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She snags the keys out of the air. “What?” Her eyes go wide. “When?”

“The paperwork isn’t final, but yeah,” I say. “In a few weeks, it’ll be mine.”

“You bought it,” she says, disbelief in her voice.

I nod. “I bought it.”

She pauses, almost like she needs a second for the news to compute. “What about the rodeo?” she asks. “Isn’t Nell wanting you back?”

“She is.” I shrug. “I haven’t figured that out yet. I don’t know what comes next, but I want this chapter to start here.” I take a second to admire her. “I want roots.”

She looks over the house and the land and the never-ending sky beyond.

“Nice lookin’ roots,” she says. Then, after a beat: “You know . . . you don’t have to quit in order to have all of this.” She chews on the inside of her cheek. “I mean, quit if you want to, but not because of me.”

I turn and face her. “I’d give up everything for you, Hattie.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t you dare. I want you to be, you know, happy and fulfilled.”

I sit with that for a second. “I’m really happy.”

“But do you still love riding?” she says.

I draw in a slow breath. Do I still love it? I stare out over the meadow behind the house. “Not sure.”

“You need to figure that out before you walk away,” she says.

The truth is, everything got jumbled up this past year. The way I was living wasn’t working anymore, and I assumed every bit of it needed to change. I thought I had to overhaul my life and start over, give it all up if I wanted to live right. But what if there’s a way to focus on my relationship with Hattie, build a home here in Silverwood, and keep riding?

“I don’t know,” I say. “I did what I set out to do. I’ve got the titles and the trophies, and it all kind of felt empty. Maybe it’s time to move on.”

“Maybe,” she says, stuffing her hands in the pockets of that big old work coat and looking just about as adorable as any human has ever looked. “But you’ve only done all those things by yourself,” she says. “Maybe the reason you felt empty is because you were alone. No one cheering you on.”

“Could be,” I say, thinking about it.

“Think it might be different if you, you know, had all this to come home to?”

I still. “Depends.”

“On?”

I turn and face her. “Would I have you to come home to?”

“Nope.” She lifts her chin and meets my eyes. “I won’t be here. I’ll be in the stands, cheering my head off.”

“You’re serious,” I say.

She nods.

“Because I don’t want that life if you’re not in it,” I say.

“Then I’ll be in it.” She reaches up, takes my hat, and fixes it on her head. “Because I’m pretty sure I was born to love you, Noble Kane.”

I wrap my arms around her, feeling like I pretty much hit the jackpot. “And I was born to love you right back.”

She grins, looking at me with those big, brown eyes that have always seen straight through me. “No matter what.”

“Well, okay, then.” I lean in and kiss her, tipping the hat back so I can take her in, trying to make sure she knows that these kisses are promises. A pledge to always do everything I can to be the man she deserves, knowing that sometimes I’ll fall short, but I’ll never, ever walk away again.