“I’ve been waiting what feels like forever to hear you say that," he whispers.
He yanks at an overgrown piece of prairie grass by the porch and weaves it with nimble fingers. I’m about to ask what he’s doing when heknots it into a small circle and slides it over the fourth finger on my left hand.
“Some people might say I’m rushing things, but this has been decades in the making. I don’t have a ring that’s shiny yet, but I swear I‘ll get one because I want forever with you. It’s always been you, Quinnie. You’re my dream girl. I want you in my house, your pig in my yard.”
I laugh through my tears because only Tripp would think to include Winston in a proposal.
“I want to see your belly swell with my babies. I want all of it with you—kinky bucket lists and all. You’re fucking everything to me."
He’s not down on one knee. There’s no diamond. And we haven’t even officially dated. But I don't care. This moment is perfect.
Tears slide down my cheeks, and I straddle his lap and cling to him because I can’t stand not being as close to him as possible. “I want all of it with you too.”
“I promise to get you something shinier.”
I chuckle lightly, shaking my head. “We’re gonna have to build Winston another pen.”
He murmurs his agreement. “And maybe we can find him a friend to keep him company.”
This man really does know the way to my heart.
“Forever?” He lifts his pinky and wiggles it at me.
“Forever,” I promise, wrapping my little finger around his.
I kiss him then, under the starry sky in Cottonwood Creek, the same place it all started—where we were always meant to land.
Extenuating Circumstances
Quinn
About One Month Later
The June sun beats down, hot enough to make me grateful for the wide brim of my hat. Everyone’s out today, saddled up to move the horses across the ranch to the brand-new stables. It’s quicker to haul them by trailer, but I think we all secretly love the excuse to ride together. Even Pops got to be in the saddle today, and he was grinning from ear to ear like a kid in a candy store.
The new stable is worth all the sweat with larger stalls, a proper tack room, and both outdoor and indoor training rings, which Sawyer’s been champing at the bit to use. Wes finally looks like he can breathe again now that all his work around the ranch is paying off. He’s even starting to come to terms with me and Tripp. He hasn’t punched his best friend in the face lately, anyway.
I dove right into working alongside Dr. Dillard at the clinic, and it's presented new challenges and opportunities to grow. I’ve even started planning a community outreach event—low-cost vaccines and wellness checks, plus spaying and neutering. Everything is starting to fall into place, and I feel fulfilled in a way I never have before.
I’m heading into the old stable for the next horse when a hand hooks around my waist and yanks me into a shadowed corner.
My lips curl up into a smile as Tripp’s rough fingers dig into my hips. I slide my hands up his chest and tease the hair at the back of his neck. “Can I help you with something, Casanova?”
“I’ve been dyin' to get you alone all damn day.”
My laugh gets caught in my throat as his lips fall on mine, my back scraping against the rough, wood-paneled wall. My arms wind around his neck automatically, and my mouth opens, welcoming his tongue.
Sweat breaks out on the back of my neck as a familiar heat crawls through me. A soft moan escapes me when I feel his hardening length press against my thigh, and I whimper when his mouth leaves mine.
“You looked so pretty riding out there, shining like the goddamn sun.”
My life was so full and vibrant these days, it was no wonder I glowed. I was living out my teenage fantasies—a job and a man I loved, both challenging me in the best ways.
“All I could think about was burying myself in that hot, wet pussy while those legs of yours wrap around me.”
I’m breathless as he hooks my legs around his waist and presses himself where I’m aching the most. The flood of warmth is instantaneous. This man knows every weakness I have by now, and doing things where we could get caught is one of them.
“Oh God, Tripp. Don’t stop.”
