Page 8 of Heal Me One Night

I push myself up on my forearms, holding over her body. I smirk down at her, licking my lips. "You have a child, Britt. I'm pretty sure your father knows you've done this before."

She presses against my chest. "You know what I mean."

I do, but I enjoy seeing the annoyance spread across her face. Pink patches form on her cheeks, and it makes her look five years younger. Gone is the stress that's almost constantly visible, and I imagine this is the Britt before Dakota broke her heart. "I think you know what I mean."

I carefully slide into her, both of us groaning as I swing my hips back and forth. "Silas, don't stop..."

That's one thing I'm never going to do.

We’recuddling in the aftermath of the most passionate encounter I’ve ever had with another person. “What are your plans tomorrow?” I speak softly, trailing my fingers up and down her back.

“I’m off tomorrow. The law office I work at is closed on Thursdays.”

“Four-day work week, huh? Must be nice.” I tease.

She laughs deep in her throat, rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling. “Everyone says that, but I’m thankful. We work nine hours a day, four days a week and they pay me for a full forty. It’s a blessing with Karli being as young as she is, and the benefits are great. I’ve worked there since I found out I was pregnant with her. Thursday’s are laundry day... unless I’m picking up a shift at the daycare. I work there part time when they need someone.”

Part of me wonders if I’m asking this too soon.Am I getting involved too quickly?Jumping in with ten toes down isn’t how I’ve navigated my love life previously, but here we are. “Wanna skip laundry day and come out to the farm with me?”

She lifts her head off the pillow, her brows pulled together. “Wait, are you serious about being a farm kid?”

“Yes. What the fuck, Britt. I told you why I became a doctor.”

“No, I get that, but I thought you were exaggerating your parents so that we’d have more in common. My dad’s a farrier.”

Reaching up to grab her around the jaw, I pull her in for a kiss. It’s long, slow, and deep. Her eyes are dazed when we separate. “Sorry to break it to you, cutie, but you just did the dirty with a real, live farm kid. I even have a pair of Wrangler’s that are about to fall apart, and I’ll wear my worst lookin’ shit kickers just for you. Might even throw on my old FFA hat, and I didn’t know that about your dad. I just met him for a few minutes prior to you going for surgery.”

She kicks her feet.

“What are you doing?” I chuckle, putting a little of space between our bodies.

“I always wanted to date a hot country boy. I’m kicking my feet in excitement. Thanks for making a dream come true. I’d love to go to your parents’ tomorrow.”

Little does she know I’d like to make all her dreams come true.

SIX

Britt

I’ve never dressed for actual farm work. I mean, sure, I’ve gone with Dad a few times, but that was strictly observation. And maybe that’s what I’m doing today. Maybe I’ll just be sitting back and watch Silas’ truly fine ass in that pair of worn Wranglers he’s got on. Which I would sign up for any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Erring on the side of caution, I just put on jeans and a t-shirt. I don’t have any ‘shit kickers’, but I do have a pair of old hiking boots buried in the back of my closet. They’re left over from that hot minute where I thought I wanted to be one of those all natural, crunchy granola moms who loves the outdoors and communes with nature. I very quickly remembered that I don’t like to sweat that much, mosquitoes are a plague upon mankind, and while mountains provide a beautiful view, my ass was not meant for climbing them.

I head back downstairs and see Silas squatted down in the kitchen, looking at Karli’s artwork on the fridge door. He’s giving it the same kind of focus you see on people when they’re in museums and galleries.What if he’s not into women with kids? What if the reality of dating a single mom is too much for him? What if Karli just loves him and then he moves on?

Those thoughts will send me spiraling so I put the brakes on. They’ve not even met yet. They may never meet. I’ve only been on a couple of dates since Dakota and I separated. Silas is the first man I’ve dated since the actual divorce.

He gets up, the muscles in his legs flexing under that worn, thin denim. Well, I’ve definitely upgraded. Silas is hot. Silas is here. Silas is financially stable and, so far, emotionally stable. That’s like a 1000% improvement. So I need to stop borrowing trouble, as Dad would put it, and focus on the here and now, which is pretty damn awesome.

“The artist is very prolific,” I say.

He turns to me with a grin. “I’d say. You’ve covered your refrigerator with her work. And the back of your door.”

“I have the rest in storage.” Not all of them. I’m not that much of a nutball. But I do have a collection of Karli’s stuff in a box in my closet. “Waiting for the value to increase. Then we’ll do an auction.”

“I’d like to meet her.”

All that panic I’d battled back only seconds earlier has rebounded. And I guess he can see it on my face.