Page 77 of Moonlight & Matrimony
The cabin is beautiful, but small It’s exactly what you’d expect from a cabin on a ranch — rustic natural wood panelling, open concept living area with a modest kitchen and one bedroom. There's only one large bed, but Rylin didn’t want to spend another night away from her mom, so I offered to take the couch. After we get Ry tucked into the middle with Chance curled up beside her, Ivy disappears into the small ensuite bathroom with Hazel hot on her heels. Apparently, privacy goes completely out the window when you have a kid, two cats, and a dog.
I take a seat at the foot of the bed, not wanting to leave Rylin alone just yet. If I’m being honest, I miss her when she’s not at home. I suppose we’ll be making up for that now that we’re living out at the ranch for the foreseeable future. I called a cleanup company to take care of the smoke damage on the main floor, and they estimated 7-10 business days for completion. Miles insisted I take a paid leave of absence while the arson investigation is ongoing. I didn’t argue; I couldn’t leave Ivy and Rylin even if I wanted to. There’s an innate need to protect them that’s making me want to cling to them and never let go.
“Luca? Are we safe?” Rylin asks through a yawn. Her innocent inquisition is more complicated than she realizes, and I’m not sure how to respond, so I slide up beside her, leaning back against the headboard as I take her little hand in mine. The bathroom door creaks open and I glance over at Ivy standing on the threshold, watching me with a sullen expression.
“I’ll keep you safe, Bug. I promise.”
“Mommy, too?”
“Always.”
“I’m going to take Sage outside,” Ivy says, a slight hitch in her voice. “Be right back, okay, love? Stay with Luca.”
Rylin shifts into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. She tucks her curly head under my chin, her eyes closing on asigh. My heart leaps out of my chest as I soak in her warmth, and in that moment, I vow to go to the ends of the earth to make sure she feels safe and loved every single day.
Ivy returns a few minutes later to find Rylin fast asleep on my chest, her quiet snores filling the room. “Do you want me to take her?” she asks.
“No. I’ve got her. Just get in.” I free one arm to grasp the comforter and pull it back for Ivy to slide underneath. She pulls a blanket off the chair in the corner, tucking it around Rylin and me before she finally sinks down beside us, turning on her side to face me, one hand resting under her cheek. “Thank you,” she murmurs, tucking a wayward curl behind Rylin’s ear. “Sometimes I wish…” her voice trails off as her eyes grow mournful.Say it.
“What do you wish, Ivy?”
“I wish she was yours.” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but the words simultaneously steal my breath and fortify my resolve.
“She is, Ivy. In every way that counts. She’s mine to protect, mine to care for, mine to love.”And you are, too. But I don’t dare say it out loud.
“Please don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
As the words hang in the air, my chest tightens with a mix of guilt and longing, a painful reminder of the promises I made to myself — solemn vows that now seem fragile and hollow. I’m caught between the fear of falling for them, and the overwhelming desire to become the man who could break through the walls Ivy has built around her heart. She doesn’t speak again, letting sleep take her, and freeing me from the burden of laying myself bare.
Chapter 20
Ivy
? To Hell and Back - Maren Morris
We've been at the ranch for five days, and it’s been almost blissful. Earlier in the week, Luca retrieved some of my paint supplies from the untouched studio and I’ve been able to pour all of my emotions into my art. I’ve spent a lot of time falling in love again, with painting and the peace it brings me.
It’s a beautiful fall day and there’s no place I’d rather be than right here in my safe haven. The crisp autumn air wraps around me as the leaves tumble from the trees, comforting in their predictability. Griff and Jax rode out to the waterfall with me before they had to get back to work, so I’ve been spending a peaceful morning in my favorite spot on the ranch. We used to spend so much time out here as teens, and now it feels like the perfect place to soak in the stillness and allow my brush to guide itself over the canvas.
As I’m packing up the last of my supplies, Luca approaches on Maybelle, a brown and white paint horse. “Hey beautiful,” he says, hopping down from the saddle as though he’s spent hiswhole life on horseback. I’m more of a dark romance girl, but I’m starting to see why Paige loves the cowboys. His dark wranglers hug his ass in the most delicious way, and his flannel shirt sleeves are rolled up, giving me a peek at his muscled forearms and his compass tattoo.
“Hungry?” he asks. “I brought a picnic.”
“How did you know? I was just packing up to grab some lunch.”
“Perfect timing, then.” Luca secures Maybelle to the nearby hitching post beside Copper, the chestnut quarter horse that’s been around for as long as I can remember.
He carefully lays a picnic blanket over a patch of grass, setting a large wicker basket in the middle along with two bottles of cider. “I have a really important question to ask,” he says, sinking down onto the blanket, leaning back on his hands as he looks up at me with an ominous expression on his face.
“Now I’m scared.”
With a chuckle, he pats the spot beside him. “Come here.”
Once I’m settled criss-cross on the patchwork quilt, he smirks. “PB&J or Ham and Cheese?”
“You asshole! Is that really all you wanted to ask?”
“Yep.” I playfully swat him on the chest, and his devastating smile nearly brings me to my knees. His eyes crinkle at the corners and there’s a slight dimple in his cheek that I never noticed before.
