Page 29 of Breaking Her In

Damn right.

EPILOGUE

COLT

Five years later…

It’shard to believe it’s been five whole years since I made Lena my wife. Time has just flown by. But every time I look at her–barefoot, hair a mess, a baby in her arms, and a toddler on her hip–I still feel like I’ve been hit by a fiery meteor.

She’s everything I’ve ever wanted–hell, sheshowedme what wanting truly meant. My wife, my home, my heart. And the day I got down on one knee–without a ring–I made an oath that I would spend the rest of my life protecting her. Devoting myself to her. Because she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

She changed my life; she gave me two beautiful children and a bright future.

This morning, I’m out by the barn fixing the latch on the horse corral, but I’m barely even paying attention. I’ve already knocked myself on the thumb once, as my eyes are fixed on the porch–more specifically, on my wife.

Lena.

She’s sitting on the porch swing, our newborn baby girl, Amy, tucked into her chest with one of those cloth wraps she wears like it was made for her. I can tell she’s humming a soft song, slow and sweet, rocking her back and forth when our wild toddler, Maddie, stomps into the serene setting in her new blue boots, doing her best to pretend she’s a cowgirl. She’s got a stick for a horse and a lasso made from twine. She’s two and as wild as a tornado.

And then there’s Cal, my boy. He’s four now, wearing a pair of dirty jeans, shirtless, and doing his best to rope the dog like a rodeo king. The girls may look just like their mother, but Cal’s got Lena’s eyes and attitude. I swear he’s gonna be giving me gray hairs before he’s ten.

I wipe my hands on my rag and lean against the fence, watching the scene of familial bliss. My whole world seems to move in slow motion at times like these. I built this life for us with my own two hands, but Lena–she breathed the soul into it. The heart. She made it real.

“Dad!” Cal hollers, rope in hand. “Watch this!”

He chucks the lasso, completely missing the dog, and nearly ropes his sister, Maddie, instead. She squeals and runs for the swing.

“Mama, help!”

Lena laughs, glowing brightly, and scoops her daughter up beside her. I swear I could stand here all day watching her be mother to our children. She was made for this. An open heart, love pouring out of her day after day. Every time she kisses a scraped knee or sings them to sleep, I fall in love with her all over again.

Finishing my work, I walk over to the porch, take the stairs, and kiss my wife on the temple. “I’ll take the kids to the creek for a while,” I tell her. “You take a nap.”

“Are you saying Ilooklike I need one?” she teases.

I shake my head. “You always look impossibly gorgeous, my love.”

She leans close and whispers in my ear, “You could also put them down early tonight.”

My blood warms instantly at her suggestion. “Oh, yeah? You miss me, darlin’?”

She bites her lip and gazes at me through her long lashes. “Let’s just say…I could use some cowboy lovin’.”

* * *

At night,after the creek and supper and bath time and storybooks, I finally manage to get our little tribe settled down. Call falls asleep instantly, hugging his stuffed donkey. Maddie’s curled up in her enormous pile of stuffed animals. And Amy actually fell asleep in her crib without a fuss, passing out with a tiny little yawn.

I close their doors softly and head to our bedroom, where the real reward of my day is waiting.

Lena’s already lying in bed, wearing nothing but one of my old flannels and a seductive smile. Her hair is loose and wavy on her shoulders, and her legs are bare, showing just a tiny hint of her pink pussy peeking out from between her thighs. My mouth waters just looking at her.

She beckons me forward with a curled finger, hips swaying against the mattress as I lock the door behind me.

“Remember what I told you this morning?” she murmurs as I slip my shirt off and toss it aside.

“That you could use some ‘cowboy lovin’?’” I reply, tugging my fly down and stepping out of my jeans.

“Mm–hmm.” She slowly works the buttons of her shirt and slides it off one shoulder, revealing the bountiful curves of her breasts. “And they’re asleep now, aren’t they?”

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