When I hoist her into my arms, she squeals, and I chuckle as I palm her bare ass beneath the robe so she can wrap her legs around my waist. “I received the strangest…gift today.” Her eyebrows pucker in question, and I huff a disbelieving laugh as I quickly tell her of Vaughn’s surprise purchase of Circle H.
Her mouth goes round as her eyes grow wide before she shakes her head. “He gave you back your family’s ranch? What the— Oh my God…” Suddenly, her brow creases, and she tips her head to one side. “How do you feel about moving back there? To the househeowned?”
The concern in her voice makes my chest tighten, and I’m again filled with awe at the thoughtfulness that comes as second nature to the woman in my hold.
“It’s not the house that makes a home. It’s the people who fill it.” My voice drops as I hold her gaze intently. “Since the daywe shared our first kiss in the barn at Circle H, I’ve known that sharing my life with you is all I wanted.Youare all I need, Tink. Everything else is just window dressing.”
She smiles contentedly as she leans down to press her lips to mine in a lingering kiss, drawing back enough to smooth my hair away from my forehead as her eyes follow the action before flicking back to mine.
“That was smooth, Cowboy.Realsmooth.”
As my feet move along the tiled floor, I wriggle my eyebrows suggestively as a smirk plays on my lips. “Allow me to show youjusthow smooth I can be.”
CHAPTER 39
EMERSON
Three Months Later
Whispering Willows Ranch
“The swimming holewas sheer bliss. It’s hotter’n hell out there.”
Finley slides into her seat at my left, shooting me a grin as she reaches for a bread roll.
“Finley-Rose!” Abi’s stern rebuke makes the entire gathering freeze. “How many times do I have to repeat myself? Wash your hands before you eat.”
Opposite me, Sully chokes on a laugh, turning it into some form of coughing fit before he reaches for his glass of water, and Finley rises from her seat, regarding him with slitted eyes that promise retribution even as she softly murmurs, “Sorry, Momma.”
Ford reaches for my hand, pressing a kiss to the back as he returns to his low conversation with Lissie regarding her status withNorth Star Records. From all accounts, she’s set to start working with some producers and songwriters in Austin, andfrom the sounds of things, she’s more than a little anxious about taking the next big step.
“I spoke with Faith earlier.”
My gaze finds Abi’s as she smiles at my statement. “Her internship is going really well, and she’s even had a night out at some club with Lawson?—”
Even though he’s been in deep conversation with his sister, Ford proves that he can multitask when he shoots his eyes to mine. “If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his hands off my damn sister?—”
“Ford!”
I press my lips together when Abi calls him out on his cussing, struggling to maintain a clear expression when his shoulders sag as he mutters, “Sorry, Momma.”
He shifts back to me with a quirked eyebrow. “We’ll continue this conversation at home.”
Once I’ve bobbed a nod, Abi speaks up. “How are the renovations going, you two?” She shakes her head in blatant wonder. “I still can’t believe you practically demolished the entire interior.”
When we moved to Circle H two months ago, Ford had taken one step inside the front door and announced that it all needed to go.
I can feel his ghost walking the halls, Tink.
So, having made the decision to get our hands dirty, we’d quite literally taken a sledgehammer to the interior and destroyed it. And despite not being aggressive by nature, Ford had relished every moment. I could almost feel it as he physically exorcised those final demons before handing everything over to professionals.
“I’m really enjoying life in our cabin.”
“You know the offer to stay here always stands.”
Abi regards us both with kind eyes, and I smile graciously. We’re currently residing in a small cabin on the edge of the property that’s been used by patrolling ranch hands over the years. It’s small, has no air conditioning, and if I want to heat something—even water—it requires an open fire, but it’s our first home together, and that means something to me.
Ford grips my hand underneath the table as he answers for us. “We’re just fine where we are. Thank you, Momma.”
