Page 39 of Rawhide and Ransom

He palmed her face, gently brushing the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs as he slanted his mouth over hers. He accepted what she was offering, brokenness and all, branding himself into her with his touch and his kisses.

She’d been afraid of how she’d fit him in her life, but there was no fear now. No confusion. No comparing. No wishing he was someone else. No pain. There was no one else in the workshop but him.

His nearness.

His strength.

His loyalty.

His love surrounded her, dizzied her, and filled her.

“Hawk.” His name trembled on her lips. “My Hawk.” Her head dropped weakly to his shoulder.

“All yours,” he agreed. “Been yours since the day we met.”

She laughed and sobbed and laughed some more against the side of his neck. Happiness lent her a weightless feeling, making her feel like she was floating. She’d never before felt so weak. Or so strong.

“Am I dreaming?” she asked dazedly.

For an answer, he lightly stabbed two fingers against the soft skin beneath her ribcage, making her squirm with laughter. “What did you do that for?”

“Would you rather I’d pinched you?”

“Now who’s being cruel?” She tugged his head down for another kiss.

“You love me anyway.” He deepened their next kiss, erasing her equilibrium and leaving her at his complete mercy.

“I do,” she admitted shakily. “So much that it scares me.” Loving him would most assuredly drag him beneath the crosshairs with her. “Aren’t you scared, too?”

He grunted. “I don’t scare easily. You should know that by now.”

“What if the evil plaguing my family comes after you, too?” She couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering in any way because of her.

“We’ll face it together, just like we’ve been doing. Kissing me or not kissing me was never going to change that.”

She leaned back a little to meet his glittering gaze. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Yep.” He lightly ran a finger down the front of her neck. “In case I haven’t been clear on the subject, you mean the world to me. You and Miley both,” he added cautiously. “Hope you don’t mind me saying that. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I care for that skinny little snot head, too.”

A faint sniffling sound alerted Annalee to the fact that her daughter had returned to the workshop at some point.

The lack of surprise on Hawk’s face told her he was already aware of her daughter’s presence, meaning he’d intended for Miley to hear his last statement.

“Mind?” A joyful laugh tumbled out of Annalee. “You think I mind having help wrestling a beastly teenager during her beastly teenage years?”

Hawk smirked down at her. “She’s a handful, I know. I have to carve saddles with her for hours upon hours upon hours?—”

“Okay, you two have had your fun.” Miley stomped up to the work table, making no effort to maintain her previous stealth. She plopped into her chair, hunching her shoulders dejectedly over her latest carving project.

Annalee couldn’t tell if she was kidding or truly in a rotten mood.

Hawk winked reassuringly at her as he backed toward the storage closet. “Something tells me the only way we’re going to redeem ourselves is by making a peace offering.”

Miley watched him suspiciously as he flung open the door to the storage closet and reached inside to withdraw a large plastic cage. It was blue with a silver handle, and it made a faint mewling sound as he approached Miley with it.

She sat up straighter, eyes growing wide. “Did you seriously…?” She breathed out the words, reaching for the cage with both hands.

“I seriously did, kid.” Hawk set the cage in front of her on the table, reaching down to flick open the door to the cage.

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