Page 65 of The Rogue

He laughs as he hops on with practiced ease. “Yes, Tessa. We are.”

I stroke her again, considering. My eyes flick to his. “So, I’d sit behind you?”

He shrugs, looking over my shoulder. “I’d prefer to be behind you. Safety measure.” His eyes fall to my mouth when I pull my lip between my teeth.

“Alright.” I wrap the afghan tighter around my shoulders.

Levi hops off. His strong hand catches and holds mine. “Step on this and swing your leg over her back.”

“Oh, you mean I get to get on without being manhandled? Sweet.” I follow the seemingly simple step and settle my ass over the leather. “Cozy.”

Levi strokes her again and whispers something that sounds like, “Don’t embarrass me, girl.”

I laugh as he hops on behind me. “Too late for that, Cowboy.”

We ride slowly along the ranch as he points things out to me. Like a talking map, he calls out every landmark and feature. Including his favorite view of the sunrise. The pride in his voice is almost soothing.

All the while, I'm resisting the urge to lean into the heat of his body behind me. It's hard. And I need a distraction—stat.

“Now that we’re in the middle of nowhere and you’re too good of a guy to leave me stranded, can I ask about Jackson’s mom?”

He sighs. “Nothing to tell except what you already know.”

“I know she’s not allowed to see Jackson.”

“She is very much allowed. Always has been. Just not alone.”

“Besides making him lie to you, what did she do? I mean…before?”

He pulls on the reins. When I stiffen, he pulls me against his front.

“Lilly and I were married too young.”

I want to tell him that I know about Aiden disappearing for days, sometimes weeks on end, shortly after their mom died. Leaving Levi, the only one over eighteen, to look after his brothers. I wonder if Lilly came around that time.

“Was she a high school sweetheart or something?”

“Or something.”

I nod and keep my eyes straight ahead.

“She was my outlet during a time I didn’t know what to do with myself. My…responsibilities tripled overnight and…” He pauses. “She was the only thing that kept me feeling my age, I guess.”

“So what was the problem?”

“Ironically, she never grew up. Not even after Jackson was born.” He helps me shift the horse in the other direction. “Guess I should have seen that comin’.”

“How?”

“She was a free spirit. Left home years before then. Responsibilities and family meant nothing to her. Every time I tried to tell her I had to get back, check on my brothers, or prepare dinner, she’d convince me to stay. Insisted on teaching them survival rather than sacrificing my time with her.”

“So…she was possessive?”

“She was destructive. Selfish.” I feel his head dip down to my neck. “Unpredictable."

I can take a hint. “Can’t deny that about myself.”

“Unpredictable is fine. Favorable sometimes. Abandonment is not.”

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