Epilogue
The following weekend, Grady stood in the kitchen, patiently waiting for his coffee to finish brewing. It felt good to get a full night’s sleep. When Bentley strolled into the room, Grady couldn’t help but grin. As soon as the dog reached the door, Grady opened it and let him run outside. The dog couldn’t go anywhere since it was fenced. It was safer for him. Not only from running off but from falling into the pool.
He closed the door and watched Bentley through the window and jerked when Savannah wrapped her arms around him from behind and planted a kiss on his back. He turned and pulled her close, returning her kiss.
“You look good in my shirt,” Grady commented.
“You look even better without it.” She brushed her lips against his chest.
As he gazed into her eyes, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are we okay?”
“Seriously, Grady? We’re fine and after last night, how could you doubt it?” she teased.
She retrieved a cup from the cupboard, and after Grady removed his cup from under the coffee maker, she added another K-cup and pressed the button to brew. “I can’t wait to see more of the ranch.”
“It’s a beautiful place.” He’d convinced her to let him show her some of the land he worked, since she’d only seen the barn containing the horses.
“You really love it there, don’t you?”
“I do.”
After enjoying a breakfast of waffles and hashbrowns, they hopped into Grady’s truck and headed toward the ranch.
“It’s good there’s a road that leads directly from your cabin to the ranch.” Savannah asked. “That way you don’t have to go out to the main road.”
“There’s a road that connects my cabin to the ranch and a road connecting the ranch to Maverick’s place.”
When they arrived at the middle barn, Savannah took in the surroundings with awe.
“It’s just so pretty here.”
“Yes, it is. Come on, let’s go inside.”
“Okay.” She opened her door and joined him at the front of the truck.
After letting their eyes adjust, Savannah smiled.
“It smells amazing here. Manure and all.”
“That sweet smell is from the haybales stacked against the wall.” Grady pointed toward them.
He then led her to his office and opened the door, gesturing for her to go inside.
“This is my office. Maverick’s is located in the other barn to the left of this one. The third barn is where Steve and John’s office is, and also holds all the feed, straw, and additional hay. Come with me, I’ll introduce you to Onyx.”
“Your horse, right?” Savannah repeated.
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t worry, he’s very friendly.”
As they approached his stall, Savannah gasped at the sight of the large black horse.
“I can see why you named him Onyx.”
“Yep, not a spot of any other color on him.”
She reached out her hand to caress the horse’s nose, and he playfully blew into it causing her to laugh.
“How would you like to go for a ride?” Grady asked.
“On a horse?” she asked in a shocked tone.
“Unless you want to ride me,” he teased. “But for now, yes, a horse.”
“I don’t know...”
“You can ride with me.”
“I’m not sure...”
“Don’t worry, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. Onyx is as calm as they come; not even a bomb could make him move if he didn’t want to. He has stopped in the middle of a pasture refusing to go anywhere, no matter how much I tried to make him go. He can be stubborn, unless wolves are around.”
“Wolves?”
“Hell, I knew the minute I said it, I shouldn’t have. Even if there are, they won’t bother us. The only time they would is in the winter when their food source is low or they have pups, but the fence is electrified now. Before it was, Onyx and I had to outrun them last winter.”
“Oh, my God. I would have been terrified. I’m so glad nothing happened to you or Onyx.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but for today, let’s go for a ride. I’d protect you with my life, Savannah. You have to know that.”
Savannah chewed on her bottom lip before finally agreeing. “I do. Okay, but please don’t let me fall off.”
“I would never do that.” He reassured her. “Wait here, I’ll get the tack.” Grady retrieved a blanket and saddle from the tack room before returning to put them on Onyx’s back.
After saddling the horse, he entered a room, and returned with a rifle, and put it into the sheath mounted next to the saddle.
“Why are you taking that?”
“Because we could see some wildlife—”
“You won’t shoot it, will you?”
“Not unless necessary. I mostly shoot into the air to scare them off. Don’t worry, they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”
“I highly doubt that.”
He chuckled, mounted up, removed his foot from the stirrup and held out his hand for Savannah.
“Give me your hand, put your foot in the stirrup, and I’ll lift you up.”
He observed her take a deep breath before putting her foot on the stirrup and extending her hand to him. He lifted her up onto the horse, settling her in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“That’s a long way down,” she exclaimed.
“He’s a tall horse, standing at seventeen hands.”
“Like I have any idea what that means,” she admitted.
“I’ll explain it some other time.” Grady chuckled before nudging the horse with his knees and leading them toward the doors of the barn.
“Stop,” she said and he immediately reined in the horse.
“What’s wrong?”
She laughed and pointed at the sign beside the doors.
“That sign, ‘Keep the gate closed, no matter what the horses tell you.’ That’s funny.”
Grady chuckled, nudged the horse then rode out of the barn.
As they rode through the east pasture, Grady pointed out the cattle and then rode on to a pond. He stopped the horse, helping her down before dismounting himself.
“Where are you going to tie the horse?”
“He’s used to ground tying. It means he won’t go anywhere if the reins are touching the ground.”
“How did you train him to do that?”
“I didn’t. Trick Dillon, the best horse whisperer in the area, trained him.”
“That’s amazing. I don’t know Trick, but I love his name.” She laughed when Grady shook his head.
“This is where my dad and I go fishing,” Grady explained.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she remarked once again.
“I agree. There’s no place on earth more stunning than right here, unless it’s you in my bed.” He removed a bedroll from behind the saddle and laid out a blanket on the grass. Taking her hand, he helped her sit down before joining her. He gazed out over the water, mesmerized by the way the sun’s rays reflected off its surface like glass.
“Should have brought my fishing pole,” he muttered.
“I don’t fish.” She shook her head.
“It’s very relaxing.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but there is no way I’d touch a worm.” She shuddered.
Grady laughed. “You can use lures instead.”
“And what happens if I actually catch something?”
“Let me guess, you won’t touch a fish either?”
“Right.”
“Well, I could take it off for you. I don’t keep them; I catch and release.”
“So, what’s the point then?”
“As I said, it’s relaxing.”
Savannah shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Is there some underlying reason you’re trying to pick a fight with me?” Grady asked jokingly.
She giggled. “Nope. Just giving you a hard time.”
He leaned in and kissed her lips. “I sure like giving you a hard time.”
“You did plenty of that last night.” She touched his cheek.
Grady gazed into her eyes and watched as she furrowed her brow.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. I love looking at you.”
“Stop.”
“I can’t help it. Savannah...” He shook his head.
“What is it?”
“I want… I love you. You know that, right?”
“Of course, I do. I love you too.”
“Enough that you’d marry me?”
“I’m sorry... what?”
“I want to marry you. But if marriage isn’t something you want, we could still live together. It’s up to you.”
“You’re asking me to marry you?”
“Yes,” he answered with a nod. “This is why I wanted to come here. This place holds special meaning for me, and I thought it would be the perfect spot to ask you.”
“You’re asking me to marry you?” she asked again in disbelief.
“Yes. Is that so hard to believe?”
“You, Grady Henderson, a man who never wanted to settle down, is asking me to marry him?”
“Are you being a smartass?” He frowned playfully.
Savannah wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes.”
“Yes, what? You’re being a smartass or you’ll marry me?”
She nodded. “Both!”
Grady grinned, leaned in, and kissed her deeply before gently lowering her onto her back on the blanket. He moved his hand under her T-shirt, but she swatted it away.
“What the hell?”
“I will not, under any circumstances, have sex with you on this blanket in the middle of a field.”
Grady rolled onto his back laughing. “Fair enough. Let’s go home.”
“We just got here,” she protested.
He sighed. “Alright.”
“We could go for a swim when we get back,” she suggested with a wink.
“Did you bring a swimsuit?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Nope.”
“My kind of woman.” He kissed her again before helping her up. “Savannah, what about kids?”
“I would love to have a baby with you.”
“Are you sure? I mean, after what you went through, I’ll go along with any decision you make. I want you happy.”
“The odds are low for it to happen to me again. I know it can, but I’m willing to take that risk with you, Grady because I know you’d stand by me.” She smiled. “I’d love to have a little boy who looked like his daddy.” She shrugged and bit her lip. “Whoever that may be.”
“What?”
She laughed. “I’m kidding.”
“Damn good thing,” he growled.
She heaved a sigh. “I’m not going to lie. I’m sure it will go through my mind, after the baby is born, that it could happen again, but I also know I’d have you with me.”
“Yes, you will. I would never do what he did.”
“I have no doubt about that. We’ll be fine.”
“I know we will. I just want you happy. If you decide you don’t want kids, I’m fine with it.”
“I want to have kids, Grady. Maybe a year after we’re married.”
“Anything you want.” Grady kissed her lips.
“Right now, I have all I need.”
Grady grinned, rolled up the blanket, placed it behind the saddle, and after securing it, mounted the horse and pulled her onto his lap.
They shared one more kiss before he directed Onyx to turn around and head back home. Grady never imagined himself falling in love, let alone wanting to spend the rest of his days with someone. But Savannah was the one for him, and nothing would ever come between them again.
He’d make sure she’d want for nothing. He told her the truth when he said he would protect her with his life. The thought of losing her in any way, scared him, but he wanted her beside him for as long as they had on this earth. She belonged beside him, on this ranch, and he knew that’s where she’d stay.
“This is the first and last time in my life that I will fall in love. I will never leave your side unless you tell me to. That I promise you,” he said, kissed her forehead, then nudged the horse to take them home. When she wrapped her arms tighter around him, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.
* * * The End * * *