She looked up to see Dylan standing in the doorway just watching her. “You look beat and incredibly beautiful.”
“It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. “I don’t doubt that I carried some of that beauty back with me.” She turned to the steaming food in front of her. “So dinner for two tonight? The candles are a nice touch. A special occasion?”
He sat down next to her and took her hand. “I think so,” he said hesitantly. “Actually, Bill and I had a very interesting conversation today.”
19
The next day, while the doctor was visiting the new Thomas family of three, Dylan stood next to Zoe’s bed staring in awe down at the glowing mother and Nadine, the tiny infant in her arms. He draped his arm over Tara’s shoulders, wondering when they’d take this step. He had plenty of time in the future, and he definitely wanted to work it out with her so they could have more than one. But he certainly had ideas in his head and a modicum of impatience nagging at him to get started sooner than later.
Noah beamed at his wife and daughter from the other side of the bed. “I’m just happy she looks like you, sweetheart.”
Zoe laughed, her eyes heavy but full of glee. “She has your chin and strong shoulders. She’s going to break horses, just like her daddy.”
“She’s so beautiful,” Tara whispered, reaching out to caress the soft skin of the girl’s tiny arm, which barely peeked out of the swaddling.
“She’s definitely going to be a heartbreaker,” Bill said from his wheelchair at the foot of the bed. Dylan and Tara had agreed that they could all visit the baby together as long as Bill went in a wheelchair. He’d only been home for a couple of days, and the next week of moving was going to take all of his strength.
Dylan looked back and forth between Tara and the baby now, seeing the longing in her eyes, and he knew she was bursting to tell Zoe and Noah their good news. But they had all three agreed that they didn’t dare take away the moment from Zoe and Noah. They deserved to celebrate Nadine’s birth. There would be another time for their own moment of revelry.
While Tara had been assisting with bringing the new soul into the world, Dylan and Bill had been making plans. He had told the elderly man that he had pretty much asked Tara to move in with him. Bill was a little taken aback but thrilled, in his own way. It seemed accepting help from others had really taken hold in the old man and he was now willing to consider the best routes for everyone for his final days.
He told Dylan that he was a traditionalist and that if they wanted to shack up, then they should do it proper and get married now because he wanted to dance a jig at their wedding and didn’t have time for the nonsense of their courtship. They were on a deadline, he had reminded Dylan, and it was time to start making some decisions. He was determined to see them hitched before he was gone and had created a perfect plan. They decided that Dylan would fix up the spare bedroom at his own ranch for him, and then they were going to rent out Bill’s ranch house to some of the transient farmers and ranchers who wanted a job over the spring and summer. They would take care of the land and the animals in exchange for a discount on the rent, and it would keep both ranches running well while also bringing Bill a little extra something in terms of income.
Meanwhile, Dylan would selfishly have Tara in his bed every night and be able to work with her to take care of Bill. He’d have more time for his own ranch, keeping it up and profiting more, and he’d still be able to work on his relationship and have a little free time. With the two of them looking after Bill together and less travel time back and forth between houses, it would free them both up quite a bit.
Dylan didn’t feel he could say no to a dying man’s wish, so he agreed to discuss the wedding idea with Tara as soon as she returned from delivering Noah and Zoe’s baby. While he was a bit nervous and didn’t have a ring or anything yet, his heart told him that she would find the plan to be as exciting as he did. So while it hadn’t been a proper proposal, they had giggled like children as they discussed their new future. He’d barely even gotten the question out before Tara was on him, kissing his face and saying, “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”
Almost immediately—they had taken a little time to celebrate privately—they had begun making plans. Tara talked about how the experience of helping Zoe and Noah bring Nadine into the world had given her the idea to get some more midwifery training and possibly open her own practice. Like Dylan had said, love seemed to have become an epidemic in Five Forks, so she expected there would be lots of need for a midwife.
Smiling at the memory, Dylan refocused on his friends and their new joy. The baby was as healthy as could be, the doctor had said, and Zoe beamed at Tara, who pulled out a notepad. “Now we need to write up a schedule for Nadine’s shots and checkups.”
The doctor smiled at her. “Have you ever considered doing this full time?” she asked.
Zoe’s smile widened. “That’s a wonderful idea,” she exclaimed. “I suspect everyone in Five Forks would welcome a new midwife!” Tara put her hand on Zoe’s arm to keep her from jumping up to start setting Tara’s future into motion.
Dylan grinned but bit his tongue, while Tara said, “That’s certainly something to think about. We’ll start talking about that later. Right now, you have only one job, and that’s to get some rest and love this child.”
Zoe sighed and settled back in the bed. “I just love the idea of having you be a part of our community. I want to make sure we don’t waste time in getting you here forever.”
“Let me worry about that,” Dylan said, winking at Noah.
20
Three months later, Tara and Dylan were holding each other and dancing slowly as the sun set on Bill’s ranch. Zoe had been correct. It seemed almost the entire community of Five Forks loved the idea of having a midwife. Now Tara looked up into the face of the man she loved as they took their first dance as husband and wife.
She felt like they were the only people there as they held each other and looked only into each other’s eyes under the lit-up tent. She didn’t even see the people around them watching the new couple with awe and admiration. She didn’t see Zoe wipe tears from her eyes and reach for Noah’s hand. Zoe had been honored when she agreed to be Tara’s matron of honor. It wasn’t like Tara had made many friends yet but the bond the two women had developed had made her the obvious choice even if she had been surrounded by people she had known all her life.
She didn’t notice when Amanda and Ryder sat next to their best friends, clicking their drinks as they too watched their new friends experience the happiness they had found the previous year. Amanda had been the first to engage Tara for her midwifery services, as she would be needing her in about seven months, and had immediately become friends the first time they met while cooing over Nadine together.
Tara wasn’t aware when a new song began and other couples started joining them on the dance floor. She was barely present as some of those couples danced by them, offering their congratulations and telling her how beautiful she looked.
And for just a moment, she was disappointed when their dance was interrupted by a gruff, but gleeful old man who insisted on cutting in. True to his word, Bill was up and moving and ready to dance with the young woman who had given him so much care. He had been delighted, though he tried to hide his grin, when she asked him to walk her down the aisle.
And while his health was deteriorating slowly, he still had the energy to ask the band to play something with a beat and twirled her around the dance floor. Tara knew her time with the old man was growing shorter, that he was getting weaker. They had always known their time with Bill was limited and they had made the most of every minute with him.
He had tried to argue with them when they told him they were going to wait until another time to take their honeymoon, until he no longer needed them, until they had no more days with the man who had become a father to both of them. But Tara had put her foot down and told him in no uncertain terms that the decision was not up for
debate or discussion and that he’d just have to continue to endure their company. She could have sworn his eyes sparkled with tears before he shut his mouth dramatically and stomped away.
Now tears were flowing from her eyes as she watched him looking down at her while he continued to grin from ear to ear and show off his expert dance moves. And this time, she was certain there were tears in his eyes and he did nothing to hide them tonight.
After he returned her to her handsome husband, he sat down and she saw that he had to catch his breath but continued to watch the couple, his eyes shining bright.
“You are the most beautiful bride ever,” Dylan said to her, bringing her attention back to his face. “I still feel like I have to pinch myself every day that I wake up next to you.”
“Be careful with the pinching, sweetness,” she said. “It can leave bruises.”
“Good thing I know an incredible nurse, then,” he replied, pulling her close to kiss her sweetly.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Dylan and Tara. I’d really appreciate a review. Cherished Cowboys is the next series.
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Welcome to Charlene’s World!
Charlene writes sweet, heartwarming stories of small-town romance where lucky ladies seem to always fall for the ruggedly handsome cowboy next door. Charlene is a lifelong resident of the American South currently live in southern Oklahoma on a family-owned cattle ranch near the Red River. She loves to greet each morning with a hot cup of coffee and an optimistic smile. After raising their children, she and her husband recently became empty-nesters. With the peace and quiet that comes with that, Charlene began to hear the characters in her head begging for their stories to be told which is when the author inside her was set free. She has always enjoyed reading romance and it was her husband who encouraged her to write her first novel. You can find all of Charlene’s book by visiting and following her on her Amazon Author Central Page.
Cowboy Casanova (Wild At Heart Cowboys Book 3) Page 12
