by J. K Harper
“The best view is from Observation Point Trail,” Mack said. “You can get away from the crowds, although most of the tourists are gone by now. It’s a short hike, about a mile total. The view is spectacular. After it goes off, I recommend grabbing some coffee from the visitor’s center. It gets cold on those snowmobiles.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Sasha said.
“I’m heading back inside,” Mack said. “But don’t stay out here too long or Madison’s going to send a search party out.”
“Okay,” Jack said.
After Mack had left, Jack turned to Sasha.
“How are you feeling about everything?” he asked.
“Excited. Scared.”
“Try not to overthink it too much,” he said. “I can tell you one thing—if I didn’t think this was headed somewhere, there’s no way in hell I’d be staying.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
As they walked back to the barn, he rubbed her back. A few weeks should be plenty of time to know where they stood. If their bears were right, then he’d be putting down roots for the first time in over a decade.
Chapter 8
Sasha raced up the snow-covered trail behind Jack.
“Hurry,” he said. “Old Faithful isn’t called that for nothing. It’s going to erupt at any moment.”
“I’m coming,” she panted.
Her boots crunched through the wake of his footsteps. It was so much easier to follow the path he’d cut through the snow than to create one. And she also got a great look at his butt from this vantage point.
The sign at the bottom of the trail had indicated that they’d only be climbing two hundred feet. It felt like two thousand. But she managed to keep up. As they reached Observation Point, she stepped closer to the edge. A low fence comprised of long logs kept her from going over. She leaned a foot against it to stretch.
“Be careful.” Jack moved behind her to hold her. “I don’t want you falling.”
“It feels sturdy enough,” she said. “Look at this view.”
She gazed out across the valley. Clouds of steam rose up from Geyser Hill. In the distance, the Firehole River twisted around a bend of frosted pine trees. Down below, the cluster of buildings that made up Old Faithful Village glistened in the light. She’d been afraid they’d be stuck in a snowstorm today, but a cerulean blue sky hung over the land.
“Is it starting?” Jack asked as he pointed at Old Faithful. “I see water spewing out.”
“No.” She smiled. “You’ll know it when it happens. The geyser shoots over one hundred feet into the air.”
“It looks pretty high right now,” he said.
“That’s just steam.”
She snuggled back against his warmth. Her warmest coat wasn’t doing much to protect her against the frigid air. With only a couple of days to go before Thanksgiving, winter was in full effect. They wouldn’t see temperatures above freezing for months, except for an occasional day here and there. She loved this season, and being able to spend it with Jack made it even more magical.
“When we get back to the hotel, we should get some hot toddies,” she said.
“Mmm, I could go for something a little spicier.” He nuzzled against her back.
They’d spent almost every waking moment together over the last month. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses, amongst other things. She grinned as he nipped at her earlobe.
“How much longer do you think it will be?” he asked.
“It’s predicted to go off any minute now, but it’s plus or minus ten minutes so it could be in the next few seconds, or we might have to wait the whole ten minutes.”
“As long as I’m with you, I’ll wait for as long as it takes,” he murmured.
She shivered with longing. Although their relationship seemed to be moving forward, she couldn’t help but worry that his wanderlust would come back to tear him away.
“We have so much to celebrate together,” he said.
“I know. I finally got my art mojo back,” she said.
“I’m glad Mrs. Bran liked the half-man, half-bear sculpture.”
“Liked it? She loved it! She already gave me an advance toward another piece.”
“I’m so glad you’re able to create again,” he said.
“Now that I’ve got my muse to keep my creative juices flowing—”
“Mmm, I could go for that right now.” He cupped her butt and gave it a quick squeeze.
“In the middle of the forest?” She laughed. “Hold that thought until we get back home—uh, I mean to the hotel.”
She turned back to check on Old Faithful. If only he were as predictable as this old geyser.
“You inspire me,” he said softly.
“I do?”
“Every second that we’ve spent together over the last few weeks has been better than the last,” he said. “I wake up every day never knowing what to expect. It’s like living a continuous adventure. And Yellowstone has been amazing. I never want to leave this place.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. And what about her? Did he want to leave her? Was she enough for him? Could he ever be happy staying in one place?
These questions soured on the tip of her tongue. She wasn’t ready for his answers. She’d been careful not to talk about their relationship for fear of bursting the blissful bubble she’d been living in since the day she’d met him. Eventually she’d have to ask, but not today.
“We should move in together,” he murmured.
“What?”
When she tried to turn to look at him, he held her hips in place.
“Look honey, it’s starting.”
Plumes of vapor rolled up from Old Faithful. The first few splashes of boiling water sputtered out of its base to coat the ring of barren earth around it. Runoff streams arced down the small mound.
For a moment, she forgot about the questions that had plagued her over the last few weeks. She surrendered to the wonder of nature. Columns of water shot up higher and higher until they peaked in a display of pure ecstasy. If the earth could have an orgasm, this would be it.
As he moved to her side, she glanced at him. His wide eyes took in the splendor of nature. Just one more thing she loved about him. He appreciated everything in life and never took a moment for granted. She’d changed just by being with him. Now she didn’t rush through life; she slowed down to listen to the chirping of birds and watch clouds billow across the sky. She’d never done that before meeting him. Now it was second nature.
When the eruption began to fade, he moved back behind her. The last spurt of water left an emptiness in her heart. If only she knew how to make him love her.
“Honey?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
She turned around and gasped. Down on one knee, he held his exposed hand out to her. Stunned, she stood there like a fool. He scooted forward on his bent knee until he could reach her. After pulling off her glove, he grasped her hand in his.
“Honey, I know we haven’t been together for very long, but I’ve never been so sure about anything in my entire life. You make me happier than I ever dreamed I could be. When I wake up and you’re lying beside me, I feel like the most blessed man in the world.”
Her jaw dropped as tears formed in her eyes.
“Before I met you, I wandered from country to country, from adventure to adventure, and I never knew what I was looking for … until I met you. Now I know why I lived through that plane crash. I didn’t deserve to live more than anyone else, but I knew there had to be a reason, and it’s you.”
“Oh, Jack,” she whispered.
“I traveled the world searching for a way to fill the hole in my heart,” he said. “I never thought I’d find a way to heal, but I did. The moment I met you I knew you were special. And with each passing day, you captured another piece of my heart.”
When he reached into his jacket pocket with his free hand, her knees wobbled. He pulled out a small red box and popped it open. A sparkling c
ushion-cut diamond shimmered in the sunlight.
“I love you, Sasha. I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. And I’m ready to stay in one place. I’m done searching, because I’ve found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
She choked back a sob as her heart filled with all the love she’d been holding back.
“Honey, I never want to spend another day without you by my side. So if you’re willing to take a chance on me, I’d be honored to be your husband.” As he paused to take a breath, his eyes locked with hers. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Her fingers trembled as he slid the ring onto her finger. The moment it slipped into place, she rushed forward to hug him. He stood and twirled her around in a circle. After setting her down, he cradled her head in his hands and gave her a searing kiss. As she melted against him, her heart burst with joy. When he finally broke away, she gasped for breath.
“Oh, there’s one more thing,” he said.
“I don’t need anything else,” she said. “As long as I have you, I have everything I could ever want.”
“I love you so much,” he murmured before capturing her lips again. The slow slide of his tongue across the seam of her mouth sent quivering tendrils of heat straight to her sex. She leaned into him, luxuriating in their passion.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
“I have something else for you,” he said.
“Mmm … is it in your pants?” she asked in a seductive tone.
“No,” he laughed. “But it’s too big to fit in my pants.”
“I don’t know … you’ve managed to stuff something else in there that I didn’t think would fit.”
“Since when did you get so dirty?” he grinned.
“You bring it out of me.”
“And I’m a happier man for it.” He pulled a keyring out of his back pocket. A single key slid around the loop. “Now before I tell you what this goes to, I want you to know that if you don’t like it, we can pick a different one. I just wanted to surprise you.” He handed her the key.
“What does it unlock?” she asked.
“The front door of our new ranch.”
“What?” she gasped.
“I finally figured out what I want to do with my life. I want to be a cowboy.”
“Oh my God, you bought us a house?” Flabbergasted, she could only look from the keyring to him and back.
“It’s actually across the lake from the Curvy Bear B&B,” he said. “I love the lake and it’s where we met, so it seemed like the perfect place to settle down and have a family.”
Tears flooded her eyes, and this time she couldn’t hold them back. She choked out a sob.
“Honey, what’s wrong? We don’t have to move there if you don’t like it.” He wrapped her in a warm embrace. “I can buy us something else, or we could live in your house.”
“No, it’s not that,” she sniffed. “I just can’t believe I’m going to have my own family.”
After being bounced through the foster care system, she’d felt completely alone her entire life. But now she’d never feel the crushing weight of loneliness again. She tried to smile, but hiccupped instead.
“Honey, you’re my family,” he said. “And I swear that I’ll do everything in my power to make you the happiest woman alive.”
As she leaned back to look up at him, he wiped tears from her cheeks.
“I love you so much,” she said.
“I love you too.” He sealed his promise of everlasting love with a kiss. “Now, are you ready to get out of the cold and go see our ranch?”
“Yes.” She took his hand, and together they strolled down the snowy path through the woods toward a lifetime of love.
~ The End ~
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Also by Liv Brywood
~ ~ Don’t Miss the Other Books in the Curvy Bear Ranch Collection ~ ~
The Cowbear’s Secret Christmas Baby (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 1)
The Cowbear’s Curvy Christmas (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 2)
The Cowbear’s Christmas Shotgun Wedding (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 3)
The Cowbear’s Christmas Bride (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 4)
The Cowbear’s Curvy Valentine (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 5)
The Cowbear’s Mail Order Valentine (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 6)
The Cowbear’s Summer of Love (Curvy Bear Ranch, Book 7)
About the Author
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The Lion’s Halloween Baby
by Scarlett Grove
Chapter 1
Geneva Zales inspected the ridged surface of a ripe pumpkin in the patch in her backyard. The autumn air filled her lungs as a cool evening breeze fluttered through her long, black hair. A crow flew overhead and cawed from a treetop. She smiled at the omen and hefted the pumpkin into her wheelbarrow. It was just right for the ritual.
Geneva snipped two more pumpkin stems with her sheers and placed them in the wheelbarrow beside the first one. With all the ingredients she needed in the wheelbarrow, she lifted the handles and wheeled it to the back porch of her big, Victorian farmhouse.
She had been planning this ritual for months. Tonight, on All Hallows Eve, with the veil between worlds thin, she will cast her spell allowing her to speak to her mother on the other side.
She sighed as she looked out into the overcast sky. The yellow dusk hung heavy in the air. She could feel the energy of the shift coming. The veil was lifting and soon the two worlds would collide. She could hardly wait. There were so many things she wanted to ask her mother. She needed to know what she should be doing with her life.
Most of the white witches in her coven believed that Geneva should take over her mother’s position as matriarch. Geneva, however, wasn’t under the impression that she was ready to lead the coven. After all, she was only twenty-nine and had barely just begun her own journey as a witch. Her powers paled in comparison to her mother’s. How could they possibly expect Geneva to follow in her footsteps?
She carried her pumpkins into the kitchen, setting them on a stone counter against the back wall. Herbs and garlic hung overhead. Fresh produce was neatly arranged in bins in the pantry.
Leaving her pumpkins on the counter, Geneva went to the sink and washed her hands. Outside the window, she noticed the rain splattering against the glass. She hoped the rain would clear up by tomorrow night for the gathering. The full moon had to be visible in order for her spell to work.
Drying her hands on a towel, Geneva sank into a chair at her kitchen table. She looked down at her cup of cold tea and thought about tomorrow. She’d practiced her part in the spell a thousand times, but she knew things could go wrong if it wasn’t performed exactly right. She took a sip of the cold tea and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She’d preformed thousands of spells in her life, but she still felt nervous every time. It wasn’t that Geneva was less talented than any of the other magic users. But, there was something that always seemed to hold her back. Maybe it was living in her mother’s shadow. Geneva had been slow to learn as a child. She had preferred to spend her time in the forest, playing with squirrels and collecting nuts rather than studying books in the magical library. Her mother had told her it was all right th
at she wasn’t as adept with the books as some of the other children.
Geneva’s mother had been a great scholar as well as a natural talent. She’d studied with the best mages of her generation to become well known throughout the world of magic users. When Geneva had been given the chance to study in the great academies of magic, she’d chosen to stay in the mountains and collect herbs in the forest.
Her mother assured her that it was perfectly respectable to be a hedge witch, but Geneva always felt a sense of inferiority when she compared herself to her mother. Now that the coven was expecting her to take over leadership, all her old insecurities were resurfacing.
She just hoped that she wouldn’t be so nervous tomorrow that she screwed things up. Her mother had to tell the coven that Geneva was not fit to lead them.
Geneva pushed herself up from the table. She had to go to sleep early tonight so she would have the energy she needed for tomorrow.
She walked through her house, her footsteps echoing throughout the empty house. Geneva’s father had disappeared a long time ago and her parents never had any other children. She was alone.
Chapter 2
Rowan Tark, a lion shifter, pulled his motorcycle up in front of Fate Mountain Diner and cut the engine. He swung his leg over the side of his Harley, pulling off his helmet. Looking out through the lenses of his aviator sunglasses, he shook out his long mane of flowing blond hair. Fate Mountain was supposed to be one of the best towns in the country for shifters to settle, and Rowan had finally made it to town.
Since leaving the military six months ago, he had been driving around the country, trying to find himself. It wasn’t until recently that he had realized what he really wanted. Love and a family. That revelation had come as a surprise to him.
