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“They are big and bright,” he’d agreed, and they’d both laughed.
“Girl,” Jen whispered into her ear, pulling her out of the reverie, “you are goner than I ever thought you could be.”
“I am,” Britt agreed.
“Not that I don’t get it,” her friend added. “He’s even prettier than you said.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Britt answered archly, remembering again this morning.
She glanced at Cody, who had half turned to talk to Kaitlyn, who was here to take photographs of all the action. Rylan, Britt knew, was busy finishing a project back in his studio, something that, to Britt’s own amazement, was more important to her than even this return to the rodeo she loved. A project she had proposed, and that the entire Rafferty clan—minus Cody of course—had heartily agreed upon, even if Ry had been a bit nervous. But Britt had persisted, and he’d begun.
“Is he really going with you? On the circuit, I mean?”
“For the first leg, at least.” Britt grinned. “I could hardly say no, since he’s one of my sponsors.”
She didn’t care how that sounded to people either, although she guessed some who didn’t know them made some assumptions about their relationship and what order it had all happened in. But once Cody had gotten his ranch management software to the point where he felt comfortable selling it more widely, it had seemed obvious that advertising it on the circuit only seemed logical. And of course, there would be the added benefit of having him with her.
But that wouldn’t start until next week. Before that, there was tomorrow. Their joint birthday, and the party her mother and his—delighted not just at the cessation of hostilities but at the new connection between their families—were madly planning. And which, oddly, Cody had requested they all attend on horseback.
“—all for it. I’ve never seen you so happy. Or relaxed.” Jen waggled her eyebrows at her. “And judging by his contented look, I can guess why.”
Britt couldn’t help herself—all she could do was grin back at her friend. She remembered this morning, and how not so long ago she’d told her father she didn’t find anything tempting at that hour. Now she couldn’t think of anything more tempting than Cody, naked in her arms and driving into her body.
And an hour later, when she headed down the chute for her first run in far too long, even that felt different. She’d been afraid it would feel less somehow, now that her life was so full of other things. But instead it had become more, as if the foundation this thing she loved was now built on had lifted it even higher.
Ghost ripped around the barrels as if nothing could slow her down, as if the cloverleaf turns were as simple as a straight run. Her own seat was solid, without even a twinge from her ankle. And the roar that went up from the gathered crowd when her blistering time was announced made Ghost prance and her own heart leap.
She was back. And, for so many reasons, better than ever.
*
Cody knew everyone except their parents were puzzled. But the meetings he’d had with the Roths and Mom were about to pay off. It had been a long, detailed process, involving easements and boundaries and paperwork, but it was done.
He and Britt rode side by side, her riding her trusty Nugget today. They were all there, a party of twelve riders plus three dogs, Mom’s Quinta, the Roths’ Dodger, and Chance and Ariel’s Tri. He knew Britt was immensely curious, but the new Britt, as she called herself, waited patiently. In fact, the only time she wasn’t patient anymore was when they were in bed, and he was fine with that. Beyond fine. Way beyond fine.
He saw her notice the stake with cloth flag attached as they rode by. She gave him a questioning look, but he only smiled at her.
Life on the Rafferty ranch had changed so much. Keller and Sydney married in a beautiful ceremony at the Hickory Creek Inn that drew half of Last Stand, and their formal adoption of Lucas was completed. Then Chance and Ariel joined in a smaller, private ceremony—including Tri as well-trained ring bearer—that had included several of both her new and late husband’s brothers in arms, there to wish her and Chance well. Ry and Kaitlyn would be next, he figured, although they were going to have to hurry, because he was in a hurry. A hurry to have this locked in, to be attached in ways he’d never imagined he’d want so much.
When they arrived at his goal, he called a halt. Britt looked at him, still obviously curious, but also smiling, because this was her favorite spot, high ground with a view of the hills one way, and an expanse that included both their ranch houses the other.
“Hope y’all remember the way here,” he said to all of them. “So you can find your way to visit us.”
Then he looked at Britt as he reached back and pulled the roll of papers out of his saddlebag. He slid off the band holding them and unrolled the big page, showing the computer rendition he’d done of the house she’d once described to him, when he’d managed to get her talking about her dream home.
He handed it to her and finished quietly. “Assuming you won’t mind living up here.”
She stared at the rendering. Looked at him. Looked back at the property stakes they’d passed. Looked at her parents, then his mom, who were all smiling widely. And he saw the moment when she figured it all out, when she realized the stakes marked out a large area that sat smack across the property line, half on one side, half on the other.
“We can be the permanent bond between the Roths and the Raffertys,” he said. “If…” He couldn’t seem to go on. It had seemed like a good idea to do it here and now, probably because he hoped the circumstances would get him the answer he wanted. But he couldn’t get any words out.
But she could. “If what?”
And suddenly he could do it. Because he saw the answer already glowing in those incredible blue eyes. “If you’ll marry me.”
The glow flared into fire. “You sure you’re ready for that, Coder?”
“Damn sure, Roth.” He swallowed tightly. “You told me once you don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”
