Tripp stood close to Seth, but his blue eyes were on her. He’d had good days and bad days, but he was still settling in, getting more secure in feeling that he was actually wanted here. He wasn’t as good at the small schoolhouse in Eclipse, with some separation anxiety, so Quinn was volunteering to help with his class and be close by for him. After the New Year, she’d be on staff teaching first and second grade. She knew Tripp needed her to be there.
Seth had his hand on Tripp’s shoulder, and when Quinn looked at him, she saw a touch of mischief in his hazel eyes. “Tripp and I came down to ask you two very important things,” Seth said to Quinn.
“What’s going on?” she asked after she’d glanced at Sarge, who was smiling as if he knew something was coming, too.
“Hold on,” Seth said. “First, Tripp has something important to ask you.”
The little boy stood straighter. “Real important.” Then he looked up at Seth. “Is it okay?”
“It’s okay. I promise.”
Tripp came closer to Quinn, took off his hat, set it crown-down on the couch the way Sarge had taught him, then looked at Quinn. He asked in a small uncertain voice, “Can I call you Mom?”
“Oh, Tripp,” she whispered and pulled him to her. “Yes, yes, please, yes. I would love that.” Seth had been Dad for two days and she loved that Tripp had finally asked her.
“Tripp, we have one more thing to ask…your mom.”
When the little boy grabbed his hat to put back on and scooted back to Seth’s side, his smile was huge. “Real important, too.”
Seth cleared his throat. “We talked this over and Tripp and I both agree that this is the right time to do this, before everyone gets here for Thanksgiving.”
“Come on, boy, get to it,” Sarge urged good-naturedly.
Quinn stood slowly. “Now you two have my full attention.”
Tripp looked up at Seth. “Go on, Dad.”
Seth took a breath, reached into the breast pocket of his T-shirt, then nodded to Tripp. They both got down on one knee in front of Quinn.
“What are you two…?”
Seth was the one who spoke. “We both love you so much.” His voice broke slightly on the last few words as he lifted his hand toward her and opened it palm up. The flash of diamonds sparkled in the overhead light. The ring was beautiful—three small hearts overlapping in a circle, framed by diamonds and set in gold.
“Oh, my gosh,” she breathed.
“I know you said you didn’t care about an engagement ring, that as long as the three of us were together and we got married in April, that’s all you needed. But you do need this.”
Their commitment to each other and to Tripp was all she’d ever need. “It’s beautiful.”
Seth smiled at her. “The jeweler finally finished, and we want to make this official. Quinn, will you marry me…and Tripp?”
She could barely take it all in. “Yes,” she breathed.
Seth and Tripp stood in unison. Seth took her left hand in his to slip the ring on her finger. Her gold band had been put away for safekeeping with her memories of Michael in the small leather box. Then she was in Seth’s arms. Everything about him melded in that moment for her—the small scared boy he must’ve been, the angry teenager and now the man. He was offering her a life with joy that could only come from being with him and making a family with Tripp, who was jumping up and down with excitement while Sarge clapped.
“Tell her, tell her!” Tripp said.
She looked at Seth. “There’s more?”
“It just gets better,” Seth said. “I received a call from Burr. He said we’ve been cleared to petition the court to adopt Tripp. No guarantee on when it will happen, but it is going to happen.”
She bent down to hug Tripp to her. He was tiny, but his hold on her was so tight that she almost couldn’t breathe. “This is perfect,” she said, kissing the top of his head, then standing, she held his small hand as she looked at Seth. “It’s really going to happen?”
“Yes, it is. Oh, there’s one more thing.”
“What’s that?” An unsteadiness grew in her when Seth gently touched the nearly invisible scar at her hairline. The strength of the love she felt for him stunned her.
Seth glanced down at Tripp. “Is it okay if I take your mom to the office for a minute?”
Tripp looked from one to the other, then nodded a bit reluctantly. “I guess.”
Sarge spoke up. “How about me and you play some cards? Go Fish is always good.”
As Tripp ran off to get the deck, Sarge looked at Seth. “I sure wish Maggie was here to see you so happy.” His smile seemed bittersweet. “She would have loved being a grandma, too.” Then Tripp was running back into the room with the cards. While the two settled to play, Seth took Quinn by her hand and led her back to his office. Once they were inside with the door closed, Seth pulled her into his arms and just held her.
“What did you want to tell me?” she whispered against his chest.
“That Owen called to tell me that the concept of Michael’s Shield is brilliant. He’s excited about working with it, and it looks as if it’s going to hit the market early next year.”
She closed her eyes tightly. She’d kept her promise, and doing that had brought her Seth and Tripp. She moved back enough to look up at Seth. “You really are my hero. You make my wishes come true.”
“How did I do that?”
“Well, that night in the hay loft I wished that I could be in your life with Tripp, and now I am. How about your wish?”
“Oh, that’s a simple one. I just wanted to kiss you and have you kiss me back.”
“Well, that certainly came true,” she said and slipped her arms around his neck to keep him close. “I’m willing to make sure that happens every day, if you’d like.”
His chuckle was rough. “A wish a day.”
“Sarge told me that Maggie’s wishes on the Wishing Moon were all the same. She wanted each of you to find the love of your life.”
“So, wishes do come true,” he said with that smile she loved.
As he kissed her again, the door swung open unexpectedly. Seth drew back and Quinn turned to see Tripp standing in the doorway frowning at the two of them. “You’re kissin’ again.”
Seth motioned to the boy. “Come here.”
He picked Tripp up. “What’s going on?” he asked his son.
Tripp looked at Quinn, then back at Seth. “You keep kissing…Mom,” he said, not looking very pleased about it. “And she kisses you…a lot.”
Seth smiled at the boy, then at Quinn. “When you love someone with all your heart, a kiss is a good way to show it.”
Quinn nodded as she took Tripp’s hand in hers. “It doesn’t mean you can’t love more than one person. I mean, right now, I love Seth so much, and I sure do love you a lot.”
Tripp was silent, his look intense before he took off his hat, then unexpectedly leaned toward Quinn and kissed her on her cheek, then he turned to do the same thing to Seth. When he moved back, he grinned at the two of them, put his hat back on and wiggled to get down. As Seth let him go, the boy said, “Gotta go and see Grandpa!” and with that, he was out the door.
Quinn laughed. “I have a feeling that Sarge is about to get kissed.”
Seth pulled Quinn back into his arms. “I love you so much,” he said. Then he told her something she already knew. “I think that every road in my life led me right here, to this moment with you. It took me a while to get here, but I’m so thankful I finally made it.”
“Welcome home,” she whispered and kissed him again.
* * *
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
Connect with uplifting stories where the bonds of friendship, family and community unite.
4 NEW BOOK
S AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN-13: 9781488074516
Her Wyoming Hero
Copyright © 2021 by Mary Anne Wilson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at [email protected].
Harlequin Enterprises ULC
22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada
www.Harlequin.com
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
Connect with uplifting stories where the bonds of friendship, family and community unite.
4 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN-13: 9781488074523
Copyright © 2021 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
Second Chance Cowboy
Copyright © 2021 by Claire McEwen
The Doctor and the Matchmaker
Copyright © 2021 by Cheryl Harper
The Soldier’s Unexpected Family
Copyright © 2021 by Tanya Agler
Her Wyoming Hero
Copyright © 2021 by Mary Anne Wilson
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set Page 89