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“Katelyn... Don’t you know?” He regarded her with a helpless expression, the corner of his lip finally turning up. “You stole my heart.”
Oh.She pressed her palm to her heart. His words were a balm to her soul.
“You had me from the moment we met. You had me in a way no one else has, before or since. You get me. You see me for who I am—the real me. And I see you too. I see the warm, loving woman you are, and I can’t imagine not having you in my life—I don’t want to. I love you, Kate.”
Her breath hitched. Her heart grew two sizes. It was everything she’d wanted to hear him say, and she couldn’t resist the urge to respond in kind. The words bubbled out. “Oh, Cooper. I love you too.”
His features eased into a smile, and the look in his eyes held her captive.
“But... what about Gavin? I couldn’t come between the two of you again. I won’t.”
“Gavin knows how I feel about you—I was helpless to hide it. He’s the one who sent me after you.”
Hope bucked in her chest. “He—he’s okay with this? With us being together?”
“Turns out you’re not the love of his life after all.” His gaze drifted over her face like the softest whisper. “Man must be stark raving mad.”
He planted his hands on her door and leaned down. “We’ve been fighting this long enough, don’t you think? I’m done fighting. Please don’t leave. I want you to stay—my whole family wants you to stay. You belong in Riverbend. You belong with me.”
Katie blinked back tears. Oh, those words. “I don’t want to leave.”
“Then don’t.”
This was crazy. Joy welled up in her. “But I just put my house on the market.”
“Take it down.”
“I don’t even have a job.”
“Avery will hire you back.”
“My car is packed down with all my belongings...”
“I’ll help you unload.”
She laughed. “Do you have an answer for everything?”
“Yes, I do.” He leaned in closer and did the one thing she could never refuse. He settled his lips on hers.
Oh.
The man could kiss. Could make her forget everything else. She yielded to his soft exploration—what else could she do? She drew in a whiff of his familiar scent, savoring it, and lost herself in the kiss. Her whole world closed down to just the two of them. She flushed with heat from the fire he kindled inside her. She could get used to this.
He opened the car door, parting only long enough to draw herout. Then he was kissing her again. She leaned back against the car, savoring the taste of him. She couldn’t believe he was here in her arms. That he loved her. That he wanted her to stay.
A car passed in a rush of wind, and the driver tooted his horn in approval.
Cooper drew away, his hungry eyes settled on hers. He cupped her cheek. “Come home with me, Kate,” he said on a soft breath.
Those words might’ve been her favorite of all. Her lips lifted of their own volition. “Lead the way.”
He smiled broadly and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll see you at home, honey.” He headed back for his cruiser.
Katie glanced down at the scraps of paper in her hand. She gave her head a shake. What had just happened? “Hey, Sheriff Robinson!” she called, amusement lacing her voice. “What am I supposed to do with these warnings?”
“Save them.” He turned, walking backward, and flashed a smile. “Someday we’ll show them to our children.”
Epilogue
