“I’ve missed you too.”
Those are the best words I could ever hope to hear, and my heart grows ten sizes.
“Then let me in.”
“Wait. What?” She squints into the screen, bringing it closer to her face. “Is that… Are you?”
I can tell she’s getting up by the movement on the screen, and a few seconds later, her front door is thrown open.
“You’re here!”
Her gorgeous smile tells me all I need to know, and withouthesitation, I plow into her, enveloping her in my arms, kicking the door shut behind me.
“God, how I’ve missed you,” I say into her neck.
She laughs. “I can’t believe you’re here. How did you do this? You just… oh my God, you just… came.”
I lean back and cradle her face in my hands. “I’ll visit as often as it takes, just give us a chance. I want you in my life. I want everything with you. Ionly.Want. You. I’ll do anything to make you believe that because I love you, Poppy.”
I don’t allow her to respond in case she feels obligated to say it back. Instead, my lips crash to hers, taking their fill and luxuriating in what they’ve been denied for too long. The passion is returned wholeheartedly as she matches me with each stroke of our tongues.
Before we’re out of hand, I need to clear the air, so I pull away. Her disappointed whine causes me to chuckle.
“We’ll get back to that, I promise. But first, I’m so sorry, Poppy. I mean it. I don’t ever want to hurt you or lie to you again. Please believe me when I tell you how truly sorry I am for deceiving you. I don’t regret what I did because it brought us together, but I am sorry I kept it going.”
I kiss her chastely before continuing, “I want this to work. I want a relationship with you. I don’t know how that looks, but I’ll do whatever it takes if you give us a chance.”
I finally stop talking to let her respond, still afraid that what she says won’t be what I want to hear, but I can’t prolong the inevitable. Besides, even if she doesn’t want this, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.
“Anything?” she asks coyly.
“Anything.”
“You’d move to Bozeman, get married, and start making babies right away?”
My eyes widen, and I’m about to say yes, when she puts her finger over my mouth and giggles. “I’m kidding.”
“You had me at making babies.”
She giggles again.
“I love you, too, you horndog. Now pick me up and take me to bed so you can make up properly.”
I pause for a moment, soaking in the three most important words that just made everything right in the world.
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, scooping her into my arms.
EPILOGUE
LAST QUEEN STANDING
Braden and Poppy
One Year Later
Poppy adds the finishing touches to her makeup while getting ready for dinner with Braden. She’s nervous since it’s their one-year anniversary. They’ve talked about marrying, but she’s trying not to get her hopes up that he’ll propose tonight. She’s already done that and learned her lesson the hard way.
If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t—she’s sure he’ll ask her eventually. But the clockisticking. Mia’s pregnant and Cici and Lily are hoping to be soon. She’d love to be alongside them, starting her own family.
