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“And set it on the table over there.”

I frown. “I mean about . . . you know . . .”

She giggles, and I set the cake on the table before moving toward her.

“You giving me shit?” I ask, tugging her against me.

“A little bit.”

“Why you wanna do that?”

“Because it’s fun, and . . . I mean . . . we just got together. We can’t get married yet. It’s already fast, us moving in with you.”

“Are you uncertain about me?”

She frowns. “No. Not at all. I’m just in this phase. And when the time is right . . .”

I widen my eyes hopefully.

“When the time is right, I’ll enjoy the married phase too.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me.

I give her a long kiss, one that I know makes her knees weak from the way she sags into me.

“I’ll just have to make this phase so good, you won’t be able to wait to marry me,” I tell her.

She grins against my mouth. “You do that.”

Epilogue: Getting Lucky

Iris

Halloween at Harrington Ranch isn’t just an event, it’s an extravaganza. Strings of white lights zigzag from fence posts to all the outbuildings, and lanterns hang from every tree branch that’ll hold them. Music and laughter roll over the property, making it feel more alive than ever.

Smells clash from the firepit: caramel apples, kettle corn, cinnamon buns, pumpkins, and horses. I tug the sleeves to my sweater down, glancing into the open barn doors. Linc and I strung paper bats along the rafters in there all day yesterday.

A hayride wagon rumbles past, full of families sitting on bales in the back. A vampire laughs too loudly, leaning into a witch with green face paint. Billie decorated the tractor pulling them with fake cobwebs.

Grady shows the kids how to feed the calves, and Cameron stands like a proud papa near all of the photo backdrops he’s built. Kids in puffy jackets over their costumes bounce around while parents snap pictures like crazy.

Charlie went crazy decorating the pony rides. Flowers trail the fence, and the ponies are wearing little costumes. One has a tiny black cape with a red collar like Dracula. Another wears pink ribbons in its mane. There’s even one with a unicorn horn and a rainbow sash.

Tomorrow is day one of Harrington Hope, Charlie’s equine therapy program for kids. Since I don’t recognize some of the people here, I think maybe they’ve come early for the camp, to get a feel for where their kids will be over the next few weeks.

I settle by the fire, finishing off a caramel apple while I people watch. Linc is all over the place, easy to spot because he’s a pirate. He’s having a blast showing his friends around the ranch and helping with the rides. Pretty much in his element.

Maverick finds me at the bonfire and sits down. He leans his elbows on his thighs and stares at me. I love being free to ogle every detail of him. His large, callused hands. His sexy forearms. His hair when he takes his hat off to slide his hand through it and it just falls into place. And then the hat. He slides that on and looks relaxed and dangerous at the same time—like he’s ridiculously capable of rounding up an entire herd of cattle and also of making you come undone with a little flicker of his tongue.

His excellent, talented tongue.

He grins. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing,” I lie.

His mouth tilts higher. His eyes skate over me. He’s pure trouble when he looks at me like this. He knows what it does to me.

“Really? Because I thought for sure your eyes were saying, ‘Take me home and fuck me right now.’”

My mouth drops. He reaches out and brushes his thumb along the corner of my mouth.