Page 81 of The Cowboy Comes Home

“I know.” She gave him a wry smile. “The downside of the generally wonderful life I’ve had is that sometimes it takes me a little time to understand people who haven’t been so lucky.”

Lobo yipped again, looking up at them expectantly. Tucker leaned down and stroked the dog’s head.

“He’s been really upset since you left,” she said. “Pacing all the time except when he’s in your spot on the couch, then up and pacing again, looking all over the house for you.”

“I’ve missed him, too,” Tucker said, his voice a little rough. “Almost as much as I’ve missed you.” He took in a deep breath. “Jeremy said Lobo knows…we should be together. And that dogs are never wrong about humans.”

“I wouldn’t argue that,” she said. Then, pointedly, added, “Especially the we should be together part.”

His jaw tightened for a moment, and she wondered if he was about to say no, that he couldn’t do it.

“Do I have to quit for that to happen?” she asked. She’d spent a lot of those sleepless hours pondering that question, wondering if she could really give up the work she’d dedicated her life to, the work she so loved…for the man she loved. She hated the idea, but she hated the idea of being without Tucker even more.

“Lily Highwater came to see me,” he said unexpectedly. But she saw immediately how it related to what she’d said.

She sighed. “Nic’s idea.”

“Yeah. You knew?”

“She sort of warned me. Meaning she mentioned it in that tone of hers that says her mind’s made up.”

“She made a lot of sense. Lily, I mean.”

“She generally does.” She wanted to ask if the chief’s wife had convinced him, but was afraid of the answer.

“She thinks a lot of you, just like your boss.”

“I like her a lot, too. Hard not to, seeing the change in the chief since they’ve been together.”

“Funny. Jackson said something like that about me, too. That I’ve been more alive. Since I met you, I mean.”

Hope bubbled up inside her. She tamped it down so she could ask evenly, “Is he right?”

Those eyes locked on hers, and she knew that whatever he said, it would be the truth. “Yes. I’ve never felt like this in my life. I just didn’t know if I could risk it, if I could stand to pay that kind of price…again.”

“And if I swore to you I would never again take it for granted that nothing would go wrong…would that make a difference?”

“Are you? Swearing that?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath, then said, “But if that’s not enough, if you truly can’t stand it—”

He cut her words off with a gentle finger to her lips. “I won’t ask you to quit the work you love, Emily. I was forced into that once, and it’s an awful feeling. But I’ll hold you to that vow. Never taking your own safety for granted.”

Only then did she realize what he’d said a moment ago.

I just didn’t know if I could risk it…

Not don’t know. Didn’t. As in he did know now.

He was looking her straight in the eye now. “I finally realized that I didn’t have my choices right, in my head. I could either be deliriously happy with the chance of a little misery, or be without you and be guaranteed miserable all the time.”

Her eyes began to sting as she held her breath, waiting.

“I love you, Emily,” he said softly but definitely. “In the end, that’s all that really matters.”

She hugged him fiercely and said the only thing she could think of. “Thank you. For being brave enough. Tough enough. Loving me enough.”

“Guess that only leaves one question, then,” he said, and she heard the slight touch of the drawl in his voice that made her pulse kick up a notch.

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