Chapter 38
Spencer
He jerks his head to the right. “Barn for feed up and beddin’ down. Don’t make me regret this, Lockwood.”
I huff a strained, mostly surprised laugh and give him a nod.
Flipping my collar back up, I round the home and cross the muddy ground, feet slipping as I go.
I push through the small door at the side of the barn and spill out into a space filled with sheep. The lights are amber but dim, and the place smells of hay and animals.
I scan the barn but don’t see her.
Something moves in the corner.
I would know those gorgeous curves anywhere.
That dark, long hair that hasn’t let up in my dreams for the past ninety-four damn days.
I wander toward where she stands by the hay bale, her chest snapping up and down in an erratic rhythm.
Her face is red and tear streaked.
Her hands curled around the coat she’s hugging to her body.
Oh, Riles.
I close in on her and take her face in my hands. She stumbles backward. She looks . . .
Her face is twisted with confusion.
I find a hay bale and sit on it. I know she needs a moment to process this. Hell, so do I.
She sinks onto the bale behind her and starts to sob.
“S-spence?” she cries.
“Yeah, baby.”
“Oh my god.” Her face falls into her hands.
She works through a handful of raw, chugging wails before she composes herself and stands.
“What are you doing here?” she whispers.
My gut sinks.
There it is . . .
“Riles, please,” I start.
She holds up a hand.
“I-I . . . My heart has been broken since the day I left.” Tears stream down her face.
Hope inflates in my chest.
She steps a little closer, like she’s making sure I’m really here before committing. “What about Ives?”
“I could never leave her behind,” I rasp.
“So . . . you’re here. To stay?”
“If you want me to, baby.”
Surprise stretches her pretty face as she huffs.
Her hand reaches for her hair, gathering it to one side before it falls over her chest, her brown winter coat curtained with it.
“I do,” she breathes. Her hand reaches for me. “Come here.”
I don’t move. I can’t. Emotion has stolen the last of my usable airway.
“Baby, I’ve come all this way. This last step is going to have to be yours.”
Realization crosses her expression. She swallows, closes the distance between us, and captures my face with her hands.
“I love you, Spencer Lockwood. I have for a long time.” Her gaze searches mine as my jaw feathers. “Come on, cowboy, I’m right here.”
A smile tugs at my lips as I haul Riles onto my hips.
Her mouth crashes over mine, and my hold on her tightens. I devour her like it’s been a thousand years since we were in each other’s orbit.
It may as well have been.
Riles jerks back, her face turning back to shocked.
“Spencer Lockwood, is my baby girl here?”
I can’t hold back the grin that springs to life. “Yes ma’am.”
She’s peeling herself from me a heartbeat later. The door bangs on the wall as she flies through it and out into the downpour. I follow, closing the door as I go. She slams through the back door to the homestead. Crossing the threshold, I almost run straight into her back.
“Oh, Ives, you came all this way?” She drops to her knees.
Ivy turns away from the toy she’s playing with by Chloe’s side on the floor. The instant her gaze finds Riley, she’s up on her feet, running for her.
“Mama, mama, mama, mama.”
Riles sobs, sinking to her seat on the hard floor as Ivy flies into her arms.
“Ivy baby, my clever girl,” Riles says through sobs.
Chloe’s crying, swiping at her cheeks as Connor stands in the hallway, arms crossed, the ghost of a smile on his face.
Two girls come tumbling out of a bedroom somewhere, skidding to a halt when they see us.
“Oh shite, the cowboy came,” one says, elbowing the other.
They must be Lizzy and Elouise.
“Hey girls,” I say with nod.
“Ah, Chloe! Why didn’t you tell us Ivy’s here? Hoggin’ her for yerself?” the other chimes in.
Riley loses Ivy to her sisters as they carry her to the living room.
I can’t resist the chance to wrap myself around the fiery little woman I love. So I close in behind her as she glances over her shoulder.
And I do.
I wrap my arms around her, sink my face into her hair, and breathe her in before I utter, “I love you, Riley O’Malley. More than anything else in this life.”
A hand slaps my head.
“Ay!” I jerk my head up.
“As much as Ives, Spence. Not more.”
I chuckle.
“Always fecking right, Riley O’Malley.” I give her my best Irish accent, and everyone turns. The matching looks of horror on their faces has laughter bursting from me and Riles.
Right here in this moment, I know one thing. Whatever happens, I will be okay. Ives and Riles will be okay, too. All we need is to be together.
No more buckin’ around for this cowboy.
Home is in the heart of the woman who saw me at my worst and stayed for the glow-up fatherhood afforded me.
The only person in the world who’s been there when I was vulnerable and hasn’t hurt me for it or simply walked away.
She walked through every step of it with me and didn’t blink an eye.
Didn’t criticize my mistakes. And there were many.
I quit the circuit in favor of coaching future bull riders, which I have been doing from Brady’s ranch. Guess it will have to be in Clady now.
My degree hangs on the wall in the cottage.
It only took ten weeks to get my last two courses finalized, and the diploma arrived in the mail. I sold my truck to fund the trip and give Ives and me some money for living expenses while we get set up over here.
Who knows what the future holds.
I only know that Ivy has her mama back and I have the love of my life. For a man who never thought he deserved that, let alone would find it, every sacrifice was more than worth it.
Riles turns in my arms, sliding her fingers into my hair.
“Lord above, I missed you,” she breathes.
“Oh baby, you have no idea.”
I scoop her up and she points, wordlessly, toward her room. I wander through the house as she stares up at me. I know, baby. I can’t believe it, either. Those ninety-four days may as well have been a goddamn fucking century.
But like anything this incredible, it was well worth the wait.
This is going to be the reunion of the goddamn century.