Page 42 of Trussed In Hope
“I do.” He nodded. “I’ll call and get somebody to help down here to calm the animals down and see about that fence, too. I’ll try the vet, too.” Callum didn’t stand around waiting for more instructions. He set right to work.
“Let’s get you taken care of, King,” Emberlynn said to me as she helped me to stand.
I nodded, and let her lead me back. I closed my eyes as she washed my hands in the sink. She disappeared while the cool water rinsed them, and when she returned, she washed them with something. Then the water was off, and she walked me to the kitchen table and got busy bandaging things up.
“More skills you learned at Silver Creek?” She asked.
“Yeah. Getting wound up animals to do what they were supposed to was something you had to know how to do.” I opened my eyes to look at her face.
“No, I meant hearing bumps in the night.” She looked up, and our eyes held.
“You know that’s not how.” I swallowed. “Being ready for combat means hearing stuff that others don’t. The ability tosense and recognize danger is something I already have in me, and the military taught me how to hone in on it. It could be the difference between life and death.”
“Then I bet the goat is grateful that you saved its life. Because it could’ve died tonight. That wire was sharp, and I’m positive that it would have continued to fight it to get out. Even to the point of hurting itself.”
I nodded, knowing she was right.
She finished the last bandage and kissed me quickly. “Let’s go rest, Hardison. I’m sure you’ll be up even earlier to go check on things. I need to feel you close as I get to sleep, before you’re gone for the day.”
“You don’t mind?” I asked, waiting for her to say something about all the time that I’ve recently been putting in on the ranch.
“Why would I?” Her expression was clearly confused. “You need to be where you need to be. I’m not some damsel that needs your attention all the time. I also know that when you’re here with me, you focus on me. I’ve gathered that’s how you are with everything. In the moment. I love that about you.”
God, I loved this woman.
I escorted her down the hall to her bed, where I held her until she fell asleep. Then I followed suit with my head buried in the crook of her neck, settling my world, and righting history.
EMBERLYNN
Iwoke later than usual, sunlight spilling across the bed in lazy golden streaks. Hardison had already gone—probably out with Diesel or fixing the fence after last night’s chaos. The room still smelled like him though, that mix of cedar, soap, and something darker I couldn’t quite name but had already started to crave.
I dressed slowly, pulling on a soft sweater, jeans, and boots. Today was Christmas break for most of town, but I wanted to poke around, maybe pick up a few things for dinner, get breakfast with my bestie, and maybe just get some air. My body still hummed from Hardison’s hands last night, but my mind—it needed a little grounding.
The house was quiet without Hardison. I could hear the faint rhythm of hammering out by the fence line. His low curses carried faintly on the cool morning air whenever something didn’t go his way. The smell of coffee filled the kitchen—strongand rich–and I leaned against the counter, trying to find my footing in this new life.
A knock came at the back door. I frowned, setting my mug down, and when I opened it, Tia stood there, bundled up in a thick jacket. She grinned as if she’d been caught doing something mischievous.
“Morning,” she said. “I thought I’d come by and check on you before I leave.”
I laughed softly, stepping aside to let her in. “You don’t leave until later, so I was going to call you and ask if you wanted to get breakfast this morning. I didn’t think that you’d be awake. Since Hardison is out repairing the fence from last night, I have the day to myself.”
“That explains why you’re in here alone,” she teased, shrugging off her jacket and plopping into one of the kitchen chairs like she belonged there.
I poured her a cup of coffee and set it down in front of her. She cradled it in her hands, watching me over the rim with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “You seem comfortable here,” she said.
I blinked, startled. “Do I?”
“Mm-hm.” She blew on her coffee. “Which is funny, because I know you. You don’t make it easy for people to get close to you.”
I smirked. “I’d call that an understatement.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “But I can tell—he’s… different. The way he handles you is gentle. Lighter. Purposeful. You’re responding to him in a way that makes me think you like it, too.”
Her words hit harder than I expected. I stared down at my mug, swirling the dark liquid, trying not to show how much that meant. “Maybe it’s just the southern winds.”
Tia snorted. “Girl, don’t even try. That man makes you glow in a big way. I’m wondering if I need a cowboy in my life. Oh, andhe’s all about you, too. Smiling from ear to ear like he’s won the lottery ten times over.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “So you’re saying I’m responsible?”
