Page 27 of Snowed in with the Rancher

“It's fine,” she told him with a small smile. “I've gone over everything pretty thoroughly. She must have dropped it somewhere else. With any luck, it happened here at the lodge and it'll turn up in lost and found in a day or two. For now, I should go back upstairs and get them into bed, or tomorrow's going to be a bear.”

He studied her for a long moment, and she seemed to simply…let him, her brown eyes patient and trusting. Giving himself a mental shake, he spoke again. “After you put them down, can we talk?”

She nodded. “I was hoping you'd suggest that.” Her cheeks turned pink, and his heart skipped a beat. “I feel like we have a lot of things that we need to plan…” She paused, her smile turning shy. “And maybe a few things to work through, too.”

He agreed. He wasn't sure how he felt about everything, but he knew it was all happening at the speed of light, and if they didn't take a breath and slow it all down, they were liable to make a mistake.

He told Olivia his room number, then they parted for a bit. When he arrived at the room, Tate hung up his parka, set his toiletry kit in the bathroom, and flipped on the television to a basketball game. He sat down in the armchair in front of the television and sprawled, the long day finally settling in and bringing with it a bone-weary exhaustion.

It had been a long day, in every way imaginable. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had a longer one. And yes, parts of it had been amazing. But most of all, it had been overwhelming and confusing—and those were emotions he was not at all equipped to handle. Three days ago, he'd been the same old Tate—single, devoted to his ranch, his life orderly and predictable. Now, here he sat, waiting for the mother of his children, whom he'd shared an absolutely incredible kiss with not even four hours ago.

He sighed as his head fell back and he closed his eyes. That kiss. It had been electric and tender all at once, like a piece of chocolate with a bite of chili pepper. It had brought back the cruise in a way that simply seeing her and speaking to her hadn't. He'd remembered the connection they'd had, the way she'd made him want things he'd never wanted at any other time.

He found it exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

Tate had put aside the idea of a family years ago. He'd seen everyone he'd gone to high school with pair off, settle down, start families…and all along, he'd been on his own. He'd filled his life by spending time with animals, learning everything he could about being a rancher, and watching his father like a hawk because his dad was just about the only person in the world he believed loved him. He'd kept his life quiet and contained and told himself that it was better that way. But now he was faced with the intrusion of two little girls and their beautiful mother. So while family hadn't been on Tate's list, he had one now, whether he knew what to do with it or not.

And now Olivia was coming to talk to him about making a plan for the future, and she was going to ask him what he wanted. He needed to have an answer for her…but the truth was, he had no idea. What he wanted was not a question he ever stopped to ask himself. What mattered was what the ranch needed, or what he could do for the search and rescue team, or how he could make his dad and Lucy happy. The last thing he could remember actually wanting for himself was…well, it was Olivia. Beautiful, vibrant Olivia who'd made him forget about everything else. Sweet, passionate Olivia who had felt so unbelievably right in his arms. Fierce, extraordinary Olivia who could handle anything that life threw at her—even a pregnancy with twins at a time when she was entirely on her own.

Of course he had wanted Olivia. Of course he still did. Who wouldn't? Every single thing about her just made her more interesting and attractive to him.

But what did she want from him? He knew the chemistry was still there—their kiss had more than proven that. And from what she'd said, he knew that she wanted him to have a role in the twins' lives. But being with her—truly being with her, as a lover and a partner, a father to the girls… Was that what she wanted from him? And more, was it something he was capable of being?

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, and he reached for the remote and turned off the television before he stood. He still didn't have any answers, but maybe he and Olivia could find them together.

* * *

Olivia walked into Tate's room and waved her baby monitor at him. “If anyone wakes up, I'll have to run back down the hall.”

“Of course,” he said. “Do you want something to drink?” He gestured at the minibar on one wall of the large room.

“Maybe a water?” She went to the small sofa that faced the television along with an armchair and a coffee table. After he handed her the bottle of water, she twisted the cap and took a drink before putting the bottle on the coffee table.

Tate took the seat next to her on the sofa and cleared his throat. “There are so many things we need to figure out, I'm not sure where to start,” he said.

She took a deep breath, remembering that searing kiss in the lobby. “Maybe we should start with the girls. I don't want to push you into something you're not comfortable with, but at the same time, I don't like keeping the truth from them.”

“Okay, I was actually hoping you'd say that. I'm ready to tell them. Or at least, I think they should know sooner rather than later. Partly because I want to be honest with them, and partly because when the roads open up tomorrow and you start moving into your house in town, there won't be a way to keep it secret for more than a few hours. My stepmother is so excited about you and the girls that she won't be able to keep it to herself for long. It'll make the rounds through the grandmas in town and then trickle down from there.”

Olivia couldn't help smiling at the idea of a town that was so small and so close-knit, everyone living there would care about her girls being Tate's daughters.

“I have a little news for you. Marjory already knows.”

Tate's eyes widened briefly. “You told her?”

“No,” Olivia was quick to correct. “No, I would never have done that without consulting you, but she…guessed.”

“Guessed?”

“She started asking questions about when the cruise was and how old the girls were, and then said that Melissa is so much like you. If she's any indication, everyone in town will figure it out in a hot second whether we tell them or not.”

Tate simply shook his head and chuckled. “Of course they will,” he murmured before running a hand through his hair. “I guess that decides it for us. We have to tell Jackie and Melissa tomorrow before we all leave the lodge.”

“I agree,” Olivia said.

“I'd like to be there when you tell them.” His gaze told her he was dead serious, and she couldn't help but feel her heart swell at how earnestly he was taking his new role.

“I think that's fine. As long as they have a chance to talk with me privately afterward if they need to.”

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