I burst with laughter. "You know, I have always wondered the same thing." Lulu laughs with me, then she abruptly stops. Her eyes go big at something over my shoulder that catches her attention. "Oh my god, is that…" Her words fall off after covering her mouth with her hand.
Strong arms curl around my chest, and a pair of warm lips kiss my neck. I know immediately who it is and jump down from the stool I'm perched on. "Easton!" I throw myself into his waiting arms. "You're home early. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I hadn't planned on it, but no way was I spending another night away from my girl if I could help it. I called Miles and told him to do whatever it took to get me home."
"Remind me to thank Miles."
"How about you thank me instead with your mouth?" Easton hedges.
"Okay," I breathe right before he slams his mouth down on mine. He tastes like mint, a hint of bourbon, and a lot like home.
Too soon for my liking, Easton breaks away. It's then I see that look in his eyes conveying if we don't stop now, he'll have no problem giving everyone in the bar a show. "I think it's time to go," I whisper.
"Sure the fuck is," Easton returns. He looks over my shoulder to Carter and offers his hand. "How's it going, man?"
"Going, good. Easton, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Lulu."
"Nice to meet you." Easton nods at a wordless Lulu gawking at him.
Though star-struck, Lulu manages a greeting of her own. "You too, Easton," she says breathlessly, and I can't help but giggle.
"I'm right here, babe!" Carter exclaims with a teasing smile
"Sorry." Lulu turns red as she leans her body into Carter's side. He murmurs something into her ear then kisses her temple.
"Well, I'd like to say I'm sorry for cutting this evening short, but I'm not," Easton announces. "I haven't seen my girl in a week, and I'm taking her home."
"No worries, man." Carter and Lulu stand. "We're heading out too."
"Are you guys still coming by the house to say goodbye before catching your flight tomorrow?"
"Yeah, we'll be by around noon," Carter says.
"Great." Moving in, I give both Carter and Lulu a hug. "We'll see y’all tomorrow then."
When we arrive back at the ranch, Easton pulls his Bronco up in front of our house, which we officially moved into four months ago. Knowing I would never want to leave the ranch or my grandfather, Easton proposed the idea of us keeping our roots right here in a place of our own. It was also his idea to have the house built by the lake. It's a two-story log cabin, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The cabin faces the water, with a wrap-around porch on the bottom level of the home and a terrace we can access from our master suite on the second floor. I love how the house is partially hidden by the trees and tall bushes. Every morning, I wake up, step outside and breathe the crisp scent of the water and listen to the mockingbirds singing in the nearby trees. At the end of the day, I sit on the porch swing with Easton, and watch the colors in the sky shift from variant hues of reds and oranges, then those colors slowly fade into a deep indigo as night falls. Lying in our king-sized bed, we sleep beneath stars and moonlight visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire front side of the house.
It took a lot of convincing on Easton's part for me to allow him to pay for everything, but at the end of the day, I realized he wanted to build a life together.
Easton's help did not come with terms and conditions. It only came with love. His exact words were, "Loving you means I want to make all your dreams come true. In return, I will be making my dreams come true. So, let me do this not only for you but for us."
So, I did.
He built us a home we can one day make a family in, hired a team of people to come to the ranch, and built the most beautiful barn I have ever seen. He fixed the Inn and added a ton of new amenities to the rooms. Callaghan Ranch is now thriving.Business is booming, and because of that, we were able to hire an entire staff.
Now, the details with the Inn and ranch were worked out between Easton and my grandfather. My grandfather is a stubborn and prideful man, so I wasn't surprised the only way he would agree to let Easton fix the place up if he could pay him back. Easton was not happy, but because he respected the hell out of the man and knew how important it was for him to be able to pay him back, Easton agreed.
I can also admit, Easton was correct. If two people love each other enough, they can make anything work without having to sacrifice the things they care about the most. I still play a significant role in running things here at Callaghan Ranch, but I also split my time and travel with Easton and his band. Getting to know that side of his life has been an experience, and I've had to learn to adjust to certain things, like how passionate some female fans are. Luckily, Easton has never given me a reason to doubt his feelings for me, and that part of his lifestyle no longer gets under my skin.
Jumping down from the Bronco, I begin jogging toward the house. When I'm halfway down the stone walkway, I stop and peer over my shoulder, then proceed to peel my dress off and toss it to the ground.
Easton stops short when he catches sight of me standing in front of him in nothing but an emerald green thong, a matching lace bra, and my cowboy boots. "It's a nice night for a swim. Care to join me?"
EASTON
One year later
It’s hard to believe the amount of time that has passed since Cat, and I met. Many things have changed in my life, yet so much is still the same. I sold my apartment in Seattle and Cat and I went on to build a life together on the ranch, in a home nestled amongst the strong Oak trees by our lake. Everything that happened with Mallory is where it should be—in the past.
