West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(60)

Safer ground is about Sadie.

“I am. Sadie did great. She had a friend at the camp that she didn’t know was going to be there. She was convinced she was the only girl in the world not going to a horse camp.”

Lark runs her fingers through her hair, pulling out a few strands of straw. “That’s good then.” She stands, turning. “Do I have anything on me?”

I let my eyes roam her body, remembering how good she felt as I was driving inside her. I clear my throat. “No.”

“So, Sadie is settled?”

“She is. After the first night she texted me that I could leave, that she wouldn’t be needing me, and she’d see me in a few weeks, when I would pay for my decisions—because even though she’s not completely angry about this camp, she’s still upset.”

“Will you now?”

I nod, grinning at Lark. “I will. Most definitely. Twelve-year-old girls are quite terrifying.”

“Oh, don’t I know it. Although I think we’re pretty devious at any age. Especially if we’re scorned. Seems that Sadie is in that camp of women.”

My daughter is truly one of the sweetest kids in the world, but she has a lot of me in her, and that’s truly the scary part.

While I wasn’t an asshole growing up, my parents had their hands full. I was the only boy. The oldest and surrounded by females who used me in their schemes. My mother also loved me and thought I did no wrong, so I got away with everything.

My sisters did not.

“She’ll forgive me by the week’s end,” I say, hoping it’s true.

“And if she doesn’t?”

“I’ll send in the big guns.”

Lark stands, brushing the hay off her. “Oh?”

“My dad. He can get her to do just about anything.”

“And who can get you to bend to their whim?” she asks, her green eyes filled with mischief.

I take a step toward her, and she hooks her fingers in my belt loops and pulls me close.

I grin. “No one. I march to the beat of my own drum.”

She smiles up at me. “I’ll learn your weakness, Tristan Stone, and then you should be really scared.”

She’s my weakness right now.

Hence the fact that the second I laid eyes on her, I had to have her.

Which is a really bad thing.

“I don’t have any,” I lie.

Her hand moves to my chest. “Sure you don’t.” She pats me. “I should go. If Suzanne realizes I’m not in my seat, she’ll come looking for me.” Lark lifts up on her toes, kissing me softly. “See you tonight?”

I snake my arm around her waist, hoisting her up so we’re face-to-face. “Bring snacks. You’re going to need your energy.”

Her eyes brighten as her smile grows. “I look forward to it, Ben Thrustin.”

“See you later, Jenna Talia.”

I kiss her briefly and duck out of the stall before anyone sees me.





“Where the hell did you go?” Jimmy asks as we’re walking to get a beer.

“Huh?” I play dumb.

“You disappeared. I saw you talking to Holcomb, and then next thing I knew, you were gone.”

Sometimes I’m grateful for Jimmy’s inability to put two and two together. After my quick and gratifying sexual encounter, I walked around, hoping that it would appear like I was just aimlessly strolling.

What I was doing was working to think about anything other than the fun I plan to have tonight with Lark.

And then I tried to remember why this entire thing with Lark is a bad idea and that I should stop thinking about her—but that’s impossible.

So I just kept walking until finally stumbling into Jimmy and a few guys we knew back in the day.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I talked to Holcomb and met you back here.”

“Yeah, but you were in the back and then…never mind,” he says with a sigh when we get to the front of the line. “Two beers.”

Jimmy pays for the drinks—the asshole owes me for the constant harassment and idle threats of arrest. He hands me one, looks around, and then groans.

“What?”

He tilts his bottle toward a group of people. “That’s what.”

I look over and see Suzanne, Lark, and two other girls from high school. I just saw her, and yet it feels like it’s the first time. She looks so beautiful, freshly fucked and smiling as the people around her talk.

Her eyes meet mine for half a second, and her cheeks redden before she looks back at the group.

I wonder whether she’s thinking about where we were just a few minutes ago. What we were doing. The sounds she made, the way I took her rough in a damn horse stall.

All of it has been like a loop in my mind, one that I’m happy to let keep going around.

“Let’s go back to our seats. Maybe they won’t see us.”

“Officer Langston, as I live and breathe!” Suzanne calls to him, waving. “Don’t you look sexy without that uniform on.”

He rolls his eyes. “Hello, Suzanne.”

She grins, looping arms with Lark and the other barrel racer. “I was hoping I’d get to see you. I wanted to thank you for driving me home the other day. It really meant a lot to me.”