by Crowne, KC
“I’m trying to change that,” Tyler announced, speaking up from behind him. “But we’ll see what happens.”
“I’m going to make a city boy outta him yet, Molly, just you wait and see.”
“Why do you have to choose one or the other?” Molly asked, and my ears perked up. “Life is too short to just have one or the other. Both have their advantages, don’t you think? Imagine the property you could buy out here, Christopher. All the space, compared to our dinky little studio in the city.”
“Hey now, I love our studio.”
“We literally both sleep in the kitchen.”
Christopher sighed and waved off the comment, but then laughed. “Yeah, yeah, Tyler has mentioned us buying a house out here. I told him I’d think about it.”
“He said he’d do more than think about it,” Tyler added. “He’s already started looking.”
Christopher patted him playfully. “Love makes you do the craziest things, I swear.”
“Cheers to that,” I said, raising my glass.
All four of us raised our drinks, clinking the bottles and glasses together.
The rest of the family joined in.
My family.
All of them, together.
I had never been happier.
Epilogue
MOLLY
Nine Months Later
“Everyone, welcome home Violet Walker,” I announced as I stepped into our home. We were surrounded by family - Mama G, all the uncles, Aunt Emily, her husband Logan, and of course, Violet’s half-brother, Christopher. Everyone had been waiting for us to get back from the hospital, just like the last time. Except this time, there was a sign with Violet’s name hung across the door.
And, of course, we were in our own home. We were still on the ranch property, and the main house could have held us all, but it was nice having our own space. Grandma was never too far away, though, and we’d have dinner at the ranch several times a week. Her food was to die for, and while I was learning the family recipes, there was something special added to Mama G’s meals.
Emily and Mama G were cooing over the baby, with Christopher standing not too far behind. Tyler was still at his side. A few days earlier, they had shared their own special news - they were getting married. Christopher was slowly getting Tyler to come around to spending half the time in the city.
And I was, not surprisingly, spending more and more time in Texas. It was starting to grow on me. I’d come to appreciate the quieter life.
I was glad Violet would grow up knowing the best of both worlds.
Silas would often go with me to New York, and we had our own apartment. Tyler and Christopher had taken over our studio. The traveling could sometimes get exhausting, which was one reason I was grateful for our cozy cabin in Texas. A cabin Silas had built himself, just like his father had for Mama G all those years ago. It wasn’t as large as the main house - yet - but mostly because we didn’t need the space. Maybe one day, if we managed to have five kids, as Mama G had.
“I have somethin’ for ya,” Silas said, nudging me toward the door.
Emily reached for Violet, and it was hard to let my baby girl go, but Emily said, “We’ll be right behind you.”
Everyone was watching us.
Everyone was smiling.
They knew something I didn’t.
I followed Silas out of the cabin and onto the porch.
“Wait, right here,” he said.
I cocked my head to the side and chuckled, watching as he ran behind the house. A second later, he re-emerged with a beautiful, solid white mare. My eyes nearly popped out of my head at the sight of the horse, one that was new to the ranch because I’d never seen her before. But as the horse turned, I caught sight of something written on her saddle.
“Come here,” he urged with a grin. “Get a good look at her.”
I walked down the steps toward the beautiful horse. She was larger than Martha but seemed just as calm. She was younger too, which might give her a little more pep in her step. I hadn’t been riding since that first time with Silas - I didn’t want to risk a fall while pregnant. But Silas knew I’d been looking forward to another chance.
As I got closer, I could see the words written on the saddle. I covered my mouth as I kept walking, not sure if I could believe my eyes.
Silas dropped to his knee, and the tears started flowing.
He pulled out a ring.
The words on the saddle spelled out: “Will you marry me?”
He didn’t even have to ask. As soon as I saw the ring, I answered the question.
“Yes, of course!”
He stood up, and I was in his arms a moment later. He picked me up off my feet and swung me around, kissing me on the lips. I heard our family on the porch, cheering for us.
Even Christopher.
The last year had been a whirlwind, and I never imagined I’d have ended up out here. We had our Houston shop opening a month later, and hopefully the Manhattan shop not too long after.
Who knew that a simple favor for a friend could turn out like this?
“I told you I’d make a country girl out of you,” Silas whispered, our faces pressed together.
“And you did,” I giggled. “I never thought it was possible, but you did.”
Christopher’s voice cut through the giggling. “If Violet gets to be the flower girl, I get to be ring bearer - it’s only right.”
Silas laughed so hard, he had to put me down. We were both grinning from ear-to-ear.
Our family wasn’t conventional by any stretch of the imagination.
But it was ours and it was perfect.
Did you enjoy Taboo Cowboy? Great news! Silas’ brother, Wyatt, has his own love story and you can snag it for a special discounted pre-order price now.
Did you enjoy the sneak peek? Grab Wyatt’s full love story today. It’s called Cowboy’s Baby.
I’ve included a sneak peak of that book below.
Cowboy’s Baby (Preview of Wyatt’s story)
Wyatt
“That,” I said out loud to myself, “was a scream.”
A woman’s scream, more precisely. I narrowed my eyes and focused, trying to pinpoint where the hell it might’ve come from.
At first, I had no idea what the sound actually was. It was sharp and quick, high-pitched and piercing. It almost reminded me of a loud, squeaky fence. But the sound was loud enough to cut through the roar of the wind. I glanced at the sky; the storm clouds were rolling in fast, blotting out the sunshine. Thunder boomed like a cannon, and lightning crackled across the sky.
I heard it again, jerking my head around as I tried to find the source. I placed my hands on the fence and stared in the direction I thought it might be coming from. The sun was low and dim and almost covered, making visibility harder by the moment. Oak trees dotted the expanse of the property, the greens of their leaves whirling in the strong wind.
I needed to figure out what I was hearing and get to the bottom of this random mystery. Could be one of the guests at the property, someone who’d had a little too much at the bar and decided to go for a lovely little stroll in one of the worst damn storms of the year. Idiot move.
Didn’t matter. If someone was in trouble, I had to find them. Then I’d give them a piece of my damn mind. Ranch guest or not, stupid was stupid in my book. This was no damn weather for strolls. I patted the wood post of the fence and glanced toward the house, which was much more inviting than wandering about in a thunderstorm.
I felt determination well up inside of me. Someone might’ve taken a fall, hurt themselves bad. As a veterinarian, I’d had enough training to help a human patient if the need arose.
My heartbeat quickened and adrenaline coursed through my body when I thought I heard a rustle. I started off in the direction of the scream. I’d always had an easy time keeping a cool head in a crisis, and today was no exception.
The rain started as I walked in the direction, which would make the search just that much more
of a pain in the ass. I swear it dropped an inch as I searched the area in response to the stranger’s distress call. I pulled my father’s old shearling coat tight around me, the wind kicking up again and making the world in front of me a blur of sideways rain.
Texas had its high points –figuratively and literally- but the damn weather sure as hell wasn’t one of them. Sure, it could be pretty damn picturesque during the spring, which lasted about a month before the summer heat slammed into the area. Fall was lovely, though it stayed hot until Halloween, and winter varied in temperament. Sometimes a sun shining, seventy-degree day was immediately followed by a blustery, rainy, forty-five-degree day. During those days, I preferred to be inside next to the fire in the living room of my ranch looking out at it. Legs propped up, cup of coffee in my hands as I let the stress melt away. Hell, maybe even a little whiskey in the coffee if the mood was right.
Working in the nonsensical weather of Texas? That was a whole other thing. Searching for some tourist who had no idea what the weather here was like? Frustrating as hell. The wind whipped hard enough to make me hold onto the brim of my cowboy hat unless I wanted the damn thing to fly off my head. But that was life out here – you didn’t choose living on a ranch unless you didn’t mind roughing’ it. And I certainly didn’t.
To my right was the ranch I shared with my family, Rainbow Canyons. Truth be told, calling it a “ranch” didn’t really seem to fit. Sure, there were plenty of animals – my favorite thing about it – but the house itself was as big as a damn mansion. The lights glowing inside gave the place a homey feel, and the idea of being next to the wood burning fire with a hot mug of coffee came back to my mind. I let out a loud groan of frustration. The coffee would have to wait; I had bigger things to worry about. Namely, the woman in trouble.
Better not be no damn hammered fool.
I kept on moving, my breath coming out in thick puffs in front of me. Not only was it raining, it was probably less than forty degrees. I passed one of the horse stables and briefly considered taking out Thunder, my stallion. But I thought better of it, figuring I didn’t need to subject both of us to the damn cold if I didn’t have to.
I swear, some of these out of town city guests wouldn’t know how to survive in an outdoor sporting goods store if they had to. Besides, the scream had sounded like it had come from somewhere nearby –not likely I’d need Thunder to get there.
I walked further, my mind going back and forth between thoughts of getting to the woman and what I’d discover when I found her.
Might’ve just been one of the ranch hands seeing a damn snake or something.
I tried to tell myself this ridiculous lie, but it didn’t settle right in my mind. I was a details guy. I knew everyone who worked at the place, and the voice hadn’t sounded familiar.
I turned my attention back to the landscape as I moved. Rainbow Canyons wasn’t exactly isolated, but it was a good drive from the closest town. If the woman who’d screamed was someone I didn’t recognize, I’d sure as hell want to know how she’d ended up here.
Moving up the sloping hill to the west of the ranch, I trudged on. And as I did, my eyes scanned in every direction, trying to spot the girl. A tinge of dread moved through my body as I considered the idea she might be lost, having fallen in a rocky ravine hidden to strangers but well-known to those of us who’d grown up here.
I cupped my hands in front of my mouth and yelled. “Hey! Anyone out there?” Didn’t do me much good in a storm like this one. Even with my deep voice some likened to Sam Elliot’s, the driving rain and intermittent thunder covered it.
I picked up my pace, reaching the top of the bluff. It was a good vantage point despite the lack of visibility. I glanced back toward the house, briefly wondering if I should head back and see if my brother Silas was available to help in the search. But time was a factor and I couldn’t risk the delay in the event the person I’d heard really was in trouble.
I trained my gaze as I turned in place, but I saw nothing.
“Damn, girl,” I muttered under my breath. “You’ve got to be here somewhere.”
Then I saw something off in the distance near the tree line of the property oaks. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was, only able to make out a swatch of dark red against the stark trees. I started off in as quick of a run as I could manage in the rain, drawing closer and closer to the red among the trees. And as I did, the form began to take on the shape of a person. I could see the red jacket, along with a white knit cap on a head of auburn hair.
It was a woman, alright. And just like I’d suspected, she wasn’t one I recognized. She lay face-down on the ground. My gut feeling about moving fast was correct. I rushed to her side and squatted down next to her. I placed my hand on her back, jostling her gently, careful not to exacerbate any injuries she might have suffered. “Hey, you okay?” A ridiculous damn question, for sure. No one who was remotely okay would be face-down out in the open in a thunderstorm.
She didn’t respond. With a gentle heave I turned her over, and I sure as hell didn’t expect to see what I saw.
This woman, whoever she was, was causing reactions in my body that I’d never experienced so easily for a stranger, and an unconscious one at that. She had to be damn near the most stunning creature I’d ever seen in my life. I was taken aback by a heart-shaped face, adorned with skin so fair she could be a Disney Princess. Raindrops landed gently on her face and neck, tiny drops dripping down her neck and chest. Her clothes were soaked through already, a testament to the driving rain.
Her body was shapely and full. Even with her large winter coat, I could see the luscious curves from her chest down to her hips. With force, I had to move my gaze back up to her face. My eyes landed on her lips, full and pale and wet from the rain. Her auburn locks covered her right cheek, and for a moment I felt a selfish urge to move the luscious strands to the side so I could have an unobstructed view of this perfect picture of beauty before me.
She was unreal.
Like a flood, questions consumed my mind and my protective instincts kicking in. Who was she? How the hell did she end up here?
“Hello,” I said again. “You with me?”
No response. This was bad.
I said a silent thanks that I had medical training. I took off my glove, the cold biting instantly, and placed two fingers on the delicate curve of her neck. There was no pulse, and her chest wasn’t rising and falling with breath. I looked over her face again for any sign of what the hell might’ve happen to her. But other than being tinged red from the cold, there was no injury I could easily see.
As much as I wanted to figure out what the hell happened to her, this was the time to act. I unzipped her coat, revealing a yellow and black checkered flannel shirt with a pair of gorgeous, perfectly shaped breasts underneath.
For the second time in the last few minutes, I forced my gaze away from her curves. Inappropriate thoughts were the last thing I needed in my head right now. If this woman was going to live, I needed to get her breathing immediately.
I pressed my hands down on her chest and pumped hard, starting CPR. Her body jerked as I did, but she still didn’t respond. I leaned down and placed my lips on hers, ignoring how much I enjoyed their softness. Her lips were cool and lush. I breathed in once, twice, then three times before rising and pressing on her chest a few times more.
“Come on, girl. Don’t you go dyin’ out here in the cold like this.”
I pressed again and again and continued for what felt like an eternity. Alarm flooded my body until finally something happened. At the moment my lips were about to touch hers again, her eyes opened wide – stunning greens that shone brightly even in the low sun. She leaned up and sucked in a sharp gasp of air, her wet hair hanging around her face.
“Easy…” My voice was stern but calm; I didn’t want to terrify the poor thing any more than she likely already was, barely back into consciousness like that. Her eyes darted around, her expression one of panic. I placed my hand on her sh
oulder, trying to keep her steady. “Are you alright? You really gave me a scare.”
She sucked in several breaths, and they began to slow as she regained her composure somewhat. “Where…where am I?”
“OK,” I said. “You’re talking. That’s good. Now, I’m gonna take you to the house and call for an ambulance. Can you get up on your feet?”
She snapped her eyes onto mine. “Who are you?”
“I’m one of the owners of this property you stumbled onto.” I could barely hear my voice over the rain, which was falling steadily as the wind picked up. Thunder boomed, jolting us both. The middle of a violent storm wasn’t the best place to have a getting to know you conversation. “Can you get up?”
“I…I think so.”
I didn’t wait for her to try. I slipped my arm around her waist and heaved her up to her feet. As I did, I couldn’t help but notice there was more to this woman than her curves –she was built solid, like she had some muscle on her body.
Once she was up, I steadied her. “You think you can make the walk?”
“I can try.”
I took my hand from her and stepped back, giving her a chance to move on her own. She placed one foot in front of the other, but when she tried for her second step she wavered, losing her balance and nearly falling over.
“Alright, easy,” I soothed. “I’m gonna help you. Stand still.” After stepping to her side, I slipped my arm around her waist again.
“I can walk on my own, thank you,” she told me, sounding uncomfortable and possibly afraid.
“Now, I’m all for letting a woman walk on her own two feet – literally, in this case. But you’re not looking too steady. So come on and let me help you. You weren’t breathing just a minute ago and we need to get you outta this storm.”
She regarded me with a skeptical expression before nodding. I put my arm back around her.
“Now, it’s a little bit of a walk. You up for it?”