Page 83 of Wild and Unruly
“Weare?” I frown in confusion.
“I bought her for you.”
His announcement is met with slow realization and reluctance to actually accept the words he said. “You…bought her?”
He nods. “For you.”
Fuck my freaking eyes, but tears gather as I realize what he’s really saying. I look back to him, standing in the doorway of the stall, looking handsome in his boots and hat, grinning at me like he just won the lottery.
My voice cracks when I say the words out loud, my hands shaking even as I continue to scratch on her, keeping my focus on the horse to try to hold back the emotions. “You bought me a horse?”
He nods again and says in a low voice, “Yeah, baby, I bought you a horse.”
A sob threatens to escape through my throat, and instead, I bury it in Freckles’s neck, holding her to me in a brand-new way.
She was mine. I had a horse again that was all mine, and the emotion tied to that was making me a sappy mess.
His arms come around my waist, and I turn immediately, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and holding him to me tighter than I should, given my bruising. But I can’t help it.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
And through my words, he just holds me, rubbing my back, and I feel Freckles nudge my side, and for the first time in years, I finally feel like I’m where I belong.
32
stetson
My family welcomedus with open arms that night at dinner. Cal had thrown together a feast worthy of royalty, and he explained it was to welcome Bonnie home.
The woman cried again, making me pull her into my side. She was going through a lot, and the tears were normal. I hope we can get to a place where she can just accept the love that we were pouring into her and not have to feel like she doesn’t deserve it, because she does. She deserves all the love in the world, and I was going to give it to her.
Dani reaches around Bonnie, pulling her in tight, and frankly, she has tears glistening in her eyes too. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Bonnie. We were worried sick about you.”
“Thank you,” Bonnie says quietly, “I’m just glad to be back.”
Dani places her hands on my girlfriend’s face and looks at her sternly. “Home. You’re glad to be home.”
Bonnie looks at me, and my chest fills with happiness at thesight of her looking at me for confirmation. Have I not made it clear that her home was mine?
“Damn right, you’re home,” I confirm for her, and she smiles at me, relief crossing her features.
We sit around the table, and the mood is light, even with the lingering presence of Tommy Smith on our minds. I was on high alert, knowing that at any moment, the piece of shit could show up here and cause problems for me.
I wasn’t going to allow it, not even for a minute. If he showed, I would let him know how unwelcome he was, probably so much so that he wouldn’t actually be able to walk even if he did try to leave.
“So, Bonnie, do you go back to work then?” my mom asks, concern written all over her face. She knew everything because that night we came home, after Bonnie was safely tucked away in my bed and sound asleep, I called her.
And I cried. A lot.
Relief and misery and despair and frustration had all battled for top emotion, and I needed to let it all out. I felt like I couldn’t do that to Bonnie. She had been through too much already, and I wasn’t about to unload on her.
Mom let me vent and didn’t say a word except for how happy she was that Bonnie was okay.
“Actually, no,” she says, and I glance at her in surprise. I know she called her boss before we left, and her boss told her to take her time. “I quit my job.”
The table goes quiet for a few minutes, and Bonnie glances around in shock before quickly reassuring, “Don’t worry, your piece is going to be featured in the print version of the magazine. Actually, it’s probably being printed as we speak.”
“I don’t think any of us are worried about that, Bonnie,”Dani confirms, looking to me and back. “We’re just surprised you quit, is all.”
