Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I blinked at the word marry. The Cowboy was moving fast.
Dad interrupted him. “Money and planes don’t make a life. Love and family do. If you love her, that’s all I ask.”
“With everything in me.”
“Then we’re good.”
Aiden cleared his throat. “I hate to break up this little impromptu lovefest, but we have to go.”
I turned to Luke, already crying. He pulled me into his arms.
“I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t want you to go either. But you have to,” he murmured. “Go and work your magic, Lady. I’ll be right here waiting for you. When you come back, we’ll plan our future. Together.”
Together. I loved the sound of that word.
“I’ll call you every day.”
“You better,” he said. “I want your voice to be the first thing I hear when I wake up and the last thing before I go to bed.” He dropped his voice. “That will hold me until I can feel you beside me again.”
He kissed me. “I love you.”
I kissed him again. “I love you more, Cowboy.”
Two weeks had never passed so quickly or dragged on so slowly. I worked on the feature with my team, editing, layering. We went through hundreds of photos, hours of film, condensing it all into an entertaining, captivating episode. I did the voice-overs, bringing the story of the ranch to life.
Finally, all that was left was to add the footage I would capture and add of the first guests. The website was ready to go. The brochures printed for agents. I had been teasing on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook already. The waiting list for more information grew daily.
And every day, I spoke to Rachel. We had endless meetings. She was gearing up, excited and happy. She’d hired some locals, and the staff on the ranch was getting ready. Often we Zoomed, and when the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching would happen and Luke’s face would appear behind her, my smile couldn’t be contained.
He’d lean close, smiling at me. “Lady,” he’d greet me. I loved how his voice curled around the word. The way his eyes softened when he spoke it.
Then he’d list the number of days until I got back. “Six more days.”
“Hi, Cowboy,” I would reply. “Six days, five hours, and twenty minutes.”
“Not letting you go again.”
Rachel would push at him, pretending to be mad. “Business meeting, Luke. Keep the flirting for after hours.”
“I’ll call tonight when I’m in bed.”
“Meet you there,” I’d whisper breathlessly.
Rachel always groaned. “Right here, you two. Break it up.”
But we’d all be smiling.
I loved our nightly calls. We talked for hours. About the ranch, his plans, my plans. Something cute Oreo was doing. Luke assured me they were both waiting anxiously for me to return. Often, talk turned into something else, and I’d fall asleep with a smile on my face and the echoes of Luke’s low groans repeating in my head.
When the day finally came for me to fly back, I found out how Luke greeted someone he loved at the airport.
He was leaning up against the same pillar where I’d first seen him. Tall, serious, with his cowboy hat perched on his head, he looked sexier than someone had the right to in his tight jeans and T-shirt. He held a small bouquet of flowers, and his foot tapped an impatient staccato on the floor. He ignored the admiring looks he was getting, instead staring at the blossoms he held. Then he looked up and saw me walking toward him. The heat of his blue gaze touched me, scorching me everywhere he looked. I stopped in front of him, my heart racing.
“Cowboy.”
He handed me the flowers. “Lady.”
Then he cradled my face in his big hands, bending low and kissing me. Sweet. Passionate. Hungry. He curled one arm around my waist, dragging me close. I wound mine around him and held tight.
He buried his face in my neck.
“My beautiful Lady. I’ve missed you. Welcome home.”
And with him, I was.
Tyler and Rachel were there when we got to the ranch. Luke hadn’t let go of my hand for more than a minute the entire drive. He sat beside me at dinner, his arm slung over the back of my chair. After, I played the almost-complete show for them, watching their reactions as I cuddled Oreo.
At the end, Rachel was crying, and Luke stared at me. “You did that?” he asked in awe. “All of that?”
“It’s what I do.”
“You do it perfectly.”
Tyler shook his head. “This place is going to explode.”
“I agree,” I said. “But we keep the numbers small to start, grow with it. By the end of the first month, you can add. By the end of the season, you’ll be fully booked for next year.”
“We’ll be fully booked,” Luke corrected. “You’re part of this now. Part of us.”
I smiled at him, cupping his face. We talked for a while, then Rachel and Tyler left. Luke went to return Oreo to his momma, and I padded down the hall, lying on his bed.