She wasn’t alone. Ryland didn't care. He had to see her and he couldn’t wait. He pulled up in front of the main house, ignoring the barn and everyone and everything else. He rushed up this stairs and knocked on the front door.
Mary opened the door, arching her brows. “It's about time, cowboy.”
Amy stood in the hallway, watching him with Cody in her arms. And just how much she was coming to mean to him crushed him, nearly dropping him to his knees.
Ryland didn't care who heard, he rushed up to Amy and pulled her in his arms, holding her and rocking side to side. He jerked back to see her face. “Last night would've killed me, if I had lost you... I can’t believe I drove away this morning, like nothing happened. I don't want to be without you. I'm not sure where we’re going, not sure if we are a forever couple, but I want to try. I want to see what the three of us can do.”
Amy shook her head, irritation in her eyes and hurt twisting her mouth. “This is the first time I’ve belonged anywhere in a long time. I understand why you had to leave. I would’ve, too. But I would’ve talked to you. I would’ve said goodbye. I don't want to leave here. I don't want to go back to Clearwater with you. Not right now. I need the Besses.” She wiped at her cheeks where tears had begun to track. She sniffed, but kept her chin up. “I was terrified to get taken from you last night. I thought I’d lost my chance with you. Then I got it back and then you took it away again this morning. I can’t handle the rollercoaster of emotions anymore. It’s exhausting.”
She studied him, but didn’t pull away. “I've already lost you. While it will take me a while to get over it, if you're not gonna stick around, it would be best if you just left now. My heart can take it right now. I can survive this. I can’t get more attached to you and watch Cody get attached only to have you leave us later.” She lifted her chin, her brown eyes blazing. “If you even suspect that you won’t be here...”
Not being there with her wasn’t imaginable. Ryland reached out and found the vulnerability in the softness of her neck. He pulled her close, their foreheads touched and he spoke. “I don't want to leave you. If you want to stay here, this is where we'll stay. I would like to touch base with my family at some point, but there's nothing for me there that I can't have just by talking on the phone. I'll stay here with you. Stay anywhere you want. I came back for you. My cousins will have to deal without me. And I have their blessing.”
Suspicion shadowed her eyes but there was something else there, like hope. Something Ryland wanted to only ever see in her eyes. Hope and happiness.
“Really? You came back for me? What about your cousin?” Worry took her optimism and dampened it.
“My family’s going to have work without me. Nate will make it. He has to realize there's more out there than grief. If he doesn't accept it, he'll have to learn to live with it. I would never forgive myself or him, if I missed out on the opportunity to have what he had.” Ryland lowered his lips to hers, relishing in the contact and that she pushed closer to him, careful with Cody in her arms.
They didn't need to rush anything. They had a long winter ahead to get to know each other and to get to know the Besses better. As far as Ryland was concerned, chasing after his own dreams was a whole heck of a lot better than chasing after a broken Trail.
Chapter 18
Amy
Amy wrinkled her nose in teasing exasperation. “Where are we going? I'm not ready to meet your family yet.” She handed the small child bag up to Ryland and he tucked it behind the back seat of the truck.
Ryland smiled, and brushed some of the snowflakes off of Amy’s shoulders.
Winter finally arrived in all its snowy glory. It had only been a few weeks since the Indian summer ended. There was virtually no fall. The Tamaracks still clung to their colorful needles and the snow blew around the road in powdery drifts.
“You might not be ready to meet my family, but I'm ready to meet yours.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. They’d kept things formal and had agreed not to seek anything physical until they were sure they had a solid foundation between them.
Her shocked expression made him laugh out loud.
“What do you mean?” She watched Ryland grab Cody in the car seat and hook him into the base on the bench seat.
“Come on, I’m ready to meet your mom. I already called and set everything up. She's expecting us later tonight. We gotta get on the road though, it's gonna take about eight hours to get there.” He raised his eyebrows and wiggled them with excitement.
Amy raised her hands to cover her mouth, bright tears filling her eyes. “My mom? I get to see my mom again? I haven't talked to her in forever.” She exhaled and shook her head.
He nodded, reaching out and touching her arm. “I know. Let's fix that. She's your family. She needs to see her grandson and you need to see your mom. She’s so excited to see you. She doesn’t know about Cody, but she said something about me having more manners than the last one. Let’s let her keep that illusion for a while.” He winked.
Tears fell from Amy's eyes and she reached up to throw her arms around Ryland. Every moment with him was happy, even when they had small arguments, they still ended in laughter. The man took care of her. He just wanted what was best for her.
She’d never been so cherished before.
He pulled back. “Don't make me late to meet your mom for the first time. I do not want to leave a bad first impression. I’m determined to be better than the last one.” He tickled her side and helped her up into the car.
“Ryland.” So much love poured out of Amy's heart, she stopped him. With her up on the seat, she could look down into his face. She took his stubbly jaw in both her hands, placing her thumbs on his cheeks. Looking down into his startling blue eyes, she whispered, “I love you.”
She didn't have anything else to offer him. That was it. That was all she was.
Ryland put his hands over hers on his face and turned his lips to kiss the palm of her hand. “Good. Because I love you, too. And I love that little man.”
He pulled back from her, his eyes holding hers. He closed the door when she put her feet back in the right way.
Amy's heart couldn’t handle anymore happiness. She was safe, Cody was safe, and they were loved. Both of them. Ryland included Cody in everything... like he was his own son.
Amy would see her mom for the Thanksgiving weekend. Mary and Dean were like a new family for them and Amy's endless trail of tears and worry had ended because of Ryland.
How could it be she had gotten so lucky?
Epilogue
Ryland picked up the phone. The buzzing hadn’t stopped for three minutes. He hadn’t answered because he didn’t recognize the number. Whoever it was, they were persistent as all get out.
The 208 prefix was a north Idaho number. Ryland didn't know anyone in North Idaho. At least, not as far as he knew. He gave in and answered, certain the person calling was either a very stubborn telemarketer or someone with the wrong number. “Hello.”
“Ryland, it's Ruby. I can't find my brothers. Where are you?” His cousin’s voice tripped over the line, demanding, insistent.
Ryland pushed himself up from the mattress. He looked at the wall across from him. “Ruby? We haven’t heard from you in years. They don’t live on that side of the state anymore. They’re in Taylor Falls, in Clearwater.”
She blew out a burst of air. “Well, I'm coming back. I'm out for revenge. I need their address. Don't warn them I'm coming. This visit needs to be a surprise.”
Ryland told her where the rest of the Montana Trails were at. When she hung up, he marveled at the difference in how she sounded. She’d become hard, not like the broken girl he had seen for the last time when she was much younger.
Something was wrong and he had a feeling he and Amy were going to be headed back to Clearwater. At least for a little while.
Even though she told him not to warn her brothers, Ryland made the call. They all had to know she was coming.
Mont
ana wasn’t ready for a girl like Ruby.
Thanks for reading Endless Trails. Forsaken Trails, book 7 of the Montana Trails series, is riddled with romance and adventure.
Revenge fights love and finds it.
She's out for revenge...
He's out to find redemption...
Neither are looking for love... Certainly not the forever kind.
This next love story in the Clearwater County Romance series will give you those feel good moments with sweet romance and plot twists you weren't expecting!
Ruby can't recover from the consequences of an assault in her past. She's determined to make the man pay... so she can move on.
Sloan needs forgiveness, not from Ruby but from a woman hell bent on making him regret being born. He doesn't know what he's done. Or how to find forgiveness.
Pick up this page turner! Find love in the unlikeliest of places.
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Love this book and you want to read more? I’m so happy to oblige! I have all sweet romances some westerns and some contemporary. All FEEL GOOD with BOLD TWISTS
Western Romances
The Clearwater County Collection
The Montana Trails series
Broken Trails (book 1)
Forbidden Trails (book 2)
Unbridled Trails (book 3)
Hidden Trails (book 4)
Forgotten Trails (book 5)
Endless Trails (book 6)
Forsaken Trails (book 7)
Lonesome Trails (book 8)
Lost Trails (book 9)
Untamed Trails (book 10)
Boxset – Books 1, 2, 3
Boxset – 4, 5, 6
Boxset – 7,8,9
Full Boxset – 1-10
Lonely Lace series
Spurs and Lace (book 1)
Secrets and Lace (book 2)
Sorrows and Lace (book 3)
Boxset (all 3 books)
Redemption series
Romancing Redemption (book 1)
Riding for Redemption (book 2)
Resisting Redemption (book 3)
Regretting Redemption (book 4)
Rewarding Redemption (book 5)
Boxset (all 5 books)
Contemporary Romance
ClickandWed.com series
With This Click, I Thee Wed (book 1)
IDo.com (book 2)
DIY Vows (book 3)
eHoneymoon (book 4)
Keyword: I Do (book 5)
Let US-B Wed (book 6)
The Right Click (book 7)
Made For Love series
Made for Me (book 1)
Made for You (book 2)
Made for Love (book 3)
Downshift series
Downshift (book 1)
Full Throttle (book 2)
Block Pass (book 3)
Standalones
Odd Man Out
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Did you love Endless Trails? Then you should read Forsaken Trails by Bonnie R. Paulson!
Revenge fights love and loses.
She's out for revenge...
He's out to find redemption...
Neither are looking for love... Certainly not the forever kind.
This next love story in the Clearwater County Romance series will give you those feel good moments with sweet romance and plot twists you weren't expecting!
Ruby can't recover from the consequences of an assault in her past. She's determined to make the man pay... so she can move on.
Sloan needs forgiveness, not from Ruby but from a woman hell bent on making him regret being born. He doesn't know what he's done. Or how to find forgiveness.
Pick up this page turner! Find love in the unlikeliest of places.
Read more at Bonnie R. Paulson’s site.
Also by Bonnie R. Paulson
Bride Texas
Bride and Prejudice (Coming Soon)
Clearwater County, Lonely Lace series
Spurs and Lace
Secrets and Lace
Sorrows and Lace
Lonely Lace Box Set, Books 1 - 3
Clearwater County, Redemption series
Romancing Redemption
Riding for Redemption
Resisting Redemption
Regretting Redemption
Redemption Complete Series, Books 1 - 5
Rewarding Redemption
Clearwater County, The Montana Trails series
Broken Trails (Coming Soon)
Forbidden Trails (Coming Soon)
Unbridled Trails (Coming Soon)
Hidden Trails (Coming Soon)
Forgotten Trails (Coming Soon)
Endless Trails (Coming Soon)
Click and Wed.com Series
With This Click, I Thee Wed
IDo.com
DIY Vows
eHoneymoon
Keyword: I Do
ClickAndWed.com books 1 - 3 Boxset
Downshift Series
Downshift
Full Throttle
Odds and Evens
Odd Man Out
Watch for more at Bonnie R. Paulson’s site.
About the Author
Real people, real loss, real love.
This USA Today Bestselling author, Bonnie focuses on the emotional thrill of the romance, the discovery of self and the dynamic forces at play to both pull and push love growth.
With 6 children and her own eternal romance at home, Bonnie lives her own dream every day. She's spoiled with blessings and wants to share the joy of ever-after possibilities with others.
Whether it's a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now, the emotions will leave you story drunk for days, if not years.
Feel good romances with sweet twists. Or is it Sweet romances with bold twists? You decide.
You'll be able to say where you were when you closed the book.
Surviving all things real and coming out better on the other side.
Some of her favorite authors are Robyn Carr, Pamela Kelley, and Christine Kingsley!
Read more at Bonnie R. Paulson’s site.
Endless Trails Page 10