Page 27 of Destry

I turned my head toward him. “Yeah.”

His gaze drifted over me in the same unhurried manner. “I damn sure didn’t think you would like taking orders.”

“I don’t.”

He chuckled, tipping his water. “You still didn’t give Marleigh as much shit as you give me.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop my grin from forming. “Because she actually knows what she’s talking about.”

“So if it was me, you wouldn’t have listened?”

“Nope.”

Destry grinned, twisting the cap back on his water and setting it down on the truck bed. “Good to know where we stand.”

I stretched my legs out, feeling the ache in my muscles. “I still can’t believe you set this up for me.”

He watched me quietly for a minute. “Figured you would appreciate it.”

Something about the way he said it so matter-of-factly made my stomach pull tightly.

I swallowed. “Nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

Destry didn’t look surprised. “That doesn’t sit right with me.”

I glanced over at him. He was still watching me and his expression was a little softer than usual, like he was actually thinking about what that meant.

It made me feel seen. My parents loved me but that was about all they had to offer and I didn’t mind because I understood. The men in my past didn’t care about me enough to want anything outside of the relationships I had with them so this meant a lot.

I looked away, focusing on the stars instead. “Guess I got used to doing things on my own.”

“I fuck with that but it doesn’t mean you always have to.”

I turned back to him, letting his words sink in a little too deep.

The way he said it and the way he meant it like he wasn’t just talking about the damn horse and the barrels he set up for me. He was talking about something else entirely and my stomach tightened for the millionth time. I didn’t know what to say.

I tipped my chin toward him. “You always this generous or am I just special?”

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

The heat in my chest spread lower and I hated how easily he could turn everything in me and around me into a chaotic mess with just a look and simple words.

I lifted my brow, playing it off. “What I know is you’re pushy?”

“And what I know is that you like it when I push.”

I kept my eyes on him, refusing to let him see how much I was affected.

“I tolerate you pushing.”

He grinned but didn’t say anything.

I shook my head, rolling my eyes. He laughed lightly and I couldn’t help but smile. This man had just changed everything for me and was acting like it wasn’t a big deal. He saw what I had dreamed about for years and made it happen. My heart felt too full and my chest was tight in a way I didn’t know how to process.

Without thinking, I shifted forward, climbing into his lap, leaning into him. His hands immediately went to my waist but he didn’t say anything. Didn’t throw out some cocky remark like I expected. He just let me be there. I looped my arms around his neck, feeling my pulse strumming hard.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

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