Page 87 of Mountain Time
Trey jumps down, positioning himself on the other side of me and throws his arm over my shoulder, gripping Knox’s on the other side. “I want a selfie, too.”
“I swear to god if you try to kiss her—” Knox starts, but Trey barks out a laugh.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
We all smile and take the photo.
Chapter 41
Knox
We’re staying here tonight. Kacey flies out in the morning, and Trey and I will both ride in the rodeo tomorrow. As soon as we get back to the camper, Trey declares he’s going to the bar for the after party. After flying all day and getting on a bull, I’m guessing this “burning desire to go to the bar” is so Kacey and I can have some alone time before she flies out tomorrow. I’m not about to stop him.
He throws his gear bag in the box and turns to me. “Hey, Knox, you got any cash?”
“Use your own cash.”
“I don’t keep any on me. If my wallet’s too big, it leaves lines in my jeans.”
I give him a squint-eyed stare, and he laughs.
“Come on, Dad, think of it like you’re giving me my allowance early.”
Kacey giggles and I cross my arms, exasperated by him. “Since when do I give you an allowance?”
“Since I quit carrying cash on me, and now I need some.” He shrugs his shoulders.
I groan as I pull a twenty-dollar bill from my wallet. “Is that enough?”
“Maybe in the 1940s when you graduated high school, old man, I know you got a hundy in there.” He holds out his hand, curling his fingers.
I pull out a hundred and hand it to him. “Whatever it takes to get rid of you for a few hours. Remember, we need to leave at 9 a.m.”
“Ugh, that’s sooo early.” Trey takes the cash, turning on his heel. “Use protection and stay thefuckoff my new sheets!” he hollers back over his shoulder.
Kacey crawls into bed next to me, I pull her into me, holding her, kissing her, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. I want to memorize the feel of her body against mine.
She snuggles into my chest and sighs. “It’s just a month. We can do one month.”
“Yeah,” I say through the lump in my throat. A lot can happen in a month and if her dad promotes her at the ranch, her time off will become even more limited. “I don’t want you to go,” I admit in a whisper. Since Kacey has been on the road with me, I’ve ridden better than I have all year—even as sore and tired as I am. I love having her with me, and I hate that we won’t see each other for a month.
“So you aren’t sick of me after three weeks on the road?” she tries to joke.
“No,” I say seriously. I cradle her face in my hand, tilting her head up so our eyes meet in the dim light of the TV. “Three weeks isn’t enough—no amount of time with you will ever be enough.” I hear her suck in a breath before I continue. “I want to spend every second with you. It doesn’t matter if it’s at a rodeo, driving down the road for hours, or at the ranch. When I went toColorado this spring, my only plan was to help Jack out and pass the time until the summer rodeos, but then I climbed out of my truck that day and you smiled at me . . . I didn’t realize it until later, but as of that moment, I was wholeheartedly yours, Kacey Hart.”
A single tear runs down her cheek and I wipe it with my thumb. “It took less than two months for me to say, ‘screw the no-girlfriend rule.’ I wanted you and now I refuse to lose you. So, if you ever start losing faith in us, questioning us, or just need me to come home, tell me. Because nothing in this world will stop me from being with you.”
“Home?” she questions.
“Yes. My home is wherever you are.” Another tear rolls down her cheek. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She blinks rapidly, trying to fight back more tears. “They’re not sad tears. I just never thought I would trust anyone again, but you showed me every day how much you cared about me. You’ve never made me wonder or question if I’m worthy. You’ve put the broken pieces of my heart back together, and I couldn’t imagine living without you now. Sometimes I put so much pressure on myself, and my thoughts spiral out of control, making it hard to breathe. But when I’m with you, I feel whole. I can breathe again.”
I run my hand through her hair and look into her sea green eyes. “I promise your heart will always be safe with me. It’s an honor to be the man who cares for you the way you’ve always deserved.”
She kisses me then, her kiss saying more than words ever could.
After she’s fallen asleep, with the TV still playing the fireplace, I whisper over the crackling and popping of the burning wood, “Ilove you.” Then, I finally doze off, my arms wrapped around the woman who has become the center of my universe.
