Loving Cara (15 page)

“You get a signal out here?” I ask, surprised.

“Sometimes. It gets spotty.” He shrugs and pulls hoagies, pasta salad, and fruit out of the cooler and offers me a bottle of water, which I gratefully take as I look down at my phone.

“My mom called.”

“How are your folks?” He takes a bite of his sandwich.

“They’re good. They enjoy Florida. They were going to come home this summer, but with the tree falling and everything, they decided to just stay down there this year.”

My parents moved down to Florida five years ago to escape the harsh Montana winters. I bought my childhood home from them.

“You should call her back so she doesn’t worry.”

“You’re a nice guy, you know that, right?”

He winces and shrugs. “Well, I’d worry if you didn’t answer or call me back.”

“Good point.” I highlight Mom’s name on my phone and press the green call button.

She picks up on the second ring. “There you are!”

“Hi, Mom, sorry I missed your call.” I take a bite of pasta salad and grin when I hear my dad yell in the background for my mom to tell me hi. “Tell Dad I said hi back.”

“She said hi back!”

“Not in my ear, Mom,” I remind her dryly when she doesn’t pull the phone from her mouth.

“Sorry, honey. How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m having lunch.” I smile over at Josh, who is drinking his water and watching me. “Is everything okay with you guys?”

“We’re fine. I just wanted to check in. How is the house coming along? Are you sure you don’t want us to come up and help you?”

“The house is coming along well. The roof will be repaired after the Fourth of July. And, no, I don’t need you to come up and help.” I take a bite of my sandwich and sigh in appreciation. It’s damn good.

“Well, let us know if you change your mind.”

“I will.” I lower my sandwich and clear my throat. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, darling girl. I’ll call soon.”

“I know.” I smile. “Talk soon.”

I hang up and realize that I also have a text from Jill.

“Sorry, I’m just gonna check this text from Jill.”

“I’m fine, babe. Do your thing.”

I grin at him and open Jill’s message:
Can you pick me up from the airport tonight?

I feel my eyes go round and I drop my sandwich into its wrapper.

“What’s wrong?” Josh asks.

“Nothing. Jill’s coming home. She’s asking me to pick her up tonight.”

I immediately respond,
Of course.

“That’s unexpected,” I murmur.

“Maybe she’s coming home for the holiday?” He pops a strawberry in his mouth.

I’m immediately caught up in watching his lips as he chews.

“Cara?”

“Sorry?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I can’t make love to you again right now because I’ll make you sore and I have plans for tonight.”

I blush and look down at my phone when it beeps at me.

Jill:
Thx. I’ll get in at 10pm. See you soon!

“Hey.” He grips my chin and makes me meet his gaze. “Don’t be embarrassed, baby. I want you just as badly.”

“I’m not embarrassed.” I shrug and grin at him. “I’ve just never had a man call me out on my lustful looks before.”

“I don’t like thinking about you giving other men looks, lustful or otherwise.” He scowls, making me laugh.

“I give Paul Walker lustful looks every time you make me watch
Fast Five
.”

Josh laughs and shakes his head at me. “You make me laugh.”

“How are
your
parents? I’m surprised we don’t see more of them, given that you live on the same property.”

“They’re doing well. Staying busy.” He shrugs and reaches for another strawberry.

“Did you always know that you wanted to take over the ranch?”

“Pretty much, yeah, although I thought Zack and I would run it together.” Josh takes a deep breath and gazes at the trees around us. “This is our home. I love it here.”

“It’s beautiful out here.”

He pulls me to my feet and swats my ass firmly. “Come on, feisty girl, let’s head back to the house.”

“I want to drive!” I bounce on the balls of my feet and clap my hands, making Josh laugh.

“No.” He shakes his head and props his hands on his hips, grinning happily.

“Please?” I move over to him and run my hands down his torso. I grip his ass in one hand and cup his growing cock in the other. “I’ll show you how amazing my mouth can be later tonight.”

“Are you offering me sexual favors in exchange for driving my four-wheeler?” he asks with a fake glare.

“Absolutely.”

“Deal.”

CHAPTER

Ten

The three-gate airport is pretty much empty, aside from a few other people standing about waiting for the plane to land.

It’s an hour late.

Jill texted when she boarded the plane at LAX. I’m excited to see her. It’s only been a few months since we last spent time together, but it feels like forever. Jill is the closest thing I have to a sister, and I miss her like crazy.

I should plan a trip to LA soon. We usually alternate our visits, and it’s been too long since I made the trip down to spend time with her.

This airport is tiny. Only two airlines fly in and out, making flights expensive and hard to find, especially in the summer and winter months when the tourism kicks up to full speed. Sculptures and local artwork are displayed, and the décor is rustic, fitting in with the Western theme.

My phone pings in my pocket and I check the incoming text.

Josh:
Did she land okay?

I smile and immediately respond,
Not yet. Plane is late. Not sure when I’ll be back.

I lean my shoulder against the wall directly across from the security doors that separate the common area from the boarding area and sigh contentedly. Exploring Josh’s ranch today was amazing. His passion and love for his land was clear when he told me about the different facets of the ranch. It’s successful because he loves it so much, and failure is not an option for him.

Our time by the pond was the most amazing experience, both physically and emotionally, that I’ve ever had.

My phone pings again.

Josh:
No worries, just drive safe. I’ll worry.

I smile and reply,
I’ll be safe. Will text when I’m on the way.

“Flight number 223, direct service from Salt Lake City, is arriving at gate C,” a bored voice announces. Jill’s flight is here at last. I tuck my phone away as sleepy-looking passengers begin to file through the gate door and through the glass security doors to the main room.

I smile as I see Jill come through the door. She and I are the same height, but she’s on the petite side. Where I’m curvy, she’s slender. Almost delicate. She has beautiful thick, dark hair, which she keeps long and typically back in a French braid. Her soft blue eyes find mine and she offers me a weary smile as she approaches me.

“Hey, Jillybean!” I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a long, hard hug.

“Hey, Carebear,” she replies with a laugh, and holds on tight. When I pull back and look at her, something feels off. She’s smiling at me, but her eyes are sad.

“What’s wrong?” I ask immediately.

Jill shakes her head and leads me to the baggage claim. “Not a thing.”

“Okay, why the impromptu trip?” I watch as black bag after black bag passes before us on the conveyor belt.

“Missed you.” She shrugs and chews on the inside of her lip.

“I’ve missed you too.” I hug her again and kiss her cheek with a loud, hard smack, making her laugh.

“Are we going to the Fourth of July party at the lake?” she asks as she pulls the one and only bright red suitcase off the belt, lifts the handle, and rolls it alongside her as we walk out to the car.

“Of course. We’ve never missed a year yet.”

“Good.” She sighs and settles in the passenger seat of my car, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

“Don’t you dare go to sleep on me.” I laugh as I pull out of the airport parking lot, pay the parking fee, and turn on the highway, heading back into town. “Are you staying with Ty?”

“No, Mountain Lodge,” she murmurs, and I can feel her gaze on me. “I’m gonna surprise Ty. Stay with me at the lodge while I’m in town.”

I shake my head slowly and grin over at her. “I can’t.”

“Things going well?” She closes her eyes again.

“They are going very well.”

“Good.” Jill yawns beside me and drifts, and I let her sleep. She seems exhausted, and I can’t tell if it’s because of her demanding job or something else, but she clearly doesn’t want to talk about it.

Yet.

I’ll get it out of her eventually.

I pull into the parking lot of her hotel. Jill checks in while I grab her bag and join her at the elevator.

“I’m in room four-twenty.”

“Okay.”

We link arms and ride the elevator in silence, then stroll down the hallway of the fourth floor. Jill unlocks her room and leads me inside.

“Home away from home,” she mutters, and strips out of her hoodie and messenger-style handbag, tossing them both on the small round table by the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony.

I kick my shoes off and throw myself across one of the queen-size beds, hugging a pillow to me.

“Make yourself at home,” Jill remarks dryly.

“Okay,” I reply happily. “How’s work?”

“Busy.” She climbs onto the other bed and sits Indian-style, facing me. “As usual.”

“So, why are you here?”

“What, a girl can’t take some vacation days?”

“You didn’t give me much warning that you were coming.”

“It was a last-minute thing.” She shrugs and pulls a pillow into her lap, holding it against her chest. “I’m fine.” Her blue eyes are determined, and her mouth set in a line, and I know the subject is closed.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”

“You’ve been banging Josh King. You haven’t had time to miss me.” She giggles and twists her body, lying flat on her stomach like me, facing me. “So, how is it?”

“How is what?” I ask innocently, and trace the pattern on the bedspread with my fingertip.

“The conversation,” she replies dryly, and rolls her eyes at me. “The sex, Carolina! How is the sex?”

“Fine.”

She narrows her eyes at me and tilts her head to the side. “I will punch you in the neck if you don’t spill it.”

“God, you’re violent.”

“Talk.”

“It’s fine.”

“If it’s ‘fine’ ”—she uses the air quotes with
fine
—“then it’s not going great.”

“Maybe it’s not all about the sex.”

Jill laughs and shakes her head at me. “I’m sure it’s not
all
about the sex. But a man doesn’t look like that and not give good dick.”

I giggle hysterically and roll onto my back. “You are so classy.”

“Is it big?”

“Stop talking!” I can’t breathe now, and tears are rolling down my cheeks.

“Is it one of those that has weird coloring, or is it a handsome dick?”

“Stop!” I grip my stomach in my hands and continue to laugh, my abs aching.

“Come on,” she giggles, and flings her pillow at me, then grabs the other one to hug to her. “Spill it.”

“The sex is the best I’ve ever had.” I wipe the tears from under my eyes. “He’s hung, and he knows how to use it. Is that what you wanted to know?”

“Fuck, I hate you.” She buries her face in the pillow and screams.

“No, you don’t.”

“I haven’t gotten laid since Todd,” she mutters into the pillow.

“And we all know Todd is a shitty lay with a tiny dick,” I murmur, and scowl. I hate that man with every fiber of my being. Jill’s ex-husband is a first-class asshole.

“Yeah.” Jill sighs and lifts her head, staring at me with those sad blue eyes.

“What’s wrong, Jilly?” I whisper, but she just shakes her head and lays her cheek on her pillow just as my phone rings in my pocket.

Josh’s name and photo are on the display.

“Hey,” I greet him softly.

“Hey. Jill get here okay?”

“Yeah, we’re at the hotel. She’s staying at the lodge.” I glance over at the clock and frown. “Wow, it’s after midnight. What are you still doing awake?”

“Waiting to hear from you.”

“I’m a grown-up, you know.” I grin at his chuckle in my ear. “You don’t have to wait up for me.”

“It’s late, and I need to make sure you’re okay.”

God, I love the sound of his voice.
“I’m fine. I’ll probably just crash here, since it’s so late.”

“That’s a good idea, although this bed is too big and too cold without you.”

Movement on the bed next to mine catches my attention, and Jill is using her hands, making obscene gestures.

I giggle again and slap my hand over my mouth.

“What’s so funny?” Josh asks.

“Jill is being stupid.” I glare at the laughing Jillian.

“Hi, Josh!” she calls.

“Tell her hi,” he says with a smile in his voice.

“He says stop being disgusting.”

“That’s not what he said.” She shakes her head and laughs.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” I murmur.

“Okay. You’re at the lodge?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, sweetheart, have fun with Jill. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He hangs up and I sigh as I set my phone aside and curl up around my pillow.

“You love him,” Jill whispers. My head snaps toward her. She’s lying flat on her back, diagonally across her bed, her hands on her belly, and she’s staring at the ceiling.

I watch her for a long minute, then I sigh.

“Yeah,” I whisper.

“Have you told him?”

“No.”

“Why not?” She turns her head and looks me in the eye, watching me.

“It’s really soon.”

“So?” She shrugs and continues to watch me.

“What if he doesn’t say it back?” I whisper, and feel tears fill my eyes. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?”

“Why wouldn’t he feel the same?” Jill turns onto her side, tucks her arm under her head, and continues to watch me.