Page 401 of Steamy Ever After

Drake stares back at me, then the corners of his mouth twitch. From the mirth in his eyes, he barely holds back from laughing.

At me.

I watch his efforts slowly fail as he tries to keep a straight face, but it’s a complete loss. Drake finally breaks and laughs his head off. I can’t help but smile. He laughs with the entirety of his being.

It’s infectious and I join in, laughing at the silliness of a landowner who doesn’t know where her land is located. Overwhelmed doesn’t touch on how I’m feeling about all of this, but the best medicine truly is laughter.

Sure, I spent my summers playing in the streams and rivers on that land, but I was a kid. I never paid attention where we drove to get to our picnic place.

“You think too hard, city girl.” Drake’s laughter dies down as he pulls me into his lap. His touch brings me back to the present as he wraps me in his protective embrace. “We’ll figure all of it out together. Is that okay?”

Okay? It’s more than okay. I trust Drake, which means it’s easy to extend that trust to helping me take care of ten thousand acres.

“Sorry. I’m stressed.”

“Come.” Drake lifts me off his lap.

He stands, then offers me his hand. I take it, feeling comforted by his touch as he leads me to the fence line where a dozen cattle on the other side chomp contentedly on the grass. Or are they chewing their cud?

Is that the right word?

I’m so not a farm girl.

“Look.” He stretches his hand while one of the cows closes in to nuzzle his palm. After they say hello, Drake rubs the side of the cow’s face.

“They scare me.” I step back, staying out of reach.

“No need to be scared.” Drake takes my hand, pulling me forward. He lifts our joined hands up to the cow’s face. There he places my palm alongside the cow’s muzzle.

The hair is softer than I thought it would be. The cow flicks its ears and the tag punched into its ear flaps. The cow snorts, which makes me yank back my hand in surprise.

Drake gives a soft laugh and guides my hand back up to the cow’s face. I stroke it from cheek to nostril and back again.

“They’re gentle creatures. Nothing to be afraid of.” Drake’s voice resonates deep in my chest, settling in and making itself at home. “This fence line is the boundary between my land and yours.” He points to the cattle. “They belong to one of your tenet ranchers. We’ll find time to introduce you to everyone. Your uncle asked me to wait until you got settled with the medical practice before overwhelming you with all of this.”

“Thank you.” And I mean that in the most honest and basic way possible.

Things no longer feel as overwhelming as they did a few moments ago. I’ve got good people working with me, helping me. I no longer feel so alone. Off in the distance, the long howl of a wolf pierces the air. Drake stiffens beside me.

“I didn’t realize how much of a nuisance they’ve become,” I admit my lack of knowledge.

After my wolf encounter, I looked up everything I could regarding wolves. Turns out Drake is right about them no longer being endangered. With a permit, he’s able to cull up to a hundred wolves a year from his lands.

I’m simply a softie at heart. I don’t want the wolves killed, but I don’t want one of these gentle cows taken down either.

Or one of Bert’s llamas.

We stay with the cows while the Empire falls and the Rebels prevail. The projector cuts out, plunging us into near-total darkness. Drake and I don’t move, silently, absorbing the moment while we do nothing other than stand side-by-side.

Drake grabs my hand and leads me back to his truck.

“Drake …”

“Yes, luv?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure thing, city girl.”

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