Page 34 of Perfect Storm

“I love how no one trusts me,” he says, downing another glass of champagne.

“Well, you are renowned for your bullshittery. Plus, it’s been so secretive, people have been guessing.”

“Pray tell,” he wiggles his eyebrows.

“Wedding bells.” He looks aghast and I laugh. “Okay, fine. But this place,” I look at the ranch, out to the stables and the pasture. They have put away the horses… to bed? Inside anyway. “You hire it out? Must have cost a fortune.”

“Nope, didn’t hire it,”

I turn back to him. “You own it?” my eyes widen. He nods with another huge smile. “Jesus Jordan, what the fuck are you gonna do with a horse ranch in Colorado?”

“I’m a part-time cowboy. I’m learning all the shit that goes with it. Got the best people looking after the horses.”

“How long have you had this place?”

“Couple of months,” he shrugs. “Lessie loves horses. So, I got her horses.”

“In the fucking wilderness.”

“You telling me waking up to this will not be epic? You saw those mountains. Wait till you see the town tomorrow. The people are all fantastic, don’t give two shits that we’re famous. It might be a bit more intense when we’re all around tomorrow, but we’re safe. Stone and Marcello are here too.” He refers to a couple of our bodyguards. “But I don’t see any real issues.”

“Trouble follows you,” I point out.

“That it does.” Nick drops on the other side of Jordan. “Alessa just told me you fucking own this place.” He shakes his head. Jordan tells him what he told me. “I think it’s great. Elsa wants to go riding as soon as possible.”

“Shit, it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before,” he nods his head enthusiastically. “Fucks with your balls though, sitting in that saddle. And my ass was sore for days.”

“Wonderful,” I drawl. “Looking forward to that.”

“So tomorrow we head to the festival and then what?” Nick asks.

“We chill. We have a shindig here in the evening. We can get dickied up, have our own little Rockstar party.”

“Does that mean you won’t be wearing your hat?”

“Darn tootin’ I will. Hat, cowboy boots, tux, it’s gonna be fabulous.”

I mouth ‘darn tootin’ at Nick, who is laughing beside him.

“I gotta say, I think it’s a good idea. All this, getting everyone away from all the shit. You did good, Jord,” Nick says.

I agree. Adam ambles over and we go through it again, the shock on his face morphing to laughter. Looks like he’s had too much champagne.

“Just don’t break another fucking bone,” he adds. “Bianca will have your balls.”

“They’re a shadow of their former selves, I hear,” I laugh. Adam looks confused. “Horseback riding apparently has its drawbacks.”

“It was my inner thighs that got the brunt of it when me and Jenna did it. You must have been doing it wrong if you got sore balls, man.”

The conversation descends from there and we are laughing like fucking teenage boys when the girls join us. We spend the rest of the night drinking and laughing, telling stories, talking about what it’s gonna be like when we have the baby. Slowly everyone drifts inside to bed. I hook my arm around Brooke’s neck as we head inside.

We are both too tired for sex, but she snuggles up against me and is fast asleep within minutes. I look down at her, hardly able to believe this is my life these days.

And it hits me again. I couldn’t be fucking happier.

Chapter 10

Nash

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