Best of Cowboys Bundle
Page 170
“You offered to take me back to the Triple Bar,” she said, looking hopeful.
“Nope.”
“No?”
Shaking his head, he grinned. “It never was an offer. An offer can be turned down, and I wasn’t about to go back to Texas without you.” He kissed her with every emotion he had welling up inside of him, then lifting his head, added, “And when we board that plane to go home, you can count on it being as husband and wife.”
“You sound rather sure of yourself,” she said, giving him a smile that made his body hard with wanting.
“I am sure.” He pressed himself to her, letting her know what she did to him, how much he wanted her. “Darlin’, I can’t promise you I’ll be with you for the rest of your life, but you can count on me being with you for the rest of mine.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, cowboy.” She kissed him and he felt like he’d been given the most precious gift on earth. “I love you, Cooper Adams.”
“And I love you, darlin’,” he said, swinging her up into his arms. “That’s something else you can count on for the rest of my life.”
Epilogue
“W here Mommy?” Dusty asked, looking around. He clutched a pink bunny in one arm, while he rested his other arm on his father’s shoulders.
“She’s in a room upstairs with your new baby sister,” Cooper said, glancing at his son as he carried him through the hospital lobby.
“Baby Kadie,” Dusty said seriously, nodding his little blond head.
An overwhelming sense of love and pride filled Cooper. At a little over two years old, Dustin Cooper Adams was talking better than most kids his age. Of course, as far as Cooper was concerned, Dusty was just about the smartest two-year-old there ever was.
“That’s right, your baby sister’s name is Katie,” Cooper said, smiling. “And we’re going to take her and Mommy home with us later today.”
Dusty squirmed where he sat on Cooper’s arm. “Walk, Daddy. Walk.”
Cooper set his son on his feet, straightened his little cowboy hat, then took hold of his hand to keep him from wandering off. “Hang on to Katie’s rabbit,” he reminded as they stepped onto the elevator.
A few moments later, Cooper led Dusty down the hall and into Faith’s room. As soon as he saw his mother, Dusty worked his hand free from Cooper’s and ran over to where she sat in a chair holding the baby.
“Mommy!” He held out the pink rabbit. “Dis Kadie’s.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll love it, sweetie,” Faith said, putting her arm around her son to hug him to her side. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Leaning down, Cooper tenderly kissed his wife. “How’s the two prettiest girls in the Panhandle?”
Faith smiled up at him. “We’re doing just fine. And how did my boys manage on their own last night and this morning?”
“We did pretty good.” Cooper smiled down at the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. Although he’d have never believed it possible to love her more than he had three years ago, it didn’t even come close to the way he felt for her today. “Dusty helped me feed Penelope and her new calf this morning, didn’t you, son?”
Dusty nodded. “Penpee eat lots.”
Sensing that his son needed time with his mother, Cooper took the baby, then cradling Katie in one arm, lifted Dusty onto Faith’s lap. As Dusty told his mother all about his adventures, Cooper sat down on the side of the bed to get better acquainted with his new daughter.
Katie Jo Adams was the most beautiful little girl he’d ever seen, and when she got older she’d have the boys lined up for miles just to see her smile. Cooper’s gut burned at the thought. Now he understood why his brother-in-law, Flint, was so protective of his and Jenna’s little girl, Molly.
“It looks like Katie is going to be a daddy’s girl,” Faith said softly as she held her sleeping son against her breast.
“You think so?” Cooper asked, grinning.
Nodding, Faith smiled at the man she loved with all her heart. She couldn’t believe how full her life had become since that day three years ago when she’d found herself stranded with the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
“Thank you, Cooper.”
He looked confused. “What did I do?”
“You’ve given me so much.” She glanced down at her son, then at her new daughter. “You’ve given me your love and two beautiful children.” She grinned. “And in a couple of years you can give me another one.”
“Darlin’, you’ve just had a baby and you’re talking about wanting another one?” he asked, sounding incredulous.
She nodded. “I think another son and daughter would be nice.”
“Four kids,” he said, seeming to mull it over. He looked down at the baby, then back at Faith, his handsome face troubled. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d rather have two more boys.”
“Why?” He’d been insistent from the time they found out she was pregnant with Katie that it would be a girl.
He grimaced. “I’m getting an ulcer just thinking about some pimply-faced kid wanting to take Katie out on a date when she gets older. I don’t know if I can handle worrying about two daughters.”
“You’ll do fine,” Faith assured him. “So we’re in agreement then? Two more children?”
“Darlin’, you can count on me to give you as many babies as you want,” he said, his grin wide.
Happier than she’d ever been in her entire life, Faith smiled at her husband. “I love you, Cooper.”
“I love you, too, darlin’.” The emotion she saw in his eyes took her breath. “That’s something you can always count on.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-1062-6
Copyright © 2007 Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
Killer Cowboy Charm
Copyright © 2004 Vicki Lewis Thompson
Court Me, Cowboy
Copyright © 2006 Barbara White-Rayczek
The Rancher Takes A Family
Copyright © 2006 Judy Christenberry
Not Your Average Cowboy
Copyright © 2006 Christine Wenger
Her Texan Temptation
Copyright © 2002 Shirley Rogerson
The Last Cowboy
Copyright © 2006 Chris Marie Green
Hard Case Cowboy
Copyright © 2005 Nina Bruhns
The Cowboy Way
Copyright © 2005 Candance Schuler
Every Inch A Cowboy
Copyright © 2005 Madeline Baker
Cowboy Boss
Copyright © 2002 Kathie DeNosky
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