Stables (Black Gulch Ranch #2)

31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Dixon

If I were my brother, I’d call her ‘poetry in motion’.

I could watch her all damn day.

Char tried to tell me this morning as I was helping her tack up her horse that it still needed some groundwork, but it had signs of being decent at cutting.

Looks like she’s cruising for a spanking again for not being confident in herself.

I’ve seen less tuned animals at the National Championships.

Her body is in complete sync with the dun mare beneath her as it twists and turns to divide the cattle herd.

Sophia leans across her saddle near me. “Now you see why I bought Misty from her? Isn’t she great? I bet she’s better than most of those guys at the Pbr.” Her blue eyes flash in the sun with her broad smile.

Turning my gaze back to Char, I’m transfixed. She wears her worn baseball hat low over her brow with her long dark hair in a braid, a tempting handle. Her jaw is set and her full lips purse as she maneuvers her animal using only the strength of her legs.

It’s little wonder she can wrap them around my waist and squeeze me so tightly I can’t escape.

Not that I ever want to.

“Can you see your mommy? Look at her go!” Lori stands with Paisley just on the other side of the fence from us, holding her hand and pointing towards Char.

Paisley ignores her, plopping onto her diapered butt into the dusty dirt to pat at it with her chubby palms.

I’m glad to see she’s more relaxed today than she was last night.

Maybe she’ll sleep easier.

Lying next to Char without burying myself in her was an unexpected form of torture. But it’s one I had better get used to if I want more kids.

I’ll consider this training.

It made this morning all the sweeter.

Fuck. My cock needs to stay down, it gets uncomfortable in the saddle.

Ford slams the gate shut when the heifer Char was pushing finally goes through.

When she slings up her thumb, it’s my sign to take Sophia back out to cut in another fifty pairs.

“Are you guys serious?” Sophia asks once we’re far enough out of ear shot.

There’s zero pause before my reply. “Yep.” I aim Shadow towards a clustered group of cows and calves.

Sophia spurs her mare to follow. “So, I gotta ask, is it weird that you and Dad both have women that are almost my age?” Her voice has a hushed tone.

I’ll give her credit, she isn’t afraid of the hard questions.

Reining my gelding back, I wait until she stops before I look at her. “Soph, sometimes the right person is just that. If they’re two consenting adults, and want to spend time together, have common goals and dreams, who’s it hurting?”

Mason told me the fit she threw last year when she found out about his relationship with Lori.

It riles me now more than it did then. Leaning on my elbow, I let it dig into my thigh to keep my temper in check. “If you give Char one ounce of shit over this, you know I won’t be as fucking delicate as your father.”

A rush of red works up her cheeks. “I won’t!” she protests. “I’m okay with them, too. They just caught me by surprise.” Her palms raise on either side of her head in surrender. “I think Char’s great. I guess I just never pictured you with anyone…” She trails off, blinking quickly. “I’m glad it’s her. I don’t know what I’d do if you had some city nurse or something.” Her smile returns. “It’s been fun teaching Lori how to ride, but I’m getting too old to do that again.”

“What are you, twenty?” I chuckle, trying to lighten things as I prod my horse to move again. “Do you have any idea how much crap I’ll give you if you ever date a guy in his thirties?”

Her mouth twists. “Not gonna happen, Uncle Dix. That’s ancient. ” She giggles and kicks the flanks on her mare to cut to the right away from me.

Thirties are ancient? And I’m barely clinging to them. Forty next year.

I guess it took me longer to get my priorities straight.

As I’m working my way along the fence line, a reflection catches my vision.

Is that a pickup?

My head shifts until I can see Char in the distance talking to Lori.

An antsy feeling creeps through my limbs making me want to race over to her. It isn’t until the truck pulls slowly along the drive and I see the emblem on the side that I realize it’s Libby.

Fuck. And here I was almost ready to draw my pistol.

Not everyone is out to get Char.

I tip my hat when I see Libby wave, then focus on the reluctant cattle in front of me.

By the time Sophia and I push this next chunk up, Libby is standing next to the fence holding Paisley, chatting it up with Lori and Char.

“God, Char, he looks even better on a horse.” Libby tries to keep her voice low, but it carries on the wind to me.

“I know.” Char’s lips purse in a seductive smile as she watches me.

It’s a struggle to not want to puff out my chest a bit as we get closer.

The raised eyebrow and wrinkled nose Sophia gives me brings me back to earth.

I’m close enough to the sorting pen to smell the fire and burnt hair from the branding crew.

Shadow’s black ears flatten when I move him close to Char. Her horse gives a small side-step, but Char holds her in place.

“You doing okay? How’s Juniper treating you?” My palm finds her thigh.

It’s impossible not to want to touch her. I’m glad I don’t have to resist any longer.

Her pink cheeks raise in a broad grin. “Juniper’s doing so good! It makes me wish I had a few cows at home to train her on.”

I glance around the huge lot, then back to her. “Half of these are yours, Char. I’ll take them anywhere you want them.”

Her brows knot as her head swivels across the sea of black Angus. “I, I don’t think they are—”

My hand moves to her neck, tugging her over so I can taste her doubting lips. “I told you, I’m keeping you.”

Letting her go is difficult, even with Sophia’s audible groan.

When Char’s jaw drops, her mouth making a perfect “O”, I know I have to move away. Every time she does that, I keep thinking of ramming my cock down her throat.

Hell, she has me hard again.

“Dix!” Mason yells from the other side of the sorting chute.

“Yea?” I turn Shadow to trot over to him.

Mason drapes his gloved hands over the rail and looks up at me with a squint. “Blue’s been calling you. Said he needs to talk to both of us and Char. I told him this afternoon would be fine, we should be done for the day faster than I thought.” He glances towards Char. “That mare of hers has made short work of these yearlings. I ain’t never seen ‘em get sorted out that fast before.”

A warm bow of pride rises in me. “That’s all Char. She foaled that mare. She has a helluva an eye for stock, and the talent to draw out their instincts.”

“If only she had that eye for men,” Mason says quietly, then winks at me.

“Fucker,” I grumble.

His finger circles, gesturing towards me, then her out in the paddock cutting a young steer from the herd. “Don’t screw this up, we need good horses.”

“Uh huh.” They aren’t even in the top ten reasons I’d keep her.

But it does make me feel even luckier to call her mine.