Page 11 of Her Cowboy's Valentine

“Thank you,” Rebecca said, her shoulders dropping with relief. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Anytime. I’m more than happy to help when I can. You know that.”

“I owe you!”

By mid-morning, Rebecca was back in her kitchen, the house blissfully quiet. She rolled up her sleeves, pulled out her ingredients, and got to work. This time, she took her time, carefully measuring everything, double-checking her recipes, and keeping a close eye on the pies as they baked. Clearly, her trying to sneak around and hide everything had played a role in her previous attempts failing.

If she failed again today, she would have to figure out something else to give Liam for Valentine’s Day. She hated to waste so much food.

The first pie—a rich chocolate cream—came out perfectly, the filling silky smooth and the crust golden brown. She nearly cried with relief. The next one, a classic apple, filled the kitchen with the warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, and her confidence grew. By the time she’d finished the last pie—a pecan pie drizzled with caramel—her counter was lined with ten beautiful creations, each one made with love.

Rebecca stepped back and admired her work, her hands on her hips and a triumphant smile on her face. She’d done it. After far too many late nights and disasters, she’d finally pulled it off. She glanced at the clock and realized Liam and the kids would be home soon. Perfect timing.

“Thank You, Lord,” she whispered, her voice full of gratitude. “I couldn’t have done this without You.”

As she began tidying up the kitchen, a warm sense of accomplishment filled her. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and Rebecca felt like she’d done something special, something that truly came from her heart. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Liam’s face when he saw what she’d been up to.

CHAPTER 8

That night, Liam leaned against the doorway of the laundry room, arms crossed as he watched Rebecca wrestle with a load of towels. She hadn’t noticed him yet, too focused on pulling the damp pile out of the washer, a hamper filled with just dried towels. The strain in her movements and the tight line of her mouth tugged at his heart. She’d been running herself ragged for far too long now, slipping out of bed at odd hours. Lately, she seemed just a little more tired than usual.

“Need a hand there, darlin’?” he drawled, stepping into the room.

Rebecca startled, the towel slipping from her hands. She glanced up at him, her cheeks flushing pink. “You scared me!”

“Didn’t mean to,” he said with a grin, bending down to pick up the towel, “but I think you’ve got enough on your plate without trying to wrestle laundry too.”

“I’m fine,” she replied, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Really, Liam, I’ve got this.”

Liam didn’t move, just held her gaze for a moment. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Her stubborn determination had always been one of the things he loved most about her, butthis wasn’t just determination. This was her pushing herself too hard.

“Rebecca,” he said gently, setting the towel on the counter. “Let me help. Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”

Her eyes softened, and she gave him a small, tired smile. “You’ve got enough to do with the ranch.”

“And you’ve got enough to do with the house and the kids and your jobs,” he countered, stepping closer. “I know I don’t always say it, but I see everything you do, and it’s more than I could ever keep up with. So today, I’m saying ‘I do’ all over again to whatever you need. Laundry, dishes, wrangling the kids… name it. Not just tonight. Every day.”

For a moment, Rebecca just stared at him, as though she couldn’t quite believe he meant it. Then her smile widened, and she let out a soft laugh. “Well, since you’re offering, you can start by folding these towels.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a grin, grabbing the first towel from the hamper. “Don’t you worry. I’m pretty sure I can handle this.”

They worked side by side, him folding towels while she transferred the rest of the load to the dryer. They chatted about the kids, the ranch, and little things that hadn’t come up in a while. By the time they moved on to cleaning up the kitchen, Liam found himself enjoying the simple rhythm of working alongside Rebecca. It reminded him of their early days, when they’d been newlyweds and everything they had done together had felt like an adventure.

As they finished wiping down the counters, Liam caught her hand, stopping her mid-swipe. She looked up at him, surprised.

“Rebecca,” he said softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “I know life gets busy, and we don’t always take the time to say it, but I’m proud of you. I’m so proud of the way you love this family. The two of us… we’re meant to be together. Godbrought us together, and I’m grateful every single day that you said ‘I do.’”

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she squeezed his hand. “Liam…”

He leaned down and kissed her, slow and sweet, the way he used to when they were younger. When he pulled back, her smile was radiant.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For today. For everything.”

Liam chuckled, giving her hand one last squeeze before letting go. “Don’t thank me yet. I still gotta see if I can survive bath time with Aaron.”

Rebecca laughed, the sound light and joyful, and Liam’s heart swelled. Maybe life was busy and imperfect, but moments like this reminded him of what mattered most. He would say “I do” a thousand times over if it meant seeing that spark in Rebecca’s eyes again.

CHAPTER 9

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