Page 79 of Ride Me Reckless
“I mean it,” he said. “If it matters to her—if it matters toyou—then that’s all I need to know.”
The tears hit faster this time. I threw my arms around his neck, holding on tight. “Thank you,” I whispered. Then I pulled back just enough to smile through the mess on my face. “Look at you. Flashing your millionaire card like it’s no big deal.”
He smirked. “You make it sound like I carry it in my boot.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Still hard to believe. But honestly… I don’t even know if she’d remember it. The house. The rooms. The porch swing. Some days are better than others, we’ll see…” I trailed off, letting the words hang.
“Then we wait,” I said softly, threading my fingers through his. “No rush. We see what she needs. What she can handle.”
He nodded, and I leaned into him again, resting my forehead against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, grounding me.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
His hand slid up to cradle the back of my head, and for a second, we just breathed.
“Leaving might’ve been the best thing that ever happened to me,” I admitted. “Because now I see what I didn’t before. Who you are. What you were always trying to be. And now, you’re not just some man with a checkbook or a fancy truck or a big spread. But you are the sameyou. Colt Bennett. With your big heart, stubborn loyalty, and eggs that always come out fluffy.”
He chuckled into my hair.
“I love you more now,” I added quietly. “Millionaire or not.”
Colt just kissed the top of my head and held me a little tighter. “Let’s get our shopping done.”
After we finished shopping and stepped into the parking lot, heading toward the truck, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, already guessing what it was before the screen lit up.
Upcoming Appointment – OB/GYN: Second Ultrasound Tuesday • 10:15 AM
My fingers hovered over the notification for a second before I dismissed it. I knew the time. Hadn’t stopped thinking about it. This was the appointment where they’d measure things. Check development. Maybe even catch glimpses of little hands or a heartbeat stronger than the flutter we saw last time.
Colt was loading the last two grocery bags into the truck when his own phone rang.
“Yeah, this is Colt,” he answered, tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder as he arranged the bags on the back seat. He paused for a beat, listening, then pulled the phone back to glance at the screen. “Hang on—I’ll put you on speaker.”
He tapped the button and leaned against the truck.
“Colt? You there?” came a voice on the line—deep, a little rushed.
“I got you. What’s goin’ on, Art?”
“Look, I know it’s last minute, but I could use a favor,” Art Whitson said. “I’m flyin’ out to Dallas for the big fall sale this weekend. Couple bulls I’ve had my eye on. But I’m green as hell at cattle auctions, and you know how those guys are—fast talkers, full of show.”
Colt chuckled. “Yeah, and if you don’t know what to look for, they’ll saddle you with a problem and charge you like it’s a prizewinner.”
“Exactly,” Art said. “You’d be doing me a real solid. You’d just have to be there one day, Tuesday. I’ll have the plane back that night.”
Colt met my gaze, then gave a small nod I couldn’t quite read. “Yeah. Tuesday? I’ll let you know.”
“Appreciate it. I’ll text you the details for you to consider,” Art said, then hung up.
Colt slipped his phone into his back pocket and turned toward the cab.
“That’s the day of the ultrasound,” I said quietly, still standing by the open passenger door.
He stopped mid-step and looked at me. “It is?”
I nodded as I turned to grab a bottle of green tea, fingers grazing the paper bag like I needed something solid to hold onto. “It’s the one where they check… everything.”
The truck was quiet. The parking lot buzzed with the faint sound of tires and idle engines, but for a moment, I couldn’t hear anything but my pulse in my ears.
