Even though I knew she didn’t want to, my mom accepted the offer to stay for a few days on the ranch. Peter and Caleb didn’t seem to mind one bit and were as eager as any man to get their hands dirty and learn the ways of the ranch. Declan, I could see was holding back a little when he was around Caleb. It reminded me of the first few weeks I had been here, where he wouldn’t really talk to me or didn’t know how to approach me.

But both my mom and Trisha kept encouraging him to interact more, even Peter spent less time around Caleb so that Declan could bond with his previously unknown son.

Like every other time that something had gone wrong, Devyn avoided me and I barely ever saw him. I kept trying to catch him where ever I could, but every time I thought I had him against a wall he would bolt out the nearest door like his pants were on fire or hell hounds were chasing him.

“Word of advice, Devyn has been heading up the mountain to watch the sun set most afternoons. You might catch him up there...try not to scare him too much, okay?” Turning to Adrian, I smiled broadly and hugged him before bolting off towards the house to change my clothes and tell Declan where I was going. I didn’t want anyone else knowing in case they assumed Devyn already knew that he was meeting up with me, the last thing I needed was for him to spook for the millionth time.

Instead of taking the horse like I should have I walked up, my ankle didn’t pain me as much and most of the swelling had gone down. Now the pain was more minor discomfort whenever I put weight on it, though when I did get to the top of the hill I was wheezing like an unfit person and my ankle was throbbing.

I didn’t have to wait long before I began hearing something, at first I thought it was a horse but when Devyn came over the small rise and stood on the same level as me I realized he had run up, was now half naked and sweating.

A few things went through my mind as soon as I saw Devyn, he was half naked, he was even hotter now...and he had abs! I had never really been a vain person but a guy with abs was always a bonus and he was well equipped.

Dragging my eyes slowly up his body I was startled from my thoughts when I met Devyn’s eyes, he neither looked impressed or amused at my being there and I swallowed hard to rid my mind of previous thoughts. “You make it really hard to apologize, ya know?” I laughed lamely at that, hoping that it would lighten the mood a little. It didn’t and I lapsed back into silence as I stared at Devyn, what the hell was I supposed to say?

“Why are you up here? Better yet, how did you get up here?” The Devyn speaking to me wasn’t the boyfriend or even the friend; he was a total stranger as he stood his ground, hands planted firmly on his hips.

Pulling my gaze away from him I swallowed hard, a lump rising in my throat at the way he was treating me. Had I hurt him that much that he had ended our relationship without telling me? For some reason the confidant girl in me vanished and was replaced with an uncertain, slightly afraid version as I looked away from him and instead looked out at the scenery.

“Leah? How’d you get up here?” This time Devyn’s voice was a little softer, though still not the same as what I was used to.

“I walked; you would have run right back down the hill if you had seen a horse tethered somewhere so I left Butter-Bean back at the barn. Why have you been avoiding me all week?” Devyn seemed a little surprised but smiled in spite of the serious situation, I frowned and wanted to wipe that smile off his face as much as I wanted to kiss him stupid.

“I wasn’t avoiding you...okay; I was avoiding you a bit. But I have good reasons for avoiding you, I wanted you to spend time with your mom and brothers and make a decision on where you wanted to live without me influencing you. And if you came to the decision that you wanted to leave, well I wanted to be prepared for that too, it would hurt something bad but I am ready to hear that you’re going back to California.” So Devyn’s reasons for staying away were good enough that I felt the anger and frustration melt away, instead I felt myself smile like a goon when he came and sat beside me.

Sure, it was a little awkward sitting high up on a mountain, watching the sunset with your half naked boyfriend but it was the sort of normal I had gotten used to and could only sigh in a sort of happiness.

“Sometimes you really are a doofus; I thought you might have wanted to break things off because of what I said. I’m sorry about that by the way, I’m just so used to the way things were with my mom and I that I didn’t think it’d be weird to anyone else. Now that my mom has told me everything I kinda feel like I should stay here. I’m happy, I’m settled and I feel like...I feel normal for the first time ever. It’s like I don’t have to pretend to be tough, or cool or stupid. I can just be me, and I’m happy with that.” Devyn slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close, though I leaned away when I smelled his body odour. What was it with boys and stinking so much after working out?

“You need a shower, bad.” Laughing slightly I leaned in anyway, despite all the stinkiness radiating from Devyn this was probably one of the best moments of my life so far. It was perfect, it was quiet...it was just us against the world.

“So, are you going to stay here? Stay with your dad and your family?” I was kind of disappointed that Devyn didn’t ask if I was staying with him, when I glanced his way though he seemed to have gone a lot more quiet, his expression looking a little distant as he stared at the ground.

“I am. It’ll be hard to give up the ocean, beaches and surfing but I belong here now with my family...and with you.” Biting my lip I looked away from Devyn as soon as his head whipped around to look at me, his eyes wide in alarm or surprise. I wasn’t sure which and a part of me dreaded finding out which.

“You’re going to stay with me? Really? I’m happy, I thought you might pick the ocean and surfing...don’t feel creeped out but I kinda googled you and you’re good! Why do you never talk about it? I know a lot of people that talk themselves up more and they’ve achieved less than you and placed even lower.” Shrugging my shoulders, I realized I didn’t really have an answer to Devyn’s questions.

“I’m sure your ears are blocked! I said twice already that I’m staying here, did you only hear that I was staying because of you?” I joked, glancing back up at Devyn as he laughed a little. He did this funny thing when I caught him out and as he had just finished doing it, “you weren’t even listening! Devyn! What had you occupied if you weren’t listening to me?” I asked, but he didn’t need to answer me.

Something in Devyn had changed a little since the rodeo; he was just a little bit more intense than I first remember. He was more attentative, leaned in for a kiss more often, lingered a little longer and kept watching me. Of course he thought I didn’t notice but it was kind of hard not to notice a hot guy staring at you while you went about your day.

“I swear I was listening! I just didn’t hear you say that you were staying...I half expected you to go back to the city; you haven’t had the best time out here. Can you blame me for thinking that?” Thinking on it quickly I shook my head, if I had been any less stubborn I think I would have run back to California.

“So I’ve never actually said this to anyone and you might think I’m joking...but I’m dead serious, okay? So no laughing. But...I think I’m falling in love with you.” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach right up until I admitted my feelings to Devyn and then suddenly they felt like lead bullets falling one at a time with a loud thud.

“You love me? Wow, that is better than I was hoping for. I’ve never said those words to anyone before and don’t take it the wrong way if I don’t say it back yet, but since seeing you that first time when you walked into class...damn. I knew I had to ask you out, you’re someone I want to love.” The dread lessened the more Devyn spoke and I felt a lot more comforted by his words than he would know.

“And even though right now is about as perfect as I could ask for, it’ll be dark in a bit and I’m going to carry you back down to the house or we’ll both be tripping over in the dark.” Laughing at that I allowed Devyn to pull me up from my seat, leaning against him a little I felt the pain in my ankle flare a bit but ignored it as Devyn turned his back towards me and motioned for me to get on...the pain in my ankle had been all worth it.

Jumping onto Devyn’s back I made myself comfortable as I felt him wrap his arms around my legs and move me around a little until he was comfortable. “You okay?” He asked which made me laugh as I remembered something he had said to me a few days ago.

“What’s so funny?” Devyn asked, turning his head slightly.

“Save a horse, ride a cowboy...remember?” I laughed as I remembered Devyn’s expression at the rodeo; he had been dead serious though now he was probably kicking himself. His cheeks were tinged a red, I wasn’t sure if it was from the extra weight of me or if he was embarrassed. But either way I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed a kiss just below his ear.

“Leah, if you carry on doing that we might be changing the meaning of that saying sooner rather than later.” Devyn growled as he moved my weight again to suit him, I could only laugh as I allowed him to carry me back down the mountain, making sure not to provoke him anymore.

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I'm so happy with this chapter for some reason! 

I hope you all enjoy :)