Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“But that’s a story for another time. I don’t think I was ever touched in a kind way, sexually I mean, until Nate and I got together that night at his college party.”
“You were a virgin.”
She scoffs and shakes her head, but I take her hand.
“Abs, you were a virgin in every way that matters. What was done to you before…that wasn’t sex; it was violence. It was rape. That’s not the same thing, and you know it.”
Her lip quivers, and then she nods. “I guess you’re right. I never really thought about it like that. I was surprised, actually, that it felt good, and that we had fun while doing it. We laughed, and it was…nice. It wasn’t passion. It wasn’t an all-consuming burn that I suddenly couldn’t live without, but it was nice. And I love knowing that Daisy came from that.”
“Me, too,” I whisper.
“Nate was not the love of my life,” she admits with a whisper, “but he was my best friend, and he was so kind and good. He was really, really good.”
It doesn’t make me jealous to hear her talk about him. I’m grateful to him for taking care of her when no one else would, and I hate that he’s not here for me to thank him.
“I’m glad you had him, Abs.”
“Yeah.” She nods and smiles, wiping her eyes again. “You would have liked him. Anyway, tonight’s nightmare was a bit of all of that mixed together, and it always scares the shit out of me.”
“You woke up screaming for Daisy, as if someone had her, and you couldn’t reach her.”
Something dark moves behind her eyes. “That happens sometimes, too. It’s just more mind games. More fear. Because if something ever happened to her—”
She lets out a hiccupping sob, and I immediately reach for her, pulling her against me. “Nothing will happen to her,” I promise as I bury my face in her hair and kiss her head. “Nothing. She’s safe, baby. She’s tucked away on the ranch right now, and she’s perfectly safe. I won’t ever let anyone hurt either of you.”
“I know.” She sighs into me, obviously exhausted, and I lean us both back so we’re lounging and laid out on the couch, with Abbi’s head on my chest. “It’s just one of the reasons that I love you, Brady Wild.”
“What are some of the other reasons?”
That makes her laugh the way I wanted it to. “I’m not going to inflate your ego.”
“Come on. Give me three things.”
“No.”
“Fine. I’ll go first. One, I love your cooking. Seriously, you’re damn good in the kitchen, and I don’t mean that to sound misogynistic.”
She smirks, grinning up at me like a loon. “So noted.”
“Two, when you come on my cock, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
She barks out a laugh. “Glad I can oblige. What’s the third one?”
“You’re the best mommy, Abs.”
Now her eyes fill with tears again.
“Whoa, no more leaking. Come on, what are my three?”
“Okay.” She sniffs and blinks rapidly, fighting back the waterworks. “One, I really love your ranch, and I don’t mean that in a gold-digger way.”
I bust up laughing at that one. “Okay.”
“Two, that cock you mentioned, holy hell, it’s talented.”
“It’s not the dick, sweetheart. It’s the man.”
She rolls her eyes at that. “And three, you’re so kind, so good to us. Always.”
“Always will be, Blue Eyes.” I take a breath and kiss her hair. “Okay, let’s nap. Just for a couple of hours.”
“I guess I’m sleepy again.” Her voice is soft, and soon, her breathing evens out, and for a long time, I stare at the ceiling.
Someone should have to pay for what was done to her all those years ago. Someone should suffer, and it pisses me off that no one will. Only Abbi, and she’s the victim in all of this. I hate that it’s bled over to Daisy, too, having to comfort her mama when Abbi is in the trenches with the nightmares.
It makes my heart sick thinking about it.
I am in love with her. If I could, I’d magically build a house—any house she wants—out here at the ranch and move us all in there tomorrow. I’d marry her, have more babies with her, and make a family. Daisy can have all the animals she wants.
I want to make a life with this woman. She deserves that.
She deserves everything.
“Wanna talk about it?” Remington and I have been out on our horses all afternoon, riding fence and checking on the cattle.
“Talk about what, exactly?”
“Whatever it is that’s on your mind. You haven’t said two words today, and usually, I can’t get you to shut up. What’s going on?”
I shake my head and pull out my needlenose pliers to work on a nail in the fence post. “Just normal shit, man. I have to go to Cheyenne in two weeks to kick off the season, and for the first time in my career, I’m not excited about it. We have a shit ton to do out here on the ranch before we brand and castrate in a couple of weeks, right before I leave.”