Page 139 of Saddles

Threading my fingers through hers, I let my thumb rub across the fresh tattoos on her wrist.

Hey, wait a minute. “Ain’t these the same flowers that’s on your saddle you picked out?”

“Mmhmm.” She raises one eyebrow while her cheek teases up. “Forget-me-nots.” She holds up her other hand to show off the matching bracelet of delicate blue petals embedded into her skin. “This way I never forget the memories you gave me.”

I pull her fingers to my mouth and let a kiss pepper her knuckle. “Many more to come.”

Huh, I wonder why Blue’s truck is here?

Rapping on Mason’s door, I’m not surprised to see Libby answer. She’s been staying with Paisley the last few days while Char and Dixon have been at the hospital with the newborns.

“Hi, guys. Come on in. Lori’s taking a nap with Benjamin, so I volunteered for babysitting duty since Sophia’s at a rodeo this weekend.” Her blond ponytail waves as she turns, then scoops up Jack who’s fussing on the floor.

Carrying him to the kitchen, it looks like she’s making him a snack when I sit down next to Mason at the table.

Blue’s stretched out on the other side, but a glance of pain drifts over his eyes when he sits up.

“We were just going over the options on finishing acquiring those new cows.” Mason flips a paper around so I can see it.

I have to do a double take. “Since when are you a dairy farmer?”

Mason scratches his jaw. “Well, with all the kids running around here, can’t have too much milk. Ben is already nursing more than Jack did.” There’s a proud lilt to his statement.

April laughs from the couch where she’s playing with Paisley.

“Seriously though?” What the hell is Mason thinking? We aren’t set up for that.

“It’s a sound expansion, I’ve been running the numbers for a while. And Blue is going to make sure that it’s a seamless absorption.”

Blue leans forward and pulls another sheet from under to push towards me. “It won’t impact operations here, it’s a self-contained branch.”

He reaches across his body with his left hand to his coffee cup and pulls it to his lips.

That’s when I notice the dark blue across his right arm isn’t part of his shirt, it’s a sling.

“What the fuck happened to you?” I can see now why he’s wincing every time he moves.

He tries to shrug with his good shoulder. “No biggie. I can still write just fine.”

I’ve known him too damn long for him to be dancing around the subject.

“Blue…” I drop my tone. “Do we need to hunt someone down?”

His lips thin, but then unexpectedly he grins. “Alright, I got shot.”

“The hell? Who?” I don’t understand how he can be nonchalant about this.

He purses his mouth, fighting his smile, but his bright blue eyes shine.

Libby slides a mug of steaming coffee at me, then crosses her arms. “I did.”

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