under me. You are my rock.”
He raised his brow. “Ah, so you will be the death of me.”
She kissed him and then braced herself to get up.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to my bed. And you are going to sleep.” She allowed her fingertips to slide out of his hand.
Case smiled. “You mean I wasn’t? I ‘m pretty sure I was just starting to dream.”
Larina giggled. “Well, for now, keep dreaming.”
She walked toward the door as she spoke. “I will see you in the morning.”
He blew her kiss. “Then I will fall asleep fast so the morning can come.”
She blew him a kiss as she turned out the light and closed the door.
Chapter 7
Case woke and ran his hands over his head. He sat up and then plopped right back down. He put his hand up over his eyes to shield them from the light that streamed in from the window. He glanced around the room and noticed there were no clocks.
Huh, this really is paradise .
He reached for his pants and pulled his phone from the pocket to check the time.
Eleven a.m.
He sat on the edge of the bed as he put on his boots.
“Hey there, Bandit. Good morning, buddy. Hope I didn’t make you wait long.”
Case stood over the bed and pulled up the covers.
He then went into the adjoining bath, and as he caught his reflection in the mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair.
After opening the door, he walked down the hall with Bandit following. When he turned the corner, he saw that Larina was outside. Shielding his eyes again, he poured a cup of coffee, and they headed outside.
“Good morning.”
Larina turned to see him and smiled as she laid her book in her lap.
“Good morning.”
He said. “I don’t always look this good.”
“I think you’re sexy.”
He kissed her, and she handed him a plate from the coffee table. “Danish?”
He picked one up. “Mmmm. Where’s your father, still sleeping?”
“I think he went out right after sunrise.”
“Early riser. That’s what I should be, living on a ranch and all.”
She scrunched her hair. “You’re also a country star; you could be a lot later than this. It’s a nice compromise.”
“This is good.” He held up the Danish. “So today, go to the beach, after I go by the ranch?”
“I say we just go to the ranch.”
“Okay then.”
He reached for his second Danish. “Really good. So at the ranch, maybe ride Robust back to our river?”
“I’d love that.”
“How long has it been since you were on a horse?”
She teased. “That all depends. Do seahorses count?”
He chuckled. “Most definitely.”
Larina stood. “I’ll go get my things.”
Case glanced about the patio. “Where did the dogs go anyway?”
“They are over there by the pit.”
Case got up and walked over to them. “Hi, guys, ready for a car ride?”
Sunmoon and Bandit jumped up, tails wagging.
Larina returned, her arms held out. “Daddy took his conch shell. He only ever takes it to call mother. He told us we would lay low, and there is no reason for him to be out with it in the morning. What if he went out last night and hasn’t been home? I’m worried about him. What if someone followed him or saw something?”
Case pursed his lips. “Did he take his phone? Let me call it.”
Case pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Grant.
“It’s ringing.” Case exhaled slow breaths.
Larina ran her fingers through her hair.
“Grant, this is Case. We were worried; give us a call.” He hung up and stared at the phone and then rammed it into his pocket.
“Do you have any idea where he may have gone?”
“I don’t know what to do. He’s going to be furious if we search for him.”
Larina exhaled a deep breath. “What about his telescope? Do you think we would see anything?”
“Let’s try!”
Larina and Case made their way to the den. As they walked over to the large window, they were each startled when Case’s phone rang, and soon after he answered, they both heard, “Hello,
He raised his brow. “Ah, so you will be the death of me.”
She kissed him and then braced herself to get up.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to my bed. And you are going to sleep.” She allowed her fingertips to slide out of his hand.
Case smiled. “You mean I wasn’t? I ‘m pretty sure I was just starting to dream.”
Larina giggled. “Well, for now, keep dreaming.”
She walked toward the door as she spoke. “I will see you in the morning.”
He blew her kiss. “Then I will fall asleep fast so the morning can come.”
She blew him a kiss as she turned out the light and closed the door.
Chapter 7
Case woke and ran his hands over his head. He sat up and then plopped right back down. He put his hand up over his eyes to shield them from the light that streamed in from the window. He glanced around the room and noticed there were no clocks.
Huh, this really is paradise .
He reached for his pants and pulled his phone from the pocket to check the time.
Eleven a.m.
He sat on the edge of the bed as he put on his boots.
“Hey there, Bandit. Good morning, buddy. Hope I didn’t make you wait long.”
Case stood over the bed and pulled up the covers.
He then went into the adjoining bath, and as he caught his reflection in the mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair.
After opening the door, he walked down the hall with Bandit following. When he turned the corner, he saw that Larina was outside. Shielding his eyes again, he poured a cup of coffee, and they headed outside.
“Good morning.”
Larina turned to see him and smiled as she laid her book in her lap.
“Good morning.”
He said. “I don’t always look this good.”
“I think you’re sexy.”
He kissed her, and she handed him a plate from the coffee table. “Danish?”
He picked one up. “Mmmm. Where’s your father, still sleeping?”
“I think he went out right after sunrise.”
“Early riser. That’s what I should be, living on a ranch and all.”
She scrunched her hair. “You’re also a country star; you could be a lot later than this. It’s a nice compromise.”
“This is good.” He held up the Danish. “So today, go to the beach, after I go by the ranch?”
“I say we just go to the ranch.”
“Okay then.”
He reached for his second Danish. “Really good. So at the ranch, maybe ride Robust back to our river?”
“I’d love that.”
“How long has it been since you were on a horse?”
She teased. “That all depends. Do seahorses count?”
He chuckled. “Most definitely.”
Larina stood. “I’ll go get my things.”
Case glanced about the patio. “Where did the dogs go anyway?”
“They are over there by the pit.”
Case got up and walked over to them. “Hi, guys, ready for a car ride?”
Sunmoon and Bandit jumped up, tails wagging.
Larina returned, her arms held out. “Daddy took his conch shell. He only ever takes it to call mother. He told us we would lay low, and there is no reason for him to be out with it in the morning. What if he went out last night and hasn’t been home? I’m worried about him. What if someone followed him or saw something?”
Case pursed his lips. “Did he take his phone? Let me call it.”
Case pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Grant.
“It’s ringing.” Case exhaled slow breaths.
Larina ran her fingers through her hair.
“Grant, this is Case. We were worried; give us a call.” He hung up and stared at the phone and then rammed it into his pocket.
“Do you have any idea where he may have gone?”
“I don’t know what to do. He’s going to be furious if we search for him.”
Larina exhaled a deep breath. “What about his telescope? Do you think we would see anything?”
“Let’s try!”
Larina and Case made their way to the den. As they walked over to the large window, they were each startled when Case’s phone rang, and soon after he answered, they both heard, “Hello,
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