Page 16 of Trying Not to Need You

“For you?” I lean in close. “Always,” I say, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Uh-huh, laying it on thick, McBride. Just wait, I’ll pay you back when you least expect it.”

“I hope so, darlin’.” I wink, and she rolls those big blue eyes at me, thinking that I’m joking. “Now, stop horsing around and get to work.” I swat her ass. She yelps, then giggles, as we both get to work cleaning.

Two hours later, the room is shining and smells like the lavender cleaner we used. The guys start hauling down furniture, and I jump in to help them. It’s nearly midnight by the time we leave. Courtlynn pulled out the leftovers from the shower, and we all ate again before finally saying our goodbyes.

Copeland waves us off and carries his wife to their new room. Bowen says something that has Courtlynn rolling her eyes and turning her back on us as she makes her way upstairs without a word or a glance.

“She’s cranky when she’s tired.” Baylor laughs.

“Thank you for your help.” Leighton hugs Dixon and me before she, too, heads off to bed.

“I needed this. We all needed this,” Baylor says.

“Bring it in,” Dixon tells her. He hugs her and tells me he’ll see me later, and then it’s just the two of us. Thankfully, their hug was a short one. It’s hard for me to think of her as anything other than mine, now that my mind is made up, but I know I have to tread lightly.

“Thank you,” Baylor says.

I open my arms, and she smiles, before stepping into my embrace. I hold her tightly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Anything, Baylor. I mean that. No matter what it is, I’m there.”

Without stepping out of my embrace, she tilts her head back to peer up at me. “I know you’re talking about the move, but your words… It’s nice to be around honest men who are not afraid to say what’s on their mind.”

I nod and swallow hard. “You want to know what I’m thinking right now?” I ask her.

“Yeah, I think I do.”

I pull her a little closer. “You’re beautiful, Baylor. That’s what I’m thinking.”

She laughs and swats at my chest. “Stop.”

“I’ll always be honest with you,” I tell her. “And since you brought up honesty, I should also tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“Shit’s getting deep in here, McBride.” She steps back as she shakes her head. “Thank you for everything. I’ll see you around, Macklin McBride.”

“Yeah, you definitely will.” Not able to fight the temptation any longer, I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Goodnight, Baylor,” I murmur before forcing myself to turn and walk out the door.

Five

Baylor

Closing my laptop, I slide my chair back from my desk, stand, and stretch out my arms. I used to sit at my desk for a minimum of eight hours, but now that I’m home, I’m itching to get outside and breathe in some country air.

Ellison had the books in order, so really, there’s not a lot for me to do. Daily entries and invoices. My older sister just hated numbers, and it took her longer because she grumbled about it. I wasn’t even here, and I know that’s what happened.

Either way, I’m home. I’m in the small office next to hers, and it’s just after ten in the morning, and my work here is done. This is my first week back at the inn, and I feel guilty for the fact that I’m not bogged down with work. Then again, now that I’ve taken the books from Ellison, all four of us tend to be done with our work at a decent time. No more late nights or dinners alone.

It feels good to be home.

I arrived back in town last Saturday, and I keep waiting for the guilt to hit me. I assumed I’d be swamped with regret, but there is none. The weight I’ve been carrying on my shoulders for far too long is gone, and in its place is contentment. Something I haven’t felt in far longer than I care to admit.

Grabbing my phone, I head out of my office. Ellison is working from home with her feet propped up, so I’ll go check on her and see if she needs anything. But first, I’m going to swing by the kitchen, say hi to Alice, grab a few carrots, and go see the horses. Outside of my sisters, the horses are what I’ve missed the most.

When I was younger, I fell in love with them, and then even more when my crush on Macklin presented itself. He was always around horses, and that’s probably a big part of the reason I crushed on him. He always seemed larger than life and fearless to be able to get on the back of those bulls.

Teenage Baylor would have been freaking out if she were locked in an embrace with Macklin McBride like I was last Sunday night. If I close my eyes, I can still feel his calloused hands as he traced small patterns on my back. This, of course, was after he tickled me where I almost pissed my pants.

Macklin is a flirt, always has been, at least where I’m concerned. I went off to college, and my crush faded. Then I moved to New York, met Todd, and, well, now here I am. I may not have my old teenage crush, but I’m also not blind. Macklin is sexy, and even though I know he was just flirting, it’s hard not to wonder what my life might have looked like had I stayed here in Magnolia Ridge. Would I have ended up with a man like him? Charming, sexy, and everything the old me thought I needed to run from?