Chapter Forty-Two Savannah
Chapter Forty-Two
Savannah
Six Weeks Later
I smile at the brightly lit Christmas tree in the corner of the living room.
Glittery ornaments twinkle in the soft glow of lights strung around each branch.
I breathe in the scent of eucalyptus and stare at the angel topper.
It was Mom’s favorite part of the tree when we were growing up, a beautiful, glowing gold-glass angel that had been passed down through the years.
Now it’s mine, and someday it will go to my children.
My eyes flicker toward the window. Blaze is out by the barn, talking to the ranch hands.
Today is the day we are herding the livestock to a new pasture as part of the rotational grazing process he implemented once the property was rented out.
It’s the only way to preserve the land and keep it lush and well cared for, especially now that we’ve plunged into winter weather.
Six weeks ago, I’d have never predicted that things would have worked out the way they did. I came back here on blind faith. I left everything behind in Denver to take a chance to create the future I wanted.
I came back with no expectations and a closed-off heart. And over the past weeks, it’s slowly opened up again, finally letting in the man I fell in love with so long ago.
Once he cut ties with Harlon, he morphed into a different man, one who recognized he couldn’t control everything.
For so long, he’d been out of control of his life, and now that he’s free of his father’s poisonous claws, he’s relaxed, happy, and easygoing again, no longer tormented by his demons. He’s finally laid them all to rest.
We even took a trip recently to see Liam’s widow.
Blaze wanted to apologize for everything that had happened overseas and accept responsibility for Liam’s death.
I know how hard it was for him to face her, and she was so gracious and forgiving.
She told Blaze how much Liam loved him, how he looked up to him, how much he respected him.
I know that was hard for Blaze to hear because he’ll never forget his last moments with Liam, but getting his wife Elena’s forgiveness gave him at least a bit of closure.
I slip on my shearling jacket and pull on a hat and boots before pulling open the door. I shiver before the frigid air sweeps into the house, wishing I could just stay inside and bake. But this is our ranch, and today, it’s all hands on deck.
I trudge down the front steps, my feet crunching on the freezing ground. The wind whips around me, and I hug myself to shield my body from the cold. Which is impossible, even with this thick fabric blanketing me.
“Hey,” Blaze says, flashing the smile that always makes my insides gooey. I jog over to him, and he grazes my lips with his own. “You sure you want to be out here for this? I can take care of it.”
“No,” I say. “I want to do this with you. For weeks, we’ve worked side by side. I’m a big girl. I can handle a little cold.”
He laughs, his breath clouding in the air. “Suit yourself. I hope you wore layers.”
“I did,” I say, slipping a gloved hand into his.
He saddles two of our horses, Glitter and Lacey. I mount Glitter, and he hoists himself onto Lacey. We trot over to the pasture where we position the cattle from the right. Mikey and Randy guide them from the left.
Blaze catches my eye across the herd and grins. I smile back, still marveling at how he was able to turn Red Rock from a mountain of issues and debts to the thriving, profitable ranch it now is.
My heart makes that flippy move it always does when he looks at me like I’m the only thing in the world worth seeing.
The loud, sharp backfiring of a truck pierces the air, turning a calm herd into utter chaos.
The Abbott cattle spook first. Their heads pop up, eyes wide. Then, before we can react, they bolt, heading toward the fence line in a blind panic.
Shit. They’re moving fast. Too fast. If they crash against that fence at that speed, they’ll tear right through it. Onto the road. Into danger.
My mind trips back to Miss Bea lying in the road after being hit by that truck, and fear grips me.
“Blaze,” I scream.
But he’s already on them, galloping hard toward the fence line.
Mikey yells orders to the other hands, who run over to help. “Keep the rest of them contained. Don’t let them out.”
Glitter gallops toward the cattle, tearing through sagebrush and low-hanging tree branches. My heart hammers hard. They’re only about a hundred feet from the fence line, kicking up dirt and grass in their wake.
Blaze veers left, pushing Lacey between the cattle and the fence in an attempt to turn them back to the pasture. I ride up, blocking them on the right so they have nowhere else to go. Lacey stops, and the cattle run right into her.
I let out a shuddering breath.
The Abbott cattle low, looking around, confused about what to do and where to go. I jump off Glitter and slowly approach the panicked cattle. Their tails are high, and their ears flicker, but they don’t make a break for it. They just watch me with wary eyes as I slowly inch toward them.
I put my hands out and keep my voice quiet. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Everything’s okay.”
They sniff my hands cautiously and huff. But they stay put. Thank God.
“Good babies. You’re safe now.” I nuzzle the soft areas under their chins, and their bodies relax.
Blaze walks up next to me, and the females nudge him with their snouts. I can’t help the grin from spreading across my face. Such flirty little girls.
“That was close,” I murmur. “If they’d have hit the fence—”
“But they didn’t,” he says. “We got them.”
I swallow hard, feeling his gaze on me, heating me from the inside out. I look up, my heart swelling.
“We make a good team,” he says, his lips quirking upward.
Something inside of me cracks open at that.
Because we do. And all of the fear and doubts and what-ifs I had about coming back here, about working alongside Blaze, about opening up again . . . they’re gone.
I finally know where I belong. I finally found my home.
It had been here all along. I just needed to find my own way back to it.
I grab him by the shirt and pull him close, my pulse rocketing at his nearness.
A flash of surprise glitters in his whiskey eyes.
I tighten my grip on him. “I love you, Blaze. So much. I-I didn’t know if we’d make it, if I’d be able to trust you again, if we could get past what happened. It scared the hell out of me.”
My voice quivers. “But the past six weeks have been amazing. Working with you, side by side, seeing what we can accomplish together, feeling like part of a team. It’s all I want. A perfect life, with you by my side.”
His gloved hands cup my face. “Savannah . . .” he whispers as he wipes away the tears slipping down my face. He dips his head low, his warm lips enveloping mine in a soul-searing kiss that makes me forget my own name for a few seconds here.
When he pulls away, he’s beaming at me with a thousand watts of happiness that makes everything inside of me tingle.
Then he drops down to one knee on the frozen ground.
I choke on a gasp when he pulls out a small box and flips it open.
“Oh my God.” I breathe, running my hand over the yellow-gold band. A small diamond glitters brightly in the center.
Simple. Perfect. Beautiful.
“I’ve carried this with me every day since you came back here,” he says, his voice thick.
“I bought it before I knew if you’d be able to forgive me and move past everything that happened.
I just needed to believe there was still a chance for us.
I carried it with me with the hope that someday, you’d look at me exactly the way you are right now.
The hope that we’d find forever together. ”
He clears his throat. “I know I messed up. But you gave me a chance to rebuild your trust, to become the partner you deserve.” His lips tremble as he holds up the ring. “Savvie, will you marry me? Will you let me spend the rest of my life loving you and making an incredible life with you?”
“Yes,” I say, smiling through my tears as he pulls off my glove and slides the band onto my finger. “Yes!”
He lifts me into the air and swings me around. And despite the cold, so much love warms me in that moment. The ranch hands cheer from where they stand with the rest of the herd.
I giggle as Blaze sets me down. The tiny facets of the diamond gleam in the bright sun. “Did you really carry this every day?”
“Yep.” He drops a kiss onto my lips. “Every day. My hope. My future.”
We walk back to the pasture where Mikey, Randy, and the other hands congratulate us.
“About time,” Mikey says, elbowing Blaze with a knowing smirk.
“We have to tell Nash,” I say. “And your brothers. Let’s have them over for dinner tonight. We’ll make it a big party!”
“Sounds like a plan,” Blaze says, leaning down to nuzzle my ear. “And maybe we can do a little pregaming before they come over.”
A shiver scuttles down my spine. “Oh, I’m all for that.” I peek around at Mikey. “You guys good out here for a little while?”
“Yeah, my bride-to-be and I need to handle some . . . arrangements,” Blaze says with an exaggerated wink.
Mikey chuckles. “Take all the time you need. We’ll hold down the fort.”
We walk toward the house, his hand warm in mine. Six weeks ago, I drove back here, scared that I made the wrong choice. Today, we’re celebrating a future together in a place I love and cherish.
I came back here to reclaim my life. Turns out, my life was waiting right here where I left it.
With him.