“Well, which is it?”
She walked to her truck and opened the back door. Pulling her duffle bag out, she hoisted it over her shoulder. “Copper and I would like to stay here. If you’ll have us.”
His heart skipped a beat. He put the tape measure down and walked to her. “Let me get this straight. You’re saying that you love me and want to move in with me?”
“Copper, too.” She looked around the property. “I can keep Domino at Last Chance until I can build her a place here.”
His hope burst into flame in his chest, but still he hesitated. “What changed? I can’t believe it was Whisper and this bonding in the mine thing.”
She gave him a small smile. “It wasn’t. In fact, I’d avoided thinking of the mine. No nightmares either, and then she had to go and bring it up, making it sound like it was fate or voodoo or some vortex magic.”
She paused, as if looking for the words to explain. “I really thought I’d figured out how to survive, but I was just existing, avoiding any strong feelings. I was afraid. But as I drove away from Last Chance, I remembered how I felt in the mine when it first caved in. My worst fear had been realized, being buried alive again. But you being there gave me strength, calmed me, and supported my hope. You rescued me long before the calvary arrived.”
He couldn’t hold onto his anger at her words. “You gave me all that as well.”
She placed her hand over his heart, her touch cool against his warm skin. “I know I’m messed up and not much of a prize, but I think I can get better with you. If you’ll have me.”
He grasped her hand in his and held it to his scarred chest. “I’d be honored.” Gazing into her deep brown eyes, he saw her truth. She’d laid bare all that she was for him. “I love you, Riley.” Pulling her to him, he gave her his love in a kiss.
Suddenly, she pulled back. “Oh.” She looked down and laughed. “I think someone is jealous.”
He smiled, letting her go and scooped up Copper. “Welcome to the family, boy.”
The dog licked his face. “Ugh.”
Snatching up his t-shirt he wiped his face to the sultry sound of Riley’s laughter. It filled his heart to hear it. Keeping the dog under one arm, he held out his other to his woman. “Let me show you around our place.”
She took his arm and gave Copper a pet. “We’d like that. We’d like that a lot.”
Epilogue
Riley softly smiled as the car meandered through the back roads northwest of Prescott, towering pines giving the roads a magical forest quality. In less than a month, her whole world had changed for the better. More like it got flipped upside down!
Instead of rambling about alone in the world avoiding relationships of any kind, she had a man who loved her, a dog who couldn’t be more than twenty-feet away from her, a horse that was loyal to her, and friends at Last Chance. Though she technically still worked there, even that relationship had changed.
And now she had a family.
“Does that smile mean that meeting my family wasn’t the ordeal you’d expected it to be?”
She looked over at Garrett as he drove. “I know you told me they’d be happy to meet me, but they weren’t anything like I expected. Your dad, is well, I’m surprised he ever retired from the fire department. He has so much energy. He reminded me of that firefighter, Mason, who pulled me from the mine.”
“I never thought about it, but there is a bit of resemblance in personality. Might be why, in my time at the station, we always got along. Though you must admit, my dad has more hair.”
She laughed. “Yes, he does, and he’s very handsome with that white at his temples.”
He glanced at her. “I guess handsome runs in the family.”
She squeezed his thigh. “Don’t be getting a big ego on me now. Besides, I haven’t met your brother yet, so I’m not sure.” She smirked. “Actually, I was just thinking that you take after your mom. Now I understand why you can be a cowboy and yet still respect my abilities despite being a woman.”
“Despite?” He lowered his brows.
“Yes.” She waved her hand. “I know you told me your mom was the rancher, but I didn’t really believe it until now. What a kick to see her running the whole show, and your sister makes a great manager.”
“They have that place running like a well-oiled machine, but I still don’t understand why you say I respect your abilitiesdespitebeing a woman.” He slowed the truck and turned onto a smaller road, the pavement barely hanging on.
He wouldn’t understand. Her military experience had made her expect certain attitudes from men, resentment, indifference, distrust. Though there had been those who respected her, they were few in numbers.
“What are you thinking?”
