Page 37 of Stirring Up Trouble
I jerked upright at the mention. "You think I should open my own clinic here?"
"Well, yeah," Griffin said. "You're really fucking good at your job. I don't think you should stop. Besides, I know that there isn't any one in the area as skilled as you are. If nothing else, you could go into a partnership with someone else.”
"And what about you?" I asked him.
"What about me? I'm happy here. My family is here. My friends are here. I've built a life. But you're not tied down. Your brother is in the city. While I do hate that our partnership would have to end, you would still be my best friend. We would still hang out and get together. You’d still come to market days at the ranch and all that stuff. There's nothing that says that you have to do what you thought you had to do when you arrived there. Things change. People change. Just as your eyes have been opened to the fact that men can be sexy too, you can welcome the idea that maybe your business will change.”
"You've given me something to think about," I told him. "I really don't know what I'll do."
Griffin laughed softly. "I think we both know that's a lie and that's okay. If you need more time to settle with your thoughts it makes sense. At the same time, I don't want you to miss out on anything simply because you're worried about how it willaffect me. I'm going to be fine either way. I can get some of the volunteers to fill in while I find someone else."
“They would love that,” I told him, my voice soft as I thought over all the people I'd made connections with.
“They would. It would give them great service hours. A few of them are nearing the end of school so maybe I can hold out until they're done depending on your timeline. But again, don't let me be the deciding factor. Whatever the two of you want is what you should do.”
"Thanks, Griffin. You're a really great friend. I'm lucky I've had you in my life."
"And you're lucky you'll continue to have me," he said pointedly. "You're not getting rid of me this easily. But if you have found someone who makes you feel like I think you do, then you should grab it with both hands and hold on to it. Embrace the change. Don't run away from it, Robin. You sound happier than I've ever known you to be. And the video I saw was —woof.Blaze Anders is a hottie.”
"Don't let Harlan hear you say that," I told him.
Griffin made a huffing sound. “Harlan knows he's the only man for me. I'm just saying I totally support you if you want to figure it all out with Blaze.”
“I am trying to figure something out, but I do have to go. There's something I need to do.”
Griffin was silent for a moment before he chuckled. “Sureeeeee. Something and not someone? I know this story, bud. Have fun. I don't need details later. But, um, enjoy yourself. Don't take anything about the rest of us too seriously. We all love and support you no matter what. Understand?”
“I understand.” I hung up the phone feeling a bit lighter.
I hadn't gone into the conversation thinking about talking over the business with Griffin or coming to some kind of decision. Yet we had. He supported me. He wanted to see mehappy. And honestly, Blaze made me happy. Changing my entire life for a man who I only just met was insane. It felt like a foolish decision.
Or did it? Was I letting other people's opinions lead me?
Because if I thought about it, being with Blaze was good. I wanted to wake up beside him in bed. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms every night. I wanted to go out with him to check on the animals and sit in the kitchen with him and Connie talking about meal plans. I even wanted Leslie to stop by and annoy the hell out of us.
I could see me and him running the rodeo next year together from the start so he wouldn't be so stressed. And I thought about ways the ranch could improve. The visions came one after another, solidifying what I knew to be true.
Blaze Anders was it for me. I was falling in love with him.
Fourteen
Blaze
“You're not naked.”
I turned at the sound of Robin's voice. I couldn’t help but smirk when I saw the cute frown on his face. “No, I'm not.”
He crossed his arms, his bottom lip sticking out for a moment.
“Yousaidyou'd be naked. I waspromisednudity. What is all this?” He waved his hands at my clothing.
I shook my head and held a hand out for him to come over to where I was seated on the edge of the bed. My mind had raced as I’d left him behind in the kitchen. As much as I wanted to be buried dick deep in him, I couldn't.
Not until we'd spoken.
After he sat down beside me, I placed his hand in my lap, holding it with both of mine.
“I wanted to talk to you before we did anything else. I think there's a conversation that's overdue for us.”
