by Zoe Matthews
Bridger nodded his head, still holding her head between his palms. “I want to be with you. Whether that means we have two years like this, or two weeks, or two decades.” When her tears spilled over, he used his thumbs to wipe them away before gently kissing her eyes closed and then taking her lips in a tender kiss that caused even more tears to flow down her cheeks.
“I feel so safe when I’m with you,” she murmured to him after he broke their kiss.
“Good. I want to take care of you, not because you’re sick. I would want to take care of you if you were completely healthy. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me.”
Stephanie tried to nod her head, but his hands prevented her from doing so. She reached up with her own hands and gently touched his face, “Yes.”
Bridger kissed her again, releasing her face and wrapping his arms around her back to pull her close against him. “Thank you,” he murmured, to her or to God above, she wasn’t quite sure.
After several more long kisses, he pulled her head against his chest and began to talk softly. “I’ve been doing a lot of research these last few weeks. I know what’s coming, but I’ve also read lots of stories where people were able to stave off their symptoms for years and decades.”
“I read some of those stories as well and they gave me hope. They gave me enough hope to come find you,” Stephanie confessed.
“I spoke to the doctor in town. That’s where I got the idea for the lodge.”
“What idea?” she asked, remembering that he’d been meeting with her brothers just before she found him.
“An elevator. Not just because at some point in your life you may need it, but because there will be other people who come to the ranch who could benefit from it. Grandparents who find stairs difficult or even dangerous to climb. Young couples with infants in strollers. Even families who have a disabled child or parent.”
“An elevator is a fabulous idea. But, don’t those have to be installed before the foundation is finished?” Stephanie thought back to the new apartment building she’d watched go up across the street from her own. The first thing they’d built was the elevator shafts.
Bridger hugged her close, “Normally, yes. But in this case, there is a way to add an elevator right in the middle of the structure. If we add it now, we will only have to make a few minor adjustments to the roof supports.”
“Is this what you were discussing with Sheridan and Spencer?” she asked, pushing away from his chest so she could meet his eyes.
“Yes. I wanted to run it by them before I discussed the delay in the schedule with you. It’s going to set us back a few weeks.”
Stephanie nodded her head. “That’s okay. Your crew has been so efficient, they’re actually almost three weeks ahead of the opening date Sheridan was shooting for.”
Bridger smiled at her. “So organized. Now, I spoke with the doctor, and he hooked me up with a couple of blog sites that have open discussion panels for people and family members dealing with MS. I really think we should become active on that site. Support is good.”
Stephanie was impressed. “You did all of that, even though I hadn’t given you any indication I was going to change my mind?”
Bridger winked at her. “I was counting on my considerable charm to help out.”
Stephanie laughed. “Well, you can still charm me anytime you want.”
“It’s a deal. We haven’t talked about one area.”
“What’s that?” she asked, holding his hand as he turned them back towards the lodge.
“Children. Do you want them?”
Stephanie had given the thought of having children a lot of thought, actually. Her research had showed her that as long as she was in remission, there was no reason she couldn’t get pregnant and carry a baby to term. And since there was no evidence that MS was passed on genetically, there was no reason to not have children if she wanted them. And she did.
Stephanie nodded her head. “Do you want children?”
Bridger smiled at her. “I want our children. But only if you are comfortable with that.”
“I love my nieces and part of my sadness over my diagnosis was thinking that I might never have children of my own. I want that more than anything.”
Bridger swept her up in his arms. “Then children we shall have. But first, we need to tell your family we’re getting married. Sooner than later.”
Stephanie laughed as he carried her back to the lodge and then to the main house. She was deliriously happy. She might be looking at a dismal future, sometime in the distant – much distant – future, but for now, she was going to live in the moment.
She was going to marry Bridger and they were going to start a family. And if the worst happened and she needed help, she knew her family and her friends would be there. For now, she would thank God each and every day for the blessings he’d brought into her life, and she would do whatever was necessary to keep her symptoms at bay, for as long as possible.
As they approached the main house, her siblings all came out with smiles upon their faces. Sheridan took one look at her in Bridger’s arms and started clapping. “Are congratulations in order?”
Bridger looked at her and then nodded his head, “Yeah. Your sister has just consented to marry me.”
Stephanie laughed as he set her on the ground and she accepted the well wishes from her siblings. She watched as they all accepted Bridger into their midst and smiled at what the immediate future held in store. The Majestic Mountain Ranch had just acquired a new family member.
The End
Colorado Destiny
Majestic Mountain Ranch Romance Series, Book 3
Written by Zoe Matthews
Copyright © 2015
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 1
“Stella,” Sadie called out as she came through the front doors with her daughter following close behind. She turned and looked over her shoulder to make sure Brooklyn didn’t forget to close the front door, and then smiled. “Good job, sweetie. Let’s go see if Stella has a job for you to help her with.”
Stella was the youngest sister of the Collingsworth siblings, and twin to her brother Spencer. Stella was in charge of designing the menus for the upcoming dude ranch the siblings were creating, and her culinary endeavors always had room for another set of little hands.
Sadie laughed as Brooklyn’s little legs carried her past her down the hallway. “Aunt Stella! I’s wants to makes cookies!”
Sadie followed her daughter into the kitchen and grinned at her sister, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Stella told her sister, wiping her hands on a dishtowel before bending over and picking her niece up and sitting her on the counter. “So, you want to make cookies, huh?”
Brooklyn nodded her head eagerly, her blonde curls bouncing at the end of the two pigtails her mother had fixed in her hair earlier that day. Chocolate chip!”
Stella tweaked the little girl’s nose and then nodded. “I do believe I saw some chocolate chips in the pantry just this morning.” She turned to her sister and nodded her head. “We’ll be fine. Have fun and don’t worry about us.”
Sadie looked at her daughter and
told her, “Listen to your aunt. And your uncles if you see any of them. Behave!”
“Go, mama. You definitely need to unwind a bit. Have some fun.” Stella started to elaborate on her ideas for a fun time, but Sadie shook her head at her and turned to leave.
“I don’t have time for fun. We’re supposed to open in the next few months, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not ready yet.”
Stella shook her head at her sister, “You worry too much. Get out of here. Find something to smile about.”
Sadie gave her daughter one last kiss and then left the kitchen and headed for the driveway in front of the Ranch House and her older model Explorer. The paint had seen better days, but the engine ran good, and no matter what the weather threw at them, the vehicle had always taken them where they needed to go.
Sheridan, her oldest brother and the one in charge of the family operation, was just coming from the horse barn and he waved at her, “Where are you off to?”
“Pinedale to meet some friends for dinner.”
“That climbing and hiking group you hang out with?” he asked with a smile.
“That’s the one. I won’t be late.”
Sheridan shook his head. “I didn’t ask about your return. You don’t have a curfew, and if you wanted to stay out late and have a little fun, I don’t think any of us would complain. If I thought you’d do it, I’d even offer to watch Brooklyn for you tonight. You don’t smile or laugh enough.”
Sadie rolled her eyes at her brother and then got into her car and drove off. She was tired of hearing how she wasn’t jovial enough. She had lots of responsibilities and a daughter to raise. By herself. It wasn’t a laughing matter, and as Brooklyn got older, Sadie’s sense of responsibility only seemed to grow.
She turned onto the main highway and let her eyes drink in the scenery as she made the one hour drive into town. She loved the drive along the road to Pinedale. The river that ran through the ranch also ran along the road. She rolled down her window so she could breathe the cool crisp mountain air as she drove. The pine and aspen trees were thick along the sides of the road, but became thinner the closer she drove to the town. It was the second week of July and as she drove into Pinedale, she enjoyed the fields of wildflowers and how green everything looked.
Sadie glanced at the clock on the dashboard and realized she was going to get there in just enough time to meet up with her friends for dinner. Pinedale was a rather small community with only three fancy restaurants and a few diners that opened early or stayed open late. Tonight the small group of friends had agreed to meet at one of the fancy restaurants to discuss some of their upcoming fall hikes.
“Hey, Sadie!” one of her good friends, Tom, called to her as she slid out of her vehicle.
“Hey, Tom. Where’s Becca this afternoon?” she asked, speaking of Tom’s wife.
“She stayed home with Josh. He’s teething and not the best company right now.”
“I remember those days,” she told him. “Tell her to stick a wet washcloth in the freezer for fifteen minutes and then let him chew on it. Works like a charm.”
“Really?” Tom pulled out his cell phone and immediately started texting his wife.
Sadie shook her head at him in amusement and then said, “It gets better.”
“That’s good to hear.” Completing his text, he joined her as they walked towards the doors of the restaurant. “I see several of the other’s cars are already here. Ready to go in?”
“Sure.”
The pair entered the building to see their friends already gathered towards the back of the restaurant. They were a group of fifteen, ranging in age from seventeen to late forties. Everyone enjoyed the outdoors and they all were hiking and climbing enthusiasts.
“Hey, Sadie.”
“Welcome.”
She greeted those she walked past, noticing that there were several newcomers to their group this afternoon. She slid into a seat at a table where her two girlfriends were sitting. “There are a lot of people here.”
“Yeah, isn’t it great? Several of the guys brought friends with them that are visiting for the summer. So, what’s new with you?” Tiffany Andrews asked her.
“Work. We’re turning my dad’s ranch into a dude ranch.”
“Really? That is so cool! When do you open?”
“Soon. We should be ready by the first weekend in September. I think.”
“Hey, why don’t we get a group of us to come and be some of your first guests? You can try everything out on us.”
Alex Shipton leaned over Tiffany’s shoulder and asked, “What are you girls cooking up over here?”
Tiffany looked up at him with a smile. “Sadie and her siblings are turning the Majestic into a dude ranch. I was just suggesting to her that we all be some of their first guests!”
“That’s a great idea! When is this happening?”
“September, around Labor Day,” Sadie told him.
“Sounds good. Hey, I have someone I wanted you all to meet.” He turned away and then came back with another man by his side. “Girls, this is Hunter.”
The other girls greeted the man warmly, but suddenly Sadie couldn’t do anything but sit at the table with her mouth open. She heard the man’s name at the same time she caught a glimpse of him behind Alex’s shoulder. Hunter? What was he doing here?! He’s supposed to be in Arizona!
Chapter 2
Sadie watched as Hunter greeted her friends, not having seen her yet. She quietly scooted her chair back and then attempted to slip away from the table. She tried to fade into the crowd of others, anxious to reach the exit door before he spotted her. She heard Tiffany call out after her, but she pretended not to have heard, her goal the double wood doors that would grant her freedom from seeing her ex.
She had her eyes on the doors, but people kept stopping her or calling her name. When Tom called out to her from across the room, she turned and then cringed when she saw Hunter’s head come up and a frown mar his brow upon hearing her name. Sadie wasn’t all that common of a name, and as their eyes met, she expected to see surprise in his, but it wasn’t there.
What?!
“Sadie?” Tom called to her again.
Sadie turned her attention back to the man who had called out to her, “Sorry. What?”
“Just that I forgot to tell you that Becca loved that book you lent her. She said it really helps her not worry so much.”
Sadie gave him a quick smile. “I’m glad she’s getting some use of it. I’m going to step outside for a minute.”
She turned and once she cleared the doors of the restaurant, she breathed a sigh of relief and headed quickly for her vehicle.
She heard Hunter exit the restaurant and call out to her, but she ignored him. She fumbled in her bag for her car keys, grinding her teeth when it took longer than she had.
An arm on her shoulder caused her to freeze. “Sadie?”
She took a breath and then turned to face him, stepping away from him so they were no longer touching. ”Hunter. What are you doing here?”
He looked at her and then asked, “Can we go someplace and catch up?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t know what you’re doing here, but we really don’t have anything to talk about.” It’s been over three years and you haven’t wanted to talk until now? I don’t think so!
“Sadie, please? Just for a few minutes.”
Sadie looked at him and then back at the restaurant. There was no way she wanted her friends overhearing whatever he had to say. No. Way.
She looked at him once again and then slowly nodded her head. “Fine.” When he made a move back towards the restaurant, she shook her head. “Not here. There’s a small park a few blocks from here. We can talk there.”
Sadie didn’t wait to see if he was going to follow her. She simply got into her vehicle and drove off.
I don’t want to talk to Hunter. Why should I? The man left me! And Brooklyn! Like we were yesterday’s garbage.
S
he saw another vehicle pull out of the parking lot and grimaced. Here he comes. Well, I’ll give him five minutes and then I’m heading home. I don’t owe him a thing!
She pulled over and got out of her car, walked to the closest picnic table, and sat down on the bench. Hunter joined her a few minutes later and she tried not to let the sight of his newer model Toyota SUV anger her. Here she had been driving an older car all this time and he obviously had enough money to purchase a new vehicle. She shook her head at this thought. She wouldn’t have wanted him to purchase anything for her. She didn’t want to have any ties with him whatsoever.
“So, you’ve got five minutes. What did you want to say to me?” She knew she was being difficult and almost mean, but it was beyond her to do anything else at the moment.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Sadie, first I need to apologize to you for what happened three years ago. I acted very immature and selfishly.” He looked at her with a hopeful gaze and she wondered if he thought she would instantly forgive him.
You got that right! “I survived.”
Hunter looked at her and then back down to his hands for a moment, “I’m sorry our marriage ended the way it did. I know I hurt you and I wish I could go back and do it all over again.”
“Well, that is one thing I don’t wish.” Sadie stood up. “You’ve made your apology. I need to go.”
“Please…”
Sadie heard something in his voice that made her turn around. “Yes?”
“How is…?” he hesitated and she instantly knew whom he was asking about.
“Your daughter? Your daughter is three years old and has never met her father. How do you think she is?”
“What’s her name?” he asked quietly, embarrassed that he didn’t know.
Sadie thought about refusing to answer him. He hadn’t cared enough about her to stick around and see her born. She remembered how the divorce papers had come in the mail the day before she delivered Brooklyn, and how inadequate and how much of a failure she’d felt at that time.