by A. J. Pine
“I can answer now?” she whispered, crying softly.
He grinned and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling as though thinking about it. “Sure,” he said. “I’m done.”
“In that case…” She tugged him to his feet. “I can’t wait to marry you. Obviously.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled her close. “I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world. I promise you.” A wicked gleam lit his eyes. “And not just in bed, either.”
“You already make me happy. In bed and in everything else.” She embraced him as tightly as she could, holding happiness in her arms. “Oh my God, I’m getting married!” she sang, letting it soak into the deepest parts of her. She gazed up into Lance’s tender eyes. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan had nothing on them.
“I can’t believe you did all of this.” She looked around the room again, at all of the details, the months and months of work he’d kept secret from her. “It’s perfect. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m gonna give you everything.” He leaned down to kiss her, and she savored it, the feeling of belonging to someone again. She’d always miss her father, but for the first time since he’d passed away, her heart felt whole.
He danced her to the window and together they peered out. “Look at that. It’s all ours. Yours and mine.” His palms cradled her stomach. “And someday it’ll belong to all of our little buckaroos, too.”
She stared out at the snowcapped mountains that sheltered the houses all lined up in a row farther down the hill. “I love this place.” It would be their place—a haven for their family and friends, a place where they gathered and celebrated and built a life together. All of them.
Lance drew closer behind her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Let’s go out and share the news,” he murmured against her neck. “Then we’ll kick everyone outta here so I can try to get you pregnant.”
Eyeing him seductively, she slipped out of his embrace, backed to the main door, and clicked the lock into place. “We don’t have to kick anyone out. No one’ll miss us.”
“In that case, come here.” Her fiancé made his way to her, those breathtaking bluish eyes focused and intent. He slid his hands down her body, and she loved those big manly hands, loved how they made her feel so petite. “I love you,” she whispered, kissing him again and again.
“I love you, too,” he said, easing his arms around her. “And I love that you’re going to be my wife.”
His wife! A burst of happiness could’ve carried her straight to the clouds.
She’d finally found it, what her heart had so desperately craved. Love. And it was braver and bigger and deeper than she ever knew it could be.
Acknowledgments
Every time I finish a book it feels like a miracle. There’s no way to describe that feeling of fear when you first create a brand-new document, when the blank page is staring back at you and you know you have to fill it, not only with characters and action and romance, but also with love and a part of yourself. After writing six books, I now know the fear doesn’t go away. It’s the most difficult, beautiful, heart-wrenching, exciting thing I’ve ever done. And I’m so grateful I don’t have to do it alone.
To my fabulous readers—I hope you know how much I appreciate every review, every comment on Facebook, every note you send, everything you do to encourage and inspire me. One of the greatest blessings of being an author is sharing this journey with you.
I cannot thank my team at Forever enough for all of the work and thought they put into my books. This book took a village! Leah Hultenschmidt and Lexi Smail, thanks for stepping in and taking such good care of me through the editing process. And Megha Parekh, you have such a gift! Thank you for always pushing me to do just a little bit more. To the artists, copy editors, proofreaders, publicists, and sales and marketing gurus who never get enough credit for everything you do—I appreciate you more than I can say.
Suzie Townsend and Sara Stricker at New Leaf, thank you for taking care of the details and representing me so well. I’d be lost without you!
Thank you to my husband, Will, for continuing to be my greatest supporter. You’re always the first one to comfort me or congratulate me or tell me to get my butt back in that chair. Thank you for loving me every single day, even when I’m on deadline. AJ and Kaleb, thank you for filling my life with so much joy. It’s such a privilege to watch you grow and make your mark on the world.
I never have enough space to list the names of all my friends and family members who continue to love, support, and encourage me. But writing love stories is my way to honor them. They are the ones who taught me to believe in a real, raw, soul-binding love that carries so much healing power. No matter what happens in the world, we all need to believe that kind of love is possible, that we are worthy of it, and that it can change everything.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
About the Author
Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swum through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.
Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons.
You can learn more at:
SaraRichardson.net
Twitter @SaraR_Books
Facebook.com/SaraRichardsonBooks
Also by Sara Richardson
Heart of the Rockies Series
No Better Man
Something Like Love
One Christmas Wish (novella)
More Than a Feeling
Rocky Mountain Wedding (novella)
Rocky Mountain Riders Series
Hometown Cowboy
Comeback Cowboy
Renegade Cowboy
Rocky Mountain Cowboy (novella)
True-Blue Cowboy
Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas (novella)
Colorado Cowboy
A Cowboy for Christmas
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