Page 125 of No Place for Single Cowboys

twenty-nine

“Cordelia!Cordelia Grace Johnson, you open up! Right now!”

Cordy’s heart slammed into her throat when she heard the shouting outside. She peered out the living room windows and saw the truck parked at a strange angle on the lawn.

Chance. He was here, finally.

And he was panicked.

She fumbled with the doorknob, her fingers trembling. Chance shoved it open before she could.

He caught her and Madeleine before they fell, closing the door behind him. His eyes were feral, his breath coming in sawing pants. He’d lost his hat somewhere, and his hair was wild. He looked like he’d run all the way from the hospital.

“You’re still here.” Chance sagged against the door. “You haven’t left.”

“You told me to stay put.” She hugged Madeleine to her. “But I got the keys today. So if you want?—”

He shoved off the door. “Don’t tell me what I want. After all this time together, you still don’t know.” Chance shook his head like she was hopeless. “I’ll tell you what Ineed—I need my wife and my kid with me in my house.Ourhome.”

Cordy’s mouth worked like a dying fish’s. “But… but we’re not married.”

She recognized the words as silly, but nothing else was coming to her. Her brain had shorted out, along with her heartbeat. Nothing in her was in sync.

Chance dropped to one knee. “Then marry me. I haven’t got a ring, but I can get one tomorrow. Or today. You tell me yes, that you’ll be my wife and my family, and I’ll do anything you want.”

This must be the famed Kessal madness. Chance was absolutely savage—it was everything Cordy had been expecting and hadn’t seen back in Lovers’ Cavern.

Oh Lord, he reallywasin love with her.

Behind them, Iggy barked. It clearly said,What the heck is happening?Pard lifted his nose and whined the same question.

Cordy wasn’t entirely sure herself. Just this morning, she’d thought Chance was asking her to leave. And now he was proposing. What had happened?—

“Oh my God!” She smacked a hand over her mouth. “How is your dad?”

“Okay. Considering.” Chance stayed on one knee.

“Considering what? What exactly happened?”

“He had a massive heart attack. He’s lucky to be alive.”

“Chance.” She pulled him to his feet and put her arms around him, careful not to squish Madeleine between them. “How awful. How are you feeling?”

“Feeling?” He said the word like he didn’t understand it. His hands came to rest at the small of her back. “I… I thought I’d be relieved if he died. But I’m not. I want him to stay here, even if I am still pissed at him.”

Poor Chance. “Of course you do. He’s your dad, after all.”

There was a lot Chance needed to work out with his dad, but since Holden was still here, he’d have the chance to. There was a gift in that.

“Waiting in the hospital was one of the worst experiences of my life,” Chance said. “The only thing that kept me going was knowing you and Madeleine were safe at home.”

Cordy bit her lip. “It hurt my feelings you didn’t want me there.”

“Oh honey”—Chance cupped her face—“I never meant to. But Madeleine’s so little, it wouldn’t have been safe. I always want you with me, but I want to protect you two more.”

“I understand that now. But after this morning?—”

Chance’s thumb rubbed slow circles over her jaw. “I thoughtyouwanted to move out. So I raced back here to convince you not to.”

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