Page 26 of Wicked Cowboy
She said, “Even better.” She unwrapped the robe and shimmied into the shirt and pulled up the sweats. Last, she tied the waist and gave me a thumbs up. “Ready.”
I opened the door for her and trekked beside her to head to the galley kitchen. We wandered past Chelsea’s room, so I tugged her closer and we listened at the door.
Neither of us said anything as I peeked inside. Chelsea was already asleep in her bed.
Tomorrow we all needed to be together and focus on this girl. Logic and the plan needed to sink into my brain, not the primal need to pump my seed into Ridley until she was pregnant and mine forever.
We strode down the hall. I asked her, “What was your life like in Pittsburgh before you came here?”
She tapped her hands in front of her. “Honestly, I was in a major rut. For two weeks, I worked eighty hours in the ER.”
“Your work ethic is admirable,” I said and then we stopped at the second door. We peeked inside and Pop was also in his bed, snoring.
“Glad you think so.” I closed the door and we tiptoed away until we were clear and then made it to the kitchen. I perused the options in the refrigerator with her at my side. I took out the fruit tray again as apples, and grapes, and orange slices were usually great for the first round of snacks.
A ring reverberated on a chime.
She perked her eyebrow and asked, “Is that the doorbell?”
I put the tray down on the counter, but as she passed, I said, “Yeah. Grab an apple.” She handed me a few slices that I quickly ate. I opened the door to whoever security must have let in and saw one of the go-getters like my mom, but my age, from town.
“I know it’s late, but I saw your lights on and decided to take a chance to say congrats.” Sally Sheraton stared back at me, but her husband, Aaron’s, brown eyes haunted me. She had a small bag in her hand but threw her hands out to hug Ridley and me as she said, “I heard you were getting married.”
I placed my hand on Ridley’s lower back. “Ridley, this is Sally Sheraton.”
“I was stocking the food bank in town with Church donations and Carter has the warehouse that he lets us use nearby.”
She had asked for my support of various charities since I returned and always quoted my mother.
Ridley shook her hand. “Hi.”
She’d been checking on me like a brother since I'd brought her husband’s body home for her to bury.
As she finished, she said, “Lovely to meet you. I had no idea Carter was even seeing someone.”
Ridley stared at me. For a second, I wasn’t sure what she’d say, but then she focused on Sally. “We were pretty long distance and I was shocked he asked.”
Sally laughed and patted Ridley’s arm like they were friends already. “All the ladies in town were trying to get his attention. Now I know he was already in love and that’s why he wasn’t interested. Congrats.”
I’d not intended to settle down at all.
Ridley’s lips curled under her lower one again and her face went white. A minute later, she pointed to us. “So you and Carter…”
No. Sally wasn’t my type. Ridley absolutely was.
Sally shook her head and covered her lips. Then she laughed. “Seriously, no, though if he’d shown interest in any half the women in town, they might have dropped their families and run right over.”
No one in town ever aroused me like Ridley had.
Aaron was very much alive in my memories, and he’d spent hours cheering me up after Dora had died, only to lose his own life. I crossed my arms to explain. “Sally-”
She took Ridley’s hands in hers. “Anyhow, I came here to invite you into the women’s society.”
Her eyebrows widened. “Society?”
My mother’s old position. My shoulders slumped. This was fast.
Ridley didn’t have to be anything like my mother, but Sally said, “We mostly run fundraisers for the local school or some bigger benefits. Carter’s mom started our group though we focused on more local charities after she passed.”
