Cherished Enough, page 5
“Have you been listening to a crime podcast?”
Krista laughed. “No. Did you think about calling the florist?”
“Actually, no, I hadn’t thought of that,” I said as I slipped on a pair of jeans. “That’s a good idea.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Then, I think you need to invite Ryan over for dinner.”
“Dinner?” I repeated. “Are you serious?”
“Yes! Girl, it’s clear the guy has feelings for you. He raced to your place last night, he stayed the night with you, no questions asked, and what did you say he said to you before leaving?”
The memory of his words came rushing back to me, and I felt a warm sensation float through my body. Clearing my throat, I repeated, “He said it wasn’t hard waking up next to me.”
“He’s all but telling you how he feels about you.”
Laughing, I put the phone on speaker and set it down while I pulled a shirt over my head. “Krista, no one wants to believe that more than I do, but I’m tired of waiting for something to happen between us.”
“Exactly. That’s why you need to pull your grown-up panties on, go buy a hotter-than-hell dress, and ask him to dinner. It’s the modern world now, Morgan. Women ask men out all the time. Hell, I asked a guy out last night—and he’s still in my bed right now.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “You mean you swiped right?”
“I’m sorry, you have me confused with Heather. I didn’t meet him online. We met at…well, it doesn’t matter where I met him.”
Grabbing my mascara, I swiped some on then pinched my cheeks to bring some color into them. I didn’t have time to do my full makeup routine this morning. “You have to tell me where you met him now!” I giggled as I did a quick walk around the apartment to make sure nothing was on before I left.
“It’s not important.”
“It is if you refuse to tell me.”
Krista let out a long sigh. “Fine. I met him at a singles church group dinner thing. My mother forced me to go, and apparently his mother forced him as well. We only hooked up out of spite for them. But the guy did this one thing with his tongue…and holy hell.”
I groaned. “Ugh! No! Don’t say another word or I’ll gag. The last thing I need is to hear you describe your sex life. Especially when I don’t have one.”
“I’m simply saying, you could if you took the leap,” Krista said with a hint of teasing in her voice.
I knew she was right. And I had a feeling if I did ask Ryan out, he’d say yes.
“A hotter-than-hell dress, you say?” I mused, setting my alarm before I slipped out the door of my apartment and down the steps. Suddenly, my plans for today had changed. After working on designs for a bit and checking on the progress of the store, I was going shopping…for a new dress.
I watched the workers put a new window in with Georgiana right next to me.
“I’m surprised they were able to get it replaced so fast,” I said, shaking my head a bit.
“I think that had something to do with your father.”
Glancing at her, I asked, “What do you mean?”
“When they told me it would take a week to replace the window, he made one phone call and…well—” she motioned to the men working—“we have a window.”
My brows shot up, and I exhaled. “I guess it pays to have a well-known dad.”
Georgiana chuckled, but then her expression turned serious.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just hope it doesn’t happen again.”
“It won’t.” I hoped I sounded convincing.
The sound of Blayze’s voice calling out caused us both to turn and watch him approach. “The bank on the corner has security cameras, and they were able to pull the license plate off the truck that stopped out front last night. Turns out the police were right. It was a group of teenage boys. Guess they thought they’d get their kicks by driving around destroying property. They got some residential homes a few streets over too. Someone’s Ring camera captured their truck.”
“What little brats!” I seethed as I looked back at the window. “And of all the nights to do it.”
“You said that last night,” Georgiana reminded me. “What did you mean?”
Rolling my eyes, I answered, “I was listening to a stupid crime podcast right before it happened. Ryan had mentioned the damn thing earlier in the day, and he’d all but challenged me to listen to it. Never again. It scared the hell out of me.”
My brother and Georgiana both laughed.
“Go ahead and laugh, but it scared the living daylights out of me.”
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my back pocket to see a text from Ryan.
Any news on who broke the window?
I thought about texting him back, but I decided to take Krista’s advice and ask him out to dinner. I couldn’t let the new dress I’d bought go to waste, after all.
“Excuse me, guys, I need to make a call.”
“I’m going to take off; I have to get back to the ranch,” Blayze said as he kissed my cheek. “No crime podcasts tonight, okay?”
Gently pushing him on the shoulder, I said, “Trust me, I learned my lesson. I love you, be careful.”
He winked, then turned to Georgiana. “Are you ready to head out?”
She nodded before gesturing to me. “I was thinking tomorrow we could go through some inventory? With the opening in a few weeks, I want to make sure we’re ready.”
“Okay. I spoke with Gene as well. He has a few more items from the line ready to go and will be sending them next week.”
Georgiana took my hand in hers, a wide smile on her face. “Are you excited?”
I pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “I am. But I’m also scared. What if people hate my designs?”
“They won’t!” she said, squeezing my hand. “Trust me, okay?”
“I trust you.”
She gave me a quick hug. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See ya then,” I said before calling out my goodbyes to them both. I rushed through the store, then raced up the steps to my apartment and shut the door. I pulled up Ryan’s contact info and hit his name to call him. I put it on speaker and headed to my bedroom, where my new dress was hanging up.
“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked.
“It is. I thought it’d be easier to call instead of trying to type it all out in a text. Can you talk right now?”
I heard the sound of a horse in the background, and I instantly missed my own horse, Titan, who was back at my family’s ranch. I hadn’t gone riding in so long. I made a mental note to go as soon as possible.
Slipping out of my clothes, I picked up the phone I’d set down and headed to my bathroom.
“Yeah,” Ryan said, “I’m finishing up in the barn and then heading over to my place to clean up.”
An image of Ryan in the shower flashed through my brain, but I quickly pushed it away. I wrapped myself up in my robe and concentrated on staying focused.
Don’t think of Ryan naked. Don’t think of Ryan naked.
“They found out who did it. It was some teenagers. They were able to get their truck on a couple of cameras around town. I guess they hit some residential homes too.”
“Little bastards.”
I chuckled. “I said the same thing.”
“I’m glad they found out who did it.”
“Me too,” I said as I sat down on the little bench in my bathroom. I pressed my hands together, gathering my courage. “Are you free tonight for dinner? I wanted to say thank you for staying with me last night…”
“I am free, but you don’t have to thank me, Morgan. And I don’t need an excuse to spend the evening with you.”
My heart jumped in my chest at his words. “I was thinking maybe a nice dinner at the country club. I haven’t been in forever.”
“So,” he chuckled, “you want me to dress up?”
Laughing, I replied, “Would it be so bad?”
“Not at all.”
“Besides, you know how to rock a suit, if I remember.”
“You think?” he asked, a hint of teasing and amusement in his voice. “I’m glad someone thinks so. I feel out of place in them.”
“I can see that, since your work attire is jeans, boots, and T-shirts. A suit would feel weird.”
Ryan laughed, and I pressed my hand to my chest. God, the way he made my heart flutter should be a sin. I closed my eyes and thought back to last night when he’d called me sweetheart. The last few years, I’d wasted so much energy being angry at Ryan, and I was tired of holding a grudge for a slight he wasn’t even aware of. Krista was right. I needed to admit to myself, and Ryan, how I felt about him…and simply hope he felt the same way.
“What time should I pick you up?” he asked.
I bit down on my lip, suddenly a bit nervous by how bold I was being. I quickly pushed the nerves away. “Let me make reservations, and I’ll text you. Is that okay?”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later on then.”
“See you later.”
After hitting End, I clutched the phone to my chest and drew in a deep breath, closed my eyes and exhaled. “Please don’t destroy my heart, Ryan.”
Chapter Six
RYAN
Staring at myself in the mirror, I debated if what I was about to do was a good idea. It wasn’t like I was worried about what Blayze would think. Hell, he’d already given me his blessings months ago when I’d admitted I had feelings for Morgan. I wasn’t worried about Brock. He knew me well—and that I would never do anything to hurt his daughter.
No, the reason I was terrified was because I knew Morgan Shaw had the power to crush my heart. When I’d woken up earlier that morning with her in my arms, it had felt so goddamn right. She’d fit against me perfectly. And those blue eyes staring back into mine nearly had me confessing how I felt about her. A man could get lost in them if he wasn’t careful.
“Slow. You need to take things slowly,” I said as I looked at my unshaven jaw. Shit. I should have shaved. I’d run out of time, though, and I would be late picking up Morgan if I didn’t get a move on.
“It’s dinner, Ryan. That’s all. Dinner.”
I adjusted my tie and turned on my heels. Grabbing my truck keys, I headed out of my temporary home and down the steps to my truck.
I heard a whistle from the barn area and turned to see my father walking toward me, his hat in his hand while he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Where in the heck are you going all dressed up?”
I smiled. “Dinner at the country club with Morgan.”
His brow rose. “Little Morgan Shaw?”
“Dad, she’s not little anymore.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck with the rag. “No, I guess she isn’t. How does Blayze feel about it?”
“It’s only dinner,” I said as I opened the door of my truck.
“And the fact that you stayed the night with her last night…?” His words trailed off.
I paused and looked back at him. “Means nothing. She was scared and asked me to stay, so I did. She wants to take me to dinner to say thanks for being a good friend.”
My father smiled and looked off in the distance for a moment before he focused back on me. “Son, I don’t often give advice.”
I groaned.
“I almost let your mother go because I was afraid to admit my true feelings for her.”
My brows pulled down. “Dad, it’s complicated.”
He chuckled. “Love is complicated, Ryan.”
“Love?” I asked.
“I’m only saying my best piece of advice for you is to follow your heart. It’s just like with horses.”
Now I was confused. “You’re comparing Morgan to a horse?”
Dad rolled his eyes. “There’s a reason I don’t ever give advice.”
Laughing, I walked over to my father and pulled him in for a quick hug. I slapped his back and said, “Thanks for the advice, Dad. I think.”
As I headed back to my truck, he called out, “You should have shaved! Your mother would be pissed if she saw you unshaven for a date!”
Ignoring him, I lifted my hand and waved as I started the truck and headed down the road toward the gate.
I parked in the back of the store next to Morgan’s car. I wasn’t sure why in the hell I was so nervous. Taking in a calming breath, I got out of the truck and made my way up the outdoor steps to Morgan’s door.
With one more internal reminder to keep it cool, I knocked on the door. When Morgan answered it a few moments later, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. And from the way my mouth opened and closed a dozen or so times, it was clear I had forgotten how to talk.
Morgan smiled brilliantly and motioned for me to come in. I slowly shook my head as I scanned her entire body. She wore a black dress that hugged her to perfection. A slit in the front showed her bare leg up to the middle of her thigh. The bodice was sleeveless and wrapped around her neck like a halter top. A belt cinched her waist, showing off her curvy figure. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore the lightest amount of makeup.
“You look…um…” I cleared my throat. “You look beautiful, Morgan. You take my breath away.”
A blush moved up her neck and into her cheeks, giving her an even more stunning glow. “Thank you. And you’re looking very handsome,” she said with a grin, her eyes moving up my body and landing on my mouth before she jerked her gaze up to meet mine.
I rubbed my slightly stubbled jaw. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to shave.”
She shook her head. “I like the day-old stubble. It adds to your ruggedly handsome looks.”
“Tell my father that. He about bit my head off when he saw me.”
Morgan chuckled. “Let me grab my clutch and phone, then we can head out.”
When she turned, I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering down to her ass. Fucking hell, that dress was going to have me fighting a hard-on all damn evening. I nearly moaned when she bent to grab her clutch from the coffee table.
Deciding I needed to look somewhere else, I took in all the boxes that Morgan still needed to get to. “Do you need help unpacking sometime?”
She glanced around before she looked at me, a brilliant smile on her face. “Are you offering to help?”
“I am,” I replied with a smile of my own. “I just figured with you moving and trying to get things ready for the opening of the store, you could use some help.”
“That’s sweet of you, but Rose and Avery are going to be stopping by this weekend to help me out. Rose has such an artistic eye, I was hoping she’d help me decorate.”
I nodded. “Well, the offer stands if you need any help with anything.”
Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she whispered, “Thank you.”
“Ready?” I asked, holding my arm out for her to take. She nodded.
The drive to the country club was filled with Morgan talking about the new store, her designs, and how shocked she still was that Georgiana was taking such a leap of faith with her. She said she prayed she wouldn’t let anyone down.
“Morgan, you are incredibly talented, and Georgiana sees that in you. She wouldn’t have asked you to do this if she didn’t believe you could.”
I felt her eyes on me. “You really think I’m talented? I mean, I know I’ve asked you that before.”
Taking a quick glance in her direction, I said, “Of course I do. I’ve seen how you’ve gone from cutting up your Barbie clothes to make new ones all the way to the outfits you’ve made for yourself through the years. Did you make the dress you’re wearing?” I asked.
“First, thank you for that sweet compliment, Ryan. It really means a lot to me. And no, I bought this dress, but it’s super cute.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Cute is not the word I would use to describe that dress.”
“Really?” she said, a bit of teasing in her voice. “What word would you use?”
Turning down the drive that led to the country club, I looked at her. “Sexy. Sexy as fuck.”
Morgan blushed. “That’s three words.”
She looked away from me and stared out the window. I’d have given anything to know what she was thinking. But we both remained silent until we pulled up to valet parking.
“Are you staying with us, sir?” the younger man asked as I handed him my keys.
“No, just dinner.”
He filled out the valet ticket and handed it to me. “Text this number when you’re ready to leave, and we’ll have your vehicle here and waiting for you.”
“Great,” I said as I handed him some cash. “I appreciate it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
After rounding the front of my truck, I held out my arm once again for Morgan. She took it and we walked through the club to the restaurant. It had a beautiful view of the Bitterroot Mountain range, and we were right on time to watch the sunset.
“Someday I want a log home,” Morgan said, looking around as if she’d never set foot in the country club before. Hell, her parents were part owners—even though they hardly ever used their membership.
“I’ll have to show you the plans for my future house…or the drawing, I should say. Rose sat down with me one day when she was in town and drew them out. It’s only a dream right now.”
She looked over at me. “You want to build a log home?”
“At the moment, I’m trying to find some land to build it on. I’d like to be close to the ranch but also close to downtown, especially if I open up a brewery.”
Morgan looked like she was about to ask a question when we were interrupted by a woman about my age. “Good evening,” she greeted as she glanced between me and Morgan. “Do you have reservations?”
Morgan answered, “Yes. Morgan Shaw, for two.”
The woman’s eyes lit up as she recognized Morgan’s last name. “Oh! Yes, we have your table ready, Ms. Shaw. Please, follow me.”
We followed her through the restaurant to a corner table right next to the huge picture windows. We would definitely have a great view of the sunset from this spot.
“Is this okay?” the hostess asked.
