Cowboy Take Me Away
Page 28
“I just wanted to say a few quick words to thank you all for being here tonight,” Chase began, smiling at the crowd gathered listening to him. “This was originally going to be a plain old housewarming party, but as you all know things have changed a little in my life lately.”
Laughter rippled through their guests and Hope found it impossible not to join in. What had happened between them had been painful at the time, and they’d kept the actual details completely private between them and Chase’s brothers, but everyone standing in their home right now knew they’d rekindled their romance after a long separation.
“I wanted to take this moment to tell this beautiful woman standing beside me how much I love her,” Chase continued, turning to face her, his eyes locked on hers as he spoke. “Once upon a time I was too proud to admit just how much, but thank God I came to my senses. She’s the love of my life and I’ll shout it from the rooftop if I have to.” He cleared his throat, smiling at her. “And not only has Hope made me happier than I can express, she’s also helped us to establish a promising organic beef venture. Thanks to her, we now have all of our new heifers in calf, so tonight is a double celebration.”
Hope shook her head, tears brimming as she listened to him. It was all too much, hearing what he had to say to everyone.
“So I’d like you all to join me in a toast,” Chase said, giving her another toe-curling wink before turning back to their friends and raising his glass high. “To Hope, my beautiful bride-to-be, and our son, Harrison. I couldn’t imagine my life without them.”
“To Hope!” everyone called out, raising their glasses.
Chase turned back toward her, taking her hand in his and holding his glass out to clink against hers before taking a sip.
“To us,” he murmured.
“To us,” she repeated, sipping her champagne as she stared at the man she’d loved longer than she could remember.
“Mommy, can I have more lemonade?”
Hope laughed as Harrison tugged on her leg, completely oblivious to what was going on around them. Chase bent down to scoop their son up, hoisting him up into the air and then letting him settle on his hip.
“Do you know how much I love you?” Chase asked Harrison.
Hope bit her lip as she watched them together, trying not to laugh at the expression on Harrison’s face.
“Hmmm, this much?” he asked, holding his little arms as far apart as he could.
“All the way to the moon and back,” Chase told him.
“Now can I have more lemonade?”
“Sure, kid. You go tell Uncle Nate that I said you can have it, okay?”
They both watched as Harrison ran back through the house, a blur among the adults in the room.
“He’s a great kid,” Chase said, drawing her into his arms.
“And you’re a pretty great dad,” she replied, standing on tiptoe so she could kiss him, her arm around his neck as she pushed her body against his.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he murmured, kissing her again before pushing her away.
“Why?” She faked a frown.
“Because unless you want our friends to see me throw you over my shoulder and march you upstairs to our bedroom like some kind of caveman, you need to ease off.”
“Ah, Chase,” she said, running her hand down his muscled arm. “Just one of the reasons I love you.”
He slung an arm around her shoulder. “You can toy with me later, woman. Now it’s time to go be social.”
She walked with him, their bodies pressed together as one as they made the rounds, clinking champagne glasses and chatting. It had taken five years and a whole ton of heartache along the way, but she finally felt like she’d found her way home.
Hope glanced down at the massive diamond on her finger, hardly able to believe that by the end of the year she’d be Mrs. King.
“You okay, baby?” Chase asked.
Hope pressed an impromptu kiss to his cheek. “You betcha.”
Coming soon …
Stay tuned for the next novel in the spectacular Texas Kings series
I Knew You Were Trouble
Available in June 2016 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
About the Author
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast-forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! She describes being an author as “the best job in the world,” and she hopes to be writing romance and women’s fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real-life hero and two young sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze. For more information about Soraya, her books, and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on twitter @ Soraya_Lane. She would love to hear from you. Or sign up for email updates here.
Also by
Soraya Lane
The Devil Wears Spurs
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
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 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Soraya Lane
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY
Copyright © 2016 by Soraya Lane.
All rights reserved.
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eISBN: 9781466865310
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2016
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.