The emerald-eyed, cherry-lipped, Taylor-made love of his life.
His incomparably and hauntingly beautiful blonde bombshell.
Chase’s gaze started with her cowboy-like hat, which blended buttery curls with a fluffy veil, to his mother’s ivory pearls circling her graceful neck. The V-necked lace top of her gown teased him with sexy, sun-kissed cleavage. Holding a bouquet of buttercups and baby’s breath snug against her small waist, red ribbons tied in a bow around the flowers trailed gracefully down her skirt to the slit displaying pearl-studded leather boots. Yes, he had looked her up and down now as awestruck as he’d been the first time he’d seen her. His eyes met hers again, and he smiled broadly as she slowly glided toward him on Coop’s arm.
When she was halfway down the aisle, Chase placed his hand over his heart and whispered the words he’d so often said to her, “Sooner than later.”
“Sooner,” she mouthed back, hugged Coop, and pecked his cheek.
Surprising Chase, Jade released a seemingly knowing Coop. Holding her bouquet with one hand, she picked up the front of her skirt with the other and ran toward Chase. For a fleeting moment, Chase saw her clutching her purse and a black bag as she raced to him with a wrought iron gate separating them as floodlights overpowered sunrise. His mind’s eye replayed the gun pressed to Jade’s temple before a psychopath fell dead, allowing Jade to fly safely into his arms.
Chase caught Jade up in his embrace and held her tightly. Instead of gunshots, he heard sniffles, chuckles, and sighs. He slid Jade’s arm through his, and turning together, they faced the preacher who had baptized all of the Cooper kids. When it came time for Finn’s part, he offered up matching wedding bands. Platinum rings slipped onto fingers promising the future, traditional vows taken presented them as husband and wife, and lips met, sealing away the past forever.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of day.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
Chase slid a booted foot onto a bottom rail of the new corral and rested his forearms on the top rail. Inside the corral, all cowgirled up from her cowboy hat to her red boots, Jade walked Jubilee around the perimeter. In the saddle, a little girl he figured was about six, sat with drooping shoulders. When Jade smiled at him and told the child that he was her husband, the girl’s head remained bowed, but her eyes briefly flicked in his direction. He didn’t know what she had suffered prior to coming to the Triple C Ranch. It wasn’t his place to ask, and he never did.
Branding her practice with the sentimental slogan,A Good Ride,Jade’s clients had flocked to the country to follow her. Adding the equine therapy had brought her practice almost more children than she could handle. On the one hand, Chase found that fact profoundly sad, while on the other hand, he was deeply proud of his wife, who possessed the talent, personality, and specialized therapy skills to help these kids.
Katy had been here every step of the way. She and Mean Pete had gotten married six months back and lived in his house on the ranch. Although Finn and Mean Pete were the best of buddies, Finn made a point to play checkers with Coop and Crockett at least once a week.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Cooper,” Jade called, leading Jubilee toward him.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Cooper,” Chase replied as he opened the corral gate.
Jade led the mare out of the corral, and Chase closed the gate. He had built this corral to Jade’s specifications, and it was used only for her clients. Up early that morning, he’d kissed her before sliding out of bed. Since he’d been driving cattle into new pastures all day, this was the first time he’d seen his gorgeous wife in twelve long hours. Letting the therapist, child, and mare go ahead, Chase waited for Jade under the arbor. After the wedding, neither had the heart to tear the arch down, so now it led the way into the equine therapy corral. With its overhead wooden sign,A Good Ride on Triple C Ranch, they kept the arbor decorated year-round.
“Hi!” Katy called to Jade and the girl from just outside the stables. Beside her, a couple, probably the parents, wore anxious smiles as Katy asked the child, “A good ride?”
The little girl did not respond. Chase knew early on in therapy that was often the case. Jade held onto Jubilee’s reins, making sure her client dismounted safely. A friend of Katy’s named Brandy, who had retired from the military, exited the stables. Leaving Fort Carson at forty-five, Brandy had twiddled her thumbs until Jade hired her and, along with Katy, trained her to help with the clients and horses. Besides Jubilee, there were two other trained mares, also purchased from the Desmond Horse Ranch, available to children. Clients who were further along in their therapy were encouraged to engage in riding sessions between talking sessions. Brandy had flourished in assisting with children who qualified for the more advanced riding sessions. Jade handed Jubilee’s reins to Brandy and waved at the couple and little girl.
“See you next week,” Jade said.
As Jade smiled at him, Chase walked toward her, then stopped. Head still down, the child had taken a step in Jade’s direction. Jade had noticed too. As the girl took two more steps forward, Jade turned to her and knelt on one knee.
Not making eye contact and with her small fists tightly clenched at her sides, the child said, “A good ride.”
“Yes.” Jade touched her forehead to the little girl’s and then leaned back. “A good ride.”
The folks with the child swiped at the tears in their eyes. Still on one knee, Jade held out her hand, and after a moment, the child lifted her small fist. Slowly uncurling her fingers, she placed her hand in Jade’s. The little girl took another tiny step and touched her forehead to Jade’s. The connection of trust was silent, but victory screamed triumphant.
Chase remembered first touching his forehead to Jade’s after she’d fallen off Jubilee and swallowed the lump in his throat. When the child walked away with the couple who’d brought her, Jade stood. Chase watched as both Katy and Brandy hugged Jade at the progress made. Then Katy caught up with the client and her folks as Brandy disappeared into the stables with Jubilee.
“Hey there, cowboy,” Jade said, smiling as she walked toward him. “That was my last client for the week.” One of her countless talents was keeping business separate from pleasure. “Do you know what this weekend is?”
Striding toward her, Chase replied, “Our Labor Day picnic?”
“And a special celebration of some sort?”
“Like a first anniversary?”
“Yes!” Jade laughed and grabbed his hand. “Why haven’t you kissed me?”
“Because I’m dirty as hell.”
