Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“What are you up to?”
“I love you more than anything in this world.” He sets our plates back on the table by the bed and takes my hand in his. “I’ve been waiting a hell of a long time for this. I didn’t want to make this one last promise to you until after the season was over. I couldn’t make this promise to you until I knew without a doubt that I’d never ride another bull again.”
His thumb brushes over my knuckles as he stares into my eyes.
“I promise you that I will love you, no matter what, for as long as there is breath in me.”
I bite my lip and feel the tears spring to my eyes. Holy shit. We’re doing this. Right now.
“You are the reason for everything in my life. You are the light and the goodness that I didn’t know was missing. I can’t wait to move into our home, to make more babies, and to live this life with you, every day, knowing that no matter what happens, we choose each other.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sparkling diamond ring, and Daisy starts to jump on the bed with glee.
“Will you marry me, Abs? Will you make me the happiest man in the world?”
I look up at Daisy, and she giggles. “I already said yes, and he made me keep this secret until tonight. Please say yes, Mom.”
“You already asked her?”
“Well, yeah. If she wasn’t in on this, there was no way you would be.” He reaches out and catches a tear on his thumb. “Don’t cry, baby. I can’t stand it when you cry.”
“Happy tears. Of course, I’ll marry you, Cowboy.”
He slides the ring onto my finger and then kisses me long and slow and deep until Daisy makes a choking noise.
“Do we get to be Wilds now? For real?” Daisy asks.
“Yes, ma’am,” Brady says with a wink and then turns back to me. “Wild will be the last name you ever have.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Hey, what if I get married?” Daisy asks, and Brady’s face goes pale.
“Absolutely not.” He shakes his head. “No way. Not happening.”
I take his face in mine and kiss his lips. “Breathe, Cowboy. We have a few years before we have to cross that bridge.”
“I love you, Blue Eyes.”
“I love you, too.”
EPILOGUE
HOLDEN LEXINGTON
Today is going to be a son of a bitch, and if I’m going to get through it with my sanity intact, I need some coffee.
And maybe I need to see her.
Okay, mostly, I need to see her. So sue me.
I push my way into Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co., and the smell of coffee and sugar assaults my nose. At first, I don’t see Millie Wild behind the counter, and I consider turning around and walking back out, but then she bustles through a side door, a smile on that drop-dead gorgeous face as she carries a couple of sleeves of cups behind the counter. Her long, chestnut-brown hair is up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her way. She’s in a branded T-shirt and jeans, with a signature orange apron tied around her waist.
It’s the middle of the morning on a weekday, so of course, it’s busy in here. I hang back for a moment and take her in before she sees me. She smiles and jokes with her customers, and I love seeing this carefree look on her face.
She glances my way, and the ice seeps into her eyes, and those walls come crashing down around her.
Not that I don’t deserve it. I abso-fucking-lutely do. But it still pisses me off.
“Hey,” she says with a polite smile as I approach her. God, I fucking hate it when she looks at me with indifference. I’d almost rather the blatant animosity that shows up more times than not than the cool indifference. “What would you like today?”
“My usual.”
“And that is?”
I narrow my eyes at her. This woman has half the town’s usual memorized, and I know she knows mine, too. She’s just being obtuse to be a brat.
I wish I could take her over my knee and spank her pretty little ass.
“Coffee. Black. One sugar.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.” She taps the screen of the computer. “What are you up to today?”
“Headed to the lawyer’s office,” I say as I tap my card to the screen. “Will reading.”
Her hazel eyes—no, gold, flecked with green—soften on me. “I’m sorry, Holden.”
“Yeah, well. Have to get it over with.”
“I was sorry to hear about your dad.”
She wouldn’t be if she knew the absolute fuckery that man caused. For both her and me. But she’ll never know, if I have anything to say about it.
I simply nod at her, and she turns to pour my coffee, adds the sugar the way she knows that I like it, which makes me grin, and then snaps the lid on and turns to pass it to me.