It’s like I could reach out and touch it.”

Levi laughed. “No reaching out. You’ve toppled once from this hayloft and the land slopes to the back. It’s another ten feet out this way.”

She gestured at her feet with a grin. “Which is why I’m standing back here. It’s a perfect place to sit. Imagine watching a storm brew around those hills and then head this way. I’m so glad you thought of doing this today. It’s perfect.”

Levi moved to stand beside her, then tugged her down to sit in front of him. She leaned back into his strength and sighed.

Up here, she could imagine her stress winging its way across the fields and into the mountains far away from them.

For long moments, she let the peace fill her up and soothe her. They’d survived the rollover. She’d had a good first conversation with her father. They had a good idea who was causing them trouble. Marcus was on it.

It was a good place.

And she knew how to make it better. She shifted and turned so that she was straddling Levi. Desire flared in his eyes, and she looped her arms around his neck. “Want to hear about one of my bucket list items?”

His hands ran down her back and squeezed her butt. “I think I do.”

She grinned and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. His body hardened beneath her as she spoke, and his hands flexed.

With a sexy growl, Isla was suddenly flat on her back, and Levi was stripping off her jeans. She was going to have very good memories of this hayloft.

Levi found his body ached less the following day. Hot showers—and a sexy as hell bath—with Isla and plenty of sleep appeared to be helping. The bruises were blooming, but that meant they were closer to healing.

He struggled to look at Isla’s bruises in the same way. Nothing should mar her skin. Every time he saw the marks on her, rage swirled through him. He wanted to get this bastard locked away and regretting every choice he’d ever made. The jerk wasn’t getting a chance to hurt her again because Levi wasn’t letting her out of his sight.

Shoots sprouted from Isla’s garden and her hops experiments were growing too. They walked his fields together after checking on hers. The hops were growing, and he’d need to get the trellis systems in place soon.

When she saw the growth in his fields, Isla beamed while Hopper raced up and down the rows like it was the best game in the world. A farm. A woman he didn’t want to ever let go. A dog. A team of friends and a group project.

Despite the jerk targeting Isla, life was pretty damn good.

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