Take Me Away (Southern Bride 6)

“Don’t even worry about it. It wasn’t that cold in the house. Thanks for keeping an eye on it. Have we had any hard freezes this year?”

“One in December, but there’s a cold front moving through next week that we’ll need to watch out for,” Paul stated.

After getting caught up on everything that was going on with the ranch, Paul, Ryan, and I saddled up some horses and headed out to ride the property for a bit. Paul pointed out some changes that had been made since my last visit two years ago. Ryan talked about the changes Boerne had seen with all the new growth, and I simply enjoyed the fresh air and being with friends. I had missed this, missed Texas more than I had realized. The Air Force had been my life since I was seventeen years old, when I knew I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy like my father had before he left to run the ranch. I wanted to fly planes, like my father had, and serve my country, like my father had. The ranch had been in the family for four generations now, and there was one thing I knew for certain: it would stay in the family come hell or high water. At some point I’d get out of the Air Force and head back to Texas. I simply needed the motivation to return to the ghosts buried here. Or, in all honesty, face those ghosts head on.

“Shit!” Ryan said as he looked at his watch. “Nolan’s birthday party is in an hour.”

I reached for my phone but realized I had left it back at the house.

“Saryn will kick my ass if I’m late for the party.” Then he looked at me. “She’ll kick your ass too.”

Laughing, I replied, “The only difference is, I’m not afraid of your sister.”

Ryan shot me a look as he slid down off his horse. “You would be if you knew her better.”

“You two go on, we’ll take care of the horses,” Paul stated. “And, Ryan, I’ll load those horses up and swing them on by the day after tomorrow.”

Ryan gave him a wide grin. “Thanks so much, Paul.” Then he looked at me. “Thanks for letting me borrow them.”

“Anytime,” I said with a smile.

Taking off toward his truck, Ryan spun around and jogged backward, “Did you get Nolan a gift?”

I sighed inwardly because no, I hadn’t gotten him a gift. I shot him the finger. “I’ve got multiple degrees, Ryan. I think I’m smart enough to buy a freaking gift for my godson.”

All he did was laugh and then turn back and run faster.

After he got into his truck and started to pull out, Paul said, “There’s a toy store on Main. Might want to get Liliana a little something too.”

I clapped him on the back. “Give yourself a bonus, Paul, you’re worth every dime and more.”

He laughed as he took the reins of all three horses and walked toward the barn where a ranch hand was waiting to cool the horses down and give them water.After taking a quick shower, changing into jeans, a white button-down shirt, and my favorite pair of cowboy boots, I headed to the closet and looked at the plethora of cowboy hats I had collected over the years. The black Stetson Linnzi had given me before I left for the Academy was the first hat I saw. I reached for it and placed it on my head. I couldn’t help but smile as the memory came to me.

“Open it, Nolan!” Linnzi said as she bounced in her seat. The girl always bounced around when she was excited, and I loved it.

With a wink, I asked, “What is it?”

“I know you know it’s a cowboy hat, but this one is special.”

I laughed and opened the box. Inside was a black Stetson cowboy hat. I lifted my eyes to meet her gaze.

“It’s a Lariat—you said you wanted one. Your daddy has one in black too. I thought it would make your eyes stand out.”

“Linz, you didn’t have to buy me this.”

With a giggle, she leaned over and kissed me. “I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to. Do you like it?”

I stared down at her and felt my chest expand. I loved this woman so much. “I love it. Thank you.”

“Put it on, Nolan! I want to see it on.”

When I slipped it on, her eyes widened. She licked her lips and then crawled onto my lap. “You look so handsome.”

“What are you doing?” I asked with a slight chuckle.

Her baby blue eyes turned dark. “I’ve always wanted to make love to you while you wore a black cowboy hat. With you sitting in a chair.”

I lifted a brow. “Is that so?”

She dug her teeth into her lower lip and pressed her body into mine. “Nolan, please.”