“Nothing you ain’t seen before, but smaller,” I grunt at him, my mouth twitching when he narrows a dirty look at me.
“Hello to you too, bud,” he greets, eyes darting past me to land on Sami. A look passes between them that pisses me off. As if they share a joke and I am the punchline.
“Just came to let you both know the roads are safe. Ridge made it up to grab the bike for you, he will fix it up in no time, darlin’. You owe me a case of beer and some stories,” Keller rattles off in that bossy way he has about him.
“Thanks for stopping by. You can go now. Thanks again,” I call, tossing a nod as I start to close the door on him.
“Shepard,” Sami chastises me, slapping my backside playfully, “go put clothes on. Be nice to our friends,” she warns me, shaking her head with another roll of her eyes.
“Ourfriends? When did you befriend Keller? He ismyfriend, babydoll, not yours. He keeps coming here without letting me know first, he won’t even be that,” I threaten, ignoring how Kellar chuckles darkly because he knows I am full of shit.
“Oh. Oh, I see,” Sami’s voice is softer than it was a moment ago, no traces of teasing, “Kellar, could you take me to town? I need to get some things. This barbarian needs to think about a few things too,” she huffs, pushing past me and him to head for his truck.
“Sami! What the hell do you think you are doing?”
“Going to get agoddamncheeseburger! And somefucking fries!” she shouts back, whirling to glare at me as I stand dick out on the porch.
Blinking at her in shock, I stumble back at the force of her words. Ah shit, I fucked up. I went too far. Pushed her past the point of no return. Her eyes flash up at me with tears glittering in their depths as I stand there like an idiot.
“Yeah. Yeah, let me take you to town. Shep, buddy, take a breather and come meet us,” Keller suggests as he walks past me, taking a wide berth.
“Babydoll,” I call to her, but I don’t go after her when she follows him and lets him help her into his truck.
I hate that he is touching her, that he is taking her away from me. But I did that. I all but told her I was going to lock her up like a prisoner. Claiming Keller, who has no designs on my woman, was not her friend was the final straw. Sami wants to be friends with all the guys because they are my friends and I pissed all over that.
Watching her curl up inside of his truck as she swipes at the tears that fall down her face cracks my chest in two. What the fuck am I doing? What was I thinking talking to her that way? Trying to cage the woman who has become everything to me up like a toy I play with when I want? To bed and breed her with my baby but not let her live the life she wants unless I say so?
“I am so sorry, babydoll,” I whisper as they head down the hill.
Standing there with my dick in my hand, literallyandfiguratively, I watch them go. I will go meet them in town as Keller suggested. Before I do, I have a few things I need to do. First, I need to get dressed because I can do none of them naked now that my woman is gone.
Smirking at the idea of doing house chores with her naked, I head back in. Pulling on some boots and some clothes, I take a good look at our home. Because this isher home, and my friends are her friends. This is our life. And our life is going to keep growing so I need to expand this cabin.
Before that I need to see to it her needs are taken care of. Ridge will get her bike back in shape and if he doesn’t, I will buy her a new one. I know she prefers her bike so she can get to all the locations she wants to take her photos. I will make sure she has all she needs to keep taking them.
“Starting with what she needs right here,” I say out loud when I am struck with the perfect idea.
Four hours later I am a sweaty, filthy mess, but I feel good. I am proud of what I got done in that short time even though I still have more to do. It feels nice to do something for her, something I hope will show what she means to me. Now I need to get her back up here to show her.
Washing up quickly, I grab fresh clothes, pausing when I see her things hanging in my closet. Folded in my drawers. I take a moment to compose myself because it means everything that I have her now. That I won’t be alone, sure, but that Ihave her. A woman whose brightness lights up my shadows, whose warmth melted the iciest parts of me. My best friend and the woman I will spend the rest of my life giving everything to.
When I get to town, in record time because I am excited, I brace myself for what comes next. I have had Sami to myself since the night we met. Besides Keller and those guys, I have no one else in my life and she told me she doesn’t either. I would love for her to find her place with the other wives and make some real friends.
At the diner she said she wanted to go to, I see Keller’s battered old ford. A miracle that old rust bucket still runs. Heading inside, I spot them in a booth, a huge basket of fries and a greasy double cheeseburger sitting in front of her.
“There he is,” Keller calls when he sees me coming, nodding his head as he slides out of the booth, “now that he showed up, let me cut out of here. See you two later,” he says, winking at her as he passes by. As he goes, he pauses to whisper something to me. I smile and nod, agreeing with him wholeheartedly.
“You ain’t lying, chief. Thanks for bringing her to town when I was being an idiot. And getting her that goddamn cheeseburger and fucking fries,” I say for her benefit as I take his spot in the booth across from her.
Sami flushes and ducks her head, reaching for some fries. The diner has been here since the sixties, I heard. They serve the best pecan pie in the county, but their coffee sucks and the waitresses are nosy as hell. I glare at one of them when she watches us from her perch behind the counter, and she scurries off.
It’s dark out which is perfect for my needs tonight. Two other tables have patrons, so I let out a breath. Time to suck it up and be a man. There will be no limit to my groveling.
“Babydoll, I am so sorry I tried to keep you locked up there. That I tried to keep you all to myself. As if you were some toy of mine. I mean, you are mine, don’t get that truth confused. Not my toy to play with or lock up. You are...you are my everything.”
“Can’t takeyour everythingto town for a goddamn cheeseburger?” she says, head down still but I can see her mouth twitch with a smirk.
God, I love this woman.