Page 195 of Beat of Love
He set her down beside the bed. She reached for him, cupping his jaw. “You feel different,” she whispered.
He leaned into her touch, eyes locked on hers. “I am.”
She pulled him down, her lips brushing his, soft at first, then more urgent as the heat swelled between them. Her hands slid under his shirt, over warm skin and healed scars, feeling the life in him, the strength.
No ghosts.
No grief.
Just Rafferty.
And her.
Together, finally free.
*
Later, much later, they walked over to the Main House to join their family. They cleared the trees, and the rambling, two-story patchwork of stone and sunny yellow siding with dove-blue accents came into view.
Brandy-Lyn had admired the house from the moment she first stepped onto the ranch, its arms-spread-wide kind of welcome stirring something deep in her. Despite that earlier tension with Branna, she had felt a sense of peace she hadn’t known for years.
Almost like a homecoming.
It was that feeling that ultimately made her say yes to Sullivan’s offer of partnership, even if everyone in her life, namely Jackie and Richard (probably the only thing those two had ever agreed on), thought she was crazy to go into business with an ex-boyfriend.
Now, whimsical and far-fetched as the notion was, she understood — it had been her soul calling to the man born under that roof. Even though they had met all those years ago, it hadn’t been their time. Everything that had happened since had led them to this moment.
Maybe it was so Esther could find her way home.
Maybe it was to bring Connor and Nadie into their lives.
Or maybe — just maybe — it simply was.
Or maybe, Brandy, you’re just letting the otherworldliness of Irish blood whisper foolish notions in your head.
As they neared the house, the shrieks and laughter from the younger children grew louder, mingling with the voices of the older ones and the happy, excited barks of dogs. The noise wrapped around her like a favorite throw, warming her with how easily the teenagers had embraced Connor and Nadie.
“What the hell’s he doing here?” Raff muttered, slowing to a stop.
She followed his gaze and groaned at the sight of Richard’s sleek Mercedes. “Dropping off Preston,” she said. “But that was hours ago.”
Her ex-husband’s response to her and Rafferty’s engagement had been a muttered, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Since moving to Lubbock, Rich had made more of an effort with the kids—even catching a few practices and games.
“He’s not stirring up that custody crap again, is he?”
“No. The kids made it pretty clear they wanted to live with me.” She hesitated, then corrected herself. “With us.”
“Good,” Rafferty growled, then strode forward with purpose.
They rounded the house, and both came to a sudden stop at the sight of the ball game underway on the lawn out front — their five, Rich and Nolan, and the two dogs, all in the thick of it.
Connor suddenly stopped mid-play, eyes locking on Rafferty. “Dad! You’re back!” he yelled, then took off running across the grass.
Rafferty dropped to his knees and opened his arms just in time to catch Connor, who barreled into him hard enough to nearly knock him over. “I’m back,” he said as he stood, holding the boy close.
“I was worried,” Connor mumbled.
