Page 67 of When It Reins
I shrug a little, still holding in the bubbling laughter that threatens to come out. I didn’t expect hearing that would make me giddy, but here I am, unable to hold it together. “When I thought you were ready.”
He shakes his head, his eyes on fire with what I now know is love for me. “I’m ready, Starling. Ready for all of it.”
“All of it?” My words are a whisper, my eyes holding his.
He nods, holding me tight. “All of it.”
30
juniper
Quinn Trevors walkswith a limp in her gait the next day at Sunday lunch on the ranch. I learned it’s called ahitch in her get-a-long, according to her father-in-law, Cal Trevors. You learn something new every day.
Last night, the lot of us were out until the early morning hours, the concert being a large success, and our adrenaline unable to calm.
The crowd didn’t disappoint at all. We raised more money than we expected, plenty for every single person to pay off their tax liens and enough for the rest of the community to have a little too.
I couldn’t believe it when we tallied the numbers last night, but I was beyond grateful. Mitch’s family and our friends stayed late to help all of us clean up last night. No matter how much we cleaned and bused tables as we went, there was so much to still do, even as three a.m. hit.
Now, we are at the ranch, all three of us sisters and the entirety of the Trevors and Cash families, plus a few more I don’t know well.
We closed down Bottle Grounds for the day, needing time to rest and regroup.
“Hey,” Thea says, sitting on the swinging porch swing adjacent to mine. I am still basking in the afterglow of the success we had last night, and the man I love declaring how much he loves me. There is literally no better feeling on earth than that one. “What would you say to closing on Sundays?”
I frown at her, my body relaxed against what’s essentially a porch swinging bed. I need to get myself one of these. “What do you mean?”
She shrugs, staring down the porch where there are several others sitting around in a circle, chatting. Down on the lawn there is an intense game of cornhole going on. I can hear Bonnie yelling every so often, and I chuckle hearing it. “This is nice, isn’t it? All of us here and having a day off together?”
“Better than nice.”
“So I was thinking we should close on Sundays. Our revenue isn’t that strong anyway, and we more than make up for Sunday the rest of the week.” Thea seems to be imploring me with her eyes, and I can see that she’s asking permission.
Technically, Thea holds the cards when it comes to the bar. It was her idea, her baby. Closing one day a week is her call.
But Thea has never been the dictator type. She’s a team player. She loves her sisters and won’t do anything without running it by us.
“I’m game for that,” I tell her with a soft smile. “Did you ask Annmarie?”
“Not yet, but I have a feeling she’ll be okay with it too.”
“Me too.” I smirk, thinking about last night all over again.
Commotion comes from inside the house, and Dani bounds over, her energy far exceeding mine. I don’t know how she does it. She was out just as late as we were and has a toddler, yet here she is grinning like a fool. Quinn walks much slower out behindher, and I grin at the sight, knowing that it’s not from anything other than dancing her ass off and having a kid-free night.
“Cade just told me we’re going on a cattle drive!” Dani plops onto the bench swing beside Thea, who smiles at her. Quinn eases herself down on the one I’m on.
“That’s so fun,” Thea says, laying her head back against the swing.
“A cattle drive? What does that entail?” I tuck my legs underneath me and lay my head on my hand, half-asleep as I stare at Dani.
“It’s pretty basic. We ride up into the mountains and push the cattle to the pasture they want them at. The one we’re going to is a day’s ride, so we’ll camp overnight and then come home the next day.”
“That sounds nice, like a little camping trip.” I yawn, covering it with my hand. “I’m sure you’ll have such a great time.”
Dani snickers and looks at me and my sister. “You two are coming!”
My eyes pop open at that, confusion coursing through me. “Coming where?”
