Broken Love (Broken #4)(32)

With a smile, I said, “She would love that, I’m sure. She’s really getting around pretty good, I have to say.”

“So, with Thanksgiving next week, I dare say Ava will be joining us?”

Setting the basket down, I put all the grooming supplies back in the tack room. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Of course it is!” she exclaimed. “I really am found of her, Ryder. I see how happy you both make each other, but I must admit, I was worried.”

“Oh? Worried about what?”

“The two of you living together so quickly. Her being stuck in that small house twenty-four seven. According to your sister, it’s the most romantic thing she’s ever seen.”

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Jennifer would think that.” Reaching for the basket, we walked together out of the barn. “But you have nothing to worry about, Mom. Everything is going great with us.”

She remained silent as we walked out of the barn. “So tell me, Ryder. How are you going to feel when Ava has to go back to reality? When your two worlds are separated by the paths you have both taken?”

My chest felt tight as I stopped walking and faced her. “I guess we’ll deal with that when the time comes. For right now, we’re living in the moment and isn’t that what you’ve always said to do?”

With a smile, she nodded. “Throwing my words back in my face, are you?”

“I learned from the best,” I said with a wink.

She waved me off with her hands as she said, “Go bring that sweet girl some food and let her know I’d love for her to join me for lunch tomorrow.”

Reaching down, I kissed her cheek lightly. “I will.”

The short walk to the stone house had my stomach in knots. There was going to come a time when Ava and I would have to face reality. But for now, I was going to lose myself in the world we knew at the moment.





“I’M STUFFED,” AVA said as she leaned back and sighed. “I swear I think your mother is trying to put weight on me with the amount of food she keeps sending over.”

With a chuckle, I nodded. “She’s worried you’re bored.”

“Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? This morning I finished a design I had been working on and it was amazing to have full concentration on it.”

I gathered up the paper plates and brought them over to the trash. One thing my mother believed in was making things simple. Thank God for that.

“Have you sent it to Maurice?”

She gave me a wide smile. “Yep. And he loved it! I’m not sure if he’ll use it, but he had very good things to say about it!”

I couldn’t help but feel her excitement. “I’m glad he liked it.”

Standing, she nodded her head. “Me too. I hate to say it … but breaking my leg might have been the best thing to ever happen to me.”

I broke out into a full smile. “And why is that?”

She made her way over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Well, first off, I’m living in a terribly romantic stone house with the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“Go on,” I prompted as my hand moved down to cup her sweet, tight ass.

“Second, sex with this handsome man is beyond amazing.”

With a wider grin, I winked. “He is rather good.”

Ava held her laughter back as she said, “Yes he is.”

I lifted my brow and asked, “And is there a third reason?”

Her eyes danced with passion as I pulled her closer to me. “I can’t explain it, but I feel like I’m at home here. Like something about this old house brings out something in me.”

I pulled my head back and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Really?”

She nodded her head. “Let’s just say I’m thinking it’s really too soon for me to be traveling. It’s probably a good idea for me to stay at least until I get my cast off.”

I don’t think I’d ever felt so happy in my life. My hand laced though Ava’s hair as I pulled her lips to mine and kissed her. It didn’t take long for things to heat up and we soon were lost in each other.

As I held Ava in my arms after we made love, I couldn’t help but feel the same way she did. There was something about this old stone house. It was almost as if I could feel it in the very core of my body. The more time we spent together, the more I realized I wasn’t going to be able to live without Ava in my life.





RYDER HAD GOTTEN up early and headed out to do some work on the ranch, giving me a chance to finish up a design Maurice asked me to fix up. It was a new designer he had brought on full time in his store in Paris. I knew had I taken him up on his offer to work for him full time, my wedding gowns would be among top designers who graced the catwalks.

Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and it had been almost a month since I had broken my leg and set up camp in the old stone house. This morning’s conversation with my mother didn’t go at all like I planned.

“Your father is ready to fly up there and drag you back to Texas.”

With a chuckle, I shook my head. “I know I’ve stayed longer than we planned, but it’s worked out really well. Ryder and I have gotten to know so much about each other. Plus I’ve gotten to know Lucy and Nate Sr. Not to mention Dani is teaching me how to knit.”