Page 186 of We Redeemed the Rain

“How do you feel about a diagnosis like that?”

He tilted his head to the side, lifting a shoulder. “I'm not exactly...happy about it, but I think it's gonna help me understand myself a lot better, and be better for you”—he glanced down at me with a smile—“and that I am happy about.”

He ran his fingers down my arm with renewed vigor. “Speaking of, we need to discuss some things.”

I nodded, knowing already what topic he'd broach.

“I want to be close to you, Bea. The idea of long distance is?—”

“Gutting.”

“Yeah.” He ran his fingers down my arm, stopped at my hand, and entwined our fingers. Shadows danced across his face as the logs in the fire slowly turned to embers once again. “I was thinkin’…if I sold Meadowbrook?—”

I bolted upright so fast our heads would've crashed together if he hadn’t reared back.

“Sold Meadowbrook?!”

“Bea, calm down. Just listen.”

I sucked in a breath, forcing myself not to comment.

“If I sold Meadowbrook and only kept four or five of the horses, I would have a hefty sum of money. I’d need to pay off a few lingerin’debts and put some into savings, but I’d still have a lot to work with. I could…buy something out here. It’d essentially be startin’ over, but I was thinkin’ something small scale. Like five acres or so. And my main gig would be trainin’—that was what started the rodeo stuff anyway. I had a knack for it. Now, I’m spread so thin, I don’t get the chance to train anymore…”

He continued but my mind had melted into slush. I didn't hear the rest of his thoughts. I could only gape at him.

“Bea? Say something.”

I shook my head, trying to jerk myself back into a focus. “Let—let me get this straight. You would sell your three generation ranch to move to Colorado and start all over again if I wanted you to?”

He looked me dead in the eyes when he answered. “In a heartbeat.”

“I—I can’t believe that.”

His hand left my arm, slowly reaching up to touch the back of his neck. “Is it too soon or something for me to say that?”

“No, I just—can’t believe someone loves me that much. That's a huge sacrifice.”

He huffed, a smile pushing into his lips. “If you think that’s a huge sacrifice, then you haven’t realized how long I’ve wanted this.”

I sucked in a breath. “Tag.”

“I’ve spent years completely alone. Your three weeks at Meadowbrook were the happiest days of my entire life, Bea. Hands down, don’t even have to think about it. The ranch was burnin’ down around us, but I was still happier than I’ve ever been. I would give up everything to keep on havin’ those moments with you—to work side by side, laugh like kids, eat dinner, share things, cry together. There’s nothin’ on this earth I wouldn’t trade.”

His hand reached to swipe a tear off my cheek.

He leaned forward. “I want forever, Bea.” His eyes searched mine in the fading light. “What do you think ‘bout that?”

“Yes,” I croaked, incapable of anything profound. I nodded and the remains of my braid fell into soft curls.

Tag's gaze snagged on my hair, marveling as his handiwork fell topieces. Then his tender hand reached up to drag his fingers through. He whispered, “Yes, what? Say it.”

“I—I want forever, too.”

He let go of my hair and let his hand slide down my shoulder to my hand, gently squeezing it. He didn’t respond, just smiled.

The weight of our confession did the talking for long, silent moments. But then my mind kicked into gear. Forever had a lot of connotations. “Does forever mean like marriage, kids, family?” For half a beat, I worried. What if he didn’t want those things? I did.

For a moment he was quiet. A log in the fire made a fizzling sound as it dropped into the ashes. “Yeah. I—I definitely want a family. You do, too, right?”

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