“Yes I am,” Wilder quipped.
He winked, not at us, but at Tally. And for a split second, the swagger dropped just enough to let something real shine through.
Lord help whoever finally tames that cowboy. They won’t just get his charm. They’ll get his whole damn heart.
“Wild, think you could put your ego to one side for a minute and tell me what you think about Dreamy.” Gunner rolled his eyes.
“Hey, Miss. Cassidy, so nice to see you.” Bertie gave me a finger wave as she tried out the name we’d agreed she could use for me when we weren’t in school.
“Hi Bertie.” I grinned seeing as we’d already eaten breakfast together. “Nice to see you, too.”
“Hey Miss. Turner.” Lucas was thriving since he’d started riding lessons and his mom had been working at the ranch. His clothes were always clean, he was bright eyed, happier and had put on a little weight. Ruth was never without a smile these days, and it was all thanks to Gunner. The man I loved. The man I wanted to spend every minute with, here on this ranch.
Looking around at the mountains in the distance, the lush green paddocks, Songbird and Gypsy nuzzling gently while the noise of the ranch carried on around us. I knew that this was where I wanted to be. These people were who I wanted to be with. Gunner was who I wanted to be with.
“Hey,” I said, giving him a nudge. “How do you feel about expanding those classrooms and the academic components?”
Two lines appeared between his eyes. “What do you mean?”
I led him away from the paddock, not wanting the kids to hear what I was about to say.
“Sweetheart?”
“I was thinking about the classrooms and how we want to use them to teach ranch work.”
“Yeah,” Gunner said, his expression one of confusion.
“How would you feel about expanding our idea?” He opened his mouth, so I held up a hand to stop him. “What about offering lessons, making it a school away from home. Lessons alongside learning about the ranch, working on the ranch, doing the nature trails. It would give us more opportunities, a bigger reachmaybe. Kids who don’t fit in at school or are struggling. What do you think?”
He didn’t speak for a moment, his hands hanging loosely from his hips as he watched me closely. Holding my breath, I waited, wondering if I’d overstepped, if I hadn’t thought things through properly before saying it out loud.
“So, we give math, English, history lessons, that sort of thing?” he finally asked. “Elementary level?”
Nodding, I remained silent, letting him ruminate on my idea, hoping he’d go for it because now I’d had the idea I desperately wanted it.
“And who would do these lessons?” He pushed his tongue into his cheek, a glint in his eyes as he anticipated my response.
My heartbeat sped up, even the deep breath I took didn’t help to slow it down. “Me and Lily?” I know I sounded hesitant but not because I didn’t want it to be us, but becauseI did.“Maybe we employ others who can do higher grades.”
Any fears I had were soon dispelled by the beautiful smile that I was met with from the man I loved.
“Fucking A idea, sweetheart. I love it.”
“You do?”
He moved to pull me into his arms but then hesitated. “What about your jobs at the school?”
The memory of our argument about my commitment to my job came back to me. It made my stomach roll. I’d meant it, I did mean it, I was committed to my job, my career, the kids, but this idea excited me. It filled my blood with fire even though it was a tiny seed of an idea.
“I love the school, and I don’t ever want to let Mrs. Wright down but I want this because I know it could make a huge difference and isn’t that what we all want to do in the end; make a difference.” Gunner took my hand and linked our fingers. “The kids of Silver Peaks have a lovely life and are so privileged inwhere they live. I know there may be some who don’t have the latest phone, or designer sneakers, or get to eat take out every week but it’s an incredible place to live.” Emotion started to lodge itself in my throat as I envisaged all the kids that had passed through my class and those still to come. “I also truly believe if there are any kids who are suffering abuse of any kind, there are a whole load of people who would help them, support them, listen to them. I would still be there for them. The whole town would be there for them, but not every kid has that and maybe we could give that to those kids too.”
Gunner pulled me closer, running a finger down the center of my nose and then the line of my lips. His eyes stared into my soul, latching on to it and entwining it with his own. If love was all we ever had then it would be more than enough.
“Fuck, sweetheart, I love you,” he whispered. “I think it’s a brilliant idea and you should do it however you want to do it. Whenever you want to do it. At your pace, in whichever way you think. I’ll build you a classroom with the view of the mountains you love and enough space you won’t know how to fill it. Whatever you want will be yours, because your work matters, sweetheart. Not just to you and your students but to me too.”
If words could turn you to a marshmallow then I was done.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” I whispered. “Nothing would ever be enough to convey it.”
