her this happy every fucking day if only she’d let me.
The song changes to a slow one, and Izzy pulls me to her. We sway on the dance floor, and she says, “You like her?”
I pause for a long while. “Yeah, I do,” I say.
“Guys in your position rarely stay here long. Always making changes that affect us workers, not always in a good way, and then moving on to bigger and better.”
“I know,” I say, and I do know. The bottom dollar has come first over the people, but the new processing plant will actually help them, create more jobs, but I can’t tell her any of that just yet. Past experiences have jaded these guys, and they probably wouldn’t believe me, anyway, until they see the new hires, the influx of people and money into the town.
“Then you better get your shit together and figure out what comes next,” she warns in a soft but serious voice.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t hurt her, Nate. She’s a good girl.”
“I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“I like you, Nate, but if you do break her heart, you’ll have her three brothers and sister to deal with, and probably half the town.”
It’s a threat, but it brings a smile to my face. “I like that you guys are protective of her. She needs that in her life. Gram would be so happy.”
She pokes my chest. “Just don’t make us need to protect her from you, okay?”
“Okay,” I say. “Thanks, Izzy.”
The song ends, and I turn and pull my girl away from Sam.
My girl.
Yeah, that’s exactly what she is.
“Having fun?” I ask.
“I am. You?”
“Most fun I’ve had in a while,” I say but also the most frightened I’ve ever been in my life. Tonight I plan to tell her how I feel, and I pray to fucking God she feels the same.
We dance the night away, and when the hall shuts down, we give hugs to all our friends, who are headed to the Anchor, and we make our way to my truck to go back to the B&B. Kira is a little quiet on the drive, and I leave her to her thoughts as my heart crashes against my ribs. I can’t believe how this woman has worked her way into my closed-off heart without even trying.
When we get to the house, Bridgette is waiting for me. We both chuckle.
“I’ll meet you inside,” I say to Kira and give her a kiss full of promise as I walk the cow home. Once I get her settled into the barn, I hurry my steps, desperate to hold Kira in my arms, make love to her.
The house is quiet, and I take off my boots and head upstairs, to find her in bed waiting for me, looking so warm, beautiful, and cozy, I want to crawl in there beside her and stay forever.
“Alone at last,” I say, and she pats the mattress.
“What took you so long?” she asks and stifles a yawn. With trying to sell, yet save the B&B, and distributing Gram’s paintings, she’s been riding so many emotional highs and lows lately, it’s exhausted her.
“You’re not the only girl that needs my love tonight,” I say.
Love.
Yeah, fuck, man, I love this woman
I strip off in record time and climb over her. Our lips touch, and she widens her legs for me, wraps them around my back. Her hands move over my body, like this could be our very last time together, and I lose myself in her silky softness. I inch back, brush her hair from her face, take in the warmth in her eyes. I need to tell her how I feel, and I need to do it right now.
“Kira—” My words are cut off by the loud snap of the mousetrap.
“Oh God,” Kira says and wiggles out from beneath me. Looking horrified, she hugs the blankets and scoots up against the headboard, pointing to the bathroom. “Was that…?”