Page 34 of Promise You Forever

“I have.”

“Then why are you hiding out in the den and moving around the ranch like a spy?”

“I woke up from a sex dream about him to find myself dry humping him.” I never should have told her that in the first place. She’s been obsessed with finding the deeper meaning.

“That’s because you still want him, and he very clearly still wants you.”

“No, it’s just because I haven’t had an orgasm from anything without battery assistance for years. I could probably get off on a stiff breeze at this point.”

“Speaking of Brandstain. He came by the apartment yesterday under the guise of picking up something he left in your room. It turned into him attempting to interrogate me.” She scoffs. “As if he could.”

“I’m sorry. Did he get all his things out? Did he seem upset?”

“It’s fine, nothing I can’t handle. I hope he got everything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t leave some things behind as an excuse to come see you when you come home.”

My stomach lurches with guilt. I haven’t told her that I’m considering staying here. It’s been heavily weighing on me. If I leave the ranch, what happens? It goes to Luke? It gets sold? My grandparents' legacy down the drain? I can’t even stomach the thought of that.

But I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never run any business, let alone an agricultural one. I’m a quick study but still. I’d have to lean on Luke. Trust him. And that scares me more than anything.

“Earth to Eli.” She stares me down through the screen. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I might be here for a while.”

“I assumed. You can stay there for as long as you need, don’t worry about me.”

“There’s so much to figure out.” I blink away tears, so fucking tired of crying. It’s overwhelming when I let myself think of all the things on my plate. “And Gramps being in Denver now.”

“Hey. No tears. We’re going to figure everything out.” She glances away from her phone, probably checking the time before her next class. “For now, I think you have to let yourself depend, at least a little, on Luke. Talk to him. Figure things out. You don’t have to jump into bed with him or anything, he’s an asshole after all, but I know you know you need him right now.”

After saying goodbye, I spin in my chair to look out the large window behind me. The front lawn of the house is still covered with snowy patches and most of the leaves are off the trees now. The view is still stunning though, the stark trees against the jagged, snow-capped mountains creates a brutal kind of beauty.

Charlie whines at my feet and sets her head in my lap for scratches. She’s so happy to be back here, and I think I would be too if I didn’t have all the responsibilities weighing me down. The thought of trying to trust Luke enough to let him help me is truly terrifying.

I trusted him once, and he nearly broke me when he threw everything back in my face. If I let him in, we’re going to have to talk about that day and the words he spoke to me. We’ll have to talk about the still sizzling attraction we have for each other. I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Or if I’ll ever be ready for that.

Fourteen

LUKE

Eli walks down the path in front of me, laughing at something the new vet says. I try not to let jealousy sink too far into my gut, but the guy is just a couple years younger than me. He’s smart and single, all the girls in town have been talking about him since he joined the local practice last winter.

I’ve been walking along behind them quietly just to watch them interact. When he catches a glimpse of the engagement ring on her finger, I don’t miss the flash of disappointment in his expression. I knew he had to be flirting with her.

At least the ring seems to be a deterrent in his case.

“I’m new to all this. I didn’t even realize Grams had bred the goats,” Eli says as she holds the gate open for me. “Have you met Luke? He’s the ranch manager.”

“Not yet.” He extends a hand to me. “Jack Trippton.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Let’s see if the ladies are pregnant.” Eli practically bounces across the pasture to lure them over with carrots and apples.

Blanche comes over as soon as she sees me, her tail wagging. I bend down and grab an apple slice out of the container for her. Jack drops down on his knee to feel in front of her udder.

“She’s firm, so I’m guessing she’s got some kids in there.” He pulls his portable ultrasound machine and gets it ready. “Has she had any before?”

“Yeah, twins two years ago. Dorothy had a single.”

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