Chapter 53
Fifty-Three
YOU GAVE ME EVERYTHING I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS MISSING.
KINSLEY
I fought for Stonegate Ranch with everything I had, and somewhere along the way, I fell completely in love with Wyatt Halloway.
The battle left me raw and changed in ways I never saw coming. But this valley put me back together too.
The pine-scented breeze tangles my hair as I sit on the front porch swing at the main house, my fingers tracing the edges of the manila folder in my lap.
The folder holds the documents that saved everything, but my hands are still shaking—not from nerves, but from the certainty that this place will always be part of me.
The truck barely rolls to a stop before the front door bursts open and the Halloways spill out like water breaking through a dam. Sarah, then Oscar.
"We did it!" Sarah's voice echoes off the mountains.
Kit pushes out behind her and lets out a whoop, throwing her arms toward the sky. "We're still standing!"
Brook practically launches herself from the bottom step. "Did you see Martinez’s office's statement this afternoon? They're scrambling so hard they can't even keep their story straight."
I can't help the laugh that bubbles up from my chest. "They issued three different statements in two hours," I say, stepping out of the truck. "By the third one, they were basically admitting Martinez went rogue while simultaneously claiming they had full oversight the entire time."
"What about the Whitmores? Are they in trouble too?” Kit’s practically salivating over the idea of the Whitmore’s going to jail.
"That's the frustrating part," I say, brushing off my jeans. "I dug through every bit of evidence I could legally access. The Whitmores are clean on this one—at least on paper." I pause, meeting Kit's disappointed gaze. “Sorry.”
"So, they get to keep being rotten, just legally rotten." She folds her arms and glares in the direction of Gritstone Ranch. “I don’t like it.”
“None of us do.” Oscar puts his arm around her and gives her a squeeze.
Wyatt takes my hand. "Enough about the Whitmores," he says. "We won. Let's enjoy it."
"He's right," Brook says, clapping her hands together. "Come on, everyone inside. I've got steaks marinating because we are celebrating."
The family begins moving toward the house.
"I can't believe it's over," I say to Sarah as we climb the steps together. “It might take a couple days for me to wind down.”
"Oh, it's not over." Sarah's replies. “My phone's been ringing all morning. Everyone wants to know how we did it." She places a hand on my arm. "Three law firms have called asking if you're taking new clients.”
“Wow,” I say, stunned, but excited. I haven’t even thought about my next client, or from where I’ll be working. Cheyenne or Gritstone. Wyatt and I haven’t got that far yet.
“And if you need an office,” She folds me into a hug. “The cottage is yours—for as long as you want it.”
“Thank you,” I rasp out, surprised at the offer.
She pulls back, her hands gripping my shoulders, gray eyes bright with tears. "Do you know what you did for this family?"
“I did my job,” I reply.
"Your job?" Sarah laughs. "Honey, your job was to file some paperwork and make phone calls. What you did was go to war for us."
Oscar clears his throat behind us. "Sarah's right. What you did for us—"
"Was savage," Kit interrupts, and there's actual admiration in her voice.
I feel my throat closing up. "I just—"
Sarah pulls me close again. “Welcome home."
Levi's weathered hands are gentle as he pats my shoulder. "Good work, girl."
Sarah steps back and Wyatt moves in, his arm sliding around my waist like he's been waiting for me.
I take in a scene. Kit's sitting on the counter, boots swinging as she steals pieces of whatever Brook’s chopping. Levi's pulled out the good whiskey, pouring glasses for himself, Oscar, and Sarah.
Wyatt presses a kiss to the top of my head, his lips lingering in my hair. I close my eyes and breathe in the smell of home-cooked food and the sound of people who genuinely love each other.
"Because of you, I got my family back. Found my place here again." His arm tightens around me. "You gave me everything I didn't know I was missing. You saved me."
"We saved each other," I say quietly, turning in his arms just enough to meet his eyes. "I was just as lost as you were."
"Kinsley Rose, I love you."
All those careful walls I've built crumble under the weight of his unwavering gaze.
Every broken piece inside me feels like it's being carefully gathered up and put back together.
I've spent my whole life being strong enough to handle anything, but standing here with his canyon-deep eyes looking at me like I'm worth everything—I finally understand what it means to have someone who would move mountains for me.
"I love you too," I whisper.
He leans down and kisses me, soft and sweet, his lips warm against mine.
"Well," Kit announces from her perch on the counter. "I guess that settles it. You're stuck with us now."
I laugh, the sound bright and free. "I can think of worse fates."
"We need to talk about Vegas," Wyatt says. "Figure out flights, hotels. I want you there for all ten nights."
My heart flutters.
I finally understand what my mother never could. Love isn't about playing it safe. It’s about planting roots in rocky soil and trusting them to grow deep enough to withstand the winds. Gritstone has become that place for me—a new first chapter in my life.
I'll be there in the stands, heart pounding, watching the man I love do what he was born to do. And when he’s world champion, when he looks up into that sea of faces and finds mine, I'll know that this is just the beginning of our story.
“You’ve been chasing that title all year—I want to see you win it.”
He grins. “You know what they say about Vegas, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I say, bumping his shoulder. “That what happens in Vegas better come home wearing a buckle.”
He laughs. “Something like that.”
I lean into him, grinning against his shoulder. Whatever happens in Vegas, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to change everything.