Page 61 of The Recluse & the Fugitive

“Sweetheart,” he murmured.

Her eyes widened.

Cade hurried across the space between them, wrapped his arms around her back, and pulled her in tight. He should probably just shout that he chose her as well, but he had to make certain she knew her options.

“You realize you are light years out of my league. I am just a simple cowboy. You’re famous, beautiful, wealthy, educated. You’re Jacqueline Oliver. Now that you know what that means and all the choices open to you … you could go anywhere in the world, spend time with royalty, celebrities, famous athletes, have unequaled experiences. Do you really want to choose me?” Fear made his throat tight, but she’d stopped trembling in his arms and she leaned into him, those blue eyes lighting up his world.

“First of all, I am not some stuffy Jacqueline.” She jutted out her chin. “I am your sweetheart, Cade, my cowboy. Yours. You can address me as sweetheart or Jacey, but I refuse to answer to Jacqueline.”

“I can do that.” His heart was racing out of control. His sweetheart?

Please, Lord, if I’ve ever done anything worth a blessing like her in my life, please …

“There may be other choices I could make, but I would choose you, Cade. All day, every day. Now that I have my memories back, I know you are the perfect fit for me, the man I’ve longed to find, a life in this valley that I did not know existed off the movie screen. But …” She gnawed at her lip. “If you don’t feel the same, I will call my brother and tell him to come back and pick me up.”

Cade’s arms tightened around her. “Sweetheart. If your choice is to stay here, with me, I’ll fight anyone who tries to take you from me.”

Jacey trailed her fingertips along the back of his head, making his scalp tingle. “I have witnessed that firsthand. No smart person would dare fight you.”

He smiled. “But if you ever want to leave, I will let you go. I don’t ever want to hold you down, Jacey, or keep you from all that you could do and be.”

She put her fingertips against his lips and he didn’t mind stopping that train of thought. “You could never hold me down. You let me soar on Annie’s back, you let me fly off cliffs into the freezing lake, and you gave me wings when you kissed me.” Her eyelashes fluttered as she glanced down as if embarrassed she’d said that.

“So … you’re ready to fly again?” His mouth tingled with anticipation.

“Yes, please, cowboy.” She arched onto her tiptoes, her breath warming his lips. Her blue eyes met his, so becoming, so beautiful. His sweetheart. His Jacey.

“The lake or a horseback ride?” he asked, unable to resist teasing her.

She laughed and dropped back onto her heels. “If that’s what you prefer.”

Cade chuckled, then he lifted her back onto her toes and brushed his lips across hers. “I prefer you,” he said softly.

“Good, because I choose you,” she said again.

Cade had never heard more beautiful words. He could hear them over and over again. He captured her mouth with his, and she was right. He had wings. They soared to new heights, places he’d never imagined visiting, together.

His sweetheart had chosen him.

He’d spend the rest of his days making her grateful for her choice.

---