Sassy Cowgirl Kisses by Kathy Fawcett
Chapter 51
“Oh look, Kat and Gunnar are back,” Liu was on the dance floor with her arms wrapped around Colton’s shoulders. Colton nodded and caught the attention of Pike and Paislee who were dancing nearby, and gestured to where Kat stood, talking to Sassy.
“Something’s going on,” Colton said to his wife, looking into her eyes and pulling her closer—which wasn’t easy. The baby was growing bigger each day.
“Yes, I agree,” Liu said with a smile at the feeling of Colton’s strong arms around her. “As my grandmother says, yǒuyuán qiānlǐ lái xiānghuì, fate brings people together from far apart.”
“You’re so beautiful—so měi lì when you speak Chinese,” Colton said with a slight bow before spinning his wife around with the song. As she laughed, he reached close to nuzzle her soft neck and sleek hair. The hand that sat on her back gently caressed the smooth dress that fit her like a second skin.
“Ah, you’ve been listening in on my language lessons to the children,” Liu teased.
“Shi,” Colton answered.
Liu held his gaze, though it was still counter-intuitive to the way she was raised. Looking into her husband’s eyes, she felt a warmth spread throughout her body as she pressed closer to him. She loved the sound of this boisterous, playful man as he boldly attempted to speak the melodic language of her childhood.
Colton, she believed, had been underestimated his entire life by nearly everyone, and nearly by her. But this former athlete and jokester had hidden depths, and dreams that came to life when they met; dreams that deepened after he left the ranch and began his own building company.
Their own home, impressive in scale, was a masterpiece of thoughtful details—a love song to both Liu’s exotic heritage and contemporary sensibilities. Colton tirelessly designed and built a home with his wife’s extended family in mind, and her love for cooking.
In the mornings, Liu lovingly planted, watered and harvested her kitchen garden, bringing in great armfuls of flowers to put in the jade and ironstone vases. In the afternoons, Colton could find Liu sitting back in the tea house he built for her, adjacent to the West River. There, the two would enjoy the wildlife and views of the gorge.
In the evenings, Liu would invite her husband to Zuòzhe chī, sit and eat. She nourished his body and soul with fresh dishes, gentle shoulder massages, and stories from her day.
If her parents and grandparents had any reservations about their marriage, they were quickly dispelled. Colton welcomed them fully into their lives. He even designed a custom home with passage to their own. Before long, Zhang and Ling, and the elder Chun and Tao, had been installed as full-time residents. Each a willing babysitter for Sun, Ford, or Willow, and each one eagerly awaiting the arrival of Liu and Colton’s baby.
But for now, the Chens were on an extended visit with family in China, and Liu was enjoying the calm before the excitement that her baby’s arrival would bring.
And without their watchful eyes, Liu felt free to be more American with her demonstrations of love, openly caressing her husband’s shoulders, and stealing a kiss or two under the moonlight.
The dress she slipped on for the party had been no accident. It felt like a second skin, and she knew Colton would be delighted with the velvety texture. He was a simple man who only desired the affections of his wife.
Nearby,Paislee West enjoyed feeling Pike’s hands on her waist as they danced and twirled under the stars. Her sleeveless dress had a romantic ruffle reminiscent of the prairie, which, she knew, sparked her husband’s imagination.
Though it was full-on summer, they were both easily reminded of the days spent together as strangers, snowed in at a settler’s cabin at the edge of the West property. She had gone in search of him and the answers she thought he might have to long-buried family secrets.
A blizzard on her heels, Paislee was rescued by Pike, who nurtured and cared for her.
Nobody knew where she was, including her then fiancée. And it didn’t take long to fall head over heels in love with Pike West—who was miserably in love with Paislee, knowing there was another man in her life.
Five years later, they shared a spectacular modern farmhouse in West Gorge, a love of fine art, and two beautiful children, Sun and Ford.
Paislee looked up at the tall, trim Pike and flashed a dazzling smile. He was a quiet man whose still waters ran deep. She never knew if he was plotting his next painting or thinking about her, but Paislee allowed him his introspection—he shared when he was ready. And she was always pleased.
If she asked him, he might say, “both, as a matter of fact. I was thinking I might want you to sit for my next painting. Would you?”
Of course,she’d answer. She would do anything for her husband, the man who would give her any life she desired. As an heiress to a large fortune, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t buy—except the love of Pike West. That love was an amazing gift that she protected more than her family’s most guarded treasures.
“Pike,” she asked as he held her close, “what do you make of that Sassy from the ranch office? What’s going on with her and Kat?”
Pike was quiet as he gazed in their direction.
“Time will tell,” he said. “All I can say is that Kat hasn’t smiled much this summer, and I suspect Sassy has something to do with that. That and the hasty trip Gunnar took her on.”
It was Paislee’s time to be silent. She pulled closer to Pike to ward off the ghost of family and marriage troubles, lest they be contagious. As if he understood, Pike tightened his hold on his wife and kissed the side of her cheek.
“Now don’t be borrowing trouble, Mrs. West,” he said into her ear, causing her to shudder from deep within. “You and I have nothing to fear or worry about, do we?”
“Oh,” Paislee whispered back in his ear, as her body flinched slightly at the unexpected pleasure of his rumbling voice. “I suppose we don’t.”
Pike flashed her a private smile, then buried his face in the thick waves of her hair.