"Heard you found that missing teen in California."
"We did." Pride rang in her voice.
"Well, good work Missy. I'll let Lyle catch you up on all the goings on. Right now, I think I'll take these old bones home and have a good long sit in the steam room."
Heather blinked. Not everyone boasted of a steam room in their house. Sometimes she forgot that this Watkins clan had the wealth to purchase whatever their hearts desired.
She gave the older man a hug. "I'm glad you're back safe."
He turned toward the gravel driveway where his Corvette waited and gave a hearty chuckle. "About time you showed up."
Heather's heart leaped. Lyle stood several feet away and for a beat, the world stilled. A pair of aviator sunglasses shaded his eyes. His army green shirt looked as though it had been hastily buttoned, exposing a good amount of his muscular chest. His hair was damp, indicating he’d come straight from the shower.
He didn’t speak. He merely stepped out of the shadows and crossed the space between them with a purpose that nearly made her faint. His hands found her face, drew her in and slowly, oh so slowly, he lowered his head and kissed her. It was a kiss that cherished, that felt like love, long and deep and so very, very sensual. When he pulled back she stared up at him, saw her own stunned reflection in his sunglasses. Needing to see his expression, to know if he was as moved by that kiss as she was, she removed the glasses and tucked them in his pocket.
"Hi," she said softly, looking up into his tender blue eyes.
"Hi, yourself. I missed you."
Finding herself on shaky ground, she raised a brow. "Really?"
He sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't call. There was a lot going on. And I knew you were wrapped up with the rescue mission."
"That was over a week ago." She hadn't meant to chastise him.
Lyle touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers, his eyes studying hers like he was searching for something in her face, and, just as clearly, finding it.
“I deserved that,” he said. “I should have called. I haven’t been fair to you.”
Heather swallowed hard, blinking back the sting behind her eyes. “I didn’t want to push. I know you’ve had... a lot to think about.”
“I’ve done nothing but think about you. About us. About Charlotte and this place and what it really means.” He took her hands in his, grounding them both. “And I came to a decision.”
She held her breath.
“I’m not going back to Shotgun Ridge. Except maybe for a visit or to tie up a few more things. I signed the papers to sell my stake in the practice. Dora’s happy there, and I’m happy for her. But Bear Valley is home. This is where I want to put down roots.”
Heather stared at him, stunned. Her heart slammed once, then started racing with tentative hope.
“I want this life, Heather. With you. With Charlotte. With dog hair all over my scrubs and late-night feedings and trail rides that turn into chaos because a cat has a mind of her own.”
Heather choked out a laugh, which turned into a sniff, which turned into a full, unfiltered sob.
Lyle smiled gently, drawing her closer, his voice low and warm against her ear. “I love you, Heather Prescott. And not just because you’re brave or beautiful or brilliant with animals. I love you because you see people. The way you saw me, even when I didn’t know who I was anymore. I want a life with you. All of it. The dogs, the rescues, the early mornings, the home-cooked meals. And the babies we haven’t even dreamed up yet.”
She lifted her face to his, her cheeks wet, her hands trembling in his. “You mean it?” she whispered. “All of it?”
“I want to build us a home. We can set up a proper facility for your dogs. Training, boarding, therapy. I’ll run the vet practice from the barn, like we talked about once in passing when we both thought we were just dreaming aloud. Only now, I’m not dreaming. I’m ready. If you’ll have me.”
Heather couldn’t keep the tears from spilling over. She nodded, then immediately shook her head, laughing through her emotions. “The Waverly house deal fell through,” she said, voice hiccuping. “Turns out there was an issue with the title transfer, and the heirs want nothing more to do with it right now.”
Lyle grinned. “We’ll lucky for us that I own a good chunk of this land we’re standing on. We can build our own place, from the ground up, exactly the way we want it. Right here where we’re far enough away but still surrounded by family. What do you think?”
She looked at him then, really looked at him, and knew this was the man she was always meant to choose. The man who wouldn’t just stand beside her in perfect moments but through the fear, the panic, and even the heartbreak. They had been through the fire. And now they burned brighter for it.
“And you’re sure?” she asked softly, laying a hand against his chest right over his heart. “You want this chaos? Dogs and cats and muddy boots and a little girl who may or may not believe she’s the boss of us both?”
He laughed, pulling her flush against him. “You are all I want, Heather. You and Charlotte. The chaos just makes it perfect.”
