“I wish I was as strong as you are,” Katie whispered, her hand coming to rest on his cheek. “And you’re right. We live and we learn. That’s all I’m tryin’ to do as well.”
“I love you,” Dalton told her with conviction. “I don’t care what you do for a living. I fell in love with you. Not your job. I’d be lyin’ if I said I was okay with you going back to that life, but if it’s a deal breaker, we’ll learn to live with it. I only want to make you happy.”
“I don’t want to do it. I never want to go back to that, but I’ll do what is necessary to survive. It’s what I’ve trained myself to do. I’m in it to survive.”
“You don’t have to do it anymore. You don’t have to survive on your own. I’m here. I want to be here.” Propping his head up on his hand and staring down at her, he cupped her face with his other hand. “Marry me, Katie.”
Her eyes never left his, and she didn’t jump out of the bed as he had thought she would. The next words that came out of her mouth surprised him.
“Tell me you love me, Dalton.”
“I love you, Katie,” he replied without hesitation.
“I come as a package deal,” she explained, nodding toward the bedroom door.
“I know. I wouldn’t want you any other way.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she whispered.
“Positive.” Dalton leaned down and pressed his lips to hers softly before pulling back. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Lexi. I want us to raise our baby together. I want to spend every night with you in my bed. And most important, I want to grow old with you, Katie. You’re my everything. I’ve known that since the day I met you.”
Katie’s eyes dropped to his mouth briefly before sliding back up. Dalton held his breath, waiting for her to answer.
“Ask me again.”
For a brief second, he was confused, but then it dawned on him what she was referring to.
“Will you marry me, Katie Renee Clarren? Be my wife, the mother of my children. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
“Yes,” she said confidently, her soft fingers coming up to brush over his cheek. “I’ll marry you.”
Dalton was pretty sure he was going to cry. His heart had possibly exploded from the sheer, overwhelming relief he felt.
“Under one condition,” Katie added.
Swallowing past the lump that had formed in his throat, Dalton nodded, waiting for her to continue.
“We don’t tell anyone for a little while. I want to let Tessa have her day. She deserves it.”
“Agreed,” he replied, exhaling sharply. “But will you and Lexi move in with me? I don’t want to spend a minute away from you.”
Katie didn’t answer him right away, and Dalton’s fear began to ratchet up again.
“Yes, we’ll move in. It might take a few weeks. We’ll have to work with Lexi, make sure she’s on board.”
“Understand.”
Katie lifted her other hand, cupping his face in both of her hands, and Dalton could tell she had something she wanted to say. She’d already agreed to move in and to marry him, so he couldn’t imagine what was left, but he wanted to hear it. Whatever it was.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked when she didn’t start talking for long moments.
“I owe you an apology, Dalton.”
Dalton’s heartbeat accelerated. He wasn’t sure he liked where this was going.
“I get scared easily. And I think that’s what happened with you. I fell in love with you so quickly, and I hadn’t let you in. Didn’t share my secrets. When I broke things off, I swear it was to protect you. You’re the best man I’ve ever met. And honestly, I’ve dreamed of this. Dreamed that things would work out. I was the one who was wrong. You never gave me any reason not to trust you, but I turned my back. Out of fear.”
“I’m here now, Katie. And I’m never going anywhere. Do you understand that?” Dalton watched as the tears formed in her eyes.
“I do,” she answered. “I really do. I promise you, I’ll never hurt you like that again.”
“I don’t need an apology, Katie. Really. I just want you in my life. That’s all I need.”
“Well, I’m here,” she answered, a smile fixing on her lips. “We’re here. Forever if you’ll have us.”
Dalton returned her smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Two weeks later
Dalton felt the excitement seeping into his blood. Strange how this moment was landing right up there with the top ten most memorable moments of his life.
“What do you think, Lex?” Katie asked when Dalton pushed open the door and the little girl stepped inside.
“Yay!” Lexi squealed, clapping her hands together with glee.
“You really like it?” Dalton asked, relieved.
“It’s awesome,” Lexi said, running over to the bed and jumping on it.
“You did good,” Katie told him as she peered over her shoulder at him.
Dalton moved up to her side, wrapping his arm around her waist as he watched Lexi check out her new bedroom.
For the past two weeks, Dalton had worked with Katie and Lexi to put together the design. He had hired a local guy to come in and paint the mural on the wall, had another resident of Devil’s Bend make the bed especially for Lexi. And together, he and Katie had set it all up.
Three walls had been painted light green; one had a huge mural of horses running in a pasture. The curtains were dark so that the sun could be blocked out if needed, but when left open, the sun lit up the room, making it look every bit as cheerful as Dalton had hoped.
Even with Lexi’s help, he had been worried that the little girl might change her mind. But Sarah, Katie’s roommate who Dalton had been introduced to when he’d first started this process, had assured Dalton that she wasn’t going to give him an argument. According to Sarah, Lexi was just as excited about their lives meshing as he was, which had made him feel marginally better.
But now, seeing Lexi’s radiant smile as she admired her new bedroom put him completely at ease.
“I’ve got another surprise for you, Momma,” Dalton whispered to Katie, taking her hand. “We’ll be right back, Lex. Okay?”
“Okay.” Lexi didn’t seem to be at all worried that they were stepping out, so Dalton tugged Katie’s arm, pulling her back into the hallway and leading her down to the next room. He must’ve been thinking ahead when he’d built the house because he’d included three upstairs bedrooms in his plan, the master the only bedroom on the main floor, and in the coming months, they were all three going to occupied.
Sarah was going to move in with them for a few months, mainly to ensure that Lexi’s routine wasn’t disrupted too much, but also to save her a little money while she finished her degree. And Dalton felt significantly better knowing that Sarah would be there when his tour kicked off in July. They’d set up a shorter version than the last one, which would include Cooper and Cheyenne, with Brett as an opener at all the shows. He fully intended to be home when the baby was born, so they had managed to keep the tour in the South and limited it to fifteen major venues. That was something else that had been finalized in the last couple of weeks.
“Close your eyes,” Dalton instructed Katie, letting her move in front of him, coming to stand by the closed bedroom door.
“They’re closed,” she informed him.
Dalton gripped the knob, turned it, and pushed the door open, urging Katie to move two steps forward.
“Open ’em,” he told her.
“Oh, Dalton. It’s…” She turned to face him, cupping his face in her palms. Dalton leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers.
“You like it?”
“It’s lovely,” she answered.
Dalton allowed her to pull away and watched as she moved around the room, her fingers sliding over the dresser, the changing table, and then the crib.
They hadn’t picked out
a name yet, but they had learned at Katie’s last appointment that they were having a boy. He still remembered that day so vividly.
“Hear that?” the doctor asked, smiling at them both.
“Yeah,” Katie whispered.
“That’s his heartbeat.”
Dalton knew his eyes looked like saucers as he stared back at the doctor. Not only was he hearing their baby’s heartbeat, but the doctor just said…
“Did you just say boy?” Katie asked, her voice wobbling slightly.
“I did,” the doctor confirmed, using an arrow on the screen to point to a particular area that looked like nothing more than a blur of black and white to Dalton. “There’s no doubt about it. It’s a boy.”
There was no doubt about it, the doctor had said, which was why Dalton had gotten to work having the nursery set up. He had actually cheated, going through magazines with Katie, letting her pick out the bedding and the furniture without letting on that he was going to make the purchase.
With Sarah’s help distracting Katie, he’d had it all set up and completed in one day.
When Katie walked back over to him, there were tears glistening in her soft gray eyes, and Dalton felt an answering emotion bubble up in his chest. “I love you, darlin’,” he whispered.
“Have I mentioned how much I like it when you call me that?” she replied.
Dalton smirked. “I kinda figured it out.”
“Did ya now?” Katie replied with a laugh.
“I did. Come on, let’s go check on Lexi.”
Dalton led Katie back to Lexi’s room. Lexi was sitting on her bed watching television. Dalton glanced over to see the opening credits for Frozen coming across the screen. Lexi spared them a quick look, but her attention immediately reverted to the television.
“Hey, Lex, we’re gonna be downstairs, okay?”
Lexi nodded.
Once they were back downstairs, Dalton went for the recliner, pulling Katie down beside him.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked her when she remained quiet.
“I’m still just a little in shock.”
“I’m gonna take that as a good thing.”
Katie linked her fingers with his. “The best possible way.”
“We’ve got Coop’s weddin’ coming up in a week,” Dalton informed her. “I’ll give them three days after that, since they’re foregoing a honeymoon right now. But after that, I’m gonna make the announcement.”
“I’m surprised you can wait that long,” Katie teased.
“I am, too. Trust me. It ain’t easy.” Dalton cupped Katie’s jaw with his hand, turning her head to the side so he could see her face completely. “You still good with this?”
She nodded, more tears glistening in her eyes. “This is more than I ever anticipated. I’ve spent my entire life watching as my dreams vanished right before my eyes. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m really awake. I hate to say this, but it feels too good to be true at times.”
Dalton kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. “I know, darlin’. I’ve felt the same way. But just think, while those old dreams disappeared, new ones were left in their place. Now it’s time we start realizing those dreams. No more livin’ in the past.”
Katie nodded, glancing around the room.
Dalton looked up, following her gaze. For two weeks, Dalton hadn’t been the only one working. Katie had managed to turn his sparsely furnished house into a home. There were pictures decorating the walls, flowers in vases, rugs and accessories scattered about. She had made it her mission to bring their lives together in one place, and he couldn’t be happier.
Then again, if he only had Katie, Lexi, and the baby in his life, he could live without all the other stuff. Because in the end, they were all that mattered. They were the beating heart that kept him going.
The rest … well, the rest of those things were just accessories.
Epilogue
When Dalton walked in the door of The Rusty Nail, he was accosted by the familiar scents that he would always associate with his favorite place: cigarette smoke, a combination of perfume and cologne, all varieties, plus the distinct aroma of beer. The place was busy for a Wednesday night, just as he had anticipated. Not wall-to-wall bodies like would be there on the weekend, but there was a crowd, and tonight, like most nights, he didn’t mind.
“Hey! There he is!” a voice sounded from behind the bar.
Dalton met the sturdy gaze of Jack as he stood waiting for Dalton to approach.
“Dalton!” Tessa squealed as she came toward him, squeezing past a couple of cowboys chatting near the bar.
“Hey, lady,” he greeted when she threw her arms around him.
“Are they home?” she asked.
Dalton’s lips tilted up into the same wide grin he’d been sporting for the last three days. “Yes, ma’am. Safe and sound.”
“So why are you here?” Cooper asked as he joined them.
“To celebrate. What else?”
“To celebrate?” Cooper asked incredulously.
“Fine. She kicked me out,” Dalton said, laughing. “I think I was hovering just a little too much.”
“Well, regardless of why you’re here, I’ve got just the thing to celebrate this special occasion,” Eric stated as his head disappeared down below the bar.
When he stood back up, he had a wooden box in hand. Lifting the lid, he spun it around so Dalton could see its contents.
Cigars.
Just what the moment warranted. Not that Dalton smoked cigars, nor did he have any plans to start now, but he wasn’t going to tell Eric that.
Cooper came over and slapped Dalton on the back. “Congrats, man. That baby boy is beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Dalton said, his grin still plastered on his face.
Since the moment his little boy had been born, Dalton wasn’t sure he’d stopped smiling. Katie’s labor hadn’t been easy, but there hadn’t been any complications, and after eleven hours and twenty-one minutes, they’d been holding their son in their arms.
Tanner Jacob Calhoun.
“So why aren’t you at home with momma and baby?” Tessa asked Dalton. She looked over her shoulder and nodded her head at Eric briefly before turning back to face him.
“I’m givin’ Katie a break. She’s exhausted.”
“It’s just the beginning, my friend,” Brett added.
“And you know this how?” Cooper asked the newest member of their group. Ever since Dalton’s last tour with Cheyenne and Cooper that had ended just two weeks ago, Brett Basson had become a regular fixture in Devil’s Bend. And by regular, Dalton meant the guy was there every single day. He had worked out an agreement with Jack and was renting Jack’s house, the one Tessa had been living in before she’d moved in with Cooper.
“I’ve got nieces and nephews, man,” Brett retorted, his eyes sliding over to Jack briefly before dropping to the beer bottle he held in his hand.
Dalton studied the two men briefly. He wasn’t inclined to believe that something was going on between those two yet, but he got the feeling that things were heading that way. If they thought no one had noticed the attraction they had for one another, then the light was clearly off in that closet they were hiding in. Because even Dalton saw it. And he wasn’t one to notice shit like that generally.
Eric walked around the bar, six beer bottles dangling between his fingers. Everyone reached for one, including Jack, who had waltzed out from behind the bar to join them, as well.
“A toast,” Eric announced.
Everyone lifted their bottles, but no one said anything. They were all glancing around.
“Someone’s gotta make the toast,” Eric announced, laughing.
“Usually when you announce a toast, it means you’ve got this,” Cooper informed the bartender.
“Oh, shit. Sorry. I’ve got nothin’,” Eric stated with a grin.
“I got this,” Dalton said, meeting the gazes of each of his friends before he continued. “To
dreams. Whether you’re chasin’ them, lettin’ go of them, or creatin’ new ones, never give up.”
“Hear, hear,” Cooper stated, tapping his beer bottle to Dalton’s. Everyone else followed suit, clanking their bottles and tipping them back.
Dalton watched his friends, grateful. “All right, y’all. I’ve gotta head back. My wife’s gonna need my help.” Handing off his beer to Jack, Dalton hugged Cooper, clapping the guy on the back. When he stood back up, Tessa approached, throwing her arms around his neck. He leaned down to her ear and whispered, “I doubt I was the only one who noticed you didn’t drink any of that beer.”
Tessa released her grip on him, and when he met her gaze, he saw her smile. “There’s a time and place for every announcement. Katie gave me my day; I’m gonna give her hers.”
Dalton nodded his understanding and then tipped his hat at his friends. “Check y’all later.”
Fifteen minutes later, Dalton was walking into his house. The first person to greet him was Lexi, the second was Cowboy, one of the puppies that Lexi had recently adopted as her own.
“Dalton!” Lexi squealed, running toward him. Dalton braced himself and leaned over, wrapping his arms around her when she hugged him around the waist. “You’re home. Sissy’s in the livin’ room.”
“Is the baby awake?” Dalton asked when Lexi released him.
“Yep,” she said, nodding her head emphatically. “Come on, Cowboy,” Lexi said to the dog. “Let’s go play in my room.”
Dalton watched as Lexi hopped up the stairs, the little black and brown mutt following close on her heels. When she disappeared at the top, he made his way to the living room to see his wife sitting in the recliner, their three-day-old son nestled in her arms.
“Hey, darlin’,” he greeted, leaning down and kissing her upturned mouth before pressing his lips to Tanner’s tiny little forehead. “How’s he doin’?”
“Great,” she whispered. “He just finished eating.”
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