Breaking Down Defenses (3rd in Breaking Series)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

"I'm going to go home and start some dinner," Sally called out to Thomas.

He had been home for over a week and the last week had been more than Sally could have ever dreamed. They made love every night and he held her in his strong arms until dawn. Max was fitting in and they had even begun working on adding another room to the cabin.

Today they had spent the day on horseback, rounding up the cattle so they could brand the calves.

"I go with you too," Max said.

Thomas helped him off his horse and Sally pulled him up onto hers. Thomas looked up at the storm clouds rolling in and frowned, "I'll try to be back before dark. I really want to get these cattle brought around and I have to run into Bakerstown to pick something up."

"Pick what up?" Sally asked.

Thomas looked around the plains and hills and shook his head, "Just some things for the rooms on the cabin."

. Sally thought maybe he was hiding something but she wasn't sure what and Max tugged on her sleeve before she could ask, "Senora, we go now?"

Sally nodded, frowning at the sight of those storm clouds rolling in, "You better get to town and back quick, Thomas, or else you're going to get awful wet."

Thomas grinned, "You'll just have to help dry me out."

Sally rolled her eyes and turned her back to him as she and Max started toward the cabin, "Why don't you bring me back some more bullets for my gun?" she called over her shoulder.

Thomas laughed, "Why's that?"

"That way when you start coughing your lungs up because you catch your death riding around in the rain, I'll have enough bullets to put you out of your misery."

"My loving wife," Thomas muttered dryly. Sally gave him one last dazzling smile and then rode away. Thomas whistled loudly to get Franks attention and the other man rode over, "I gotta ride into town," Thomas informed him.

Frank nodded, "We can handle the rest of this," he said looking out at all the other hands, including Elizabeth, who were busy moving the cattle toward the ranch.

"See ya tomorrow," Thomas tipped his hat and across the herd of cattle Elizabeth did the same. He broke away from the commotion and headed off across the dusty plains toward Bakerstown. He hoped he wasn't wasting a trip into town. He had ordered a set of wedding bands out of the catalogue at the mercantile and they were supposed to be in today.

He hadn't told Sally about them, nor did he tell her that he'd had to sell off two of his revolvers that he'd kept since he'd been old enough to shoot, to buy them. He could have used the newfound ranch money since he was technically now a part owner thanks to his marriage to Sally but he hadn't wanted to. He had wanted to buy the rings with his own money.

It wasn't common for men to wear a wedding band but Thomas noticed that both Brody and Jacob did and so he figured he could too. He couldn't wait to see the smile that would appear on Sally's face when she saw the rings. They were just simple gold bands, all he could afford, but they were a big step for a man who had been scared to death, not so long ago, just to say the words, 'I love you'.

Thomas smiled as he thought of how different his life was now that he wasn't afraid or fighting against his feelings anymore. Sally was more than he deserved but he was a smart enough man now to grab onto her and hang onto her for all he was worth. Nothing in this world would ever take him away from Sally again.