EPILOGUE
Riley
One year later…
I stood at the kitchen window, watching snow fall on Hartland Ranch and feeling perfectly content.
There was no blaring smoke alarm going off or the smell of burnt biscuits filling the air. Instead, the sweet smell of sugar and vanilla lingered and the only sound to be heard was the soft strands of Christmas carols playing from the radio on top of the fridge.
Mae and I had spent the afternoon making Christmas cookies. The tree in the living room was already decorated, covered in ornaments both old and new. There was a turkey in the oven for tonight’s dinner, and presents were wrapped and waiting under the tree.
But the best present was already on my finger.
I touched the ring there—a simple band with a Montana sapphire that Dalton had given me. We’d been feeding the horses last January when he suddenly dropped to one knee in the snow and asked me to marry him. Again.
I’d said yes before he’d even finished the question.
Arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and Dalton’s chin settled on my shoulder.
“Whatcha thinking about?” he murmured.
“Last Christmas. How scared I was. How sure I was that I’d ruin everything.”
“And how do you feel now?”
I turned in his arms, looking up at the man I loved more than I’d ever thought possible.
“Like I finally found where I belong.”
He kissed me and I tasted coffee and home. I tasted him.
“Ready for round two?” he asked against my mouth.
“Round two of what?”
“Teaching you to cook. I know you want to learn my secret to making yeast rolls.”
I sighed. That was the one thing I hadn’t learned to make properly.
“You know that’s driving me crazy, don’t you?”
“Yes. Because you’re secretly a perfectionist who wants to impress everyone.” He nipped at my lower lip. “And because you know I’ll reward you properly afterward for following my instructions.
Heat flooded through me. Even after a year, he still made me feel like I was on fire with just a look, a touch, a promise.
He grabbed an apron and tied it around my waist. “Just in case you get overly excited with the flour.”
It didn’t take us long to make the dough. As I placed a dish towel over the bowl, I looked at him and asked, “What now?”
“Now,” he said, taking the bowl and placing it on top of the stove. “We leave it there until it doubles in size.”
I took off my apron and walked toward him. “Speaking of doubling in size…”
My hand cupped him through his jeans.
I did a little scream-laugh when he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. Thankfully, Mae was in town doing some last-minute grocery shopping and we were alone in the house.
As he carried me up the stairs, I marveled at how much my life had changed in twelve months.
A year ago, I’d been terrified of staying. Of belonging. Of loving someone enough that losing them would destroy me.
Now? Now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
I’d stopped running and discovered that standing still didn’t mean being stuck. It meant having roots. Having home. Having love.
As Dalton tossed me onto the bed and followed me down, I couldn’t help but smile.
Yeah, I thought. This was definitely where I was meant to be.