by Jennie Marts
She wasn’t saying anything, but she wasn’t pulling away, either, and her body had relaxed, so he plunged ahead.
He slid his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face to him. Leaning his forehead against hers, his voice broke. “I know you told me last night to go away and leave you alone. But the thought of walking out of your life terrifies me. A week ago, I couldn’t possibly imagine spending my life with a cowgirl in Colorado, and now I can’t imagine spending my life without her. Without you.”
He swallowed. “Please say something.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “You have rendered me completely speechless.”
He grinned. “Then how about you don’t say anything and just kiss me?”
She slid her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Words didn’t matter when she kissed him like this.
Her fingers entwined in his hair as he pulled her tightly against him. If he’d had any question left about his feelings for her, they disappeared in the instant she wrapped her arms around him and her lips touched his.
Because in that moment, he knew he was home.
…
Skye didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know what to say. This had never happened to her before. But she had to say something.
Breaking the kiss, she pulled back and swiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. His simple but beautiful words touched her soul and knit together the pieces of a heart that she had previously thought had been broken beyond repair.
Holding his face in her hands, his adorable, handsome face, she swallowed back the emotion blocking her throat.
Her heart pounded against her chest, and she took a deep shuddering breath. “Thank you. Thank you for liking my son and for working so hard to come up with all of these wonderful ideas. Thank you for what you did in my office—the mug, and the flowers, and the pictures. Oh my God, the pictures almost did me in. I loved them so much. Thank you for not giving up on me when I pushed you away and for holding on to me when I tried to leave.
“I love that you can always make me laugh. And I love that even when I pushed you away, you still came through for me and for my son. I didn’t think I was capable of trusting another man with my heart. Heck, I wasn’t sure if my heart still even worked, but I guess it does, because I can feel it pounding against my chest. It may be bruised, and battered, and a little out of shape, but it is yours, Adam Clark. Because I am crazy in love with you, and I’m giving it to you, completely, no-holds-barred. Because I know now that you will take care of it, take care of me, and take care of Cody.”
She thought it would be harder when she decided to trust someone again, but it seemed to be the easiest thing she’d done all day. And suddenly the heavy burden that she’d carried all of these years—the chains that had kept her heart hidden away—disappeared. And she felt like she could finally breathe.
“You can trust me, Skye. I won’t let you down.”
“I know. I believe you. I love all your ideas, and I think we should go for it. Because I can’t imagine my life without you in it, either. I want you to stay here with us, but when you go back to California, I know you’ll come back.”
“I will. I will always come home to you.”
“I know. I love you, Adam. And I trust you.”
And she really did.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Skye leaned against the fence, watching as the bus full of new campers pulled up to the ranch. This was the second group that had participated in their Gaming and Grit program. The first week had been a tremendous success.
The website and Facebook page that Brittany had set up was full of great reviews and filled with photos of campers participating in parts of a live-action video game.
Brittany had turned out to be surprisingly adept at social media and was quite skilled at the computer, instigating a new online registration system and a slew of new programming ideas.
She and Josh now lived in the apartment in the lodge, and they’d been a huge help running the ranch while Skye and Cody spent time in California.
Adam had hired a local construction company to build a beautiful custom log home on the west side of the property, and they’d moved in earlier that spring. They had privacy but were still within a five-minute walk of the ranch. And with all of the technology he’d added, Adam could do a lot of work remotely, so he tried to spend as much time at the new house as he could.
They had worked tirelessly that year, putting the new plans for the ranch into play, but they’d also made time for fun.
She and Cody had flown to California several times, and Adam had taken them to Disneyland and to the Caribbean earlier in the year. They’d split holidays between the two houses but had spent Christmas in Colorado, where, with the snow-topped Rockies in the background, Adam had proposed.
Skye smiled down at the diamond ring adorning her left hand. The wedding was scheduled for late August, just when the aspens were starting to change.
They planned to get married in Colorado, at the ranch, where they’d first met and fallen in love.
It seemed like so long ago. She never could have imagined that a ridiculously smart computer engineer from California who wore glasses and faded Converse sneakers would fit so easily into a dude ranch in Colorado and into their lives. But he did, and it was amazing.
She’d never laughed so much in her life as she had in the last year. Adam and Cody were always up to something. They were as close as any real father and son, and the papers had already been filed for Adam to legally adopt him.
They were a real family. A family of three that, after the positive test she’d taken that morning, was about to grow to four.
She hadn’t told Adam yet. She was saving it as a surprise to share after tonight’s hay ride. But she knew he’d be thrilled.
Because she knew Adam. Knew him. Loved him. Trusted him.
She pushed off the fence, a smile breaking across her face as she rubbed a hand lightly over her belly, and went to greet the new campers.
The End…
…and just the Beginning
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Acknowledgments
As always, my love and thanks goes out to my husband, Todd, for your steadfast love and support in my writing career and in our life together! We make the best team!
Huge thanks to my Entangled sisters, Beth Rhodes and Cindy Skaggs, who helped make this work possible through their constant support and lots and lots of writing sprints—whether I wanted to do them or not. Your accountability and support is invaluable!
Special thanks to Kristin Miller for your plotting help. Your friendship and encouragement mean the world to me.
Many thanks to my editor, Brenda Chin, for your awesome editing talents. And buckets of thanks to the whole Entangled Publishing team for all of your efforts and hard work in making this book happen.
Special acknowledgement goes out to the women that walk this writing journey with me every day. The ones that make me laugh, who encourage and support, who offer great advice and sometimes just listen. Thank you Michelle Major, Lana Williams, Anne Eliot, Ginger Scott, and Selena Laurence. XO
About the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship and intrigue. Reviewers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and full of great characters.
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her own Prince Charming. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books include the following series: the Hearts of Montana, the Page Turners, the Bannister Brothers Books, and the Cotton Creek Romances.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Mar
ts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com.
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