Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
When Ainsley led Julian inside the pen, the animals swarmed him like he was long-lost family, and most of all Phoebe and Hamlet, who demanded his immediate attention by snorting and nudging at his feet. When Julian reached down to pick him up, he squealed so loud, it startled a couple of kids, but the grin on his face was everything.
“Can I see Mercy too?” he asked, looking equally excited as wary, as if the horse had already forgotten about him or something.
“Let’s go.”
Yep, it only takes one.
“Mom, I’m gonna head toward the stables,” he said as she stood around a circle of friends she’d known since childhood. It was like a homecoming for her too. “Do you want to—”
“Maybe in a little while,” she replied, distracted, waving excitedly at Marta, who had been a big help with the setup. “You take some time with your horse.”
“Your horse,” she’d said, and that made my heart sing. Maybe she knew it too, that Julian belonged here even if she’d never felt like she did. Okay, I was getting ahead of myself. Julian had just arrived in town, and there was so much to weed through. Just because he said he’d like to work something out didn’t mean the logistics of it wouldn’t scare him away. There was a lot to consider.
We slipped away from the crowd, walking hand in hand toward the pasture while I filled him in on stuff that happened since he was gone—namely, the change in Hunter, which was actually a huge thing, but I was afraid to put too much stock in it. Though his show of support today was awesome.
When we stepped up to the fence, it took the horses a minute to realize we were there. I saw the exact moment Mercy saw his person. He whinnied in Julian’s direction as he made his way toward us at a trot.
Julian gripped the wooden slats in front of him. “Does that mean—”
“That he’s happy to see you? Absolutely.”
Julian’s eyes were misty as Mercy approached, and they had a reunion all their own. When Mercy nudged his hand, then stretched forward to rest his head on his shoulder, that all but sealed the deal. I dug sugar cubes out of my pocket so Julian could feed him some treats.
When Mercy eventually wandered back to the others, we stayed put and watched. It didn’t seem like Julian was willing to leave anyway, and that was fine by me. I was still soaking in the idea of him being here again.
I encircled his waist from behind and rested my chin on his shoulder. “Does this mean we get to keep you?”
He leaned back and nuzzled my cheek. “Are you officially asking me to stay?”
“I know we have details to figure out, but yes. Please stay?”
Lord have mercy, I was sweating bullets, not fully grasping the impact his answer would have on me. Please fucking stay.
He spun in my arms as I held my breath, my pulse spiking. “Thought you’d never ask, cowboy.”
I felt my heart slowly unfurling, allowing the light to filter back inside after being gloomy for far too long.
“Never realized I could ask,” I replied in a wobbly voice. “That it would ever be an option for me.”
“Hey.” Julian kissed the tear I tried to swipe away as it rolled down my cheek. “You deserve to have everything you’ve dreamed of. And I’m here for as long as you’ll have me.”
I pulled him into a tight embrace, unwilling to let go for long, drawn-out moments.
Not yet. Not ever.
“Let’s start with always.”
Epilogue
Julian
Six Months Later
I subtly flexed my wrist as Mercy rounded the bend at a trot, and he immediately slowed down.
“You’re getting good at that,” Kerry said as Rocket followed Mercy’s lead, softly padding toward the stables after a ride around the pond. It was Saturday afternoon, and we’d taken advantage of the weekends more times than not to enjoy our moments alone.
I beamed, soaking in the compliment. There had been a pretty snowfall the evening before, and making hoofprints in the fresh snow had become one of my favorite things. Even if it was freezing. But the hat Kerry had gifted me at Christmas was keeping my head warm. Besides, there was nothing like breathing in a lungful of fresh mountain air.
While the fall had been crazy busy with the harvest—and the spring birthing season was right around the corner—the winter had been a nice reprieve, giving me time to settle in and appreciate the little things.
The grand opening behind us, Kerry had joined me and Mom when we returned to the city. We spent a couple of days sightseeing, and he’d helped me pack the little I had. After a tearful but supportive goodbye from Mom, we got on the road, driving cross-country to Wyoming. It was awesome sharing that experience with Kerry, and it only brought us closer.