Page 67 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

“Where are you all headed?” Brynna smiled

“To see a waterfall,” Sabrina answered.

Brynna swung her eyes to me , and her smile widened “The one at No Man’s?”

I couldn’t look at my sister. She knew the falls were secluded and romantic, which straight-up told her my agenda. So I just nodded.

Brynna chuckled. “Have fun. Do all the things,” she called over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs.

Sabrina came to stand beside me. “We should post something. It’s been a few days since Cricket’s article came out. Let’s feed the fire.” She moved in closer and held out her phone. “Smile for the camera.”

I moved behind her, making her the little spoon, and snaked one arm around her waist to pulled her in tight. I rested my other hand on her hip. Then I bent and tucked my face into the crook of her neck.

“Smile for the camera,” I whispered as I nuzzled.

My breath made a path along the crook and onto her shoulder. She leaned fully into me like a limp noodle, and dang it all, holding her felt so good. Maybe the waterfalls were too far away. Maybe I should just take her into the woods, propose ravishing her, and see if she agreed. I had a feeling she would.

I stepped back, keeping one hand on her elbow to hold her steady, picked up the Stetson she’d dropped, dusted it off, then plopped it on her head. I tweaked her nose because I didn’t know what else to with my hands. Well, I did know, but I wasn’t going to do that without Sabrina’s consent or here in the yard for all to see. So nose it was.

Her nose crinkled up. “Well played, Calvin.” She adjusted her hat, and I noticed a slight tremor in her hand. I’d stuffed mine into my pockets so she wouldn’t see they were doing the same.

I dipped my head once. “Let them narrate that.” I climbed onto the ATV and patted the seat behind me. I liked rattling her. I liked being rattled by her.

“Hey, the waterfalls aren’t an option on the app’s dating suggestions,” Sabrina said.

“Yeah, I know. It’s my idea, not the app’s.”

“Well, you should tell the IT team to add a box for others to help the algorithm.”

“Reenie, this isn’t an app date. This is an us date. All I care to share about it right now is that picture.” I pointed to her phone, then patted the seat behind me a second time.

She blinked up at me, then bit her lip. “An us date, huh? What kind of stuff can people do at these falls, Cal?”

“Get on, woman, and I’ll show you.” I wagged my brows.

Sabrina laughed, but her expression said it all. She looked besotted and horny. Exactly how I felt.

SABRINA

The drive out into the mountains had been fun. A shift had happened between us. A good shift—toward healing. I couldn’t put my finger on when it had happened, exactly, but after the night of airing all the truths, we were able to finally move forward instead of circling the drain like we’d been doing.

I didn’t think I’d fully processed what Morgan had said about my mom. On some level, it felt like she was talking about someone else because so much of it was new to me. And though my temper still flared when I thought about Cal making the choice he had that night in Vegas, I was coming to terms with it. Begrudgingly, I understood.

Cal himself was merging the two Cals I knew—the old and the new. And I liked this blended version of him. Besides the fact that he was galactically hot, the self-awareness and confidence he’d developed over this last decade were freaking intoxicating. He’d always been self-assured, but now there was an edge to him that he’d never had before. A fuck-around-and-find-out mannerism. Each day, the hurt from our past faded a little more.

Perhaps this was what forgiveness looked like. And that picture we’d just taken—yeesh, taking it had made me so hot I nearly burst into flames. I got weak in the knees and almost fell getting on the ATV. Cal with his damn swoony kiss.

I rested my head against his back and gave in to the moment, enjoying the now. Everything was perfect, even with all the bullshit going on. I looked over his shoulder at the vast stretch of land. It made me feel like a tiny dot in the Wyoming landscape, but not in a bad way. It was like the camera lens zoomed out, taking in more of the picture, which felt like a metaphor for our lives. Everything was about seeing the big picture.

I held on to his waist, my hands on his hip bones. He picked one hand up and kissed my palm, then worked his way down to my wrist. My nipples puckered with want. That was what this man did to me.

Cal pulled up to narrow path and shut down the ATV. He pointed to a dark cloud far in the distance. “We have a couple of hours. Let me show you the waterfall. I brought some food, too, so we can picnic.”

Cal was beside the ATV, the soft cooler in hand, by the time I removed my helmet and stood. He was stupidly handsome. All he had to do was flash me a grin and I became witless. I wanted to say something but didn’t know what. That I wanted to jump his bones. That the closeness of the ride out here had done it for me, revved me up. But he didn’t give me a chance to speak, tugging my hand to draw me onto the path, which narrowed quickly, the forest too dense to ride through. We didn’t talk until we broke through the trees to the opening of the falls.

I gasped at the sight. All the naughty thoughts that had been simmering fell away. A pool slightly bigger than a hot tub lay before us, with a waterfall about ten feet high dumping into it. We were in the valley of the mountains. Ponderosa dotted the landscape.

“It’s beautiful.” I touched his arm, and static electricity crackled between us, sending heat up my arm. Yeah, I was in trouble. If a touch was making me hot and bothered, I’d probably orgasm with just a kiss. I glanced at his mouth but looked away when he caught me.

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