Wild Cowboy Nights

by Katee Robert

  He just had to prove to her that he was all in.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hope rolled out of bed at nine, which was the latest her pride would allow her to sleep in. As tempting as it was to hide in bed all day, there were too many things waiting for her attention, not the least being her plan for the future. She combed her hair and put on her brightest sundress, needing to feel in control of at least that. She glanced at her phone, hating the little thread of disappointment when the notifications showed no missed calls or texts from Daniel.

  He didn’t call last time, either.

  God, she was so sure she’d moved past all of that. All it took was one fight and she was right back in that dark place, calling and calling and never getting any answer. She wouldn’t do that again. She couldn’t. There was more than herself to think of now, and wallowing in despair couldn’t possibly be good for the baby.

  That’s the only bright spot in this disaster, which is damned ironic.

  She pressed her hand to her stomach. “It’s just me and you, little bit.” Except it wasn’t. There would be no cutting Daniel out of her life for good, not when the baby was half him. As much as it made her sick to think about, she had to face him, and soon. They had to hash out some kind of visitation setup before she left town, because she had no intention of setting foot back in Devil’s Falls. This town had done enough damage, and it didn’t matter if her pain wasn’t actually the town’s fault.

  “Uh, Hope?”

  She jumped and then felt guilty for jumping. She was in Jessica’s home, after all. It only stood to reason that the woman had come to check on her. “Yeah?”

  “I think you’re going to want to come see this.”

  She opened the door and started down the stairs, wondering at how strange her friend sounded. “What’s wrong?” When she got no answer, she picked up her pace, though she kept a hand on the railing. The last thing she needed was a tumble, especially when she was already feeling so off balance. She froze at the bottom of the stairs, not quite believing her eyes. “Danny?” She took a step toward him and then stopped, registering that both her parents were on the other side of the living room, and Jessica stood next to them, and all three of them were staring at her and Daniel with varying degrees of expectation.

  “Hey, darling.” His face didn’t give anything away, didn’t give any indication of why he was here.

  Painfully aware they had an audience, she bit her lip. “Maybe we should talk privately.” Judging from the way Jessica was practically salivating, anything he said would spread like wildfire through town by lunch. Hope couldn’t even blame her. It was just the way things were in this town.

  “No, I don’t think we should.” He moved toward her, and she belatedly registered the flowers in his hands. Daisies. Her favorite.

  She took them, not sure what to think. “You remembered.”

  “I remember everything.” He took her hand, and for one breathless moment, she thought he was going to go down on one knee, but Daniel met her gaze, the naked longing in his eyes drawing her in despite herself. He squeezed her hand. “I fucked up. I fucked up when I put myself before us thirteen years ago, and I fucked up again last night by letting the past get a stranglehold on me. I’ve been so focused on everything that went wrong all that time ago, I forgot to focus on everything going right.”

  “Danny—”

  “Let me finish.” There was no heat to the words—just quiet strength. “I love you, darling. I’ve always loved you. The last few days have made me so happy that it scared the shit out of me, and so I went and poked it until it exploded. I was wrong, and I’m so damn sorry.”

  He was saying everything she’d ever wanted to hear, but she couldn’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop. “We tried. We failed. Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

  “You’re right.” He continued before she could fully process how her heart dropped at his agreement. “Some things aren’t. But we aren’t some things. A love like ours doesn’t come around more than once in a lifetime, and the fact we get a second chance to do it right is miracle enough. I don’t deserve a second chance—or third or fourth or whatever number chance we’re on now—but I’m here asking for it all the same.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Except she knew what she wanted to say. Hope opened her mouth, forcing the words past her pride demanding she stay silent. “I…I need my own place.”

  He didn’t blink. “I suggest you rent.”

  “Uh, what?”

  “I’m going to marry you, Hope Moore. It can be on your timeline, but it’s going to happen.” He glanced at her parents, watching the whole thing with unreadable expressions on their faces. “I know I’m not good enough for your daughter, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life working to be.” He squeezed her hand again. “I know it’ll take time, but the beauty is that we have the rest of our lives to work up to it.”

  She’d woken up this morning on the very edge of despair, sure that history was repeating itself, and yet here he was, proving her dead wrong. It felt too good to be true.

  But, as she looked up at him, she realized it was really happening. “My timeline?”

  “I can’t promise I won’t be pushy from time to time, but I’ll respect whatever boundaries you put into place.” He reached out and tentatively touched her stomach, as if expecting her to slap his hand away. “Whatever it takes, darling. I’ll do it. Just name the price.”

  Price. For the first time, she understood. That was what he’d never been able to get past before. He was trying—he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t—but part of him still expected her to reject him and cut him out of her life. She lifted her chin. “Kiss me.”

  Daniel’s slow grin did a number on her stomach, just like it always had. “You’re going easy on me.”

  “I figure there’s a mighty good chance I’ll spend the next seven months putting you through the wringer.” She covered his hand on her stomach with her own. “Then we have the rest of our lives catering to the whims of this one. And the others.”

  “Others.”

  “Danny, you know very well that I want a whole handful of kids.”

  He smiled so wide, it made her heart leap, because the shadows that never seemed to leave his face were gone. “I guess I’ll have to get a few more dogs like Ollie and teach them all to herd so the kids don’t run us ragged.”

  “I guess you will.” Was it possible for a person’s heart to burst from happiness? Because she was reasonably sure that hers might in that moment as he pulled her into his arms. He paused and looked at her parents again. “While your blessing isn’t strictly necessary, I sure would like to have it. On account of the grandbabies.”

  Hope’s dad opened his mouth, but her mom put her hand on his arm and spoke first. “Do right by our daughter, Daniel.”

  “I plan on it, ma’am.”

  It wasn’t a blessing, strictly speaking, but it was as good as a declaration that her mother would try. Really, that was all anyone could ask for. Hope looked at Daniel, her heartbeat picking up at being so close to him, just like it always did. “I love you.”

  “I know.” He leaned down, stopping just short of actually kissing her. “I love you, too, darling.”

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  Acknowledgments

  To God. It’s been quite the journey and this year has been more challenging than I could have imagined, but it’s all worth it. Thank you.

  To Heather Howland. Thank you so much for helping me finagle this series and up my game with Daniel and Hope. Their book wouldn’t be what it is without your input.

  To Kari Olson. Thank you for pointing me in the direction of Tyler Farr’s album, Suffer in Peace. That served as a soundtrack for this book! You know how I adore broken men and their breakup songs!

  To the
Rabble. Thank you time and time again for your endless support and enthusiasm. You’re often the first eyes that see snippets of my books, and your responses never fail to make my day!

  To Piper Drake. You’ve been my sounding board and the person talking me off the ledge for ages now. The last few years wouldn’t have been the same without your presence in my life, and I am so damn grateful for you! You’re a rockstar!

  To Tim. I’m writing this as we’re approaching our three year anniversary. I don’t know that anyone has gone through quite as much in such a relatively short period of time. Thank you for being my rock in the storm—and for sometimes being the storm to shove me out of my head. I love you like whoa. Here’s to you, babe.

  About the Author

  Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

  kateerobert.com

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