Colt watched Angelina make her way toward him and mentally captured the moment. Beautiful…so beautiful. He reached out an arm, drew her in for a kiss, then tucked her in front of him while Murt worked Dakota around the nearest paddock. The aged wrangler had wasted no time getting Nick’s younger daughter in the saddle, and Dakota was loving it. “Is Nick on his way back with Cheyenne yet?” Colt asked.
“They just left the hospital,” Angelina said.
“Good. Did you call Tony and tell him you’re staying put?”
She leaned back and looked up at him, surprised. “How do you know about Tony?”
“Heard you talking on the phone awhile back. Figured it was good to know about the competition.”
She laughed and elbowed him in the gut, and not too gently either. “Tony is married with two kids. We worked the narcotics squad together. But yes, I called him and told him I had a change in plans. Now we just need to tell my mother.”
“Your mother will be thrilled for you,” Colt told her. He nuzzled her cheek until she sighed. “For us.”
“But Seattle is hours away, and we’ll be here.” She sent a worried look toward the front porch where her mother sat sewing.
“You’re cute when you whine.”
“I don’t whine.”
“Prove it. Let’s go tell your mother the good news.” Walking backward and tugging her along, he led her back toward the house.
“Mami.” Angelina took the porch rocker alongside her mother while Colt perched on the rail nearby. “We need to talk.”
“Like we don’t talk every day?” Isabo said but set the sewing down. “Are you all right? Is Cheyenne all right, or is there more to tell? I still cannot believe she slipped out that back window to show her father what she could do! I should have checked on her again.”
“Cheyenne is fine. Nick’s bringing her home. But there is more news to share,” Colt said.
Angelina took her mother’s hand. “I know how you want to go back to Seattle.”
“I do?” Isabo looked up with interest.
“I will keep my promise to get you back to Seattle, but I won’t be moving there with you.”
Isabo looked from one to the other as if this was no big surprise. “So. You think this is news?”
“Told you so.” Colt aimed a smug look toward his future wife.
“You’re not helping.” She turned back toward her mother. “I’ll help you get back there and get settled. We’ll help you,” she added, and this time she smiled up at Colt. “Mami, Colt has asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes.”
“Without asking her mother in lieu of her father?” Isabo redirected her attention to Colt in a no-nonsense manner. “Perhaps you thought my permission was not needed because I am a woman?”
Colt squirmed. “Well, she thought I was leaving. And you thought I was leaving. And—”
Isabo’s laugh cut him short. “So now that we have this love thing settled, why must I leave?” She got up, crossed the porch, and gave Colt a nice big hug, then turned back to Angelina. “Do you not want your mother around?”
“Of course I do!”
“Then why wish me back to Seattle when we could all live here, Mary Angela?”
“You want to stay here?”
Colt snickered out loud on purpose.
His beautiful fiancée ignored him.
“Why would I not want to stay where it is the most wonderful place in the world? I love being here, being part of such a marvelous endeavor. I am busy here.”
“Yes, exactly,” Angelina agreed. “But you weren’t supposed to be working all the time, taking care of a house and kids. You were supposed to be able to relax and enjoy life a little. With Dad.”
“Well, that part cannot be changed, can it?” Isabo reached out and took Angelina’s hands. “But the wish for all that was not mine. That was Martín’s. I like being busy. I like doing, not being done for, so for me, this is wonderful! Working here, helping you, helping Sam and the children. Oh, this is when I am most happy!”
“Then you want to stay?”
“Yes! I would not leave if you asked me to.” Isabo hugged her. “We get to plan a wedding, my little bird. How very special is that? A thing I have waited for as any mother would.” She hugged Angelina one more time. “I must go. I must call your Aunt Rose and see if she can find us the old lace used on your grandmother’s gown. It will be your something old and so beautiful!”
She dashed off as Noah raced up from the pond with Rye, Jenna, and Brendan following at a distance. “I found a fwog, Mom!”
“Fr-r-rog,” she reminded him as she bent low.
“Fw-w-w-og!” he announced, triumphant. “Mr. Rye said I hafta put him back, but I wanted to show you and Mr. Colt first.”
“I love him, bud.” Colt lifted the boy high in his arms. “And I love you.”
Noah looked up at him with an expression so sweet and good Colt wasn’t sure if his heart broke or healed to see it. “I l-l-love you too, Mr. Colt.”
Healed, most definitely.
Holding the boy, seeing Angelina’s look of love, hearing the sounds of ranch life around him, he realized he’d come full circle—back to the faith, hope, and love he’d lost so many years before.
And it felt real good.