Page 63 of Some Cowgirls are Worth Protecting

“Then it’s a promise.” He grasped her chin with his finger and thumb and tilted it upward to gain access to her lips. She was everything he needed and more. He found himself wishing that he would have given her a chance before they’d gotten stuck together on that ranch, but then if he had, there was no telling how their futures would differ. The way it was right now, he couldn’t imagine it being any more perfect than it was at this moment.

And with that thought, he captured her mouth with his. Theirs was a kiss where he could promise her the world as long as she was willing to accept it. Her arms flung around him, holding him close. They fit together better than two pieces of a puzzle. Symbiotic. That’s what they were. He wanted to be better because of her. He had found his place because he knew she loved him.

Heat flickered to life between them, filling his soul with its light and joy. He didn’t know what their future might hold, but it didn’t matter as long as they were together. Their kiss deepened, and the city street, along with all its noises, fell away.

This was pure happiness.

This was what his brothers had been talking about.

This was happily ever after.

EPILOGUE

Rachel

Three Months Later

The wind tugged at Rachel’s pale blue cotton dress. She stood at the crest of a hill, staring down at the valley where at least a hundred wild horses grazed. It was getting cooler, and the days were getting longer. The summer was coming to a close, which meant that there would soon be snow on the ground—something she found herself looking forward to.

At her back, she could hear the faint music drifting toward her from the wedding reception taking place in the newly built barn. It was bigger and grander than she’d wanted, but Hudson had insisted that they would need something large just in case they wanted to expand.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and sighed contentedly.

The brains behind the vandalism and crime that had gone down a couple months ago, the man in the suit and Mr. Grant, were under investigation. Law enforcement was gathering evidence from other situations like Rachel’s and building a case against them. The sheriff had wrangled all the men who had participated in the actual crimes on her property and charged them, so they wouldn’t be bothering her again.

Thankfully, the developers seemed to have changed course and weren’t as interested in her property. She didn’t know where they were going to try to buy next, but so far, there were no whispers of a resort opening anywhere near Copper Creek.

Cookie stood at her side, tail wagging and tongue lolling. Hudson had continued to stay on site just in case someone did decide to come after her again. Now that Athena had finally said her vows and was officially a Keagan, it felt like everything had finally been wrapped up the way it was supposed to be.

Except one thing.

Rachel found herself longing for the same thing her sister had.

It was ridiculous, of course. She didn’t need to be married, at least not right away. She had wild horses to look after and a sanctuary to keep track of. The paperwork alone was more than most of the charities she’d worked on.

And yet, here she stood, wondering when Hudson planned on popping the question—or if he was going to pop the question. She wasn’t about to bring it up, either. If he wasn’t ready to settle down, she didn’t want him to feel pressured.

Closing her eyes, she let herself just be in this moment. After so many years of wondering if she’d ever find her place in the world, she’d finally done it. She was exactly where she was meant to be.

Her hair got tugged free from the loose bun at the nape of her neck and tickled her face. Boots crunched on the gravel path she’d had laid leading up to this outlook. A smile tugged at her lips as a pair of hands came around her waist. Rachel leaned into Hudson’s body and hummed a soft sound. “I was wondering if you’d find me.”

“It’s not hard when this is the one place you like to come to escape.” His voice was like warm honey, spreading without effort along all the rough edges of her soul. He rested his chin on her head. “But you’re probably not going to be able to stay out here long.”

“Why’s that?” she crooned.

“Because you have certain duties to perform—certain Maid of Honor duties.” Hudson turned her around in his arms and grinned at her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You mean like keeping Liam away from the getaway car? I thought I had you for that.”

Hudson grimaced.

Rachel gasped. “Hudson! I told you to keep an eye on him. Athena was very explicit they didn’t want anyone messing with it.”

He chuckled as he pulled her from her outlook area toward the party. “You couldn’t have thought you were going to stop him. He lives for this sort of stuff. He even got a bunch of the girls from town to help out.”

“Of course he did,” she muttered. “He could charm the horns off a bull if he wanted to.”

Hudson laughed again. “What makes you say that?”

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