Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Ivy

L ennix and I had done exactly what she'd suggested, taking full advantage of the open bar at the reception.

I couldn't remember a time in the past few months when I'd been this relaxed. A lot of that had to do with the booze, but it was also the atmosphere.

The music was pumping up through the dance floor, making my body vibrate like a live wire as I moved to the fast beat of the song the DJ was playing. A soothing breeze blew in from the fields beyond the massive tent Zach and Rae had set up on the ranch for the reception, moving through the opened walls and caressing my fevered skin. I wasn't sure how long I'd been dancing, but it was long enough that a light sweat had formed at my hairline and the back of my neck.

Everyone was having a great time. My two friends were over the moon now that they were husband and wife. I was surrounded by friends and family, and the buzz I'd been working on since before the wedding was still going strong, working its way into full-on drunk.

The hours had passed without any drama, and I was beyond grateful. Tanner had been right. He was great at weddings. It wasn't awkward for him, being surrounded by so many strangers. I went about making introductions when we first got to the reception, and he was surprisingly good at remembering names. He was able to mingle like he'd been a part of the fabric of this town for years, not only a couple weeks. He kept up with me on the dance floor without complaining.

He was still a big attraction to a lot of the people in town—who the hell knew there were so many hockey fans in Hope Valley—so there were several times throughout the night when he'd been pulled into different conversations that had nothing to do with me, and he held his own perfectly. More than once he'd been caught up in a totally different group than I was, and it was really nice not having to babysit him all night long or make sure he was having a good time.

And speaking of my hot hockey date... I spun around when I felt the heat of his large hand land on my shoulder as the song I was dancing to ended and another slower one started up.

"Hey," I chirped happily. Okay, so maybe I had already crossed the line well into drunk, but I was beyond worried about what the hangover would be like in the morning.

He chuckled as he smoothly shifted us into position for a slow dance. One large palm rested on the center of my back—a respectful distance from my ass—and he held my much smaller hand in the other. "Hey back. You look like you're having a good time."

I draped my free arm over his wide shoulder and let my body go lax, allowing him to set us to swaying to the beat. "I'm having a great time. You were right. You're a terrific wedding date."

His grin was big and comforting, and I could see why women all over town were talking about him. There was a part of me that still thought it was a shame I wasn't attracted to him, but there was an even bigger part that was happy to have made a new friend—someone as cool as Tanner Fine. I didn't know if it was a friendship that would extend beyond his vacation to my little town, but I was happy to have met him.

"Thanks. You aren't so bad yourself."

"So, you've been having fun?"

"I really have." He cast a glance around the tent. "Though it seems like things are starting to die down."

I followed his gaze, noticing for the first time the tent was far emptier than it had been at the start of the night. I shouldn't have been surprised. We'd all seen Zach and Rae off hours ago. They were staying at a hotel in the city for the night and flying out for their tropical honeymoon in the morning.

"Oh wow. You're right." I'd been in my own little drunken world and hadn't noticed the party was drawing to a close. The bartender was starting to pack things up and the caterers were clearing the tables of stray dishes and tablecloths. "I'm so sorry." I turned back to Tanner and tilted my face upward. "You were probably ready to go a while ago, and I've dragged it out."

He removed a few strands of hair that had gotten stuck in my lip gloss and tucked them behind my ear. The move was affectionate, but in a friendly way. Once we set that boundary, he hadn't tried to cross it, which I was grateful for. "Not at all. I've had a great time tonight." His eyes traveled to something behind me and the smile on his face turned a bit wicked. "Even with the daggers a certain cowboy has been glaring into my back all night long."

" What ?" I squeaked out. I tried to whip around, but Tanner held me firmly in place. "Ah ah ah. Don't look. Keep acting like you don't notice he's there; it'll drive him even crazier."

My chest tightened and I started to feel short of breath. Now that Tanner had mentioned him, I could practically feel Connor's eyes drilling into the back of my head. The desire to turn around and look at him was so strong I had to bite my lip to keep from giving in.

Part of the reason I drank so much tonight was to dull the feel of his eyes tracking me as I moved through the reception. I would have been lying if I said I hadn't noticed him. It was impossible not to. If the man looked incredible in a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt, it was nothing compared to how good he looked in a tux. He rocked the holy hell out of it. My skin flushed and my blood heated at the first look I got of him before traveling south and centering low in my belly. If I needed proof that I was still as attracted to him today as I had been the first time I laid eyes on him, the way my nipples firmed into tight peaks at the sight of him in that sleek suit was more than enough.

The entire time I stood at the altar while Zach and Rae said their vows, I'd been staring at the man out of the corner of my eye. While Lennix and I wore beautiful satin dresses the color of autumn leaves, Rae had chosen black on black for the men, complete with classic bow ties. The woman might have taken to ranch life like she was made for it, but her sense of style hadn't faded. Zach, Ray, and Connor looked amazing. Especially Connor, as much as I hated to admit it.

I'd managed to push the man out of my head with enough dancing and booze, but now that Tanner brought him up, my whole body tingled with awareness.

"I-is he looking?"

Tanner's eyes glinted with mischief as they came back to me. "Sweetheart, that man's been staring all night long."

I squeezed my eyes closed, pulling in a wobbly breath. I suddenly felt out of sorts, and I didn't know what the hell to do about it. "It's really late," I said quietly as the final strains of the song we were dancing to filled the tent. "We should probably go."

He studied my features, most likely examining my level of intoxication. "You need me to drive you home?"

I smiled up at him with appreciation. "Thanks, but I could actually use a bit of fresh air. I think I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll order an Uber when I'm ready to head home." At the skeptical arch of his brow, I added, "We might be a small town, but we still have ride-shares." I widened my eyes dramatically. "We also have DoorDash and Instacart."

"I believe you, but are you sure it's safe for you to go wandering around by yourself? It's dark, and you've been drinking."

I placed my hand on his chest in a reassuring gesture. "I know this ranch like the back of my hand. Maybe even better. And I'm only heading out to the barn to see the animals. I like to do that to decompress."

The lines that had formed around his eyes and mouth smoothed out as the concern melted from his expression. "Okay. If you're sure."

"I'm positive. Thank you so much for coming with me tonight. I really did have a great time."

"I did too, sweetheart." He hooked my arm through the crook of his elbow and slowly led me out of the tent. "I have an early flight tomorrow, so I probably won't see you before I head out. I just want to tell you that I'm really glad I got to meet you. These two weeks were exactly what I needed. The lodge and this town were the breath of fresh air I'd been looking for, and getting to know you made my time here even better."

I used my hold on his arm to pull him to a stop and lifted up on the toes of my strappy heels to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm really glad I met you too, Tanner, and I hope you come back any time you need another breath."

"Oh, I have a feeling I'll be back," he said as I used my thumb to swipe off the gloss I'd left behind on his cheek. "Take care of yourself, Ivy Young."

"You too, Tanner Fine. Don't go getting yourself killed next season. I think you've turned me into a bit of a hockey fan, and I'll be severely disappointed if something happens to my favorite goalie."

"Yes ma'am." He let loose a warm chuckle as he took a step back. "Get home safe, okay?" he requested as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

"I will. I promise."

I stood in place, watching as he turned on the heel of his shoe and started in the direction of the lodge. It didn't take any time at all for his big frame to get swallowed up by the dark night, and once it did, I spun in the other direction toward the barn.

There was something about it that comforted me. The sounds and the smells of the animals was calm and familiar. I didn't mind the manure. It was impossible to work on a cattle ranch—even at a fancy lodge like Second Hope—and not get a whiff of manure at least once a day. I barely noticed it anymore.

The lights inside the barn shone brightly like a beacon in the darkness. The stalls that lined both sides of the huge structure were filled with horses, all of them tucked in for the night. I petted the noses of the ones that poked their heads over the stall doors out of curiosity as I moved through, my heels clacking against the hard ground. I made it to the doors at the back and pushed one open, setting off a loud creek that disturbed the otherwise peaceful silence.

While I liked the horses, the animal I liked to visit the most was an ornery goat named Gretel. Most people gave her a wide berth since she was known to try and take a chunk out of your ass if you got close enough, but she and I seemed to have a kind of kinship she didn't have with anyone else. I think we understood each other. I accepted her as the asshole she was and didn't try to change her, so she tolerated me.

"Hey there, pretty girl," I cooed once I reached her. I braced my arms on the top rung of her wooden pen and stared in at her. The other goats were all curled up asleep, but it was almost like she knew it was me walking through the barn so she got up to greet me.

She came up to the railing and bleated loudly, butting her head against the palm of my hand when I reached through. Her way of demanding pets. I was more than happy to comply.

"Did you have a good night?" I asked like the animal would suddenly develop the gift of gab and answer back. I knew it was ridiculous to stand here and talk to a goat, but I liked these little one-sided conversations. Her silence made it possible for me to come up with her responses. Gretel and I had some great conversations this way. She always said what I wanted to hear.

"Yeah, I had a good night too. Surprisingly. But you know what they say... when in doubt, get drunk," I finished on a giggle

The air around me suddenly grew thick, crackling with a familiar energy that could only mean one thing. I didn't have to look to know who'd just entered the barn. Every single neuron in my body sensed him, and like a magnet being drawn to its partner, I had no choice but to turn around.