Page 70 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

Well, Dante was right. He was right about everything.

Sure, he still had some explaining to do. Like how he didn’t seem surprised by Rosie’s shift. But I understood why he would’ve been hesitant to approach me with it.

I knew it was going to hurt once I thought about it, but I didn’t have time for that right now.

He was out there, in the woods, taking care of our girl. And that mattered more than anything.

Thank you for bringing him into my life.

I said the prayer before I even knew what I was doing. But I meant it all the same.

From the beginning, I’d been drawn to him like no other man. He had all my attention.

Maybe it was because he fit me so well. I mean, being with him was easy as breathing.

He made everything better. Rosie sure loved him.

And so did I.

Dante was the type of man I’d always dreamed of finding. He was kind and gentle, but strong and dominant. A sweetheart with my baby. A dynamo in bed.

I mean, we lit fires between the sheets, he and I.

God, I love him.

Loving him was as natural and simple as anything.

We were going to be okay. I just knew it.

Because this was my family.

Shifter or not, Rosie and Dante were mine.

And I was theirs.

And that was all that mattered.

Chapter Twenty-One-Avery

A shuddering gasp ripped from me, raw and uncontrollable.

The impossible weight of everything seemed to crash down all at once.

My chest felt so tight. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t move.

I wanted to follow Dante and Rosie. To go with them. Into the dark, cold woods.

But that was no place for me.

It was for them. The wild, magical things that roamed the earth.

Oh, Rosie Posie, please be safe.

With everything I was feeling, it was a wonder I didn’t pass out or collapse. But I knew why that was.

Rosie was with Dante, and that meant she was safe. He would bring her home to me. I just knew he would.

But even that certainty couldn’t stop my heart from squeezing.