Page 100 of Give Me Forever Love

“Take care,” Ben replies. I remove my phone from my chin and shoulder, sliding it into my pocket before I grab my bag and head out.

K’s looking at her phone when I get back in. “Geez, that took long enough,” she says.

“I couldn’t find your chips.”

She grabs them from me.

“You should have eaten,” I tell her.

“I wasn’t hungry.”

I roll my eyes, start the truck, and head out to the ranch, glad to get away from the city for a while. I need some fresh air and some time to fucking think.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kathrine

Life out at Grant Ranch is calm and less chaotic. I spend the early mornings with Rylee out on the balcony porch at the farmhouse, looking out at the land as horses graze and the morning mist moves in. We quickly realized the loft ladder wasn’t going to work with her, so we removed it and Bryce and Dad built a staircase.

You can get to the balcony porch from down below on the outside or from the loft bedroom. It’s become my favorite spot, because it stretches from one end of the house to the other. Small fans rotate to keep us cool, and there’s an awning on one half to cover us from the sun. We’ve been here for a little over a month, and I love it, but I do miss Mugs & Books and my new home.

I’ve completely recovered since the accident. It no longer hurts to sit down or pick up Rylee. It’s crazy the things you take for granted like putting on pants without wincing. Bryce’s wound has healed tremendously. The surgical tape has fallen off, and he’s not wearing his shoulder sling anymore. It’s still sore, but he manages fine.

In the evenings Bryce and I let Dad or Emily and Lee watch Rylee while we go for a swim in the pool. Mills is staying in the guest house, which is close by the pool, so we keep it PG until we get back to the farmhouse, and then we let our bodies have what they want, which is each other, always each other.

Things have calmed down, and life seems to be going on track now. Claire and Austin rode out here the other day to see us, and I feel like I finally got through to her.

She sits on the porch with Rylee in her arms as Austin stands, looking out at the land. This place is a little piece of Heaven.

“So, Harlow questioned Bryce about the accident,” I say. Austin turns and looks at me, and Clair’s eyes move from Rylee to where I sit.

“When?” she asks.

“Right when we got out of the hospital. She was waiting for us.”

Austin scoffs. “She couldn’t give y’all a moment?”

“Right?” I agree.

“What happened?” Claire asks.

I exhale and shrug. “She’s investigating it. She asked him if he knew what the man looked like.” I prop my feet up on the swing. “He didn’t see his face, though. He had a mask on.”

“Did he tell you why any of this happened?” Claire asks.

Inner me rolls her eyes. “Yes, Claire. He did. He thinks it’s because of his involvement with Bones.”

She nods. “I knew it. I told you he was trouble. I told you he was mixed up in some bad shit.”

I look over at her. “Listen, you need to lay off of this. I get you’re worried, but Bryce is my husband. I picked him to share my life with, and that means for better or worse. He isn’t perfect, and neither am I. We both have a shitload of baggage, but we understand that. I love you two more than anything, but I won’t have you bashing my husband. You don’t like him? Fine. You don’t have to, but you will be polite, and you will be respectful. Don’t make me choose, Claire. We’ve been friends long enough to be family now, and I don’t want to lose you.”

She looks over at Austin who lifts his brow. They share something between them, and I’ve known them long enough to know Austin has told her that exact thing.

Her eyes go down to Rylee, and I see her inhale. She sniffs and looks back at me as she nods her head. “Okay,” she says. “He’s your husband and I will respect that. That’ll be the last time I say anything.”

“Thank you,” I say. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

---