Page 54 of Merrily Mine
Not with a love like this.
epilogue
Mason
one year later…
The snow was falling around us, landing on Emily’s eyelashes as I held her close to me, unable to look away from her sparkling green eyes. My thumb rubbed across her cheek as she gave me a soft smile.
She took my breath away, even now. Her light brown hair was loose around her shoulders with an elegant braid swooping the top half back, catching more snowflakes as they settled from the sky.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, brushing a tendril of hair back behind her ear.
“Mason,” she whispered, her cheeks and nose slightly pink from the cold. Her white dress sparkled against the backdrop of the trees. She reached up, adjusting the brim of my brand new black cowboy hat.
“Still can’t believe you’re mine, darlin’.” I couldn’t stop touching her. Couldn’t keep my hands off her any time I was around her, but somehow, today it was even harder. Maybe because she looked so beautiful and I’d barely had five minutes alone with her yet. I pressed my lips against her ear. “Going to show you just how much tonight.”
Her eyelids fluttered. “Can’t wait, cowboy.” Reaching up, she grabbed the hat off my head and placed it on her own.
“Em…” I warned her, already feeling my tux pants growing tight. “You know what they say.” Oh, did she ever. We’d recreated that scene in the stables multiple times over the past year, and it never stopped being the hottest thing I’d ever seen.
She smirked, draping her arms over my shoulders. “If I wear the hat, I gotta ride my cowboy.”
“You’re a vixen,” I groaned.
Emily grinned. “Can you believe it’s been a year since we got snowed in together?”
What a year it had been. “Best year of my life,” I murmured, rubbing my nose against hers.
“Me too.”
We’d spent countless hours on the backs of our horses, riding side by side. Emily had taken to ranch life better than I ever imagined. In fact, she thrived on it. Sure, she’d never be a horse trainer or a breeder—but I didn’t want her to be. My favorite moments were watching her help my mom around the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe and watching them giggle to themselves when they didn’t realize I was there. And then there were the times I’d find her interacting with the guests, particularly the kids, telling them all about her riding lessons at Midnight Pines Ranch.
Even the ones who were the most scared of horses seemed excited to get on one after that.
She was… incredible. There were no other words for it.
I loved watching her create content and curate her accounts, too. Watching her put together outfits and seeing how much stuff brands sent her, hoping just for a chance to be featured on her page.
Her social media pages had changed, but her followers didn’t seem to mind that her content had shifted from traveling to her new life. Our life together.
The first photo she’d posted of us, everyone had gone crazy—even though it had just been our feet. Asoft launch, she’d explained to me. I didn’t know what the fuck that meant, but the photo had been her boots nestled between mine. It was the spark that started the fire, little photos she shared with my face hidden until Em finally posted one of me kissing her cheek, cowboy hat on my head, a giant smile on her face.
Then, everyone had demanded to know more about how she found herhot cowboy. Her words—not mine. But more than that—they were all happy for us. So was the entire town, thank fucking God. I hadn’t known what I’d do if people disapproved of us together, of the eight year difference between us. But they hadn’t.
Thanks to Em’s posts, we couldn’t keep up with bookings at the ranch thanks to her tagging the location on her profile. Everyone wanted to come to visit and get a taste of this life.
Plenty of them hoping to find their own cowboys.
Unfortunately for them, this cowboy was locked down tight. Had been since that day in the bar where I’d walked in and found the love of my life standing at it.
No regrets. I’d do it all over again if I had to, just to get right back here to the same position. My ring on her finger, glittering in the light just like the snow did.
I’d proposed in late spring, just like I’d planned, when the wildflowers had popped up and the meadow was full of them.That was where I’d gotten down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of our lives together.
Thank fuck she’d saidyes.
“I love you.” I kissed her brow, and then her lips before stealing my hat back.
