"And I want to be involved in every decision. The land, the horses, the business plan—all of it. I'm not going to be a silent partner in my own dream."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"And—" She hesitated, something vulnerable flickering across her face. "I want to take it slow. Not the commitment part—I'm all in on that. But the rest of it. Building the ranch, making plans. I want to do it right, not rush into something because we're high on reunion endorphins."
I nodded slowly. "That's fair. What does 'slow' look like to you?"
"I don't know yet." Her smile turned rueful. "I've never done this before. The whole... letting someone in, building a life together thing. I'm probably going to be terrible at it."
"You're going to be amazing at it." I lifted her hand to my lips, kissed her knuckles. "And when you're not, I'll be right here. We'll figure it out together."
Maggie looked at me for a long moment—really looked, like she was seeing all the way down to the bottom of me. Whatever she found there must have satisfied her, because her smile softened into something warm and sure.
"Okay," she said. "Let's build something."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She leaned in, her forehead resting against mine. "But first, let's go home. I want to introduce my family to my partner."
My heart swelled so big I was surprised it fit in my chest. Home. She said home, and she meant Copper Creek, and she meant together.
"One condition," I said.
"What's that?"
"When we get back, you introduce me to everyone. Not as the ranch hand. Not as the new hire." I pulled back enough to meet her eyes, making sure she understood how much this mattered. "As yours. Out loud. In front of whoever's watching."
Maggie's smile was radiant—the kind of smile that could light up a room, that made me feel like the luckiest man alive.
"Jack, I will introduce you as mine to anyone who stands still long enough to listen. I will shout it from the roof of the barn if you want. I will take out a billboard on the highway." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I will have Stephanie write a song about it and perform it at the bar."
I laughed—a real laugh, the kind that came from somewhere deep and true. "Let's start with the family and work our way up to billboards."
Her smile was luminous. "Deal."
She kissed me again, and this time it wasn't soft or tentative. It was a claiming. A declaration. A promise sealed with the kind of certainty that didn't leave room for doubt.
When we finally broke apart, the bar was nearly empty. Liam caught my eye from across the room and raised his beer in a silent salute. Stephanie was grinning like she was personally responsible for this outcome, which—I had to admit—she kind of was.
“Liam's a good man," I said.
"The best." Maggie glanced at Liam with obvious affection. "He drove three thousand miles to help me chase you down. Didn't complain once. Didn't say 'I told you so.' Just showed up and did what needed doing."
"That's what family does."
Maggie turned back to me, her expression soft. "Yeah. It is." She took my hand again, threaded her fingers through mine. "And now you're part of it. Officially. No take-backs."
"No take-backs," I agreed.
Something shifted between us then—the air thickening, the warmth of her body against mine suddenly impossible to ignore.
I leaned closer, my lips brushing her ear. "I need to tell you something."
"What's that?"
"I've been thinking about the future all night. The ranch. The horses. The life we're going to build." I pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, letting her see exactly what I was feeling. "But right now, all I can think about is getting you alone and showing you exactly how much I missed you."
Her breath caught. Color rose in her cheeks, and her eyes darkened in a way that made my pulse kick hard.
