Never Let You Go: A Small Town Single Dad Romance by Bella Rivers

Author:Bella Rivers [Rivers, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-05-02T00:00:00+00:00

twenty-nine

Christopher

On our way to the barn, as soon as we leave the pool of light that surrounds the farm and we reach the shadows, I wrap my arm around Alexandra and pull her close to me. She lifts her face, then buries it in the crease of my shoulder. My heart does a little skip, and I hurry our steps.

The warm, animal smell of the barn brings back memories of make out sessions when I was a teenager. Justin and I would hang out here with whatever girls we had managed to bring to the farm, playing strip poker in the hay loft.

I don’t remember any of the girls.

I do remember, though, a dressing down by Craig when he caught us, for fooling around in a workplace.

Then, he lectured us on the importance of being protected. That was soon followed by frequent distribution of condoms.

I chase the thought away.

It feels so good to be alone with Alexandra. Just simply alone.

“I’m not gonna turn the lights on,” I say. We can see enough with the halo from the exit signs.

We open our coats, and I slip my arm around her waist while we walk around the stalls.

“They’re so skinny!” Alexandra says.

“They’re jersey cows. That’s how they look. Don’t worry about them, they’re well fed,” I say as a cow presses her nuzzle toward us.

Alexandra pets her. “Look at those eyelashes,” she says. “Lucky you.”

Hunter would have been way more qualified than me to give this tour, but no way was I going to let him be alone with Alexandra in the barn. I know it’s primitive.

But that’s who I am.

We walk away from the cow with the long lashes and Alexandra tenses under my hand.

“Are you bored? Are you cold?” I suddenly worry and pull her closer to me.

Her breath is shaky. What the fuck? Normally, I’d tell myself that’s the reason I don’t do relationships. It’s just too exhausting to read women.

With her, it’s different. I can tell now, she’s miserable.

But if I don’t understand why, I can’t fix it.

And, if I can’t fix it, what am I?

Worthless.

I turn her to face me and hug her, my hands stroking her back, soothing her nerves. “Hey,” I say. “Talk to me.” I trail kisses along her hair, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo. “Please?”

“I—I feel… overwhelmed.”

That gets a chuckle out of me. I tilt her chin up so her eyes are on mine. “You’re talking to a pro at being overwhelmed. Too many balls in the air. Just choose the ones that are the most important. You’ll pick the other ones up from the floor when you’re ready. They’re not going anywhere.”

She takes a deep breath.

“What’s got you overwhelmed?” I prod.

“Right now?” she asks, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

“Let’s start with right now.”

She waves a hand toward the farm. “This—this is so… great. And us,” now she waves her hand between us, “doomed. It’s hard.” She shuts her eyes and shakes her head.

“Yeah,” I say slowly, kneading the back of her head, feeling her relax under my touch.

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