Page 95 of Never Left You

She nodded, leaning her body into me. I kissed the top of her head, proud she decided to overcome whatever ate at her with me by her side. I squeezed her hand for reassurance before turning my eyes back to the dirt.

“If you feel like you need to—”

“Nope,” she stopped me, “I’m good. I’m excited for this.” Her lips touched mine in a feather of a kiss before she took a deep breath and settled to watch the bulls.

The announcer riled up the crowd, and when the first bull left the chute, the loud music blaring overhead, I felt Abi stiffen. Her hand on my arm tightened, the pressure building as she watched each ride. Her eyes followed each rider, her breath letting go once the bull was off the dirt. My gaze was on her the entire time she watched the event, her lips moving with encouraging words that only she could hear, muttering under her breath with ‘come on, come on, yes!’ and counting down until the eight second buzzer went off. Joy and thrill filled her eyes, as if she had forgotten how much she loved this. And I was here to witness her remember. I kissed her cheek again, pulling her attention to me.

She gave me a look of freedom before bending slightly to look at her son. “Having a good time, bud?”

“Can I be a bull rider?”

“No,” Abi and I said in unison.

He furrowed his brow. “Bare back?”

Abi smiled, reaching over me to touch her son’s cheek. “For now, let’s stick to mutton busting.”

Stetson smiled, and then without missing a beat, “And barrel racing! Can we get ice cream?!”

The drive back to the ranch was silent. Stetson was fast asleep in the back. Abi weaved her fingers through mine again, and I relished in the feeling of how well they fit together. Every now and then, I’d raise her hand to my lips, kissing it gently before placing them back on my lap. The butterflies Abi mentioned several times grew in my stomach as we got closer to the ranch. I didn’t want this night to end.

It was a high, being with her…being with Stetson. The night didn’t go exactly as I planned, but having Stetson there added to the perfection that was our first date. His excitement and energy only seeped into us as the night grew longer, and before we knew it, his sugar high had ended. I carried him to my truck, his arms draped over my shoulders as his head fell on my chest, soft breathing coming from him as we walked. He was out like a light, allowing me to give Abi another kiss before she stepped into the passenger seat.

The moment I parked the truck in front of the house, Stetson jolted awake. He grunted and blinked a few times, another groan leaving his lungs.

“We’re home…” He yawned.

Abi twisted in the passenger seat. “Yeah, bud. Why don’t you head inside…I’ll be right in to tuck you in. I need to talk to Cash.”

He nodded. “Thanks for letting me come, Uncle Cash. I had a lot of fun. Sorry I was a grump before, Mom.”

Abi smiled. “It’s okay. Thank you for coming with us.”

“Night, Uncle Cash.”

“Night, Stet. I won’t keep your mama too long.”

Stetson hummed, leaving the truck and lazily walking up the steps and into the house. Once the door was closed, I turned to Abi.

“I really…really loved tonight.” I said softly, lifting my hand to cup her cheek. “Even with Stet—”

Abi moved, faster than I could comprehend, as she climbed into my lap, her hands settling on my shoulders as she positioned herself on top of me. Shocked, I placed my hands on her waist. Her hips moved, creating a reaction in me that most likely wasn’t appropriate for the moment…but the second her lips crashed into mine and she pushed into me, the moan that left her throat told me she didn’t think it was inappropriate.

“Holy shit, Abi,” I whispered, my hands slipping from her waist to her shoulders, moving her hair to the side.

“You amaze me,” she said breathlessly, her hands clasping on my neck.

“I amaze you?” I raised a single eyebrow, reaching down to shift the chair back, giving her a more comfortable position. She shifted, and my eyes fluttered closed.

“Don’t get cocky,” she grinned.

“Abi, how can I not get cocky with you straddling me?” I teased, leaning forward to take her lips.

“I’m serious.” She kissed me gently. “You amaze me. You just spent the entire night with me and my son, simply because he was throwing a fit about me being on a date…which I was already nervous for—”

“You were nervous for our date?”

“Stay on topic.” She leaned back and pointed at me. I locked my eyes with hers and gently kissed the tip of her finger. “You didn’t have to invite Stetson. You didn’t have to spend that amount of money on rides and funnel cakes and a rodeo. That wasn’t your plan.”

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