“Only if you’re sure.”
“Sure am, Pey. He’ll be over in a few minutes, you have a good day. You deserve it.” He comes up to me and squeezes my shoulder before making his leave.
I clean up the mess that I’ve made in the kitchen and go out on the front porch to sit on an old wooden rocking chair until Neil comes.
Today, I’m going to count my lucky stars that it will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be just as beautiful.
12
Levi
I hated leaving Peyton again. I can’t wait for the day that she’s in my bed each and every night and every morning. Today, I’m helping round out some calves to go to auction, then I’ll be working on the horses, and getting their vaccines updated.
It’ll take a few weeks until everything is settled between the ranches, but after that I’m asking Peyton to stay with me. The thought of her over there by herself, I can’t fucking stand it.
I finish loading the last of the calves up and start walking to the barn, when Ed comes up to me and lets me know I have a guest inside the house.
“Seeing that smile on your face, boy does it make it worth it that I got to tell you the news,” Ed says, as he walks away whistling.
He’s not wrong. Just thinking about Peyton inside a home that I hope to one day be ours, has me smiling like a loon.
“Thanks, Ed,” I holler to his back and make my way to my woman. Shit, I love the sound of that. A few of the ranch hands try to grab my attention. I tell them to see Ed. I’m usually more hands on. Something I’m noticing they’re getting more accustomed to and have them slacking at times. I’ll have to get with Ed and let him know what’s going on. I don’t mind helping anyone who needs it, but simple tasks shouldn’t be talked to death. It’s enough to make me think all they are doing is milking the clock.
Rushing to the house, I barely take in the rest of my surroundings. When I bought this plot of land from my parents, it was just that, a plot and nothing else. I found an old house that was set to be demolished if someone didn’t move it. I bought it for ten dollars, I shit you not. It needed a shit ton of work, and of course I had to pay to have it moved. Now that it’s here and restored, it’s perfect.
“Peyton,” I call out, as I walk into the mudroom, sliding my boots off, or at least attempting to. She comes around the corner just as I finish taking off the second one and she’s in my arms without any hesitation. “Hey, you,” she says, as my lips find hers. Having her taste on my lips, her tongue intertwining with mine. It’s one of my favorite things.
“I missed you today,” Peyton says, as we slowly break apart. She starts to back away, but I bring her in closer. My hands find her hips and I hold onto her, not wanting her to leave me just yet.
“Is that right? I may have to sleep with you more often. I liked the greeting I got when I came into the house,” I say, with a wink.
“Well it’s a good thing, because I’ve made myself quite at home while you were working,” she walks into the open family room. I took a lot of walls down to make it one big area.
“Yeah, how did you do that?” I ask her and follow her into the kitchen where I see brownies on the counter. Fuck, she remembered my guilty pleasure. I’m not much of a sweet eater, but if you put me in front of a plate of fudge brownies you can guarantee I’ll devour them whole.
“Baby,” I murmur into her ear as I’m walking up behind her. She sinks back into me, her head upturned to look into my eyes, and that’s when I see it. Her eyes are back to normal, the circles are slowly disappearing, and I know I had a hand in that.
“It’s not much, but I figured it’s the least I could do. I got breakfast and dinner in bed last night.” Bringing my lips down to hers, I kiss her. It’s not short and it’s definitely not sweet. She turns in my arms and I pick her up, bringing her ass on top of the counter as I step into her.
When we break apart, she says with a smirk on her face, “Well, if that’s what I get for making brownies, consider it a done deal every day.”
I laugh, fuck what she does to me. I take the rest of the day off and we sit on the couch shooting the shit when she finally tells me, “I forgot with everything that happened yesterday. My clinic hours have changed. I’m not sure how that happened, but I’m not questioning it.”