Love & Rodeo (13 page)

“
What are you doing in here?”

“
I wanted to take a shower with you.”

“
You can’t see me naked.”

“
I saw you last night.”

“
Yeah, but it was dark.”

“
I could see everything, but I will tell you that it does look much better in the light.”

He took her lips with his and she immediately melted into him. She turned and pressed up against his growing erection. A moan escaped him as he held her hips tightly against his. He let his hand move down her stomach. Her breath caught only adding to the orgasm building inside of him. His fingers found her sweet spot and she trembled as he worked her over. A few minutes later, she cried out his name. He kissed her shoulder gently, holding her and smiling as she fought to catch her breath, while the water cascaded over them.

A few minutes later, his heart raced in his chest as he watched her drop to her knees before him.

* * * *

That night, Levi took her to a spot beside the pond. He packed some fruit and fed it to her as they lay in the setting sun. Kallie fell asleep in his arms. They woke just before dawn and hurried back to Levi’s parents. When they snuck in, Joan was already in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

“
Joan?”

“
Kallie, Levi. Did you just come in?”

“
Yeah, we fell asleep by the pond. I’m sorry, Mama,” Levi explained.

“
You just slept?”

“
Yes, Mama. We just slept.”

It was true. They only slept at the pond. What they’d done in the shower before was a different story.

“
All right. Well, Levi, get out there and help your Daddy grain the horses. The new barn manager called in sick today.”

Kallie watched as Levi walked out the back door.

“
Kallie, can you peel these potatoes for me?”

“
Sure.”

Kallie smiled at her as she sat down at the bar and picked up the peeler.

“
So you had a date out by the pond?”

“
Yeah. He packed some fruit and we just laid and talked.”

“
John used to take me out there. He never fed me fruit, but it’s awfully romantic.”

“
Levi is showing that side to me now.”

“
Kallie, I’m going to be frank with you.”

Kallie set the potato down and the peeler. “Okay.”

“
I know you and Levi have been intimate with one another, and I don’t care about that. You guys are young, and both of you have bright futures ahead of you. I just hope that you guys are being careful. A child could really put a damper on those futures.”

Kallie smiled. “We’re being careful. I promise.”

“
All right, now that that’s settled.”

Kallie went back to peeling the potatoes.

“
What are your plans after the world championships?”

“
I guess I’ll head home to Houston to adopt my sister.”

“
Levi told me that you were trying to do that.”

“
Yeah, I have more than enough money. I can take care of my Grams instead of her taking care of Nora.”

“
Well, I admire you for that.”

“
Why?”

“
Kallie, you’re twenty-two with your life ahead of you. Raising a child is hard. Raising a teenager is even harder and I’m on my fourth.”

“
Nora isn’t so bad. I mean she listens.” Kallie shrugged her shoulders.

“
But what about you? Is that really what you want?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
Levi told us you were on the circuit to raise money for the adoption. You said it yourself, you have more than enough money. Why are you still rodeoing?”

Kallie stared at Joan and a tear came to her eye.

“
Oh, darlin’, don’t cry.”

“
I promised her I’d come back and adopt her, but being out here on the circuit, with Levi. It’s the first time I’ve felt anything since they died. What if I want something else now?”

Joan walked around the island and took Kallie in her arms. “There, there. You’ve been dealt a rough hand at such a young age, Kallie. No one would blame you if you didn’t want to adopt your sister. You’re still a child yourself. You got a lot of growing left to do.”

Kallie cried harder into Joan’s shoulder. She hadn’t told anyone that. She hadn’t even admitted it to herself. When she finally settled down, Joan let her go.

“
I’ll finish the potatoes. Why don’t you run upstairs and take a shower. It might make you feel better.”

Kallie nodded and started for the stairs. She walked into Mark’s old room and sat down on the bed. She thought about what she said to Joan. She didn’t want to adopt her sister. She wanted to stay on the tour. She wanted to be with Levi. She wanted to be near the only person who made her feel alive. If she adopted her sister, there was no way she could do all of those things. She had two weeks left before she had to make that decision. So she pushed the thought from her mind and took a quick shower before heading back downstairs. John, Levi, Jenna, and Emma were all ready at the table. Kallie sat down next to Levi and his hand automatically went to her thigh. They all said grace and then dug into the meal.

* * * *

Kallie spent the day with John and a few more of his trouble horses. She helped figure a few out and at the end of the day she was exhausted. Everyone went to bed early. In the middle of the night, Kallie woke up screaming. The nightmare of the patrolman coming to tell her that her parents died was back. Levi was the first to storm into the room. John and Joan followed. Levi pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

“
Not again. Not again,” was all she could say.

“
Shhh,” Levi told her as he rocked her.

She fought to catch her breath.

“
I’ve got you. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

She pulled away and looked at him. “The nightmare. My world… Crashing. I can’t breathe,” she cried.

He hugged her tight against him and kissed her forehead.

Kallie didn’t know when John and Joan left, but soon after she fell back to sleep in his arms. She felt safe there. He tried to get up a couple of times in the middle of the night, but she wouldn’t let him go. In the morning, she woke to him stroking her hair.

She released her grip on him and sat up. The muscles in her arms were sore from gripping him so tightly throughout the night.

“
Are you okay?”

She stretched. “Yeah.”

“
Kallie, I didn’t know you were still having those dreams.”

She turned away from him. “I’m not. I don’t have them when you’re with me.”

He hugged her and they got up to dress and start their day.

* * * *

It was Thursday, and everyone ate breakfast quietly. No one said anything about the nightmare, and she was thankful for that.

“
So, Levi tells me you’re moving Blaze over to the arena today,” John said.

“
Yeah. Qualification runs are in the morning. It’d just be easier if I was already there.”

“
Yeah. Well, I hope we aren’t scaring you off,” John told her.

“
No. If I’m being honest, I’ve never felt more at home. Thank you for having me.”

She felt Levi squeeze her thigh under the table.

“
You guys are coming Saturday, right?”

“
We wouldn’t miss your ride for anything,” Emma chimed in.

Kallie smiled at her. She reminded her so much of Nora. Her heart ached in her chest. “Good.”

After breakfast Kallie went upstairs to grab her bag and the few belongings she brought inside. Levi wandered in behind her.

“
I’m coming with you.”

“
Are you sure? I mean we’re only in Tulsa for a week. Don’t you want to spend it with your family?”

“
I’m sure. I want to be with you tonight.”

She smiled at him and her heart warmed. “All right.”

She watched him walk from the room and she went into the restroom to grab her toiletries. After packing her bag, she went downstairs, where Joan had her laundry folded and in a bag.

“
You really are the sweetest. Thank you,” Kallie said, hugging her.

“
John has Cindy and Blaze saddled. He thought it might do Blaze some good for a trail ride.”

“
Did Levi have anything to do with this?”

“
Maybe.”

Joan smiled at her.

“
Go on out. I’ll see what’s keeping Levi.”

Kallie dropped her bag off at the trailer and then started for the barn. When she got there, John was waiting for her with a groomed and saddled Blaze. He smiled at Kallie when he saw her and pulled her into a hug.

“
I know we’ll see you Saturday, but it’s been nice having you here.”

“
I’ve really enjoyed myself. Thank you for having me.”

About that time Levi came jogging into the barn. Kallie turned to him.

“
Did you plan this?”

“
I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Levi said with a big boyish grin on his face.

“
Thanks, Daddy.”

“
You two have fun.”

She watched John walk out the door before she mounted Blaze. Once Levi was on Cindy, she followed him out to the back pasture. They rode in silence for a while, enjoying the open fields. They reached a gate. Levi leaned over and opened it. Kallie pushed Blaze through and then watched as Levi walked through and locked the gate behind him.

“
You want to let them run a little?”

“
Yep.” She smiled at him and kicked Blaze. He started at a canter and quickly changed his gate to a gallop. Kallie settled herself in the saddle as the wind blew through her hair. She let go of the reins and threw her arms out to her side and felt the wind run over her bare skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. In that moment, she wasn’t thinking about Nora or her parents. She was thinking about how good the wind felt on her skin and the smell of the horses in the wind. The way her body moved with Blaze’s was like they were connected at their souls. She opened her eyes and they were heading right toward a herd of horses. She slowed Blaze to a stop and Levi stopped beside her. She laughed out loud.

“
You’re crazy!” Levi yelled at her and then smiled.

She stopped Blaze beside Levi.

“
Where to now?”

“
We’re here.”

Kallie looked around her. She was surrounded by horses and foals. She looked at Levi, smiled and slid off of Blaze. She started walking slowly toward a palomino foal. Instead of shying away, he walked right up to her. She began rubbing his head and in between his ears. He circled around her and brushed his body against hers, almost knocking her over. She laughed out loud. She started to walk away and the foal followed her. She turned around and he stopped. She started toward another foal and felt him nip at her rear.

“
Ouch!
” She turned around and he rubbed his head against her.

She took off running away from Levi and the foal ran with her. They played for over an hour until the foal’s mom whinnied for him. He trotted back to her. Kallie turned to find Levi standing by Blaze and Cindy. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a pair of Wranglers. His tattoo peeked out from under his shirtsleeve. Her eyes moved to his face, and even this far away from him she could see his blue eyes clearly. She felt something inside of her stir at the sight of him. She walked toward him and when she was close enough, she pulled him to her and kissed him deeply so he knew she wanted him. He tore his lips from hers. Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the fence. He climbed it first and then she followed. They walked through a hay field until they were about twenty feet in. Levi picked her up and kissed her. All of a sudden he lost his footing and they fell to the ground, the soft hay catching them. Kallie laughed and once Levi saw she was okay, he laughed too.

“
That was a little less graceful than I imagined it,” he said pushing a strand of hair from her face.

“
All that matters is that we’re here,” Kallie told him.

Chapter Fourteen

Levi made love to her in the hay field that afternoon. If she wasn’t sure she loved him before that moment, she was sure of it then. In that hay field she gave him a piece of her heart. In that hay field, they declared their love for one another and it was a day Kallie would never forget. All too soon they walked back toward the horses and rode them to the barn. Once they were unsaddled and Blaze was loaded, they said goodbye to his family and drove the forty-five minutes to the arena.