by Cindi Madsen
Emma attempted to swallow, but her throat vetoed it.
“You guys became my sense of purpose, and when I found out I might be losing it… Everything I cared about was suddenly slipping through my fingers, and I panicked.” He squeezed her knee tighter. “Then I saw you with Pete and…well, you were there.”
“I was,” Emma said, the words scraping from her tight throat. The reminder of that night brought back the pain she’d felt and put a dent in the optimism she was doing her best to hold on to. She glanced down at the rock, focusing on a silver fleck that caught the sunlight. “You told me that you came here to run your lodge and to escape everything, and that I was getting in the way of what you truly wanted.”
He put his hands on either side of her face, gently tipping it toward his. “That’s because I’m an idiot. I don’t express myself well. Anger’s my knee-jerk reaction, and sometimes it’s easier than feeling hurt. But that’s what I felt. Hurt.” He looked to the sky and let out a long exhale before his attention returned to her. “Heath told me… But I… You see…”
Cam growled, frustration radiating off him, and she almost wrapped her arms around him and told him it was all okay. But they needed to have a real talk, to discuss everything and figure out where they went from here, before she knew if it would truly be okay.
That was the problem with falling in love. It messed up your common sense, and she didn’t mind being without it if she wasn’t there alone, but someone had to be responsible, and time had proved again and again that that was her role.
Oh, well. The happy optimism was nice while it lasted.
“What do you want, Cam? No matter what you say, or what you decide about me, I’ll make sure you get a lot of time with Zoey. We can schedule visits, and I’ll travel back to Hope Springs whenever I can, or even meet you halfway between here and Salt Lake. It’s so important to her and to me that you’re in her life. If you’re not ready for more…for us, you and I can just put our relationship aside and focus on her. Because she’s what’s important.”
Time seemed to stop, and tears were coming, and she didn’t want to cry in front of him again, so when, after several eternally long seconds, he still hadn’t said anything, she started to stand.
Cam caught her hand, holding her in place. “Please, don’t go yet. I’m trying, I swear I am. I just might need a few attempts to get it right.” He pressed his lips together and took a few deep breaths, then his eyes met hers again. “The mountains have always been my escape. When things got bad at home, I’d hike as far as my legs could take me. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Heath. When we didn’t have food, I’d go hunting and fishing and make sure the freezer was stocked enough to get us through the winter months. I survived because of those mountains. Misery didn’t touch me there. So after our fight, I grabbed my gear and took off into the hills, the way I’d done dozens—hell, hundreds of times before…
“But without you? I was completely miserable. And it was more than the rain and lack of fish.” He reached out and dragged his thumb across her lower lip, and intense longing like she’d never felt before took over every inch of her body. “I couldn’t escape missing you. Which made me think that I might be in love with you.”
Hope flooded her chest, and for a second she forgot how to breathe.
“Zoey is what’s important,” he said, “but she’s not all that’s important to me. I thought I was in love with you, but now that I’m sitting here across from you, I don’t have to think, and there’s no might about it. I love you, Emma Walker. Every part of you, from the bold girl who took shots with me all those years ago—the side I know you don’t think is you, but you underestimate how brave and strong you are—to the quiet girl who knows everything and raised our daughter despite being so alone.
“I want you, Emma, but more than that, I need you. It scares me, but it doesn’t make it less true. I’ll fight for you, and I’ll protect you, and I’m sitting here begging you for a second chance.”
It was everything she’d ever wanted to hear, and another wave of tears was coming.
“And if you take that job in Salt Lake, I’m ready to be in a long-distance relationship. And if you decide that city life is what you want long-term, I’ll find a replacement for my position at Mountain Ridge, and I’ll move to where you are.”
She stared into his eyes, stunned by the steely determination she saw there. “That’s crazy. Mountain Ridge is your dream.”
“And now you are. You and Zoey. I don’t want to settle for raising her together and trying to remain friends. Everything I thought I didn’t want…a relationship, a kid, a family. I want them all. Because of you. I want you.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers, and desire and relief washed through her. “And I want us.”
His words echoed through her head, rattling around until they caught hold and sank in. He wanted her.
She’d waited for so long to hear that, and she almost pinched herself to make sure it was real. Slowly she lifted her hand and placed it on the side of his face. Then she ran it down his beard, the tickle of his whiskers against her palm sending zips of electricity racing across her skin.
Hope shone through his features. “Does that mean…?”
Emma nodded, and he planted both hands on her butt and hauled her onto his lap. His lips crashed onto hers, and she whispered, “I want us, too,” as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
She kissed him deeply, letting herself fall into the kiss for a moment before dazedly pulling back to look him in the eye. “And if I’m telling the truth, I want us here. In Hope Springs. I didn’t realize how much I loved this place until I had to think about leaving it.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Because I actually have a proposition for you—a couple, in fact.
“One, Mountain Ridge needs a business manager. Quinn wants to take care of the guests, Heath and I want to do the tours, and we’ll need someone to keep the books, make sure we stick to a budget, and basically keep us running. We can’t think of anyone better than you, and we realized that if we cut a few corners, like buying used vehicles that Heath and I can fix up instead of brand-new ones, we’d have enough money to hire a manager. Especially now that the website is up and running, and the cabins are booking so quickly. But if you want to go another way, or keep your current job, I totally understand.”
She thought about how much she already loved Mountain Ridge, and all the ways she could work to keep the place running as efficiently as possible. She’d let her ex convince her bookkeeping was a boring job, and maybe to other people it was, but she liked the challenge, and she even experienced a thrill when the numbers all added up, nerdy or not.
And if she got to do that while working with Quinn, Heath, and the guy holding on to her like he was afraid to let go…that sounded like the dreamiest job she could ever have. “You’re sure it won’t make things between us…harder? Like, you might get sick of me.”
“Impossible. In fact, that actually brings me to my other proposal. I’m sick of coming home to my empty cabin after nights with you and Zoey. I don’t want to do it anymore. There’s this spot that backs right up to the trees on the east end that would be perfect for a three- or four-bedroom cabin. It’s far enough from the lodge and cabins to not feel like part of them, but not so far that it’ll take us much longer than five minutes to walk to work.
“I’ve got to tell you, I started picturing you and Zoey there, and well, I…” A muscle along his jawline flexed, and she could tell he was struggling to keep hold of his emotions. Then he cleared his throat. “Basically, the thought makes me nearly tear up. And if you ever tell anyone that, I’ll…” He swept the hair off her face and locked eyes with her. “I’ll kiss you.”
“Wow, you need to work on your threats. That only makes me want to announce it to the entire town.”
“Honestly, I’m going to kiss you either way.” He leaned in and did just that, kissing her until she was rendered incapable of speech, thought, or anything b
ut melting into his embrace and envisioning that cabin he’d mentioned.
Whereas her thoughts were cloudy any time she thought about moving to the city, she saw the future with Cam, living right here at Mountain Ridge, and she knew down to her bones that it’d be the best future for her and Zoey.
“Is that a yes to designing a cabin for us, or to the manager job, or just to me, or…?”
“I’ll take the job,” she said. “And I’ll definitely take you. Did I tell you that I love you yet?”
Cam shook his head. “Not yet. I was kinda hoping that you were getting to that part.”
With a smile, she ran her hand down the side of his face, and he tightened his grip on her butt. “Cameron Brantley…” She kissed one corner of his mouth. “I’m completely”—she kissed the other corner—“and totally”—she kissed him square on the lips—“in love with you.”
He took control of the kiss, laying her back in the grass and tangling his tongue with hers.
If more of this was in her future, it was definitely one she could get behind. And somewhere down that road, she also saw the image of a few more little ones that were half him and half her running around, keeping them busy as they lived out their dreams together.
Epilogue
The two months since Mountain Ridge had opened had been nonstop craziness, but Heath had returned from a tour with Dixie Rush and told Emma and Cam to take a break. It was good timing, since one of their bigger parties had just left and they had a few days before another came in. Cam’s friend Jay Torres was planning to come up and spend some time with them in the next month or so as well.
On top of everything else, Emma was also drawing blueprints for a group of cabins going up near Green River—thanks to her work on Mountain Ridge, she’d lined up a few freelance jobs, that one and a house for a retired couple with expensive taste and the money to back it up. It was turning out to be the best of both worlds, really, even if it’d also left her busier than ever.
So of course she and Cam had jumped at the chance for a break, packed their fishing gear, and brought Zoey to the reservoir for the afternoon. Rod, Sheena, and Oliver had driven behind them, too, and they’d headed to the other side to check the fishing over there and give one another some space.
Gradually Emma had gotten used to Rod’s more callous actions and speech, and he and Cam had come a long way in mending fences. Zoey bridged the gap that’d formed between them in a lot of ways. She adored both of them, and both of them would do anything for her. All of them, including Quinn and Heath—when he was in town—and Grandma Bev, on nights she wasn’t too busy with her hopping social life, had Sunday dinners on a regular basis now. Usually at the B and B, and often at weird times to work around their guests, but they were the kind of family events Emma had always wanted in her life.
Emma lowered her book and looked over the back of her fold-up chair, searching for the rest of her family. Cam had taken Zoey for a walk so Emma could finish her book. The last page had left her with a happy sigh and a longing for her own prince charming.
Just when she was about to go looking for them, she saw them crest the hill. Zoey saw her and ran full out, so quickly Emma worried she’d trip and face-plant. Cam rushed to keep up, one of his arms shooting out each time Zoey wobbled, but she made it to flat ground without needing to be caught.
As soon as Zoey reached her, she held out a mangled bouquet of wildflowers, a few with bent stems, and a couple that even had the roots intact. “Daddy and I picked flowers for you.”
Emma looked over their daughter’s blond head of curls to Cam, who winked at her. Tingly butterflies swirled through her stomach—four months together, and her reaction to him was still just as strong.
He held out a hand, extending a more carefully picked bouquet of flowers. Emma took them and added them to Zoey’s. She made a big display of sniffing them, and when she caught a whiff, she couldn’t help lifting them closer to her nose and soaking in the smell that perfectly encapsulated the mountains.
“Thank you, you two. I love them.”
Cam nudged Zoey, and she turned her big blue-green eyes back to Emma. “And we need to ask someting else.”
A dozen possibilities ran through Emma’s mind, everything from swimming to fishing to Zoey’s recent request for a pony—Cam better not have given in and promised their daughter a pony. They’d talked about how impractical it was, even though Cam had also mentioned they did have enough land and they could always use a few more horses for the tours. He spoiled their daughter about as much as he spoiled her.
But then Cam pulled something out of his pocket and dropped to one knee. He popped open the black velvet box, and sunlight glinted off the diamond in the center of the silver ring.
Tears rose, and the ring and Cam’s features blurred.
“Emma Walker, I love you. I want to marry you and make you mine—and I want to make sure no one else can ever bid on your basket,” he added with a grin. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”
Emma sniffed, finding it hard to speak through the tears clotting her throat, but she managed to push out a squeaky, “Yes.”
“Uh-oh,” Zoey said, her eyes going wide as she took a few steps back. “You made Mommy cry. You better give her a hug.”
Cam pulled her into his arms and did one better than a hug. He slipped the ring on to her finger and kissed her.
Then Emma reached out an arm and pulled her daughter into the hug, too.
It was funny how the world-changing days started like every other day, and then, the next thing you knew, all your dreams had come true and changed every single thing in the most perfect way.
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Acknowledgments
For some reason, this book decided to be extra challenging, and I had a few freak-outs while writing it. Luckily I had Stacy Abrams, my amazing editor, to help me figure out how to make it way, way better, and it wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for her. You can thank her for pushing me in a direction that led to adding Grandma Bev, who quickly became one of my favorite side characters. Not only that, but she always keeps me laughing through the editing process, and cares enough to text me a quick congrats when my team wins the Super Bowl. (Yes, I might’ve added that just to relive that glorious win. Hehe.)
Also, big thanks to Liz Pelletier, for talking out plot points when I was first brainstorming this book, and for sending me texts to warn me away from Voltage Mtn Dew, since it’s apparently much stronger than our faithful standby, Diet Mtn Dew. LOL. Thanks to everyone on the Entangled Publishing Team. You guys are so good to me! Thanks to ninja Heather Riccio, Jessica Turner, Alycia Tornetta, my awesome publicist Debbie Suzuki, and the rest of the Bliss team.
Thanks to these awesome people who help me brainstorm, push me through writing sprints, and are amazing author friends: Gina Maxwell, MK Meredith, Carla Laureano, Evangeline Denmark, Brandy Vallance, Rachel Harris, and Melissa West. You ladies are the best!
My family has been a great support system through my writing career, and I appreciate them for all the encouragement, and also for not caring how I look by the end of the day, or if we have quesadillas for the third night in a row.
Big thanks to my readers, whether it’s just reading my books, or sending me notes wanting to know who the next book is going to be about and when it’s coming out—those things make my day and keep me going! Thank you so much!
About the Author
Cindi Madsen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love
with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a pretty new pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music and dancing and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
You can visit Cindi at: www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter to get all the up-to-date information on her books.
Follow her on Twitter @cindimadsen.
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Discover the Hope Springs series…
Second Chance Ranch
Crazy for the Competition
the Accidentally in Love series
Falling for Her Fiancé
Act Like You Love Me
Resisting the Hero
An Officer and a Rebel
for adult readers
Cinderella Screwed Me Over
Ready to Wed
for new adult readers
Getting Lucky Number Seven
Anatomy of a Player
for teen readers
All the Broken Pieces
