Read Online The Lies Uncovered Trilogy (Books 4, 5, and 6 of The Dancing Moon Ranch Series) by Patricia Watters - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Watters
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front door, deciding he wouldn't be back until the house was dark and he could sort out his feelings about Sophie without everyone telling him what to think.
***
Sophie tucked her nose into the pillow, tugged the covers up around her face, and breathed in the scent of Rick. She hadn't realized it until now, but he had a distinct smell. She couldn't verbalize it. It was like pure man, the way a man would smell when he was fresh out of a hot shower and his skin was warm, and there would be the hint of soap, but not scented soap. Just clean warm man. The thought made her lonely. Made her want Rick there with her. Rick, the way he was when he got out of the pool at the spring. But this time he'd be curved around her, with his chest against her back, and his knees pressed into the insides of her knees, and his arm draped over her, and she'd be surrounded by warm fresh man.
It was strange thinking about Rick that way, but once she'd started down that path she couldn't stop, and each time she took a detour to get back to Rick the friend she'd known over the years, it brought her back to the way she saw him now. It was like Sleeping Beauty awakening after years to find the prince.
Everything about Rick was different now, even his room. Earlier she'd looked around a bedroom that had once been familiar to her, but which was now changed. No more teenage posters on the walls, or photos from proms or football games, or plaques and awards from Eagle Scouts. It was a man's room now, with a computer desk covered with text books and lab reports and papers. Only the cork picture board remained from Rick's earlier years, but instead of photos of high school friends and hot cars and Rick with his prom dates, there were pictures of Becca and her husband and one of the new baby, a few of Rick with his cousins, and one of Rick in his cap and gown, standing between his father and Jayne at college graduation the year before. But nowhere had she seen a picture of his mother…
She heard the door knob turn, and opened her eyes to see Rick coming into the room. It was dark, but there was enough subdued light coming from a nightlight to know it was Rick. The house was quiet, and she had no idea what time it was, but she knew it was closer to midnight than dawn because she hadn't been to sleep yet. She couldn’t. Her mind had been far too active, her thoughts shifting between her changed feelings for Rick, and the scene of Susan with the men and the thought of having to file a report. But it was the look on Rick's face, just before they got out of the truck, that troubled her most, a hard look she could only describe as a combination of disbelief, suppressed rage, and hopelessness, all bottled up inside.
"You awake?" Rick asked.
"Yes," Sophie replied. "Do you want to sit and talk?"
"Yeah."
She felt the bed give under his weight. It was awkward, wondering what to do next. Things were different now. Although Rick had never come to her bed at night over the years, because her family always stayed in one of the cabins when they came to the ranch, if he had come, it wouldn't have been awkward, just a time to sort out whatever was bothering either of them. But now things were different. She wanted to pull Rick down beside her and have him put his arms around her, but that wasn't why he came. She could feel it, the wall between them. Yet, he was sitting on the bed because he wanted something. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I don’t know," Rick replied. "I don't want to think about it but it won't go away."
"Do you want to lie down and I'll rub your back?" A loaded question she realized as soon as the words left her lips, knowing she'd tried to get him to have sex with her two days before.
"No," Rick said. "I mainly came to say I think you need to stay with my grandmother after tonight. We need some distance between us. Things are complicated now."
"Because of your mother?" Sophie asked.
"That's a big part of it," Rick replied, "but also you and the
***
Sophie tucked her nose into the pillow, tugged the covers up around her face, and breathed in the scent of Rick. She hadn't realized it until now, but he had a distinct smell. She couldn't verbalize it. It was like pure man, the way a man would smell when he was fresh out of a hot shower and his skin was warm, and there would be the hint of soap, but not scented soap. Just clean warm man. The thought made her lonely. Made her want Rick there with her. Rick, the way he was when he got out of the pool at the spring. But this time he'd be curved around her, with his chest against her back, and his knees pressed into the insides of her knees, and his arm draped over her, and she'd be surrounded by warm fresh man.
It was strange thinking about Rick that way, but once she'd started down that path she couldn't stop, and each time she took a detour to get back to Rick the friend she'd known over the years, it brought her back to the way she saw him now. It was like Sleeping Beauty awakening after years to find the prince.
Everything about Rick was different now, even his room. Earlier she'd looked around a bedroom that had once been familiar to her, but which was now changed. No more teenage posters on the walls, or photos from proms or football games, or plaques and awards from Eagle Scouts. It was a man's room now, with a computer desk covered with text books and lab reports and papers. Only the cork picture board remained from Rick's earlier years, but instead of photos of high school friends and hot cars and Rick with his prom dates, there were pictures of Becca and her husband and one of the new baby, a few of Rick with his cousins, and one of Rick in his cap and gown, standing between his father and Jayne at college graduation the year before. But nowhere had she seen a picture of his mother…
She heard the door knob turn, and opened her eyes to see Rick coming into the room. It was dark, but there was enough subdued light coming from a nightlight to know it was Rick. The house was quiet, and she had no idea what time it was, but she knew it was closer to midnight than dawn because she hadn't been to sleep yet. She couldn’t. Her mind had been far too active, her thoughts shifting between her changed feelings for Rick, and the scene of Susan with the men and the thought of having to file a report. But it was the look on Rick's face, just before they got out of the truck, that troubled her most, a hard look she could only describe as a combination of disbelief, suppressed rage, and hopelessness, all bottled up inside.
"You awake?" Rick asked.
"Yes," Sophie replied. "Do you want to sit and talk?"
"Yeah."
She felt the bed give under his weight. It was awkward, wondering what to do next. Things were different now. Although Rick had never come to her bed at night over the years, because her family always stayed in one of the cabins when they came to the ranch, if he had come, it wouldn't have been awkward, just a time to sort out whatever was bothering either of them. But now things were different. She wanted to pull Rick down beside her and have him put his arms around her, but that wasn't why he came. She could feel it, the wall between them. Yet, he was sitting on the bed because he wanted something. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I don’t know," Rick replied. "I don't want to think about it but it won't go away."
"Do you want to lie down and I'll rub your back?" A loaded question she realized as soon as the words left her lips, knowing she'd tried to get him to have sex with her two days before.
"No," Rick said. "I mainly came to say I think you need to stay with my grandmother after tonight. We need some distance between us. Things are complicated now."
"Because of your mother?" Sophie asked.
"That's a big part of it," Rick replied, "but also you and the
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