Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
In the beginning, when I was still bruised and sore, I’d needed his help a lot. But it seemed like he’d meant it when he said he’d be there if I wanted him because he’d barely left my side, always ready to pitch in and do whatever needed doing while being careful not to step on my toes.
With tourist season in full swing, my days at the mayor’s office had been flat-out. Silas had taken over much of the communication with the AdventureSmash team while I’d continued to support the business owners and municipal teams dealing with the increased traffic in town.
It felt like a true partnership, like what I imagined a true marriage might feel like. We worked well together during the day, then fell into each other’s arms and bodies at night, and once I’d tried bottoming for Silas, I didn’t want to stop. The only thing that slowed me down was having to get in the saddle the next day to run fence checks.
The physical progression was nothing compared to the closeness I felt with him now. In bed or out of it, he’d become the one I relied on, the one I went to for comfort, the one I thought of night and day.
So often in the past few weeks, I’d been tempted to talk to Silas about my feelings, to at least feel him out about the possibility of us trying this relationship for real. But it never seemed to be the right time. Interruptions were like ranch chores; they seemed to multiply every time I thought I’d seen the last of them. We went from one thing to the next to the next… and suddenly, it was July.
And I was trying my hardest not to think about what came after that.
Thanks to Silas and his assistant, we’d scored several additional sponsors for the exhibition, which would bring in more money but also required more support work. Bernice had put together a small team of locals to help, and ZuZu had volunteered to head it up, even though it meant closing her pottery shop for a few hours each day during her busiest sales season.
She, like the rest of us, knew just how much was riding on the exhibition running smoothly. If the athletes and fans had a positive experience and fell in love with Majestic, the company couldn’t help but sign us for one of the big races next year. While I was optimistic about our success, I also knew how quickly and easily things could go wrong.
With one day to go until the exhibition, I walked into the Love Muffin, which was plastered in red, white, and blue bunting and star-spangled Fourth of July streamers. Thankfully, the place was air-conditioned because it was already blisteringly hot outside, despite the early hour.
“Morning, Way,” Sheridan called, glancing over. “Scrambled egg sandwich?”
“Fried eggs and toast, actually. And a cinnamon roll. I’m meeting Foster here in a little while to go over last-minute crowd-control concerns, but first—”
Sheridan grinned. “But first, you wanted to get Silas breakfast ’cause you’re the most besotted husband in all Wyoming?”
I was. I really was.
“He deserves it,” I said. “The poor man’s got a long day of work today at his real job before he sets it aside for a few days for the exhibition. I want him to know I appreciate his sacrifice.”
The bell over the cafe door jangled just as I paid my sister and took the to-go bag, and Silas himself walked in.
If his face lit up, I told myself it had to have been due to the bag in my hand rather than seeing me… but I took a moment to appreciate it nonetheless.
“I brought you this,” I said stupidly, holding out the bag.
His eyes softened. “For me? I was coming to get you something. I know you have a busy day.”
My stomach flipped happily. “No, I’m having breakfast with Foster, remember?”
Silas’s cheeks flushed. “Oh. Right. You mentioned that before you…”
Swallowed my cock, I finished silently.
Now, both of us were blushing as we remembered the quick sixty-nine in the warm, rumpled sheets before bolting out of bed.
“Left,” I said, clearing my throat. “Yeah.”
“Jesus,” Sheridan muttered. “Next?” She leaned dramatically from side to side to see if there was anyone in line behind Silas. With a huff, she returned to the kitchen.
“Sorry,” I said for no reason. Suddenly, I felt awkward. Things between us had progressed so that now it almost felt like we were married for real when we were behind closed doors, but when we were in public… we were still only pretend married. And it felt… strange and obvious.
I leaned in and kissed him—a chaste peck on the cheek. “Have a good day.” My voice sounded pitchy and nervous, like this was the first time in my life I’d ever wished someone a good day.