Thirty minutes later, we park the truck outside the barn at the ranch. Before I can ask my husband what’s going on, he’s out of the truck and coming around to my door to help me out.
Then, without another word, he’s leading me into the building where we find a pregnant Charlie, a grinning Austin, and our three-year-old grandson, Hart, waiting for us, along with someone else I definitely don’t expect to see–Justice.
“Gigi,” Hart says, calling his name for me as he takes a running jump into my arms. “Surprise for you.”
“I know, munchkin. Are you goin’ to tell me what it is?” I whisper, nuzzling his cheek.
“Nope, don’t bring the kid into it,” Red says with a laugh, stealing Hart away from me and tickling him as the air is filled with boyish giggles.
I thought I could never love my husband and best friend any more than I did, but seein’ him be a grandfather and dote on Hart never fails to turn me to mush.
“How about you, Char? Areyougoin’ to tell me?”
She shakes her head. “Nope.”
“Dammit.” I turn to Justice. “Hey, Jus. Ol’ buddy, ol’ pal.” I walk over to him and give him a hug before stepping back. Red–now without Hart attached to him–comes up next to me.
Justice snorts, his crinkled eyes moving to my husband. “She never changes, does she?”
Red grins down at me, dropping a kiss to the top of my head before answering. “Nope. Hates surprises as much as she loves them.”
“OK. OK. I get it. I’m always the last to know, but Ireallywant to know what my surprise is now.” I tilt my head up, sending my husband my best puppy dog eyes. “Please, Redmond.”
He touches his forehead to mine, his features turning as soft as a marshmallow. It’s then I know I’ve won this round. “I’m a lucky man.”
“And I’m a lucky woman.”
“And you two are cute as all get out, but there’s a little boy here who’s dyin’ to show his Gigi her surprise,” Char pipes up.
Red chuckles and steps back, but doesn’t let go of me. “You ready, Hart? You want to show Gigi what we got for her?”
“Yup!” he says, jumping up and down on the spot.
Then, with my husband on one side, and my grandson pulling my hand on the other, I’m led to the door at the back of the barn.
Red pushes it open and Hart leads–OK, drags–me outside to where there is amoosegrazing right there in a paddock.
I blink once… then blink again…
See, the thing is, after getting to feed that moose all those years ago at the wildlife center, I’ve become a bit of a fan of anything moose-related.
And now, there’s one right here on our ranch.
Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I take it in, shock, wonder, and awe overwhelming me. Red squeezes my hand and I slowly lift my wide eyes to his.
“Darlin’,” he says, his voice all soft and warm, his thumb caressing my cheek before his face falls for a second. “Wait, these are good tears right?”
A startled laugh escapes me and I bury my face in his chest, loving the way he wraps his arms around me as Hart runs circles around us singing “Moose. moose. moose.”
“I love it, Red,” I say before something occurs to me and I jerk back. “Wait, how is this possible? Aren’t thererulesabout keepin’ moose?”
Justice speaks up from behind us. “This one has had a hard life and had a lame leg. We’ve rehabilitated her as much as we can, but she deserves a good long life and Bull Mountain Ranch is where I know she’ll get thatandbe free to roam the land.”
My eyes go wide and jump back to Red’s warm ones. “We get tokeepher?” I shriek, startling the animal but she quickly settles.
Red chuckles, reaching out for my hand again. I melt against him as he wraps me up tight again. “Happy Anniversary, Maggie.”
Dammit. He got me good this year.
