Page 65 of His Fifth Kiss

“I think you should name the horse Mustang,” Amy said.

Gerty laughed and said, “No, Amy. I’m not naming a horse Mustang.”

“What are you gonna name it?” she asked.

Gerty took her hand and took her over to the horse as she said, “You have to listen to the horse,” she said, her voice fading. “He knows his name.”

Mike stayed next to Boone and asked, “Is that true?”

“Yep,” Boone said, admiring his daughter. “Well, Gerty thinks it is. Some people just name their horses what they want.” He gave Mike a smile and faced him fully. “Thanks for giving us a few extra minutes today.”

“Sure, of course,” he said easily. “I’m okay to steal her away this afternoon for a little bit?”

“That’s Gloria’s turf, but I think she’s counting on it.” Boone turned away from Mike, not sure why it bothered him that Mike was going to take Gerty somewhere. He knew his daughter was kissing Mike and had been for a few weeks now. Cosette had asked Mike if they could have Gerty and him for dinner that night, and he’d agreed without a problem.

Boone faded back to his wife’s side and sat beside her. “You spoil her,” Cosette said as she leaned into his chest.

“She loves animals,” he said instead of defending himself.

“Any idea what Mike’s got up his sleeve?” she whispered.

Boone turned into her and kissed the corner of her eye. “Nope.”

“You didn’t ask him?”

“I did not.”

“Boone.”

“They’re adults,” he said. “Aren’t you the one constantly reminding me of that?”

“Constantly?”

Boone didn’t want to argue with his wife. “No,” he admitted. “Not constantly, but I know you’ve said it to me before.”

“Maybe once or twice,” she said.

“I’m trying to listen to you, baby.” He grinned at her and laughed when she rolled her eyes.

“Daddy!”

He faced Amy as she ran toward him. “She’s gonna name him Dusty! Dusty!”

“I hear you,” he said to get her to stop yelling. “She’s going to be the death of me,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Funny,” Cosette said. “I remember you saying that about another of your daughters, and now you can’t get enough of her.”

20

Mike’s nerves pounded at him the same way his heart did. He told himself not to glance over to Gerty again. He’d already done it three or four times, and she’d picked up on his anxiety.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he made another right turn.

“It’s just…down…here.” They’d been driving for about twenty minutes since leaving the farm, in the opposite direction from Ivory Peaks, and he hoped that wasn’t too far from her job or family.

Just the fact that Mike had gotten her this gift spoke so much about the plans he had for his future. He’d loved growing up in Coral Canyon, and he wouldn’t have objected to finding someone in that small, mountain town, getting married, and settling down in Wyoming.

At the same time, he’d always known his future sat in Denver, in a high-rise building, with a farm about an hour away. Hunter and his younger brother, Deacon, would run the farm where his father and theirs had grown up, most likely passing it to one of their children when the time came.

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