Page 33 of Love You Already
This man knows my Rosie better than I do. As her father, he has insight I may never be able to delve into. He has years and years of memories to reference. Patterns and habits. He's got her confidence and affection. All things I want, things I'd fight to the death for.
I don't know when I fell so utterly head over skates for Rose Wright. It might have been the moment I set eyes on her. Or maybe the second we said our vows. It could have been when she kissed me in the bar. Or maybe this morning as she stood in front of me in her tiny PJs as she teased me to cover her discomfort.
No matter the timeline, I know one thing for sure; I want her by my side in a permanent way. The forever kind of way. As my best friend, my partner, my wife. She already has one title. I just need to secure the other two.
And I've never met a challenge I can't conquer.
“Rosie doesn't trust herself with you. She doesn't know how to be in a relationship with someone else in a long-term way. Part of that's on me. I couldn't date again after her mother passed. I was too grief stricken, and by the time that eased somewhat, I had four children in various stages of life. Nate was an adult traveling through the circuit. Beckett and Bridgett were raising hell at the high school. And my sweet Rosie was starry-eyed watching Nate ride bulls. In fact, she was so fascinated that she trained her ass off until she could beat every single boy at her age level. That was enough to deal with without adding a relationship to the mix.
“But not dating didn't make things easier. In fact, it probably made it worse. The moments my girls needed a mother were lost to time. They leaned on each other to get through. They found solace in connecting with friends and through lived experiences. Falling in love is hard. Without an example in her life of what beauty a happy marriage could be, she's questioning everything about the two of you and I think, now don't quote me on this, but I really, truly think she's got strong feelings for you that scare her. She won't admit it to me, I'm sure. You though, if you give it your best shot, if you show her that you're in it while she works through her emotions, then I think you two have a shot at something real.”
His words are everything I could ever have dreamed of coming to life. I want that future with Rose. The one where we look back and remember the journey it took to get to where we are. I want little versions of us running around giving us hell like Donnie describes of his kids. I want to win her over so much; she doesn't feel an ounce of fear about our future, only hope.
“What do I do now? Should I go after her?” My voice is a broken whisper.
He nods as he points a finger past my shoulder toward the living room. “She slept on the couch last night. Left her comforter there. I imagine she'll be missing it as soon as she realizes she left it. She's too stubborn to come up here herself now that she knows you're here.”
I take all of two seconds to think it through before striding into the living room to grab the blanket. The pale pink fabric shines brightly in the otherwise rustic space. It’s a beacon begging for its owner to return.
“Take the day off, Lachlan. Spend time with your wife. Maybe come to some kind of agreement. It'll be worth it.”
“Thanks, Donnie. I'll use my time wisely.”
He chuckles. “I have no doubt. Don't make it easy on her but still be gentle. Good luck, son.”
I wave to him as I bundle the blanket into my arms to head back out to my car. Rose's scent washes over me, sending a mix of lust and love through me. I want to fuck her into the mattress while simultaneously telling her how much I love her.
Driving around the main house, I take off toward Rose's place. Beckett pointed it out on my second day at the ranch. Told me I should probably know where my wife was with a boisterous laugh. I let it roll off my back even as frustration settled in my gut.
The trip is short enough that I don't have too much more time to overthink what I'm about to do. I don't have a plan. There's no big ordeal for me to make of this. All I know is that I want Rose and me to be settled. I want us to be good. Whatever form that means — lovers, spouses, friends — I'll take it.
Grabbing the blanket in my arms, I take off for the door. I knock hard twice, waiting for some sign of movement inside. The bike she rode off on is on the porch, which lets me know she's here. It's just a matter of if she'll acknowledge me or not.
“Open up, Rose. We need to talk,” I say when she doesn't reply.
“No, we don't!”
I chuckle at how fierce she sounds. My Ace.
“Fine then. You must not want your blanket. I figured I could bring it down here —”
The door rips open before I can finish. Wild eyes meet mine as she lunges for the blanket. I hold tight to the fabric, my gaze unwavering as I lean close.
“You get it back when I'm allowed inside,” I say calmly.
She shakes her head. “Blackmailing me for a blanket. That's low, Lachlan.”
“I'll do whatever it takes for a few minutes with you. Don't underestimate how much I'll bargain for.”
Her eyes shift past me as she goes still. I wait her out, my patience unwavering. Eventually, she sighs as she nods and turns to walk back in the house. She leaves the door open behind her, and I waste no time in following her through.
Once we're inside, I walk to where she's seated on the couch and wrap her in the blanket. I take extra care to tuck it in around her to make sure she's as snug as I suspect she wants. When I take a step back, I can't stop the smile that comes. She's always beautiful, my Rose. But now, in her home and in her natural state, she's a fucking knockout. All soft and accepting, like I didn't just bribe my way in.
“You're in now. What did you want to talk about?” Her fingers wrap around the edge of the blanket, pulling it tighter around her. She's cocooning herself, creating a protective layer between us. I recognize it now for what it is.
“I want to talk about us. About the other day at the office.”
“I —” she starts.