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Chapter 13

  If the average person has sex 89 times a year, I’m in for one hell of a December.

  -Coffee Cup

  Darby

  I don’t want you to say it back. I just want you to know that you have someone in your corner.

  Way’s words from earlier came back to replay in my mind, over and over again, throughout the long day.

  And when I finally walked into the trailer later that night—where we’d made our temporary home—it was to find her dancing in front of the stove, stir-frying our dinner.

  I slowly closed the door to the trailer just as there was a knock on the door.

  I frowned and opened it back up to see Banks and Candy standing there.

  When had they gotten there?

  Banks must’ve read the question on my face because he said, “We got here about ten minutes ago. Waited until you pulled up. But we thought you were still in the house.”

  He jerked his thumb toward the old house that hadn’t been used since Way had won the trailer.

  “Way wanted to live in the trailer as we renovated,” I paused. “Even though we haven’t done shit to that house.”

  Banks snorted. “You should just move the trailer back to our place and live there, then. We have plenty of space for you to park your RV, and the hookup. You wouldn’t have to run this extension cord, and we already have the septic setup.”

  We both froze—Waylynn and I—and stared at Banks.

  “You… what?” I asked.

  Banks grinned.

  “It’s not like your hours are conducive with seeing the rest of us anyway,” he said. “And it’d save you some time in the morning. Would mean you wouldn’t have to come back and get changed once you were done doing chores at the ranch.”

  “Ummm—” I started to say but was quickly interrupted by Waylynn saying, “We accept. This place blows.”

  My brows rose as I looked at Way.

  “We won’t get near as much done if we’re not here,” I pointed out.

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure that I want to keep working on it anyway. Honestly, I think I might tell my dad to sell it.”

  “You know,” Banks said conversationally. “Darby wanted to buy this place when the old man showed signs of sickness. He almost offered to do just that, but Ace vetoed him.”

  Way’s eyes once again came back to me.

  “You want to buy it?” she offered.

  I opened my mouth to say no but the smoke detector in the room started to sound, signaling the burned dinner that we all completely forgot about.

  “Guess that means you can go out to eat with us.” Candy clapped her hands. “That was what we were coming to ask you. If we could take you both out to dinner.”

  “I got one better,” Way suggested as she pushed the pan off of the burner to the back of the stove. “Who’s up for a movie?”

  Banks and Darby laughed together as I directed Banks where to pull in.

  “You’re taking us to the Apache for dinner?” Candy asked excitedly.

  “Well,” Way hesitated. “Kind of. The cook is there with Gibson trying out samples, and I think I can convince Gibson to play something other than porn for the night.”

  Banks and Candy laughed. I smirked at my girl.

  Gibson, who was with a big bald man named Chester, was more than willing to let us try the food.

  “I’m stuffed full of fried food right now,” Gibson said as he pushed a basket of fries at me. “Please, do me a favor and try everything else on the menu.”

  So that was exactly what we all did.

  We tried fries, cheese sticks, chili cheese dogs, and everything else that you could possibly find that was bad for you.

  Then, when we were done, we all got a fried Twinkie and sat in the back of Banks’ truck and watched the original Aladdin movie, which is my favorite movie ever.

  “Best night ever,” Candy teased as she bit into a fried Oreo.

  “Hey, where did you get that?” Banks asked.

  “I went to the bathroom, and Gibson forced it into my hand,” she said, offering a bite to my brother.

  I watched as Banks leaned forward and took more than his fair share.

  “Hey!” she said accusingly.

  Banks waggled his brows at her and gestured to the screen. “Your favorite part is on.”

  Apparently, Candy’s favorite part was when the monkey came on the screen. Any of the scenes that had Abu in there, she was enthralled.

  “I want a monkey,” Candy sighed.

  “I think I need to try one of those,” Way said as she bounced off of the tailgate and made her way through the gravel toward the ordering window.

  “I like her, Darby,” Candy said softly. “You should put a ring on it.”

  Banks made a murmuring sound of agreement.

  “Not the marrying part, though,” Banks said. “The ‘I like her’ part. Though, I wouldn’t say no to you marrying her, either. She’s a good egg.”

  She was a good ‘egg’ as Banks called it.

  I loved everything about Waylynn.

  “You’re serious about us moving back onto the land?” I asked. “Ace won’t have a shit fit?”

  “Ace didn’t have a shit fit when you were living there,” Banks corrected me. “He may not have liked how things ended, you taking a job, but he never really wanted you to go.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  But to be back with my family felt very important to me.

  “Okay,” I sighed. “We’ll move it tomorrow.”

  Banks’ grin was evil as he said, “And, selfishly, it’ll be nice to have someone around that’ll break up the constant pissiness of Ace and Callum.”

  “There is constant whining,” Candy said, licking her fingers clean of the cream that’d leaked out onto her fingertips.

  Before she could get it all, Banks caught her wrist and pulled her fingers to his mouth.

  I gagged and said, “I’m going to get another beer.”

  When I walked up behind Way who was swaying her ass to the song that Aladdin was singing, she smiled at me over her shoulder.

  “What are you getting?” she asked.

  “Another beer,” I answered, holding up a finger to Gibson.

  He gave me a head tilt and pulled me another beer from the fridge.

  Handing it to me absently, he went back to looking through a stack of papers.

  I opened the beer and moved until I was leaning against the counter next to Way as she watched her funnel cake being made.

  “Looks good,” she said.

  “I thought you were getting a fried Oreo,” I said.

  “Me, too,” she said. “But then he said he had the stuff for funnel cakes, and I momentarily forgot about the Oreos.”

  I chuckled as she practically danced when the man handed it to her.

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him.

  When she turned, the powdered sugar on top of the cake caught in the wind, spraying her neck and shirt.

  Smiling, I bent down and tongued the confectioners’ sugar off of her neck, causing her pulse to speed up.

  “None of that here,” she replied breathlessly, pushing my head away.

  I grinned at her and took a swig of my beer, walking slowly with her as she ate the first bite of her cake.

  “Funnel cake!” Candy cried. “Where did that come from?”

  Way gestured to the man behind her.

  “If I wasn’t so full right now…” she sighed. “I can’t. I literally already feel like I need to unbutton my pants.”

  Banks chuckled as he too took a drink of his beer.

  “Do it,” he suggested.

  She rolled her eyes. “I would but… no.”

  I hopped back up onto the tailgate and leaned backward, and instead of hopping up next to me, Way leaned back onto the tailgate between my legs.

  We watched the rest of the movie like that, in c
ompanionable silence.

  And when Banks dropped us off later that night, it was with the urge to call if I needed any help.

  “I can handle it,” I paused. “But I need to talk to Way first.”

  Way who was talking animatedly with Candy about something that had to do with the rodeo.

  “I want to say thank you again for saving my ass the other day,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “You’re my brother, Banks,” I told him. “Even if you weren’t, I would’ve saved you. But I did go a little extra there at the end when you wouldn’t get your ass up.”

  Banks chuckled and offered me his hand.

  After shaking, the couple left, leaving Way and I alone standing outside the trailer.

  “You wanna go?” I asked curiously.

  “Only if you do,” she said.

  I moved until she was once again in my arms, this time I didn’t stop from licking the powdered sugar off of her mouth that I could still see was there.

  It was dotted all over her face and neck still.

  She shivered when I got to a sensitive spot right above her pulse.

  “I love you, too,” I whispered.

  She shivered and pulled away, her eyes hot.

  “I told myself not to love you,” she told me. “But you made it impossible.”

  I grinned at that.

  “I didn’t realize that you were something I needed,” I said. “But now that you’re here… I want you to know my family. I want you to be a part of our life. I do want to move back home.”

  She curled her hands around my neck and pulled me into her space.

  “Kiss me, Darby Valentine.”

  I did more than kiss her.

  I loved her.

  Chapter 14

  I don’t know who needs to hear this, but I hate fuckin’ group texts.

  -Group text created by Waylynn to Darby and his entire family

  Waylynn

  “I’m sorry, but you’re what?” I asked, frowning down at the ground.

  “I’m on my way home,” my dad said. “I’m going to come stay for a while.”

  I looked at the RV that Darby was currently backing up to, and said a silent prayer thanking that we already had somewhere else to stay.

  Because my dad wouldn’t have liked having Darby in his house. Let alone living there.

  Dad and Darby, although they got along, weren’t really the best of friends.

  Mostly because they were so much alike that they butted heads.

  “That’s cool,” I admitted. “What are you moving home for?”

  “Not moving. Just staying.” He paused. “I’m bringing Nyree with me.”

  I blinked. “Nyree?”

  “The woman that I’ve been seeing. I want you to meet her,” Dad said.

  I held up my hand and climbed into the bed of the truck, making sure that everything was secure.

  Darby, not one to trust me, got in and checked everything as well, giving me a wink.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “I also want you to possibly find somewhere else to stay,” he suggested casually.

  I rolled my eyes.

  That was the real reason my father was calling.

  He loved me and all, but he didn’t want me to be cramping his style.

  “Don’t worry, Dad,” I drawled, my eyes catching Darby’s at the mention of my dad. “I’m staying in the RV I won anyway. And I’m moving it out to the Valentine property since they have septic there.”

  “Oh, great,” Dad chirped. “Perfect timing then.”

  I looked at the dilapidated house that I was honestly glad I no longer had to deal with.

  “Does Nyree know that the place has spiders?” I asked curiously.

  “Well, no,” he said. “But you took care of that, didn’t you?”

  I laughed. “Sure, Dad. But I gotta go. I need to help Darby get the trailer hooked up and get everything secure.”

  My dad hung up without a goodbye, just like he always did.

  I rolled my eyes and shoved the phone into the pocket of my jacket.

  Darby looked at me curiously but ultimately didn’t say a word until we were in the RV and heading to his place.

  “What was that about?” he asked.

  I told him exactly what had transpired.

  He looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Your dad kicked you out of your own house?” Darby asked. “What happened to him sending you papers to put it into your name?”

  I reached for his hand and held it over the console in the middle of us.

  “Yes,” I snorted. “Just straight up asked me to move out! And I have no idea. When it comes to my father? He has a fucked-up mind and does what he wants.”

  Darby’s jaw clenched, and the dusting of beard hair on his jaw had the muscles looking a little more prominent than they usually were.

  He was ticked.

  I could tell.

  “Do you want to go to the opening of the Apache with me tonight?” I asked curiously, hoping that by changing the subject, he would chill a bit.

  Darby’s eyes, still pissed, came to me.

  “Yes,” he answered. “Do you officially start tonight?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve been officially started for a while, Darby. But I’m only working during the day. Tonight is for the family. And they’re actually watching a porn.”

  He blinked at me in surprise.

  “They invited family to watch porn?” he asked.

  I burst out into peals of laughter at the look on Darby’s face.

  I wiped away tears in my eyes, holding my stomach as my abs started to ache from all the laughing.

  “Yes,” I breathed. “Gibson’s idea. ‘Invite your spouses. Parents. Whoever wants to fucking come. But just be aware that there will actually be pornography playing on the screen.’”

  Darby snorted.

  “That’s fucked up.” He shook his head.

  I agreed.

  It was really fucked up.

  But it was what it was.

  It wasn’t like the Apache was actually a kid’s movie theater.

  Everybody knew it was an adult porn drive-in theater.

  “I’m still wondering if there’s gonna be a shit ton of people fucking in their cars all over the parking lot,” I said conversationally. “I suggested to Gibson that he should sell condoms in a vending machine outside the bathrooms.”

  He gagged on water that he was in the process of downing.

  The bottle cracked and creaked as he stopped drinking, eyes on me.

  “You did not.”

  “I did.” I grinned. “And he actually listened to me!”

  Chuckling now, he finished off the rest of his bottle and tossed it into the area between the cab of the truck and the seat.

  “I heard from a little birdy that you were looking at new trucks,” I said conversationally.

  Darby’s eyes went to the rearview mirror as he watched the RV to make sure that it was pulling okay.

  His eyes glanced over to me, then back to the road just as fast.

  “I was looking into it, yes,” he admitted.

  I smiled at him.

  “Why?”

  He gestured to the truck that he was driving.

  “I was thinking you’d be more willing to drive my old truck than the new one that I wanted to buy you,” he admitted.

  My mouth fell open.

  “I… you… what?” I burst out.

  He rolled his eyes and flicked his blinker on, and just like that, we were pulling into the Valentine Ranch.

  “I’m tired of you walking everywhere,” he admitted. “I want you to have something to get you from point A to point B. The only thing is… I know that you won’t accept charity. Even though that’s stupid. But I can afford to get a new vehicle, so I’m going to. And I’m hoping that you’ll accept a piece of shit work tru
ck that doesn’t have any AC, but has damn good reliability.”

  I didn’t know what to say.

  Honestly, I was stunned into silence when he finally pulled up to the spot where we’d be making our home.

  “You’re practically giving me a place to live.” He paused.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Don’t lie. You know damn well you could go back home if you wanted to,” I pointed out.

  “That’s just it,” he said as he put the truck into park. “I don’t want to go home anymore. I want to stay here, in this trailer, with you. Until you kick me out.”

  I unbuckled my seatbelt and made my way over to him, not stopping until I was practically in his lap.

  “You, Darby Valentine, better stay exactly where you are. I like that you keep my toes warm at night,” I informed him.

  He chuckled then, cupping my face with both of his hands.

  The soft puff of his breath against my skin felt exquisite.

  “Do you know,” he said softly. “That it feels like you’ve always been here. A part of me?”

  When I pulled back, I saw that his hand was over his heart.

  “No,” I admitted. “Not until you just told me.”

  He winked at me just as a giggle sounded from beside me.

  It was Codie, pressing her nose up against Darby’s window.

  He rolled it down using the hand crank.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as the glass slid across Codie’s nose.

  “Can I go sit on your couch?” she asked.

  Darby blinked. “Yeah, why?”

  “I’ve never seen anything this fancy before,” she teased.

  I rolled my eyes and flicked my thumb at the house that they’d built. “That house says differently.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “We’re not living there yet. Ace refuses to move in until this one is back home.”

  She pointed at Darby accusingly.

  Darby’s mouth fell open like the cutest of puppies.

  “Is that so?” I asked in elation.

  “Yep,” Codie said. “Get out already and give me a hug. I haven’t seen you in the daylight since you took off and left me behind.”

  I watched as Darby carefully opened the truck’s door and hopped out.

  Right when I was about to get out, a pissed off looking Ace opened my door and held it open for me.

  “Thank you,” I said softly.

  Ace muttered a ‘you’re welcome’ then kept walking past me to the house.