Page 53 of Wrangling a Wild Texan

With other men, the moments after sex had always been filled with a multitude of emotions—disappointment, awkwardness, the need to make sure the guy didn’t become too clingy. Which probably explained why she’d always made a quick exit or asked them to leave. But lying there with Reid draped over her, she didn’t feel awkward or dissatisfied. And she certainly wasn’t in any hurry to leave. In fact, she felt like she could stay right there in the haven of Reid’s big, muscled body forever.

“You need to let me go, Sunny.”

Her face flamed as she realized she was holding on to him like a barnacle to the hull of a ship. “Oh! Sorry.”

As soon as she released him, he pushed up to his hands and looked down at her. “There’s no reason to apologize. I like being held in your arms. I like it a lot. If I hadn’t been worried about crushing you, I could have fallen asleep right there.”

She felt her heart warm. “I like being in your arms too.”

He smiled a satisfied smile. “Good. If you give me a second, I’ll have you back there.” He dipped down and delivered a kiss that had her body humming all over again before he got out of bed. He returned only moments later and delivered on his promise, pulling her into his arms and holding her like he never wanted to let her go.

After the long day of work and great sex, she should be tired. But she didn’t feel tired. She felt wide awake . . . and content.

“Tell me about your childhood,” she said as she played with his chest hair. “Where did you grow up?”

“Waco.”

“With your mama, daddy, and sister?”

He stopped drawing circles on her bare shoulder with his thumb. “Just my mama and sister. Our daddy was mostly out of the picture.” She felt his muscles tense. “He wasn’t married tomy mom. He had a wife and family that he spent most of his time with.”

Her heart tightened. “I’m sorry.”

“It was okay. I had my mama and my sister.”

She hesitated. “What happened to your sister?”

There was a long pause before he spoke. “Pancreatic cancer. She only lived five months after her diagnosis.”

“I’m so sorry, Reid.”

“Me too. Even though we weren’t nearly as close as you and Corbin, I loved her. I didn’t realize how much until she was gone.” He paused. “I wish I’d been a better brother. I wish I had told her how much I loved her.”

Sunny lifted her head and looked at him. “I think she knew. You proved it by showing up when she needed you the most.”

He sighed. “But I wasn’t happy about it. Poor Sophie. The kid lost her mom and then got stuck with an inept cowboy who doesn’t know the first thing about being a parent.”

“Maybe you didn’t know the first thing about it then, but you’re a fast learner. Sophie couldn’t ask for a better guardian.”

He sent her a skeptical look. “Now you’re just lying to make me feel better.”

“Not at all. Believe me, I know a good guardian when I see one. I had my fair share of bad ones.”

His gaze turned sad. “Corbin mentioned how tough your childhood was.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Sunshine.”

“Like you, it was okay because I had someone who loved me. I owe Corbin so much.”

“Is that why you keep all your anger and unhappiness hidden from him? Why you try to be his perfect little sister?”

His blunt words had her sitting up. “I’m not perfect. I’m far from it.”

Reid studied her, his gaze direct. “You’re right. You aren’t perfect, Sunny. No one is. People get mad and grumpy and have bad days. No one can be sunny all the time. Sometimes the rain clouds move in and you just feel like . . . turning abutinto abutt.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “And that’s okay. It’s okay to show your angry art, Sunny.”

Talk about rain clouds. She couldn’t keep her eyes from filling with tears and rolling down to her cheeks. When she went to wipe them away and make some silly excuse for her sudden emotional state, Reid stopped her.

“Let them fall, Sunshine. To me, your tears are just as beautiful as your smiles—your angry art just as stunning as your landscapes.” He drew her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Now all you have to do is realize that too.”

Sunny wokewith the strong need to create. It had been such a long time since she’d felt that need she couldn’t ignore it. Carefully easing out from beneath Reid’s arm, she got up and grabbed his western shirt and pulled it on before she went hunting for a sketchpad and pencil.

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