Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Griffin
T he fire crackles low in the stove, throwing a soft amber glow across the cabin. I sit back on my heels, watching her move around my kitchen like she belongs here. Like she’s always belonged here.
She set out the wine and cheese earlier, but now she’s got a pot bubbling on the stove, steam rising as she stirs a simple pasta with sauce.
I told her to sit and rest, but she was insistent—said she needed to take care of me.
Even bruised and sore, she won’t stop giving.
Nothing fancy, but God, the smell of it makes my chest ache. Home. She’s here. She’s really here.
And for the first time in… hell, more than a year, I can breathe. Not just because she’s back, but because of everything that came before.
The weight that’s been crushing me for so long I almost forgot how it felt to breathe deep.
Since the first night I accepted cash for my body, convincing myself that was all I was worth.
Since the endless string of women who wanted nothing but what I could give, leaving me emptier every time.
Since I first met Reese and knew— knew —she could never be mine, not with the way things were.
Since I loved her, and then lost her, wondering if I’d ever see her again.
And then the call about my dad—arriving at that sterile hospital room two minutes too late, listening to Pearl beg him to wake up, though we both knew he never would. Watching her break while I stayed dry-eyed, because if I gave grief an inch, it would have finished me.
All of that—every moment of agony—led me here. To this fire, this cabin, this woman who has no idea how much she’s saved me the minute she walked back into my life.
A gift I’ll spend the rest of my life returning.
She brings over two bowls and sets them on the low coffee table in front of the couch. We both sit cross-legged, knees brushing. She shifts, wincing a little, favoring the bad knee, and my hand is there before I even think about it.
“Are you okay, baby? Do you need anything?”
Her eyes soften as she looks at me, moose-print pajama pants pooling around her legs. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”
And just like that, the hollowness inside me fills.
“You spoke to Piper?”
Reese nods, sprinkling Parmesan onto her plate. “I did. Told her we’d come up to the main house first thing in the morning.”
“She was worried sick about you. We both were.”
Seems my girl doesn’t want to linger on her return to New York. Can’t say I blame her.
“I’m here now. That’s what counts.” Reese twirls pasta around her fork, then gives me a look over the rim of her bowl—half challenge, half tease, wholly determined to change the subject. “You saw me eat lo mein, so you already know how I am with noodles. You’ve been warned.”
I take a sip of wine, fighting back a grin. “Don’t worry. I’ve got extra napkins in the cabinet just for you.”
Her eyes narrow in mock suspicion, but her smile blooms anyway. “Awesome.”
We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the fire popping softly in the stove. It feels easy, something I never thought we’d have again.
Then she stills, her gaze darting to the corner of the coffee table. The check. The one she handed me the night she broke me in half. She picks it up, fingers brushing over the envelope. “You didn’t cash it.”
“No.” I set my bowl aside, leaning back. “After that night, there was no way I could.”
Her eyes glisten. The fork shakes in her hand. “Hurting you was the worst thing I ever had to do.”
“No.” My voice comes out rough. “Enduring what you had to with that piece of shit—that was worse.”
She shakes her head, tears brimming now. “I could handle that. But knowing I hurt the man I love more than life itself? That was the worst thing I’ve ever done. A pain I never want to feel again.”
The heaviness settles between us, threatening to pull us both under again.
Not this time.
I lean closer, brushing the sauce-slick corner of her mouth with mine. “Don’t hurt me again. Problem solved.”
A laugh breaks from her throat, and she kisses me back, tasting faintly of tomato and wine. “Deal. On one condition.” She nudges the envelope toward me. “You cash the check.”
“Nope. You’re going to deposit it back into your retirement account.”
“What about your business?”
“It’s taken care of.”
Her eyes narrow as she repositions herself on the couch. “Did Lauren agree to help you? Because you’re marrying me, remember? She can invest in you as a business partner, but I’m not budging on the other part.”
Damn, but she’s adorable. She arrived in Tangled Vines as a runaway bride. Now she’s all but demanding I marry her. Funny thing is, I’m not sure she realizes how close she is to getting her way.
“No,” I reply with a laugh. “I don’t think Lauren is a big fan of mine anymore. Not after the showdown at the fundraiser.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Reese replies, sipping her wine. “Clear all that up.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t need her money.”
“Griffin, honey, it takes capital to start a business.”
“I know.” I set my fork down, running a hand over my jaw. “My dad didn’t do a lot right, especially not by Pearl. He couldn’t live with the guilt of causing the accident, so he put alcohol and space between them. All my sister ever wanted was for her dad to love her.”
Her face softens. “Oh, Griffin…”
“But the one thing he did right? He took out a two-million-dollar life insurance policy years ago. It goes to Pearl, so she’s set for life. A damn good life, too. But she insisted I take two hundred and fifty thousand to invest in my business. So I guess in a way, my sister’s my first investor.”
Reese blinks, stunned. “I love that so much, because Pearl always wanted to help you like you helped her.”
I shrug, but inside I’m raw with relief. “Guess Dad took care of us after all.”
Reese sets her bowl aside and curls into my lap. “Would Pearl be up for guests? I’d like to spend a few days with her.”
“You would?”
“Of course. I’m sure she’s really hurting.” Reese nuzzles my neck, determined to be as close as possible. “I could keep her company. We could talk, go shopping, or cook. I don’t know. I’d just like to be there for her.”
God, this woman.
“Yeah,” I manage, my throat rough. “I think she’d like that. She’s got a guest room. We’ll go together, spend a couple of days.”
Her smile lights me up from the inside. “Perfect.”
We spend the next couple of hours sharing wine, trading kisses, listening to music. She curls against me on the couch, warm and soft, and eventually her eyes drift shut. Her breathing evens, her battered body finally giving in. The exhaustion pours off her, and I realize she hasn’t slept in days.
I stroke her hair, watching the fire burn low.
But contentment tangles with something sharper, darker.
A need for revenge. Vander put his hands on Reese, hurt her, and the thought of it makes my blood boil.
Part of me dreams of hunting him down, making him pay.
And I know I wouldn’t be going alone—all the guys at the ranch would be more than willing to take a spur-of-the-moment ‘sightseeing’ trip to New York.
If he ever comes near her again, I’ll bury him myself. That promise sits heavy in my chest, leashed only because Reese asked me not to.
Reese stirs, blinking sleepily up at me. “I know what you’re thinking.”
I brush my thumb over her cheek. “What am I thinking?”
“And I love you for it. But you’re not going after him.” A tired smile graces her mouth. “You know what the best revenge is, my beautiful man?”
I shake my head. “Tell me.”
“Being happy,” she whispers. “Deliciously, gloriously happy. Fuck him. Never mention his name again. You’re going to make me happy for the rest of my life. And that’s the best revenge—a life well lived.”
She’s right. But part of me still aches for blood, a promise I tuck away for later.
“Hey, cowboy, how about you forget that piece of shit and take me to bed instead?”
A smile blooms across my lips. “That I can do.”
I carry her down the hall, lay her gently against the sheets, and slide in beside her. For a second I think I might get a second round—her body is so warm, so close—but before I can move, she’s out cold again.
I press a kiss to her hair, lingering there, inhaling the faint scent of soap and woodsmoke. “When you said bed, I thought I might get lucky again.”
Her only response? A soft grumble under her breath.
“The truth? I’m the luckiest guy on the planet,” I whisper. “I love you so much. You’re safe, belleza. You’re safe.”
So much for sneaking back into the cabin.
Chowder’s howls echo in the space, the kind of guttural wailing that could convince a stranger he was being dragged to his execution. The carrier rocks in my hand as he thrashes, and I mutter under my breath, “There’s a point to this madness, dude. Just work with me here.”
His response is to crank up the volume on his shrieks.
Thanks a lot, buddy.
By the time I enter the bedroom, Reese is sitting up, hair mussed, eyes bleary with sleep. She blinks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What in the world?”
I set the carrier on the bed and unlatch it.
Chowder steps out with exaggerated dignity, tail flicking once before he looks straight at Reese. His howls stop immediately, blinking at her like, Oh, it’s you. Well, that changes things.
Reese giggles and scoops him up. “Hello, my handsome fur ball.” She cradles him against her chest, rubbing his cheeks as he purrs like none of the previous drama ever happened.
Until her fingers still.
Her gaze catches on the collar. On what’s gleaming there.
She freezes, her eyes going wide as a tear slips down her cheek. “It’s the ring.” Her voice hitches, trembling as she stares down at it. “Oh, my God. It’s that ring.”
Yep. The padparadscha sapphire.
The one I plunked down two hundred and fifty bucks I didn’t have for, the one I finished paying off in Hollow Creek on my way back. The one I knew—deep down—I’d slide onto her hand.
I perch on the edge of the bed, heart pounding.
“Yeah,” I manage, my chest tight. “Put the down payment on it when we were up in Hollow Creek. Picked it up on my way home.”
Her voice cracks. “You did this… before I came back?”
I interlace our fingers and nod. “I was so angry that night, Reese. Drank myself into a stupor and stayed that way until the call came about my dad. But as I sobered up, I realized there was more to our story.”
The tears stream down her cheeks as she clutches my hands. “I’m so sorry I did that to you.”
“Don’t you be sorry. You protected me. Protected Pearl.
Put us first, and no one has ever done that.
So, while I wish you had told me the truth that night, I understand why you couldn’t.
But just so you know, I bought a plane ticket while I was in Portland.
My plan was to fly to New York and track you down.
Possibly get my heart busted into a million pieces all over again. ”
She rises to her knees, her hands framing my cheeks as she rains kisses across my face. “I prayed you wouldn’t believe what I said that night.”
“At first I did.” My voice splinters. “But then I realized you can’t fake love like this.”
I grab Chowder and reach for his collar.
Bad idea. The cat swats at me, hissing like a python as I slip off the collar and turn him loose in the cabin.
No doubt he’ll head straight to the couch and hone his murder mittens.
“You,” I call after him, shaking my head, “are the worst ring bearer in the history of ring bearers.”
“But he’s so fluffy,” Reese counters, biting her lip as she holds back a grin.
I roll my eyes. “Sure. We’ll go with that.”
And here goes everything. You can do this, Griffin. She’s your other half. Your missing piece.
I turn back to her, ring in hand, and drop to one knee. My voice shakes, but I force the words out.
“Look, I get it. You just got out of one engagement, and here I am asking you to walk down the aisle again. But you don’t have to—not yet.
You don’t have to say yes. You don’t have to answer me right now.
I just want you to wear this because it’s my promise to you.
That I’ll always keep you safe. That I’ll always put you first. That I’ll always love you. ”
She reaches up, stroking my jaw. “Griffin?—”
But I keep going, the words tumbling out, unguarded and desperate.
“When you walked away, my heart shattered into pieces. But then I realized I had it all wrong. I was born to love you. I was ready to fight for you. This isn’t a perfect proposal—I know that.
But I can’t wait any longer. I’ve waited too long already .
Hell, I wanted to ask you that first day, but I knew I’d scare you away. ”
Her lips twitch even as tears keep streaming. “Are you going to give me a chance to answer?”
A shaky laugh rumbles up from my chest. “I don’t know. I’m a little nervous.”
Leaning over, she presses a lingering kiss to my mouth.
“This is the most perfect proposal in the history of the world, with the greatest ring and the most incredible man. I would love to be your wife.” She swallows, her voice breaking on the words.
“In fact, I’m thinking maybe Vegas. How’s tomorrow for you? ”
Relief floods me so hard I nearly collapse.
Doesn’t she get it? She could say the word and I’d marry her in a gas station parking lot right now.
“Tomorrow works. Hell, today works.” I slide the ring onto her finger, whispering, “We’ll have to get it sized.”
She studies her hand, tears glistening on her cheeks. “More fun things to do when we go up to visit Pearl.”
“Absolutely.” I brush my thumb over the ring, over her trembling fingers.
Her voice breaks again, soft and awed. “This feels so right. You feel so right.”
“Hell yeah, I do.” A feral growl rumbles in my chest as I tug at the waistband of her moose pajamas. “These things are ridiculous.”
“True, but they’re comfy.”
“They’ll be even comfier on the floor.”
Her eyes spark as she raises her hips to shimmy out of them. “Tell me more.”
I moan against her mouth, and it’s not long before we’re a tangle of kisses and heat, a blur of love and laughter.
Later, when I pause just to look at her—hair wild, ring glittering on her hand, her smile so damn luminous I’ll never recover—I whisper, “What are you thinking about?”
She brushes a tear away, her voice soft but sure. “Forever. For the first time in my life, I’m excited.”
And my heart nearly bursts, because she’s mine. For good.