“Matty and I are on cleanup duty tonight, you and Ginger go enjoy your last night together.”
I looked up at him, a thank you on my lips, but no words came out when I saw the look of tenderness that was on his face. I felt a lump form in my throat, and my head swam with confusion. And guilt. That damn guilt was never far behind, but what I felt guilty about, I didn’t even know.
“Yeah, Dad said if I help, I can get an extra hour of Xbox time tonight,” Matty added, easing the tension that had overcome me.
“Hmmm, that’s a good little tidbit to know,” I teased Matty, trying to deflect my confusion as I ruffled his hair. “You can be bribed…”
We left the boys to the dishes and decided to go for another walk, and enjoy the evening air. After a while, we stopped and dropped to the ground, laying next to each other on the grass and staring up at the vast night sky, which was currently twinkling with millions of stars.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Ginger said, her voice filled with awe. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that many stars.”
“I know, it’s pretty magical. Sometimes I think it’d be nice to bring a blanket out one night and sleep under them. Fall asleep as I tried to count them all.”
Ginger turned her head to me and said, “You should. Why not? I think we need to make an effort to enjoy more of the simple things in life, ya know?”
“Like now,” I said in response, turning my head so I could look her in the eye.
“Yeah,” she said, and we both smiled.
“I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too. I’ve been thinking … Maybe Vegas isn’t the place I want to be anymore.”
“Really? Would you go back to Dallas?”
“I don’t know … I don’t think so. I’m not really sure what I want to do with my life. The skills that I’ve acquired aren’t really transferrable, but I’m tired of being there. Seeing the change that you’ve made in your life has inspired me, Belle. I want to be better.”
“Then you will be,” I answered, reaching my hand out to hold hers tightly. “You can do anything you set your mind to. And I still have to figure out what’s next too, so if you’re serious about moving, let me know. Maybe we can do something together.”
“But what about the ranch, and Luke and Matty?” Ginger asked gently.
“It was always just supposed to be temporary,” I responded, sadness punching me swiftly at the thought of leaving. “Once Ms. Lucille comes back, I’ll be looking for a new job and a place to live.”
We enjoyed the rest of our time together, and when I dropped Ginger off at the airport, it was with a heavy heart.
“I’ll miss you,” I said as I hugged her goodbye.
“Well see each other soon,” she promised.
And as I watched her walk away, I felt comforted by the knowledge that once I left the ranch, it wouldn’t be to face life alone.
Chapter 33
“Hey.”
I looked up, startled to see Luke in the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon. It was unusual for him to come by the house during the weekday; he was always so busy.
“Hi,” I said tentatively, then asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He held his hat in his hand, toying with the brim almost as if he were nervous, which I found puzzling. “I know you’ve been down since your friend left, so I thought I’d stop by and steal you away for a ride.”
“A ride?” I asked, giving the counter one last wipe before folding the towel and placing it over the rack.
“If you have time…”
I looked around the spotless kitchen and realized that I did.
“Um, yes, I have time. The stew is in the crockpot, and I won’t need to do the bread and salad until closer to dinner,” I offered, then cocked my head and asked, “What sort of ride are you talking about?”
“The good kind,” Luke said with a grin and a wink, which automatically filled my head with naughty visions.
He held out his hand and I placed mine shakily in it, then followed as he led me, not toward the bedroom, but out the front door.
I stepped onto the porch and dug my feet in when I saw Skywalker standing there, watching us thoughtfully.
“You mean, on him?”
Luke chuckled and gave my hand a little tug, then pulled me down the stairs.
I looked warily at the horse, who I’d met and petted, but had never got up on.
“It’ll be great,” Luke assured me. “I’ll do all the work. All you have to do is sit there and enjoy the ride.”
His words weren’t doing anything to calm the feelings of desire that had stirred after his first double entendre.