“How will you do that?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but I can tell you this, when I’m with my daughter, I’m a different person. I’ve grown up too. As hard as it was to be away from you, as much as I missed you, I have to admit, it was a good thing for me too.” He got up and came over to where she stood.
“I leaned on you too much.”
“You did, Billy. You took me for granted.”
“Yes, I did. That was something I realized even before I found out about Willow.” He pulled her back to the bed.
“When I came up to your apartment, I realized it. I expected you to be there for me.”
“I can’t go back to that, Billy.”
“I don’t want you to, Renie. I really don’t. I know you don’t believe me. I want you more than I want to breathe, but not the way it was before.”
“So what do we do?”
“I have no idea.” He laughed a little. “I prepared more for how I’d handle it if you refused to talk to me. I didn’t plan what I’d do if you did talk to me. And I didn’t plan for this at all.”
“Me, either,” she said, kissing her way from his neck up to his lips.
“I need you so bad. My body wants to stay connected to yours all the time—all the damn time. I love you so fucking much.”
It was his turn to take over, he wanted her, and he needed to show her how much. He grabbed her panties and yanked them off, pushed her onto the bed, and back against the pillows. He pulled her shirt over her head, and ran his lips over her body, trying hard not to miss an inch of her skin. He went slowly, torturing her with his hands and his tongue.
This was how he wanted her, writhing beneath him, begging him for more. By the time he was finished, he wanted Renie begging him to love her.
Daylight streamed in the windows when he opened his eyes. He grabbed his phone, hoping he hadn’t missed a call from his mother last night. He and Renie were so wrapped up in each other, he forgot he had a phone. They’d taken their time, and she begged for him, as much as he begged for her.
There wasn’t a call. Willow must have slept through the night, or if sh
e did wake up, his mother decided it was too late to call. Since it was a little before seven, he’d wait. If she didn’t call in an hour, he’d call her. No way Willow would sleep past eight.
Renie was still sound asleep. Whenever he looked at Willow, he wondered if his heart had room to love anyone else. As his gaze rested on Renie, he knew he had more than enough love for both of them.
He hadn’t forgotten her comment about seeing herself through someone else’s eyes. Had she had room in her heart to love him too?
When Renie rolled over and groaned, he kissed the back of her neck.
“Don’t you start that, Billy Patterson. I’m not gonna be able to walk today as it is, and I really want to ride Pooh.”
“I’d love to go ridin’ with you, pretty girl. You think your mama will let me ride Micah?”
“Not a chance in hell, but Ben will let you ride his horse.”
“Ben has a horse?”
“Give me a break, Billy. Ben has a ranch. And it’s bigger than yours.”
He started to tickle her. “Now that was just plain mean. You don’t compare the size of a man’s ranch, Renie Fairchild.”
“Let’s go ride, cowboy.”
“Not yet, cowgirl,” he kissed his way down the back of her body.
Billy’s phone rang.
“Answer it.”