Epilogue
Emily walked out of the bathroom with a towel in her hair and finally felt like she was mended. The two days she’d spent in the hospital seemed to do the trick, and she actually had some real energy.
“I never did thank you for agreeing to stay on the ranch,” Rick said. “I know it’s not exactly what you want, and I appreciate you letting me keep you safe until we get the all clear from my brother.”
She kissed him lightly. “Maybe I’m staying so you can love on me and tend to every want and desire as I recover.”
“Darlin’, I’m gonna satisfy every want and desire you have for the rest of our lives.”
“I’ll do my best to endure it.”
Laughing, he nodded. “See that you do and know that I’m going to be the model of restraint and won’t dictate unless…we’re in bed and we do that thing you like.”
Emily sputtered. “You ever say that in anything above a whisper outside the walls of our house again and the thing you like will be nothing but a distant memory.”
“Understood,” he said with a chuckle.
She walked into the closet and didn’t see her bag. “What the devil?” Turning, she noticed her clothes stacked neatly on a shelf. “Didn’t know you were so domesticated, Mr. Blakely.”
“What’s that?”
“You didn’t have to unpack my bag.”
“Yes, I did. I put your undies in the top drawer and have a load of laundry going.”
She blinked. “In the amount of time I was in the shower? You are a surprise.”
When he didn’t answer, she glanced up. Naughtiness danced in his eyes. What was he up to? The man never stood still for long, and she couldn’t imagine why he was looking so satisfied with himself.
“I’m basically the best boyfriend in the world.”
“The whole world?”
“Maybe the whole universe.”
“Well, I guess I better hold on to you, then,” she said as she stepped forward and smoothed out his T-shirt and then kissed his cheek.
“Probably would be wise.”
“I’ve put a lot of work into you already, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste.”
“You’ve been training me since we were kids, so that’s no joke, and I can often hear your voice in my head telling me to tuck in my shirt.”
“Why was I such a busybody and telling you what to do all the time?”
“I think you loved me from the moment you set eyes on me and that was your way of showing you cared.”
Swallowing, she looked down at her bare feet and laughed. “I do care about you and always have.”
“That’s good news, darlin’, and I want you to get dressed and come downstairs because I’ve got a surprise.”
“What kind?”
“The kind that will make me your favorite person for a long time to come.”
“You’re kinda already that.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Thank you, Em. And for the record, you’re mine.” Stepping back, he gave her a wink and tapped her ass. “So fucking happy this is mine.”
She pushed him away and pursed her lips. “Don’t be—”
“So charming?”
“Go, before I change my mind about you and this budding love story we’ve got going.”
“You haven’t managed it in the twenty-five years we’ve known one another, so I’m not real worried.”
“Go on then and don’t irritate me.” He blew her a kiss and then walked out. “That man, he’s going to be the—” Stopping mid-sentence, she realized he wasn’t going to be the death of her, but the one who filled her heart with every good thing in the world.
Fifteen minutes later, Emily walked downstairs and heard an unfamiliar bark coming from the front porch. She hurried across the main room, opened the front door, and let out a laugh. “What have you done?”
“I brought home Mabel’s one true love,” he said as he walked out of the kitchen with two coffee mugs.
Emily took the offered mug and noticed his deeply satisfied smile. “You adopted the Aussie mix?”
“Sure did. Seems he’s a year younger than Mabel and in good health.”
She bent down and stroked her dog’s head. “You got yourself a younger man.” Barely acknowledging the attention, her dog let out a contented sigh and moved closer to her lover boy. “What’s his name?”
“I think we should rename him.”
Pushing herself up, she frowned. “You can’t rename a dog that’s this old. He’ll never make the transition.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“Well, that’s too bad, because his former owners gave him the unfortunate name of Puffernutter.”
“Really?”
“No joke.”
“It’s not bad.”
“It’s not great, either. I was hoping we could give him a good ranch dog name like Harly or Killer.”
“They probably called him Puff.” Looking down, she noticed the dog’s ears twitched, and he cocked his head. “That’s it.”
“I guess Puff is better than Puffernutter.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist and gave him a good squeeze. “What made you want to get a dog? There are at least a half dozen on the property, so it wasn’t like you needed another one.”
“Mabel loves him, and I wanted her to be happy. She moaned every time we drove past the shelter, and I just couldn’t deny her the thing she wanted most.”
“You are a big ol’ softy.” Biting her lip at his disgruntled expression, she did everything not to let out a giggle. Her big bad warrior had a marshmallow heart, and she knew there wasn’t a luckier woman on the planet.
Rolling his shoulder, he snorted. “I’m no such thing. I’m a tough as nails SEAL and don’t have a soft spot on me.”
Sliding her hand along his T-shirt, she let it rest over his heart. “That’s not true, but I won’t make a big deal about it on account of your fragile sense of self.”
“I don’t have a fragile—” Covering her hand, he bent down. “Unless that’s something you might like.”
“I like the deep well of kindness you possess and the almost endless love you seem to have for the people you care about.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and I’m going to love you, Rick. From your weakest moments to your strongest ones. When you’re happy and when you’re sad. I’m here and plan on loving each and every piece of you. Your imperfections, your strength, and everything in between.” Feeling his hold tighten, she rested her head against his chest and heard the steady thump of his heart.
Home.
She’d finally found her way back.
“I’ve loved you for more than two decades and plan on doing it until they put my body in the ground. There’s not a thing I won’t do to see to your happiness and just want the privilege of loving you every day in the best way I can. There will never be another who leaves me breathless the way you do. You’re the only person who I have a heart for and the one that will make me a better person. I’m all in, Em, and I love you with every breath in my body.”
“All in, Rick.” She pulled her face away from his chest and looked up, seeing tears shimmer in the corner of his eyes. “Which means you are my everything. My fire, rain, wind, and my calm. And most importantly my sword and my shield.”
Cupping his cheek, she let her eyes slowly move over the only face she’d ever loved. “You’re a good man, Rick Blakely, and I’m one fortunate woman to call you my very own. I’ve loved you even when I didn’t want to and know there isn’t a thing strong enough to ever make me stop. So get yourself ready, sir, because I plan on making you a very happy man for a very long time.” She felt his hands twine around her waist, and she held him tightly, knowing they’d somehow made it to the best part of their story.
They’d found their way home to one another, and as far as she was concerned, that was the best happy ever after in the world.
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