Page 30 of Easy Rider
Chapter Fourteen
“Ryder.” Emma’s sweetvoice rouses me. My eyes adjust to the morning light as the mattress dips behind me. Her soft warm body spoons me from behind. “Are you awake?” she whispers, wrapping a silky arm around me. Vanilla and plum perfume the air.
“Hell yeah, I’m awake.” I grin, feeling her full, round tits smashed against my back. My cock is so hard it could cut through steel.
She squeezes my waist. “It’s bad news. Such bad news.” Emma’s voice breaks, and I roll over to face her.
“What is it?”
Emma sits up and props a pillow behind her. Her gorgeous blue eyes are watery with tears. “My phone woke me up at five,” she whispers. “Dad called. He didn’t get the deal. Ugh.” She buries her face in her hands.
“No, no, no.” I straighten and bring her close. My mind is going a mile a minute as Emma rests her head against my chest. I soothe her, stroking her hair. “What happened?”
She shifts out of my arms so she can face me. And I know whatever she’s about to say has to be bad. I can see the tension in her face and defeat in her eyes. “You’re not going to believe this,” she begins, and then shakes her head, like it’s too difficult to continue.
“What the hell happened? Tell me. We’ll fix it. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it.”
“It can’t be fixed.” Sniffing, she gathers the covers behind her and pulls them up around her shoulders. “Dad didn’t get Flying Hearts. The Johnsons did.”
I jolt. “No fucking way.” I study her face, praying this is a joke.
“I know, I know,” she mutters glumly. “The Johnsons offered Stew five hundred grand above asking price, and he took it, then and there.” She bites her bottom lip and casts her eyes up at the ceiling. “Stew didn’t even wait for Dad to make a counter-offer.” She flicks her gaze to me. “I’m so sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry about? Come here.” I pull her into my arms and bring her back down on the bed with me. Emma rests her cheek on her pillow, and I do the same so we’re staring at each other straight on. “This isn’t your fault,” I say flatly, hoping she’ll hear what I’m saying.
I’m angry with Stew for selling and pissed off at the Johnsons for buying, but my first concern is for Emma. I have big plans for her today. “Look, I don’t know what this town is going to do, but this is not your fault.”
Emma looks at me sullenly. “I’m such a baby.” She tucks a hand under her pillow. “I was hoping...” she sputters, eyes lingering on me. “I mean, if Dad got the ranch, then I would have an excuse to come to West Palomino more often.”
Fuck, if she isn’t just the most adorable woman I’ve ever known. “Emma.” Smiling like a damn puppy, I reach over to trace her delicate pretty cheek with my fingers. “You don’t need an excuse to be with me.”
“So I’m just supposed to show up at random times? Knock on your door and say, ‘Ryder, I’m here’?”
“No.” I lean over and kiss her. “You absolutely cannot come visit me on random days. Now, come on.” I crawl out of bed and snatch my jeans off the floor. After I throw on some clothes, I grab my bathrobe from the foot of the bed.
“See?” she asks, narrowing her eyes at me. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy, and I have a plane to catch.”
“Not so fast.” I offer my hand and pull her out of bed.
“Where are we going?” she asks when she’s on her feet. She scans her suitcase in the corner.
