Long Time Gone (Rough Riders #16.5)(38)
Author: Lorelei James

“Don’t care.” Cal kissed her with more than just a good-morning peck. Guess he didn’t care that she hadn’t brushed her teeth. He kissed her with such surety, yet she was surprised by how his big body trembled.

Kimi wreathed her arms around his neck, offering him support, letting him know she was as affected by this as he was.

When he finally ended the kiss, he buried his lips in her hair. “I’ve wanted you here since before you stepped foot on that bus. Now that you are here…I’ll do everything under the sun to make sure you stay. Not for just a week, Kimi.”

Forever hung between them, but for once, the word didn’t scare her. “So what’s goin’ on today? Don’t you have cow stuff to do?”

She felt him smile against the top of her head. “Carson said he’d take care of it. I’m to bring you over to see Caro and meet the boys ASAP.”

“First, I need coffee. Then clothes.”

“Pour yourself a cup. I’ll get your bags.” Cal stepped back. “I’m putting your things in my bedroom. You got a problem with that?”

“Nope.” She considered how fast her response had been as she reached up for a cup. Staying with Cal as a visitor for a week when she was eighteen and had nowhere else to turn had been one thing; living with him indefinitely and having everyone in the community knowing it was another. And with the way he’d kissed her in the middle of the bar last night? Hell, her brothers had probably heard about it.

She slammed a cup of coffee like she was knocking back a shot. She turned around and saw Cal hadn’t left the kitchen. He was right there, leaning against the doorframe, beefy arms crossed over his chest and a big grin on his face. “What?”

“Damn. I never knew you wearin’ my T-shirt would distract me so much. Go on and reach for another coffee mug. Or better yet…bend over and check the floor, I think I might’ve dropped something down there.”

“Such a funny man.” She smirked. “Maybe later.”

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into comin’ outside in that so I can show you some stuff?”

“Right now? Cal. I don’t have on any underwear!”

“It ain’t like anyone besides me is gonna see you.” Without waiting for her answer, he scooped her into his arms and started toward the front door.

“Where we goin’?”

“You’ll see.”

“You like carting me around, don’t you?”

“No, I fucking love it.”

It had been dark when she’d pulled up last night, and she had other things on her mind besides checking out the buildings. But now she could see all the improvements Cal had made out here. He’d painted the barn and put a new roof on it. He’d repaired the corral and several horses were at the trough drinking. Before it’d just been broken down and not useable as a penning area. “That looks good. You keep your horses here now?”

“Yeah. Mine and Carson’s most days. We’ve been bringing the heifers here to calve. I like getting out of my bed and just walkin’ to the barn in the middle of the night. It’s a damn sight better than getting in my truck and drivin’ five or ten miles.”

“I’ll bet.” She couldn’t wait to see if he’d followed her advice about the flower beds in his backyard. She’d make him carry her back there next.

Cal turned the final corner and stopped.

In front of her were two chicken coops, completely fenced in with chicken wire. “What’s this?”

“This is yours.”

She wiggled and said, “Put me down.”

“Darlin’, you don’t have shoes on.”

“So? Feet wash. I want a closer look.”

He lowered her to the ground.

Kimi picked her way across the dirt. She curled her fingers through the holes in the chicken wire fence. Her heart raced like mad. These chicken coops didn’t look brand new, but they didn’t look used either. “You gonna tell me about these, cowboy? Or do I hafta guess?”

Cal moved in behind her, curling his hands around her hips and setting his chin on top of her head. “I started makin’ these in my free time the fall after you left. The first hut was a piece of shit. I had my buddy’s wife who raises chickens come and take a look at it. She told me to start over, and she lent me some coop plans. I finished these two styles and put them out here last summer. Built the fence around them this summer. As soon as you can find some chicks, you’ll be in the chicken business. I know you need to make your own way, that don’t have nothin’ to do with cow stuff. I remembered you said you wanted to raise chickens, so here you go. This is all yours.”