The Cowboy's Love

{Chapter} 23

{Chapter 23}

Aubrey lay in bed that night with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She ached for that pillow wall to be gone and for Wade to hold her in his arms. Rolling onto her back, she sighed. That kiss did nothing but cause a complication. A lovely, sweet-feeling complication, but a complication nonetheless. Sitting up, she gave up all hope of sleeping. The moonlight poured through the curtain on the window above the head of the bed and lit the space in front of her. Leaning over, she looked to see if Wade was asleep. He was laying there, wide awake and staring at the ceiling.

“You can’t sleep either, love?” he asked.

Aubrey shook her head, trying in vain to ignore the new meaning behind that endearment he gave her.

“Guess I’m too tense right now” she admitted.

“Something wrong?” Wade sat up beside her.

Aubrey diverted her eyes. When had he started taking off his shirt when going to bed? Thinking back, she remembered him doing so for the past few days. Not that she minded at all, however.

“Nothing’s wrong, Wade. Nothing at all.”

“Are you missing your family?”

“No?”

“Sore?”

“Not much.”

“Did I do something?”

Aubrey smiled at him. “You didn’t do anything, hon.”

Why did that name come out?

Wade leaned his head against the headboard of the bed. “I don’t know why I can’t sleep either.”

“After all, it’s not like we have to get up early or anything,” Aubrey said sarcastically as she rested her arms on the pillow wall.

Wade sighed and rubbed his eyes. There was a brief silence.

“Aubrey, do you think we should’ve… in this situation….”

Aubrey knew what he meant. “Yes” she stated.

Wade looked at her. “You have no idea how confused I am. I’ve asked God to help me know how to provide for you, how to make this place your home. I’m running out of ideas, honey. If you want to go home, then you can go. I’ll pay your way.”

Aubrey stared at him. He thought she would still want to leave him even after she had given him her first kiss? No way.

“Listen here, Wade Dylan. Like it or not, you’re stuck with me. I don’t just kiss anybody, you know. There was some thought put into that. No sir, I’m not going anywhere” Aubrey laid back on her pillows.

She could have sworn that she saw Wade smile.

“As you wish, then” He rolled over and put a pillow from the pillow wall over his head.

Aubrey reached across the gap and took his hand in hers before closing her eyes and eventually drifting off to sleep, comforted by the steady grip of his hand.

**********

Wade got up and dressed the next morning, the early morning sun pouring through the window behind him. He checked to make sure that Jay was still sleeping. He walked around to the foot of the bed where he and Aubrey slept and saw her getting up.

“Why don’t you sleep for a while longer?” he asked, kneeling in front of her.

“What about the chores?” Aubrey rubbed her eyes with her knuckles like a child would do, making Wade smile.