Page 68 of A Rogue Cowboy's Kiss

“As I am,” he said, hope building on his handsome face. “New identities for both of us.”

She nodded. “Ask me again.”

He grinned, took the ring from her, and then took her hand. “Bella Hart, will you marry me?”

She smiled as love filled her whole body. “Why, yes, Falcon. I will.”

He let out a whoop, and she giggled as he slid the ring onto her finger. Then he swept her up in his arms and spun her around, whooping like a genuine cowboy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing, her heart so full she felt like she was going to explode.

And when her friends, no, hersisters, came running over to bury them in hugs and shrieks, she knew that she’d found her home…right where it had been all along.

TWENTY-NINE

“Girlfriend,you are amazing! What is this magic?” Tatum exclaimed, holding up her spoon.

Bella grinned. “It’s called Sassy Lassy. It’s good, right?”

“Freaking amazing!” Tatum looked over at Meg, Maddie, Sofia, and Phoebe, who were all sampling the same flavor. “I can’t believe you’re an ice cream maven, now.”

“I know, right?” Bella grinned. “I had no idea how much fun it would be to create new flavors of ice cream. It’s actually so complicated to get it right. And now that we’re selling the vegan line too, it’s very challenging. I love it.”

Meg raised her brows. “How much did you make this year in your gourmet ice cream business?”

Bella grinned. “We just hit eight figures for the year. We added ten trucks in three cities, and I’ve picked up a couple huge retail accounts.”

“You’re a marketing genius,” Tatum said. “I’m going to have to hire you away from yourself.”

Bella laughed. “No way. I love this.”

Sofia waved her spoon. “And to think you invested because you felt bad about pulling out of the catering gig. Just goes to show you never know where life leads you.”

“And then you went and bought the catering business anyway,” Meg said, “when Diana was reluctant to walk away from her legacy. You’ve made such a difference to LaToya and all the women she has hired to run it. Complete empowerment and opportunity for underrepresented women.”

Joy flooded Bella. LaToya Johnson had been working at a crappy restaurant, a single mom without the resources to get out and start her own business. When Bella had found her and hired her, LaToya had fully staffed the entire catering business with underrepresented women, all of whom had had a tough break in life and needed a chance that no one else would give them.

Bella was proud to be a part of that movement, and she’d started looking for more opportunities to reach out into communities to help talented, underrepresented women who were ready to flourish with just a little bit of help.

But the ice cream business filled her creative side like her soul needed. “I got lucky. Diana and Jessie are smart and amazing, and they were the right people to grow the ice cream business. When I suggested we make our own gourmet ice cream, that changed everything.” She held her hand out toward her friends. “And I have to thank you guys for always coming over here and trying my new flavors. You’ve made a big difference.”

Tatum took another scoop. “You guys help me with my songs, too. My new album has a release date. Next month, on the fifteenth.”

“What?” Bella shrieked, and everyone cheered. “What did you call it?”

Tatum looked pleased. “Her.”

“Oh my God, that’s so perfect,” Sofia said. “An entire album focused on the power of women. No one does that. Literally no one.”

“Well, I’m at the top of the food chain in the music industry, so I can do whatever I want,” Tatum said with a wink. “And I want little girls all over the world to listen to the lyrics and feel like they can be strong, powerful, and create whatever life they want, no matter what.”

“Amen to that, sister.” Phoebe raised her glass. “The women in my confidence program are going to freak out when they find out you’re doing a class on unleashing your inner badass.”

“I’m very expensive,” Tatum said. “Don’t forget you’ll owe me a free lunch by Hart Pond.”

Bella grinned. “God, I love you guys. I never thought I’d feel so happy and comfortable with you all, but it’s amazing what has happened in a year, isn’t it?” It had taken only a few weeks for Dylan and his team to solve the situation with the man who had tracked them to Cape Cod. It turned out, it had been a man who was owed money by Falcon’s biological father, and he’d decided to try to get the money from the Harts. Simple, clean, and easy to unpack.

Bella’s stalker had found her one evening when she’d been doing a photoshoot in LA. And for the first time in her life, she’d stood up for herself with her voice, and using some of her magical self-defense skills, with Falcon looming over the situation looking quite monster-ish.

Her stalker had wound up needing stitches and a cast. He’d never bothered her again, and she’d spent weeks feeling like a goddess. Still kinda did, actually.

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