“I want you to know I’m proud of you,” he says, his voice rough. “I have no doubt you’ll do great things for the ranch.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He nods, then glances out toward the open fields, his expression turning wistful. “Take care of Pops for me, alright?”
My throat tightens. “Yeah, I will.”
Satisfied, he claps me on the shoulder before stomping down the porch steps to where Mom and Quinn are waiting.
As their car disappears down the long driveway, Sawyer threads her fingers through mine and leans her head against my shoulder.
I press a kiss to the top of her head, wrapping my arms around her. “You ready, Red?”
She hums in contentment, resting her head on my chest. “Ready for what?”
“I’ve been dying to have you since you rolled out of bed this morning to put the turkey in.”
She tilts her head up, smirking. “Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her eyes gleam with mischief. “What if I said if you want me, you’re gonna have to catch me first?”
I grin. “I’d say you better run, Red.”
With a giggle, she takes off across the yard, her laughter ringing through the chilly night air. I give her a ten-second head start before I chase after her.
And I know, without a doubt, I’ll spend the rest of my life chasing this wild woman.
And that’s exactly how I want it to be.
Epilogue
Wes
Ispread out the picnic blanket on the ground in my favorite spot while Sawyer huddles deeper into her coat. Nearby, Luci and Dolly stand by the copse of trees, huffing out steamy breaths into the frosty air.
Luci has improved leaps and bounds and can finally be taken on trail rides without bolting at every unfamiliar sound. By the end of spring, he might even be ready to help work cattle with some more training by me and Sawyer. The joint effort has made all the difference for him.
The winter chill hasn’t quite dissipated like I’d hoped, but I’m not likely to get many more free afternoons with the calving season on the horizon.
“R-r-remind m-me why we aren’t inside where it’s warm like normal people.”
I hand over the thermos of hot chocolate I brought and look down at her. There’s no snow on the ground right now. It all melted in the warm front that came through last week, but February is still plenty cold.
“I was trying to be romantic.”
"Consider me swept off my feet," she deadpans. "Now, can we please go back to the house?"
I chuckle and plop down onto the blanket, patting the spot in front of me. “Get your fine ass down here, Red. I’ll warm you up.”
She sighs, rolling her eyes toward the sky, but eventually caves, settling between my legs with her back against my chest. I hum in satisfaction, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in the crook of her neck. She smells like lavender, sage, and horses—my favorite combination. Her body goes lax as she warms up in my arms, and I tighten my hold, breathing her in.
“Do you remember our first time coming out here together?” I murmur against her ear.
Her cheeks go taut as she smiles against the rim of the thermos. “How could I forget?” She takes another sip of the hot chocolate and then adds, “That was the night I realized I was falling in love with you.”
“You remember what I said?” I ask, taking the thermos from her.
