Page 61 of Promise Me Never

“You should work on that.”

“Probably.” He draws closer to me, his lips a breath from mine.

Part of me wants to ask him to work on it with me. For me. But then I remember his words up on the mountain. This is casual. I don’t have a right to ask him to tell me his feelings.

So when he kisses me, I surrender. I feel his remorse in every stroke of his tongue against mine. He lifts me into his arms effortlessly, pressing me back against the wall as his lips journey from mine over my jaw and down to the pulse flickering in my neck. My hips rock against his, pulling a groan from deep in his chest.

The sound of goat hooves running toward us breaks the spell. He looks at me as Blanche bites his jeans, demanding his attention. We both laugh. The moment of levity feels good as he sets me down and then scratches behind the pushy goat’s ears.

“She’s nothing but a hussy.” I say when I try to give her a pet and she sidesteps me.

“Nah, she just knows who gives the good scratches.” He looks up at me with a smile. “Are we good?”

“Yeah.” My smile drops. “But if you ever speak to me like that again, I’m done.”

He sobers. “Understood.”

“Are you finished for today? Grams said something attacked the cattle last night?”

“Yeah. We buried the remains, and we’ll bring the herd back down tomorrow. They’re all jittery up there.”

“What killed it?”

“Probably a mountain lion based on the bites on the neck and paw prints around the carcass.”

“And it was a calf?” Tears pool unbidden in my eyes. I try to blink them away quickly, so he doesn’t see. His expression softens when he looks up from Blanche and sees me fighting back tears.

“It wasn’t a young calf. I’m guessing he was just about to be weaned, and if he hadn’t ended up a meal for a predator, he would’ve ended up in the meat section of a grocery store.”

My stomach flips. “Never thought I’d be considering veganism but here I am.”

He laughs and pulls me to his chest for a hug. “You’re too soft for this world.” I feel his lips on the top of my head. “Let me make everything up to you?”

Now?

“Not in the goat house.”

He laughs at that. The sound is rich and full and rumbles in his chest beneath my cheek. “Not now. Tonight.”

I look up at him. “My grandparents are home though.”

“It’ll be fine. Just trust me.”

“Where should we meet?”

“Start getting ready as soon as the sun goes down. I’ll let you know then.” He disappears from the shed with a wink before I can even formulate questions.

Blanche watches him go, and I swear the look in her little goat eyes is pure adoration. At least until she looks at me and shits all over the fresh hay I laid down. I give my head a little shake.

“I’m not the one who sleeps in here,” I tell her as she prances back outside.

How did my life come to this? Casually sleeping with an incredibly hot man who’s also a bit of a dick and certainly damaged. Talking to goats as if they understand me. And not only living on my grandparents’ ranch, but falling in love with it all over again.

When my parents told me I was coming here for the summer, I was initially really bummed out and upset. Now I see that maybe it was fate. Perhaps I’m right where I was supposed to be all along. I’m here, at this time, for some bigger reason. The universe could have put me here to help Luke heal.

* * *

“What should I wear tonight?” I ask Amber as I hold the phone up so she can see in my closet.

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