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“But we’re not married.”
“Don’t care, Mo.” I kiss her lips and step into the house. “This is our house now.”
I lower her to the ground, and her eyes shine up at me. “Our house, huh?”
I nod. “If that’s okay with you. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I love it here, and I was thinking we could keep it.”
“I love it here too. Of course you should keep it, especially since it’s so close to your training facility.”
“About that…” I reach for her hand and lead her to the couch. She sits down next to me, and I pull her legs across my lap. “I think the doctors are right. With my history of injuries, it’s getting too dangerous for me to continue.”
Mo takes a deep breath, pulls her feet from my lap, and straddles my legs. With a knee pressed to the couch on either side of my hips, she rests her hands on my chest. I hold her waist and wait for her to talk.
“Don’t do this because of me. I’m here for you, Rhett, and I’m not going anywhere. I want you to retire because you’re ready for it.”
“That’s the thing. I am. Last night was wonderful, and it felt final. I put Lucifer in his place, and I’ve achieved all I could ever want. Before you, I didn’t have much to come home to. I think deep down I didn’t worry about getting hurt, because it was just me. But that’s different now. I don’t want to risk my future with you for eight seconds on the bull.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ve thought about training other riders, but mostly I think I’d like to take over Allen Family Ranch.”
“Really?”
I nod. “I’ve always loved working there, and Dad is getting ready to start cutting back. Trevor’s heart is in firefighting—he doesn’t want the ranch to be his career—so this is perfect timing.”
“What about your sponsors?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to look into that. If anything, I might have to finish out the season, but it’s almost over.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad. If you start working at the ranch, does that mean you’ll move back to Heaven?”
“Yeah. I’ll buy a house, or build one, but like I said, I’d like to keep this place, too.”
Mo’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. “I have the perfect place for you to build.”
“Us. For us to build.”
Her eyes shine with happiness, and my heart soars.
“Tell me about this perfect place,” I urge.
“You remember that spot at Animal Haven where my dad always wanted to build?”
“Yeah. By the pond. It’s gorgeous out there.”
“We can build there.”
I can’t believe we’re talking about this—making plans for a future, talking about building a house. It’s all a little surreal.
“And what about your dad?”
“I sat down with him and Sharon after you left last Friday. He’s going to move in with her just as soon as I get everything situated.”
“Wow. That’s a big step. You’re okay with this?”
“More than okay. There’s more.” She grins. “He’s giving me Animal Haven. Once I get a few things with my life figured out and get on my feet, we can build out there. It might take a couple of years, but we’ll get there.”
We’ll get there sooner than that. I have enough money saved up to build her dream home. But I also know Mo, and she won’t go for that right out of the gate. I’ll have to work her up to the idea.
