Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Chapter Fourteen
Remington
The credits roll, and I back out of the app before turning off the TV and glancing down at Erin. She’s breathing deeply, obviously asleep. I’d like to stay here like this, in the dark, for a little while. I’ve grown to crave time with this woman. The more I get, the more I want. I’m greedy for it.
For her.
My family isn’t wrong when they say there’s been a change in me since Erin came into my life. I feel lighter, happier. More at ease. My responsibilities haven’t changed, but Erin makes my life so much easier with her help with the kids, and more than that, just being near her quells the stress I always seem to carry.
I’m grateful to her for that.
Rather than wake her to go to bed, I lift her into my arms and carry her through the house to her bedroom. The room is filled with the scent of her now, along with peppermints, thanks to the bowl of them on her dresser.
I lower her to the bed and cover her with blankets, tucking her in.
She stirs and opens her heavy eyes and smiles up at me. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure, Doc.”
I can’t resist leaning in to kiss her soft lips. I want to stay here, or better yet, take her up to my bed and get lost in her before we both fall asleep, tangled up together.
But that can’t happen with the kids in the house.
“Sleep well, beautiful,” I whisper as she burrows down into the covers and falls back to sleep.
The more time that Erin spends out here on the ranch, with not just me but also my kids, the more I’m convinced that she belongs here. I know that it’s fast, but I don’t know what life would be like without her.
I do know that it would be fucking miserable.
After my parents come back with the kids next weekend, I’ll sit down with Johnny and Holly for a serious conversation. I’m not sure yet what I’ll say, but I need to know how they feel and how they’d react to Erin integrating more into our family, not just as the nanny.
The thought makes me nervous and excited all at once, but I’m past ready to have Erin with me, in my bedroom, every night.
I’m not quite fully awake when I make it downstairs to the coffee maker, and I’m surprised to find Erin already there, brewing herself a mug.
“You’re up early.” I move in, kiss her forehead, and wrap my arms around her. She leans in, hugging me back.
“I woke up about an hour ago and couldn’t fall back to sleep.” She yawns and steps back when her coffee is finished brewing, then grabs the flavored creamer she loves. “I might as well get started with the day. Do you have a lot going on today?”
“Just the usual amount.” I set to work getting my own coffee ready. “What time are you meeting with my mom?”
“Around noon. She’s going to text me when she gets back from her Tai Chi class.” Erin grins over the rim of her steaming mug. “I love how active your mom is.”
“She rarely stops moving,” I agree. “I think she was so used to being busy, chasing around so many kids for all those years, that it’s become a habit, and she just keeps going. And I’m glad for it. Dad’s the same. He may be retired, but there’s hardly a day that he doesn’t come out to the barn to oversee something.”
“Well, I think it’s great. I’m going to do some morning yoga and some meditation, and then I’ll get the kids off to school.”
Knowing that the kids are still in bed, I pull Erin against me and kiss her long and slow. I’m satisfied when I pull back and she’s just a bit breathless, those sleepy eyes wide awake and firing at me now.
“If I can manage it, I’ll swing by later,” I promise her.
“Sounds good to me.” Erin winks at me. “I’ll be here all morning.”
Thanks to a hay order that went horribly wrong, and a busy morning of interviewing for summer ranch hands, the day slipped away from me, and there was no time to go to the house for some time with Erin.
“How many head do we have going to auction this fall?” I ask Lucky from across my desk.
“Eight hundred,” he replies. “Wait, that’s eight hundred and two.”
“That’s up a little from last year,” I murmur, taking notes. “Okay, and who do you think we should hire from today’s interviews?”
“If I’m being honest? None of them.”
I don’t disagree. I wasn’t particularly impressed with any of them.
“I have to hire someone, Lucky. Brady will be out on the circuit soon, and summer’s busy.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, son. I get it. I’m just saying that if I’m being truthful, not one of those four boys are cowboys.”