Born to Be a Cowboy Page 35
She kissed him again, and he took that as a yes.
* * *
Ivy and Carter tied Ace and Barbara Ann to the fence. She stared at the beautiful, stubborn man she loved and shook her head.
“What would the doctor say if he knew you were on a horse three days after breaking your arm?” she asked. She’d tried to stop him, but he’d threatened to ride off without her if she didn’t join him.
He opened and closed his right hand. “Arm’s broken,” he said. “Thanks to Shane O’Brien, the hand’s just fine. Besides, who’s snitching on me to the doctor?”
She removed the pack from Barbara Ann’s saddle and tossed it on the ground. They’d get to that shortly. Then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him in the place where they’d kissed for the first time. When they finally parted, he spun her so her back was against his torso, his hands resting on her hips.
From the top of the hill above town, Ivy could see the ruins of Mrs. Davis’s home. She could also see the inn where Pearl would give her—and her animals—a place to stay for as long as it took for her to rebuild. She could see the bell above the firehouse, the one that would forever remind her of the day she didn’t lose the man who held her in his arms right now.
“Can you see that?” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t mean the town. I mean what’s right in front of you.”
Her brows furrowed, and she shifted her gaze from the tapestry of Meadow Valley to a shock of color just a little way down the hill. A sunflower.
She spun to face him. “I don’t understand. How did it—I mean, those don’t sprout up in a matter of days.”
He laughed. “I talked to Sam Callahan, and we thought it might be fun to start a community garden up here between locals and ranch guests. It’s public property, so there are permits involved, but I’m sure you can point me in the right direction of who to talk to.”
“You want to build me a garden?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“I want to build you everything,” he said. “But if the garden’s too painful—if the memories are too much…”
She shook her head.
“It is painful,” she admitted. “But it’s also wonderful and thoughtful.” She pressed her palms to his chest. “I don’t want to forget the painful stuff. And I don’t want to wrap myself in a bubble of fire extinguishers and interconnected smoke detectors and—and loneliness to protect myself from getting hurt again. I want to start something new—with this garden and with you. I will always be scared, but I don’t have to be alone. We’re not alone.”
“Although fire safety is important,” he teased. “So don’t abandon your extinguishers just to make a statement.”
She laughed.
“You know,” he said, looking past her and down at the town, “if you need to when things get tough, we can always come here to forget the rest of the world for a little while, pretend it doesn’t exist.”
She shook her head. “I want to experience it all, the good and the bad. With you.”
She gave him a soft kiss and ran her hands through his hair, smiling against him. “Starting with a hilltop haircut,” she said. “Are you ready, Lieutenant? Brought all my tools.”
He laughed and stepped away. “At the risk of you miscalculating and lopping off my ear, I need to ask you one quick thing before I potentially lose my hearing.”
Ivy crossed her arms. “Cut off your ear? Please, Lieutenant. And here I thought you trusted—”
He dropped down to one knee, and Ivy lost the ability to form words.
“I know there’s supposed to be a ring and everything, but I’m kind of doing this out of order. It’s as simple as the text you sent me the night of the fire. Everything’s been so crazy the past few days I didn’t even see it until later the next day. I’m here, Ivy. If you’ll let me, I will always be here for you. I love you. Say you’ll marry me, plant gardens with me, and build a life with me, and then I’ll let you cut my hair.”
She wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying because the tears were flowing, but she was smiling from ear to ear.
She clasped her hands around his neck and kissed him and kissed him and kissed him some more.
“Yes,” she said against him, and she felt his smile mirror hers. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
Bonus Novella Cowboy to the Rescue Copyright © 2019 by A. J. Pine
Acknowledgments
Writing the first draft of a new book is my happy place, and this book was no exception. But making the book all sparkly and pretty—that’s the tough stuff, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without my wonderful editor, Madeleine Colavita. Thank you for always knowing how to point me in the right direction, for giving me plenty of LOLs and smiley faces in your margin notes, and for wanting to try PB&J with brie. I think we should do this together!
Thank you to the whole Forever team for loving my small-town California ranchers as much as I do. I’m thrilled to keep working with each and every one of you: Amy, Leah, Gabi, and Estelle—who thankfully reminded me that this series needs an animal with personality to rival Lucy the psychic chicken. The addition of Butch Catsidy is thanks to you!
To my fabulous agent, Emily, your guidance, support, and brainstorming phone calls are everything.
Thank you Jen, Chanel, Lia, Megan, and Natalie for cheering me on, inspiring me with your words, and for being the best besties.
To all the readers—thank you for reading, reviewing, and sharing the love of romance.
Dad, thanks for buying all my books but not reading. LOL. Mom, thanks for buying, reading, and sharing with all your friends. And to S and C, thanks for thinking it’s cool that your mom is a writer but understanding you’re not allowed to read for a few more years. I love you infinity.
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About the Author
A librarian for teens by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finds that twenty-fifth hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV to nourish her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopathic detective. She hails from the far-off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.
You can learn more at:
AJPine.com
Twitter @AJ_Pine
Facebook.com/AJPineAuthor
Look for more A.J. Pine books!
Meadow Valley series—
coming in winter 2019!
My One and Only Cowboy
Make Mine a Cowboy
Only a Cowboy Will Do
Crossroads Ranch series—
available now!
Second Chance Cowboy
Tough Luck Cowboy
Hard Loving Cowboy
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