Page 89 of Lost and Lassoed

“Jesus, Teddy,” she laughed. “Sure. I wasn’t mad at all. There’s nothing to be mad about—the two people who have protected me and fought for me being together? That’s a dream come true. It didn’t feel good to think that you’d been keeping something from me, or that maybe you were trying to move on from me. Honestly, I wished you’d told me sooner. I was mad that you hadn’t, and then I felt like I needed to overcompensate for that. I think I just wanted to try and protect both of you, and I did a shit job.

“I’ll admit, you and my brother ‘bumping uglies’ ”—she put that in air quotes—“was the last thing I ever thought would happen.” A watery chuckle came out of me at that. “But when I sat down and thought about it, it makes so much sense, because both of you love and live the same way—with your entire heart.

“Luke is my fiancé, my partner, my everything. But you’re my soulmate, Teddy Andersen, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world because of it.”

I looked at Emmy with wide eyes. Hank was right, she didn’t pull punches either, but goddamn, she was the best person I knew. “And you deserve to have someone else to love too. You have so much of it to give.”

“You’re my soulmate, too,” I said. “But Jesus Christ, can you please stop talking before I need to be sedated from sobbing?”

“Love you, Ted,” she finished, and then hugged me again.

“So does that epic apology mean you won’t be mad if I tell you that I’m in love with your brother?” I said into her shoulder.

“No,” Emmy said quickly, “but I’ll be pissed if you don’t tellhim.Plus, I already knew—why else would you be painting the view from his back porch on your garage?”

I pulled back immediately, and my head snapped to my painting. Shit. She was right. The way one of the mountains sloped in the corner and how the patch of forest looked like ocean waves in the distance…that was Gus’s view.

Right then, my phone started buzzing in my back pocket. I pulled it out.Speak of the devil.Emmy looked at my screen and smiled.

I swiped my finger on the screen. “Hello?”

“Teddy baby,” Gus said. He sounded like he was smiling. “How fast can you get to the stables?”

Chapter 40

Gus

Riley and I were waiting for Teddy outside my family’s stables. I’d already tacked up Scout, Maverick, and Moonshine for Riley.

“Where are we going today, Dad?” Riley asked.

“It’s a surprise,” I told her. “For you and Teddy.” I’d spent all morning working on it—I rode out to the north ridge, and I’m glad I did. There were a good number of fallen trees that I’d had to move or, if they were too big to move in one piece, take a chainsaw to.

Once the trail was clear, and I knew where we were going, I called Cam and asked her if Riley could spend a few hours with me at the ranch today.

“Depends,” Cam said on the phone. “Is this about Teddy?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

“Good,” she said. “Riley and I will leave here in a few minutes.”

As if summoned, I spotted Teddy’s copper hair coming down the path. It was down, free. Once she spotted Riley and me, she waved and started walking faster.

“Can I run to Teddy, Dad?” Riley asked.

“Go for it, Sunshine,” I said, and Riley took off. Her squeal echoed behind her, and I felt it in my chest. I watched my daughter collide with the woman I loved, and I watched the woman I loved catch her. I watched them laugh and smile at each other, and then I watched them clasp hands and start walking toward me—the luckiest man alive.

“Hey, Gussy,” Teddy said as they approached.

“Theodora,” I said with a smile. “Consider your lifetime Rebel Blue ban officially lifted.”

“What’s the occasion?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” I said. “You up for a ride?”

“Always,” she said with a wink, and fuck, I wanted to kiss her, but not yet. I had a plan.

“Good,” I said. “Mount up, then.” Teddy smiled, and when she walked past me to get to Maverick at his hitching post, I grabbed her arm. “Thank you for coming,” I said.

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