by Skye Jordan
Everly’s jaw dropped. “Five hundred special forces soldiers?”
He smiled at her with the same stunned excitement. “Right?”
“That’s amazing. Guess we’d better get a jump on this place. I think you’re really going to like it. It’s not officially on the market yet, but the Realtor lives nearby and got wind of the owners looking to retire somewhere warmer year-round. We talked about Costa Rica quite a bit. If you want to sell the house there, they’d probably be interested.”
“No way. It’s the perfect vacation spot.”
She agreed. “You must have seen all the fall colors coming in from DC.”
“Oh, hell yes. Breathtaking.”
“And, what? Twenty minutes by chopper?”
“Yep. Unless Cody’s feeling adventurous.”
She laughed. “Let’s keep that to a minimum. Our lives are dangerous enough as it is.”
“True.” He shook his head and pulled her closer to his side, then strolled over the manicured grounds toward the house. “Tell me about this place.”
She started with the most interesting information and the details she knew he would love. “You may already know this, but the Shenandoah Valley was known as the breadbasket of the Confederacy during the Civil War.”
“Breadbasket?”
She nodded. “The soil and weather were ideal for growing grain. Now, the biggest crop here is wine grapes.”
“Yeah, you should have seen the vineyards flying over. They’re all changing color. It was amazing.”
“Maybe we can take a ride with Cody later.”
“Definitely.”
They strolled up the stone drive. “In the 1800s, this was a working farm. The house was a generously sized farmhouse once upon a time.”
He stopped and gazed up at the gorgeous house. “Looks a little more than generous to me.”
“For the 1700s, it was quite grand, but small by today’s standards. This is the second-oldest structure in Madison County.”
“That’s cool.”
“Gets better,” she said. “The house was exquisitely and completely renovated just five years ago. The owners wanted to keep the historical charm of the place, so the log-and-mortar structure remains exposed on the main level. They even kept and restored antiques, like an original stove, farming tools, the porch planks. But every other surface has been refurbished, refinished, or replaced. The new sections of the home are all modern.”
“Wow.” He ran a hand over her hair. “That spark in your eyes tells me you like it.”
“What’s not to like?” She avoided a direct answer. She wanted this to be his decision. “Look at this place. It’s a damn postcard.”
She scanned the property, its gently rolling green meadows lined with deciduous trees turning various shades of red, orange, and yellow. A bright blue, open sky. Other historical buildings dotting the landscape.
“The main house is thirty-eight-hundred square feet with a beautiful pool, outdoor kitchen, and fire pit.” A crisp breeze floated over her, and she turned to face him, pushing her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “There are several outbuildings with another twenty-five hundred square feet to house your teams, and nice living quarters for a nanny, housekeeper, and cook, totaling another three thousand square feet. Plenty of storage sheds for your gear.”
A lock of hair blew across her face, and Austin fingered it away, tucking it behind her ear. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
Her stomach squeezed a little. She still wasn’t used to all the affection and declarations he showered on her, but every day, she trusted a little more and loved a little deeper. Deeper than she’d ever believed herself capable of.
“You tell me all the time.” Pushing up on her toes, she kissed him. “I’m not finished telling you about the property.”
He just gave her that dreamy look that shook her foundation until she found bedrock. He was her bedrock.
“There are several acres of wine grapes that are currently leased to a local winery,” she told him. “A pond that looks more like a lake to me. Three hundred feet of river frontage. And nice ridgelines to the west. You could do just about any training imaginable here—air, land and, well, water if not sea. There are several good schools in the area and a few amazing private schools as well. The community is tight-knit and friendly. And because DC is so close, there is quite a surprising array of military and government officials in the area. You’ll have to build your own heliport, though. There isn’t one of those.”
“Oh, well, forget it, then. Game over.”
She laughed. “But, you’re going to love this—there’s a fully secured border around the entire property with state-of-the-art surveillance.”
He was less worried about security since Seaver retired from government service under a thick black cloud and moved to Italy to escape the investigative probes and media. But Everly and Austin had security in their blood, and they both slept better with a solid system in place.
His brows shot up. “Why?”
“Because the owners who are tantalizing Bella with baby goats right now both just retired from the Secret Service. The husband was also a former operative.”
Austin dropped his head back and laughed. “I bet you had all kinds of things to talk about. Around all those pesky classifications, of course.”
She grinned. “Of course.”
“Can I afford this place?” he asked.
“It’s surprisingly well within your budget ballpark. And with that new contract, dare I say you really have no budget?”
“Jesus.” He slid his arms around her and looked at the house again. “I’m still having a hard time believing this is my life.”
She patted his chest. Every time she looked at him, she felt the same way. “This is your life, Austin Hix. The one you fought tooth and nail for.”
He looked down at her. “One that’s due in large part to you.” He slipped a hand beneath her hair and gave her neck a squeeze. “Don’t think I don’t realize that every damned day, baby.”
She shook her head. “This is all you, handsome.”
His thumb stroked across her cheek. “What if I wanted it to be all us?” he asked, searching her eyes. “This looks like the perfect location for a wedding.”
“Whoa there, cowboy,” she teased to ease the sting of shock and excitement across her ribs. “It’s not even yours yet.”
“I don’t want it to be mine. I want it to be ours. I know we haven’t talked about it, and I know our schedules are crazy, but I’ve never been more sure about how I want to spend the rest of my life—and that’s with you and Bella.”
She curled her hand into his dress shirt. “You have us both.”
“I want to make it permanent, baby. I want to know that when you come back from a mission, or Roman fires you again, whichever happens first, you’ll head straight to me. For the rest of our lives.”
A current of excitement jolted Everly’s heart. “You don’t have to worry—”
“We both know how short life is.” He grew serious. “I’ve spent the last year and a half fearing I’d lose Bella. Every time you leave, I pray I won’t lose you.”
This wasn’t a conversation she’d ever expected to have with him. He knew the risks inherent in their work. He lived those risks. She tried to soothe him. “Hey—”
“I’m not saying I want you to stop doing what you love. I’d never ask you to do that. I want both of us to live life to the fullest. And I want us to do that as a family.”
She realized he was serious, and her heart opened wide She ran her fingers through his hair. “You know how much I love you, right?”
“I do.” He turned his head and kissed her palm. “So marry me, Everly.”
Her breath stuttered. She searched his gaze—for turmoil, for fear, for something to explain this sudden proposal. But all she found was the kind of warmth and love and security she’d searched for her whole life. “Damn, Hix, you know how to knock a girl off her fe
et.”
“Say yes and then let’s go check out what could be our new home. Our home as a family.”
She pulled in a shaky breath, shocked to realize how big a shift those words made inside her. To realize that there was a much deeper level of commitment to the idea of buying property when it was for them, not just for him.
“I…I’ve never owned anything before.” She looked at the house again, seeing it with fresh eyes. Austin took her hand and threaded their fingers. She imagined the house as their new full-time residence. She imagined returning from a mission. And, yeah, the idea of coming home to Austin and Bella, not just hanging her holster wherever Austin happened to be living or staying at the moment, held an appeal she’d never imagined.
“Putting down roots doesn’t mean you can’t fly, baby,” Austin told her. “It just means the nest will always be here for you when you get back. I really want to come home to you.”
His admission, raspy with love and emotion, gave her the bridge she needed to cross a gorge with rapids wild enough to drown her in seconds.
She took a deep breath. A breath so deep, her lungs filled to capacity and forced out the fear crowding her chest. When she exhaled, a whole new sensation filled her. A love as deep as that damn gorge and a happiness that turned those rapids into a stretch of sleepy river.
“I really want to come home to you and Bella too.”
He dragged her into his arms and held her tight. “I know it’s scary. But let the idea settle in. I’ll always be here for you, baby. Always.”
She closed her eyes, and tears burned down her cheeks. That was a promise she’d never had, one she’d grown to believe she didn’t need. But now, with his arms around her, she knew it was something she’d always wanted. She’d just been waiting for him.
He pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, then kissed her. He grinned down at her. “Wait until Bella hears she’s going to be a flower girl.”
Everly huffed a laugh, but her heart filled with love. “Let’s hold off on telling her that until the sand beneath my feet stops shifting, or she’ll knock me on my ass.”
Austin chuckled. “So true.” He glanced at the house. “Are you ready to see this place as your home? Our home?”
As they started forward, Everly felt like she was leaving one world behind and stepping into something new. But with Austin’s arm around her, it felt safe. It felt good. And in another hour or two, once the shock wore off, she knew without a doubt, it would feel downright glorious.
They climbed the stairs, and Everly took a few steps onto the grand covered porch. She slid a hand over the smooth wood of handcrafted rocking chairs pointed toward a gorgeous view of the valley, and she could see Austin and herself sitting there at the end of the day, drinking wine, talking over his business, or sharing a story from her latest mission, all with Bella dancing around the porch or running around the yard with her friends.
The idea warmed her all the way through.
She slipped her arm around his waist and met his eyes deliberately. The love in her heart overflowed into her voice when she answered. “Yeah. Wow. Who’d have ever guessed?” She stretched up to kiss him. “I’m really ready.”
“Is that a yes?”
She laughed and kissed him. “That’s a yes.”
About the Author
Skye’s New York Times bestselling novels are all about enjoying that little wild streak we all have, but probably don’t let out often enough. About those fantasies we usually don’t get the opportunity to indulge. About stretching limits, checking out the dark side, playing naughty and maybe even acting a little wicked. They’re about escape and fun and pleasure and romance. And, yes, even love, because Skye is ultimately a happily ever after kinda gal.
Skye is a California native recently transplanted to the East Coast and living in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington DC with her husband and rescue pup. She has two grown daughters in California and Oregon.
When Skye’s not writing or plotting (to take over the world), she travels to teach ultrasound to doctors in third wold countries or taking courses in her favorite hobbies and rowing on the Potomac.
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Also by Skye Jordan
MANHUNTERS SERIES:
GRAVE SECRETS
NO REMORSE
DEADLY TRUTHS (Coming soon)
RENEGADES SERIES:
RECKLESS
REBEL
RICOCHET
RUMOR
RELENTLESS
RENDEZVOUS
RIPTIDE
RAPTURE (Coming soon)
QUICK & DIRTY COLLECTION:
DIRTIEST LITTLE SECRET
WILDWOOD SERIES:
FORBIDDEN FLING
WILD KISSES
ROUGH RIDERS HOCKEY SERIES:
QUICK TRICK
HOT PUCK
DIRTY SCORE
WILD ZONE
COVERT AFFAIRS SERIES:
INTIMATE ENEMIES
FIRST TEMPTATION
SINFUL DECEPTION
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