Page 6 of Barry

Barry frowned. “I never thought to look for updated information.”

“You didn’t have to until now. We can request it. I’m assuming Fish had a real name? We’ll need it.”

Barry nodded. “I have it. Benjamin Gill.”

Kathy chuckled. “Gill as in …”

“Fish.” Barry nodded.

“What did they call you?”

“FNG. I wasn’t there long enough for them to stick a nickname on me.”

“What is FNG?”

He looked at her and whispered, “Fucking new guy.”

“What? How awful! How dare they call someone that?”

Barry smiled weakly, a shadow of sadness in his eyes, and shook his head. “It was a rite of passage. All newbs on the team are FNGs until they prove their worth and do something to get a nickname. Unfortunately, I was never able to do that.”

“Because of the explosions,” Kathy reminded him gently, her voice hardly above a whisper. “You couldn’t move because of your injuries, Barry. You told me they took off part of your skull because of the swelling. Your inaction wasn’t an elective action.”

“I know, still …” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. He closed his eyes and dropped his head to the back of the couch. “I know.”

She wanted desperately to take the demons that screamed through his mind, lock them away forever, and erase the pain etched into his soul. Hopefully, Dr. Wheeler would be able to give him that peace. What she could do was change the subject, so she did.

“How are things at the ranch?” She leaned into his hard chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, and drew a deep breath of his scent, which wonderfully warmed her insides.

“Busy, but I guess they always are this time of year. Dusty got bucked off that roan maverick the Hollisters bought from the Montana wild horse rescue. He was limping a bit, but he got back on.” Barry laughed, and she felt the rumble of his deep voice under her. “And he got bucked right back off. Both the animal and the man are stubborn as hell.”

“How are you doing with yours?” He’d been given a lineback Dun horse to break and train. He’d shown her pictures, and the horse was absolutely beautiful.

“Senior told me to listen to Ryan, and Ryan told me to listen to the horse. Pay attention to his ears. Talk to him. Get him to trust me. So, Honey and I have been sitting with him before and after I talk to you at night. I give him carrots and slices of apple. He’s coming around. I’m not a lifetime cowboy, so I’m not going to get on that horse without a lot of prep work. I value my neck, and I’m pretty sure I’d break it if I flew off a horse like Dusty does.”

“He rodeoed for a while, didn’t he?”

He made a noise of agreement, and his body relaxed under her. “Think so. Think he was a clown, too. I was watching the National Rodeo Finals the other weekend with him, and I have a new respect for what those men do. I couldn’t imagine running at a bull to get it to chase you. Insanity.”

She chuckled. “Like a cop running toward a shooting, a fireman running into a fire, or a soldier storming a hill, I expect.”

He opened one eye and looked down at her. “Odd comparison, but probably accurate. They’re trying to keep two thousand pounds of snot and muscle from stamping the hell out of someone.” He closed his eyes again and drew a deep breath. “I better get back to the ranch. Can I bring dinner on Friday?”

Kathy sat up and turned to look at him. “You can, but you don’t need to do that.”

“Yeah, I do. I wish there were someplace I could take you for dinner.”

She whispered, “Hey.” He opened his eyes. “You know I just want to spend time with you, right? I don’t need any fancy dinners.”

He lifted his hand and cupped her neck. The scars from the explosion and hard work on the ranch were rough against her skin, and she craved the sensation as she felt his past with every touch.

“And I want to treat you like a princess.”

She smiled, praying her eyes showed her love for him, and leaned closer to him. “You do. You always have. You’re my knight in shining armor.” She moved closer, and he closed the gap. His kisses melted her. Muscle, bone, and any will she may have had prior to their lips meeting faded away, dissolving into the perfection of the moment. She was his without reservation.

When he finally pulled away, their eyes met and held in a silent exchange of emotion she was afraid to label but needed desperately. He rasped, his voice raw and deep, “God, please say you’ll wait until I get this mess in my head sorted.”

The vulnerability of his words laid her soul bare. She was his forever. “There’s nothing that would keep me away from you. I’m in for the long haul.”

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