He lifted his head but his arms didn’t loosen their hold. “You’re not at the lake?” His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
She shook her head, her lips tracing the line of his whiskered jaw. “I didn’t get there. You were right. Everything did look different in the morning.”
She lowered her heels to the ground and pulled back a little to check his face. “Are you okay? The Ryans didn’t look too good.”
“I’m fine. I’ll have a sore fist tomorrow and for once I can’t blame that on Cordell.”
“I can’t believe Nick was the poacher.”
“If you’d met his brother, Brad, you mightn’t be so surprised. But they’ve caught their last bobcat.”
“How did you know it was them?”
He dipped his head toward the red truck. “You can’t see from here, but there’re traps in the back. That and Henry would never give them permission to camp here.” Ethan grinned briefly. “I did honestly go inside to talk but it seems hot-headed Nick saw us out on the range and has a problem with how much time we’ve been spending together.”
“Oh.”
“So there soon wasn’t any talking happening and in the process the fire they’d lit inside the cabin spread.” His jaw hardened. “I gave them a choice, stay and help or head down the road to meet the Sheriff. They walked.”
She nodded and smoothed away black ash from his cheek.
His eyes held hers. “Bridie, Henry asked me if I wanted to take on Larkspur Ridge, and I said I would think about it.”
“He told me. Will you? I know you have faith in your foreman to run your Colorado Springs ranch?”
Ethan’s eyes burned blue. “I do. Which means I can go ... anywhere ... not just here but also ... to the outback.”
Bridie took a moment to answer. Ethan was offering to give up everything he knew and loved to be with her.
She spoke past the swell of her emotions. “As much as I love the outback, Paradise Valley is my place of new beginnings.” She paused, suddenly shy. “Larkspur Ridge, or Colorado Springs, it doesn’t matter where you are, it will always be ... home.”
Ethan’s smile contained all the love and warmth she’d ever hoped to see. His head lowered but he didn’t kiss her.
“I’m a forever guy, don’t ever forget that. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I won’t. I promise.” She pulled his head down to hers. “Ethan, I love you.”
His eyes darkened to almost black and when he spoke his voice was quiet. “I love you too.”
His mouth touched hers and he kissed her, a tender, deep kiss that promised her a lifetime full of mountain sunrises. She sighed and melted further against him.
This time when their kiss ended Ethan eased away. “I’m guessing Henry’s waiting in the truck and won’t settle for anything less than us walking back hand in hand?”
She smiled and fell into step beside him as the weight of his arm settled around her waist and kept her close. “Is now a good time to tell you he’s not going to settle for anything less than a ranch full of grandchildren at Larkspur Ridge to teach to fish and ride.”
Ethan groaned. “Have you seen Henry with kids? He’s more mischievous than they are. It won’t only be fishing and riding he’ll teach them.”
Bridie laughed, her heart full.
She’d come to Montana as a lost outback cowgirl to say farewell to her father and to meet her family but she’d found so much more. She’d found friendship, a home and love with a forever cowboy.