Page 27 of Big Gruff Cowboy

“You are never leaving me,” he says, swearing quietly with conviction. “Even if you run a million times, I will come for you. Your family will come for you. This,” he gestures around the room, “is what family does. It shows up on our darkest nights.”

“Noah,” I whisper his name as the tears I’ve been battling finally start to fall.

He continues, “I’m not asking you to overcome a lifetime of fears and insecurities in a single night. I am asking you to let me love you through it.”

I cry harder, the tears coming even faster. I can’t believe he came all this way, that he’s really standing in front of me.

“With every breath in my body, I want you forever.” Noah finally reaches out and touches me, his hand cupping my face.

“Forever scares me,” I admit with a sniffle. “Can we take it one night at a time?”

He chuckles. “We can take it as slow as you need.”

I throw myself into his arms, unable to hold back any longer. The moment I do, our friends and family break out in applause. All of them are here. They’ve come to bring me back to Courage County, where I belong.

I look up at Noah. “Can we go back to your house now?”

“Our house,” he gently corrects as he kisses me again.

On the drive, Noah holds my hand the entire time. He doesn’t fuss at me or berate me. He doesn’t even seem mad at me. If anything, he just seems relieved and happy that I’m here with him.

For the first time, I find myself wondering if maybe love can be simple. Maybe it can be people that care about you, wanting to be with you.

He parks his truck in the driveway. I gaze at his house with new eyes. He called it our house. It’s mine. I have a hot cowboy who loves me, a family that searched for me, and a house now.

“Let me show you something,” Noah says softly, tugging me up the walk.

There are no lights on in the windows, the place is completely dark as we step into the living room. But the sight that greets me has me choking back another sob. There are green, glow-in-the-dark stickers on every inch of the ceiling.

Noah puts his arm around me and whispers, “Welcome home.”

Chapter 15

Lizzy

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay late and help you close up?” I ask Walt as he straightens a display of mystery novels at the front of the store. He’s been fussing over it for the past half an hour.

It’s been six weeks since that night at the library. Every day, I grow a little more confident in Noah’s love for me. I still have doubts and fears. But when I get scared, I bring them to him. We talk about the things that make me want to run, and he reminds me that I don’t have to.

I spend all of my nights at Noah’s house, but I haven’t officially moved in with him yet. Most of my stuff is still at Walt’s place. Despite all the time I spend with Noah, Walt doesn’t seem as lonely as I’d expected him to be.

He waves me off. “I have everything under control. You go have fun with your friends.”

I watch him for a moment to see if he squirms or gives any indication that he’s hiding something from me. As usual, Walt has an excellent poker face. But I’ve still sensed he’s not telling me something.

I worried it was his health, so I snooped through his things. The steamy text messages on his phone were completely unexpected. But also, it’s kind of sweet to know he has a girlfriend. “Is that what you’ll be doing? Will you be having fun with your friends?”

He grunts. “I’m an old man. I don’t like to go out.”

I’ve given him a million chances to tell me about his girlfriend over the past two weeks. She’s only listed in his phone as butterfly. I’ve tried to figure out who it could be, but whoever she is, they’re both being very careful. “That doesn’t mean you have to be alone. You could always text butterfly and see if she wants to stay over.”

Walt finally looks up from the display to scowl at me. “Mind your business, child.”

I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t know who it is, but I’m happy for you.”

After giving Walt a kiss on the cheek, I grab my bag and walk to Sadie’s bakery. We’re having a book club meeting again tonight.

By the time I arrive, the other girls are already here, munching on donuts and talking about their favorite sexy scenes from the books. No one has treated me any differently since the library, and this is what I love about my town. The people of Courage County accept you as you are and love you no matter how deep your scars run.

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