Page 17 of Mountain Man's Lucky Heart

“Love you more.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then pulled back with that rare, full smile. “Want to see what I’ve been working on?”

He helped me get dressed—slowly, carefully, stealing kisses along the way—then led me to the corner of the workshop where a drop cloth covered something large. He pulled it away with a flourish.

The crib was gorgeous. Hand-carved spindles, smooth curves, a little mountain range etched into the headboard. It matched Leilani’s perfectly—the one he’d made when I was pregnant with her.

“Roarke.” My voice cracked. “It’s beautiful.”

“Figured our girls should match.” He ran his hand along the rail he’d been sanding when I walked in. “Still needs a coat of finish, but it’ll be ready in time.”

I wrapped my arms around him, belly pressing between us, and held on tight.

Through the open workshop door, I could see Lucky lying on the cabin porch, watching us with those calm, knowing eyes. The same dog who’d been too scared to leave his kennel five years ago. The same dog who’d brought us together.

“Hey,” Roarke said softly, tipping my chin up. “What are you thinking?”

I smiled, remembering a panicked drive up a dark mountain road, a blocked driveway, a man who said he liked my voice when the rest of the world had told me to be quiet.

“Just thinking about how everything happens for a reason,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “You know, I’m starting to believe you’re right about that.”

His arms tightened around me, and we stood there in the sawdust and the morning light—two people who’d stumbled into each other’s lives and decided to stay. Behind us, the crib waited for our second daughter.

Ahead of us was a lifetime of noise and chaos and love.

I couldn’t wait for all of it.