She glowered. “What the hell am I doing? I thought I could handle this, but the thought of those girls going after you…I hate this feeling, and I’m leaving next weekend. Then what? I can’t be at all your shows.”
She paced, hurt and anger twisting her beautiful mouth, and it fucking killed him, turning his anger into heartache. He didn’t want to hurt her, and he sure as hell didn’t want to argue with her. He scrubbed a hand down his face, taking a second to regain control.
“You have to trust me, Trixie, the same way I have to trust you.”
“I do trust you! You’re the most loyal man I know. I just don’t want any of them touching you and pawing after you.”
“It comes with the territory, and you know that,” he said as calmly as he could, which wasn’t very calm at all. “You’re letting people who don’t matter make you crazy.”
“Am I?” she hollered, hands fisted. In the next breath, her brow furrowed, and her hands unfurled. “Ohmygod, Nick. You’re right,” she said softly. “What am I doing? This isn’t me.” She stopped pacing, anger and sadness billowing off her as she looked down at her clothes and tugged at the knot in her shirt. “Ugh. I’m done dressing like this.”
He grabbed her wrists, his heart breaking. “Don’t you dare change a thing about yourself. You hear me? You’re nothing like those girls. You’ve got dirt on your boots, country in your roots, and more brains than all of them put together.”
“I don’t want people saying shit about me or mistaking me for one of them.”
“If anyone has something to say about you, they’ll have to deal with me. You’re my girl, and I fucking love who you are.”
Confusion rose in her eyes. “You do?”
“Don’t you know that by now?”
“How am I supposed to know that? You never tell me.”
His chest constricted, and he realized she was right. He did things for her, showed her how he felt, but he didn’t tell her. “Then I’m an asshole.”
“No, you’re not. I’m a jerk for saying that. I know you like me, Nick. Everything you do shows me. I just…”
“Hate feeling like someone else could take me away? Join the club, darlin’. Now you understand where I’m coming from when that green-eyed monster sucks me into his clutches.” He pulled her into his arms. “Let me spell this out for you. I’m crazy about you, Patricia Ann Jericho. All of you, from your tied shirts, tight jeans, and skimpy shorts—which make me crazy—to your stubborn-ass attitude and the way you challenge every damn thing I say. I’ll never lie to you, and I’ll never cheat on you.” Her lower lip trembled, and he held her tighter. “I was that guy before we got together, but not anymore, and I haven’t been for a long damn time. You’ve seeped into every part of me. You could be on the other side of the world, and you’d still be with me. I want you, darlin’, not anyone else. And if you don’t believe me, then lock me in a room with gorgeous willing women, and I will prove it to you. Because the only woman I want my hands and mouth on is you, and I sure as hell don’t want anyone else touching me.”
She banged her forehead to his chest and looked up sadly. “I’m sorry I got so jealous, and I’m sorry I pushed you to take me to Whiskey Bro’s. I didn’t want there to be anyplace we couldn’t go together, but obviously I need to get a grip before you decide your life’s a hell of a lot easier without me in it.”
“You could say the same about me.” He held her tighter. “But you’re not getting away that easily. Not after twisting me into knots for a year.” He kissed her softly. “But if we’re going to do this long-distance thing, we have to trust each other. We’re both hotheads. We react before we think, and that’s going to pull us apart unless we find a way to handle it.”
“When did you get to be so good at relationships?”
He shook his head, wondering that himself. “I guess right now. When a relationship finally mattered enough to try to figure it out.”
“Maybe we need a safe word or phrase. Something to tip each other off that we’re about to get crazy and need some help.”
He chuckled. “A safe word, huh? Like Umbrella because shit’s about to rain down on us?”
“Yes. That’s perfect.” Her gaze moved over his shoulder, and she said, “You might want to keep that umbrella handy, just in case.”
He followed her gaze to a group of buckle bunnies. “I’ve got a better idea.” He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her until she went soft in his arms, and then he deepened the kiss, earning those sexy little noises he loved.
She came away breathless and whispered, “Umbrella, umbrella, umbrella.”
“That mouth of yours is going to be the death of me.”
A playful light shone in her eyes. “I feel a storm coming on.”
“My beautiful little hurricane.” He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her until the rest of the world fell away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
TRIXIE COULDN’T HAVE hoped for a better first visit for Annabelle at the assisted living facility. They spent an hour walking around the facility with Jordan. Annabelle was a hit with residents and staff, even though the point of the visit wasn’t to interact with them. Everyone’s mood brightened the minute they saw Trixie’s little horse decked out in her pink Rising Hope vest and shoes. Trixie wore her Rising Hope T-shirt proudly, and she was glad she’d brought extra business cards, as several people who were visiting residents had asked about her services.
“I think it’s safe to say that our residents would benefit greatly from visits with Annabelle or your little one, Alfie,” Jordan said as they made their way to the lobby. “She is a gracious guest. Once you’re settled in back home in Virginia and have a handle on your schedule, I’d like to arrange a visit with patients. We can hold it in the community room and bring in just a few residents at a time if you’d like.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you.” Trixie petted Annabelle, trying to keep her excitement under wraps.
“Nana, look! A baby horse!” A little girl who must have been there visiting someone ran down the hall toward them, pigtails flying.
“Susie, slow down, sweetheart,” her grandmother said, hurrying after her.
Trixie stepped between the little girl and Annabelle, just to be on the safe side, but Annabelle was unfazed by the fast-approaching child.
“Hi!” Susie stopped in front of Trixie, big brown eyes smiling up at her as her grandmother, who looked friendly and to be in her fifties, joined them.
“Hello. You must be Susie,” Trixie said to the little girl.
Susie nodded, twisting from side to side, her pretty yellow sundress swinging around her knees. “Can I pet your baby horse?”
Trixie glanced at Jordan, who nodded her approval. Trixie crouched beside Susie. “My name’s Trixie, and this is Annabelle. She’s a full-grown miniature horse. She’s not going to get any bigger. But I think we’d better ask your grandmother if it’s okay for you to pet her.”