The Cowboy and His Best Friend Read online

  Sage

  Today, the girls are in Dallas to go dress shopping for Riley. Her whole wedding date is depending on finding a dress, so she sets up the first appointment and tells us all to make time. It’s been a few days since the dinner where Colt and I told everyone about us, and things are still going well.

  Today Riley had me, mom, Megan, and her friend Lilly here to help pick out dresses. This is the kind of place that pampers the bride to be and gives champagne out. Riley says she plans to spend the afternoon with us, so I’m kind of excited.

  I guess Riley had been on the phone with the dress consultant because she has a few dresses pulled to try. They hang on a rack in the room we’re brought to.

  After we introduce ourselves, the dress consultant asks Riley what she is looking for in her dream dress.

  “Well, I want something that a little boho, a little country. I plan to wear cowgirl boots and I don’t like tulle.”

  “Okay, I have a few dresses pulled from talking to you on the phone. I’d like all of you to look around and pull a few dresses you think Riley would like, then you can peek through and decide what to try on.”

  We all walk through the store and thirty minutes later, Riley is trying on her first dress. She steps out and while she looks beautiful, I know this isn’t the dress, but I want to see what she says. She steps up in front of a three-way mirror and looks herself over.

  “What do you guys think?” she asks.

  No one says anything, so I speak up, “I can tell by your face it isn’t the dress.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  This process repeats but when she steps out in the sixth dress, my jaw drops. I watch her face light up as she looks in the mirror.

  “Oh Riley, that’s the dress. You look stunning,” Mom says.

  The dress consultant takes her cue and gets a veil to place on Riley, and I look her over. She’s in an A-line dress made of chiffon with a ruched, off the shoulder, short sleeves. While it’s floor-length, there are different layers to the bottom of the dress. It’s very flowy and completely Riley.

  “Who picked this one out?” the dress lady asks.

  “That was me,” Lilly says, and I watch Riley’s eyes water.

  “It’s perfect. The girl who gave me the start to a new life, picked the dress to start it in. Sage, take my phone and get a few pictures, please.”

  I decide to text Blaze.

  Me: Your girl found her dress. Blaze, she looks stunning.

  Blaze: God, I can’t wait to marry her. When will the dress be ready?

  I listen in to the conversation between the dress girl and my mom, who insists on buying the dress for Riley. The dress needs a few alterations, but it will be ready in about three weeks.

  Me: Four weeks. But, Blaze, this girl has been through a lot. I know you want to be married, but she’s so happy today. Give in on this. Let her take some time and plan this wedding.

  I see the three bubbles pop up and go away multiple times before his response comes.

  Blaze: You’re right. I want her to be my wife so bad, but I want her to enjoy this too. I want it to be perfect.

  Me: I promise to do everything I can to make your day perfect. You both deserve it.

  Blaze: Thank you, Sage. You will get your day soon, if the way Colt looks at you is any indication.

  I can’t help but smile.

  Me: I hope so, but we’re taking it slow.

  Riley interrupts me, saying she wants to check out a few shops for some wedding décor while we’re in the city, so we head out from store to store then decide to have dinner before driving back.

  Since Mom has driven us, she is a bit hesitant to stay out too much later, but Lilly steps in, offering to drive home since she drives these roads all the time being a truck driver. We agree. I decide to spoil Riley and take everyone to dinner at the Reunion Tower Restaurant owned by Wolfgang Puck. It has a bird’s-eye view of the city, and the food is amazing.

  Everyone is excited as I use an app to get us a table, and we’re seated right away. I expect the conversation to go to Riley and the wedding, so I’m shocked when Riley asks about Colt.

  “So, how are things with Colt?” Riley asks.

  I smile. “Good.”

  “Come on, it’s girls night. Give us more than that,” Mom says.

  “He was an amazing teenager, but as a man… Wow. He isn’t the unsure boy figuring things out as we go anymore. He’s this man who knows what he wants and won’t let anything stop him from getting it. He’s protective and strong, but he still remembers my favorite ice cream and how I like extra gravy on my meatloaf.”

  I shake my head and look around the table. Everyone is smiling. “You’re in love,” Mom says.

  I look down at my lap. “I’ve always been in love with him. It never went away. I was just able to shove it behind a locked door. Now, he’s back, always there, always touching me. I can’t hide it anymore. I don’t want to. I’m still scared, still second guessing myself sometimes. But I’m not running again.”

  They all nod. “Have you, ya know?” Lilly asks.

  Mom covers her ears and hums, looking out the window. I laugh. “No, not this time. He’s been very adamant at taking things slow and telling me he wants me to know this isn’t about sex; it’s about us.”

  “He’s one of the good ones,” Lilly says.

  “He is,” I agree, and Megan taps Mom’s shoulder. She looks around the table.

  “There are some things a mom just doesn’t need to know.”

  We all laugh then fall into easy conversation about Riley’s wedding. My family is expanding, and I couldn’t be happier.

  CHAPTER 12

  Colt

  Eight Years Ago

  Sage and I’ve been mending a broken fence on the far side of the ranch with a rainstorm comes out of nowhere. It happens quite often this time of year; it’s one of the reasons we have the cabins out here.

  Unfortunately, by the time we get to the closest cabin, we’re both soaked. We put the horses in the pen next to the cabin and run inside.

  We burst through the door, and Sage laughs so hard, I can’t help but laugh too. It’s late fall, and I know if we don’t get out of these wet clothes, we’ll get sick.

  “Why don’t you call the main house and let them know where we are. I’ll start a fire so we can get our clothes dry,” I tell her.

  She nods and heads to the small kitchen area to call Mom and Dad. The cabins are primitive. A fireplace for heating, one bedroom, and a bunch of sleeping bags in the closet, if needed. Basic nonperishable food that we stock up every three months and a bathroom that on a good day, you might get some warm water.

  Once the fire is going, I stand to take off my boots and look back at Sage. She walks in and takes her boots off too.

  “We need to get out of our wet clothes,” I say, suddenly nervous. I’ve seen Sage in a bikini but for some reason, seeing her in her bra and underwear feels so much different.

  She looks at me and nods. “Let me see what I can find.” She walks into the bedroom and comes back out with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

  “This is all that’s here.” She hands me the pants, and we get undressed, hanging our clothes by the fire to dry.

  My mouth goes dry watching Sage peel off her shirt, leaving her in just her lacey bra. Then she takes her jeans off and turns her back to me while removing her bra and slipping the shirt over her head.

  Oh Lord, help me now. I’m in so much trouble. When she turns, she smiles with a faint blush on her cheeks. I’m nervous too, but I can’t hide how she affects me much longer.

  “You’re beautiful, Sage,” I say in a gruff whisper.

  She looks down at her feet, and the blush on her cheeks deepens. I love that I’m the only one who seems to get her to blush. That sexy look is just for me.

  “Your turn,” she says with heat in her eyes. I take off my shirt and jeans. Knowing my boxer briefs are next, I take a page from her book and turn my bac
k to her to remove them. As I peel them off, I hear a sharp intake of breath from her. I have to start thinking of baseball stats while I pull on the sweatpants, but even the pants can’t help hide how hard I am.

  The thought of Sage in the sexy lace bra keeps running through my mind, and my dick is hard as nails once again.

  We sit on the couch and before I can think twice, I’m kissing her. It’s my favorite thing to do but when she climbs into my lap and straddles me, all I can think about is her and how she only has panties on under her shirt.

  I tangle my hands in her hair and pull her toward me, deepening the kiss. She grinds against me, causing me to groan. She has me so worked up already, I don’t think I’ll survive if she keeps grinding on me like that.

  She wraps her arms around my neck and flattens her chest against mine. Even though she has a shirt on, I can still feel the stiff peaks of her nipples rubbing against my chest.

  I move my hands to her hips, over the shirt, and help her grind against me, watching the pleasure on her face. I’ve made Sage come before, many times; her face when she lets go is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

  To know I can give her that kind of pleasure turns me into a caveman and makes me want to beat on my chest. Colt please woman. Makes woman come.

  I shift my hips just a bit to hit Sage’s clit just right, and she tosses her head back and screams my name as she comes. I’m lost in the sight of the flush creeping up her chest and neck and her grip on my shoulders.

  She rolls her head forward and looks at me with hooded eyes and then moves to stand. All I can do is watch her. She kneels on the ground in front of me and reaches for my pants.

  “No, baby, this was about you.”

  “Please, Colt? I want to so badly.” She moans, and I can never tell my girl no.

  I swallow hard, give a short nod, and move my hands. She pulls the pants down, and my cock springs free, jumping out to greet her. She smiles and reaches out to stroke my cock. I could come right now.

  I fist the cushions on the couch beside me as she lowers her head and takes me in her mouth.

  “Fuck!” I say, and it takes everything in me not to thrust further into her mouth. The sight of Sage on her knees with my cock in her mouth, with the post-orgasm glow I gave her will be seared into my head for as long as I live.

  I feel myself hit the back of her throat, and my hips jerk on their own. I toss my head against the back of the couch and tangle my hands in her hair. The feel of her tongue as it slides up and down my cock feels like heaven.

  When I look back down and see myself slide between her lips, and her eyes lock with mine, I barely have time to give her a warning.

  “Gonna… come,” I groan, and she takes me to the back of her throat. I come so hard I can’t catch my breath.

  When she has milked the last drop from me, she kisses her way up my stomach before her mouth lands on me, and she straddles my lap again. She’s leaning on me, chest to chest, with her arms wrapped around my neck and lazily kissing me.

  We’re in no rush to stop. I rub my hands up her back and tangle them in her hair. In no time, I am hard again. She grinds against me, feeling my hard cock, and I sense the smile in her kiss.

  “Make love to me, Colt,” she whispers against my lips.

  “Sage…” I whisper back. “God, I want to so bad, but this is a huge step. It will be our first time, for both of us.” I knew this was coming. I did my research. I wanted to make sure it was good for Sage when the time came. I was just thinking it would be prom night, not the summer going into our senior year.

  “I want you, Colt. I want us.” I swallow and nod. I carry her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed.

  I check the nightstand and sure enough, there are condoms. I look back at Sage and take another deep breath.

  “Shirt off, baby girl,” I say barely above a whisper, and she takes it off, land on the floor as she lays back.

  “God, I’ve never seen anything so perfect,” I say and watch her as a light blush crosses her cheeks.

  My eyes land on the circle bullet scar on her shoulder. A reminder of how close I came to losing her. A reminder about the promise I made myself of not letting a day go by where I don’t tell her how I feel, how much I love her. I promised not to let a day go by where I don’t take care of her and show her what she means to me.

  I lean down and press my lips to that scar and run my tongue over it.

  “Colt,” she whispers. I look up and see a tear running down her face. I kiss it away then move back to the scar. I kiss it a few more times before I kiss down her chest and take her nipple in my mouth and make love to it with my tongue, then do the same with the other one.

  I kiss down her stomach and pull her underwear down her legs. It joins the shirt on the floor.

  I pull her legs apart as I lean in and lick her pussy from the slit to the clit, causing her hips to jerk. Sage gasps my name. I look up at her, and her eyes are on me wide and full of heat.

  I latch on to her clit and suck while I thrust a finger into her. She’s so tight, but I know I need to stretch her out before I’m inside her. After a minute, I add in a second finger and hook them to find the spongy spot inside her. She comes apart for me. I lick up her orgasm before kissing my way up her body.

  I reach for the condoms, shed my pants, and roll a condom on. When I’m resting on top of her, I ask her again, “Are you sure?” I see nothing but love in her eyes.

  “Yes, Colt, I want this. I need you so bad.” That statement melts the last of my reserve.

  I place my cock at her entrance, and she’s so warm and wet. I ease inside her slowly. I’m only an inch in when I swear I could come, she feels so good.

  I slide in a bit more before I feel her barrier reminding me I’m her first, like she’s mine. I rest my forehead on hers.

  “I hate this is going to hurt you, baby, but will you trust me to make it good for you?”

  She wraps her arms around my neck. “I trust you, Colt. Always have, always will.”

  I nod and pull out, then give a solid thrust forward into her, and I feel the barrier give away. I feel her clamp down around me. She lets out a small squeal of pain, and I hold myself still in her trying to let her adjust. I kiss her mouth, her jaw, her neck, her ear, and tell her how good she feels and how perfect she is.

  “Oh God, Colt, I need you to move,” she says as she wiggles her hips.

  I pull back and thrust in slowly and gently.

  “How does that feel, baby?” I ask.

  “So good,” she groans.

  I slowly pick up the pace and reach between us to strum her clit. I know I won’t last long, and I need her to come again.

  When I feel her pussy clamp down on my cock, she screams my name. I come harder than I ever had in my life. I’ve never felt anything so good and never thought it could be like this.

  I roll to the side once we both relax, and I kiss her slowly.

  “That was amazing,” she says, and I smile.

  “I agree.” I get up and take care of the condom then grab a washcloth to clean her up before getting back in bed with her.

  We drift off to sleep, but I wake up awhile later with her mouth on my cock. When I groan, she looks up at me.

  “I need you again, Colt,” she says.

  “Baby, you have to be sore.” She shakes her head. I grab another condom, pull her hips on mine, and let her ride me and lead the show this time.

  The storm goes on all night, and we make love two more times before heading back to the house the next morning.

  CHAPTER 13

  Sage

  Later that week, there’s a lull in my horse clients. My current horse just went home, and my next one doesn’t arrive until Monday. After doing some paperwork, I hunt down Colt.

  I’m dressed casually in jeans ripped at the knees and a red t-shirt that says, “Howdy” with a cactus on it. I have on my work cowboy boots and a cowboy hat on.

  I find Colt over on Blaze’s side o
f the ranch behind the barn. He doesn’t see me right away, so I stand back and take him in.

  He’s in a pair of work jeans, well-worn with stains on them. He has on a blue cowboy shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. What has my mouth watering are the brown leather chaps he’s wearing as he’s leaning against the fence.

  I pull out my phone and snap a few photos. This is one memory I don’t want to forget. I slide my phone back in my pocket before heading over.

  “Hey,” I call out to him and watch him turn to me. A huge smile takes over his face.

  “I’m going to head out and run some fences on the back forty. Want to come with me?” I ask.

  “Yeah, give me ten minutes?” he asks.

  I nod. “Meet you in the barn.”

  It’s been awhile since I’ve checked the fences back there myself. I know the ranch hands have done it, but I like to see it myself too. I how the condition they’re in. Dad has always been very adamant about being hands-on and seeing things for himself. He has drilled that into us as well.

  I get my horse and Colt’s saddled up, and we head out. We talk about some of the plans we’re looking to make this coming year for the ranch and our plan for Hell Week coming up.

  Hell Week comes around twice a year, in the spring and fall. We’re up from sunup to sundown, checking cattle, doing preggo checks, vaccinations, making sure there’s enough hay for the winter, and winterizing the ranch. In the spring, we prep the ranch for the warmer months, do tractor maintenance, and the same checks on the cattle. In the spring, we also separate cattle we plan to sell and move pastures around.

  This takes at least seven days, but if we’re shorthanded, it has been known to last as long as fourteen days. Those are the worst, but we band together to get it done.

  It takes all hands on deck, and we even get a few guys from the reservation to help. Megan takes over cooking since she gets home from the salon early that week. Jason helps during the week too, and so does Hunter, as his classes allow.