Page 48 of The Copper Heir
“To be their father? This isn’t something I decided on a whim, Emmy. I love you and all that comes with you. That includes Ginny and Rose. They’ll still have their father, but I’ll be there for them, too.”
“What of your parents?”
“It doesn’t matter. My mother isn’t part of my life and my father will love you.”
“Your father... I haven’t even met him and the ranch is his home.” She tried to pull her hands free, but he held tight and brought her palm to his mouth.
After he kissed her, Hunter nodded, looking slightly amused. “He’ll love you. But he’s rarely here. He has a house in town. We can get our own house, if that’s what you prefer.”
“But your life with the gang, with Castillo. I know how important they are to you. I can’t ask you to leave that, but I can’t marry an outlaw, Hunter. I just can’t live that life again and I can’t put the girls through that.”
“I know. I don’t want that either. I’ve spoken with Cas and I’ll work out another way to help, one that doesn’t take me from home as often.” His expression became solemn again. “I can’t promise that I’ll never have to go, but I can promise it won’t be often. I can promise to be by your side far more than I’m away. Can that be good enough to start? You’re important to me. The family we make will be important to me. I won’t risk that.”
She wanted to say yes. She wanted it so badly she couldn’t even imagine her life if she said no. “I want to believe you, Hunter.” And she did believe him, but it was so hard to give in to that belief.
He laughed and she sank down to sit in his lap where he pulled her against him. His hands roved up and down her back as his forehead pressed to hers. “Then say yes. What’s stopping you?”
“I don’t know how to say yes. My life... I just never get what I want. That’s not how things work for me.”
“Then take what you want. Make things work that way.”
She stared up into his green eyes, sure that she’d never seen a more beautiful sight in her life than the love she saw staring back at her. “I love you. I love you so much it scares me.”
“I know. When I read your letter, I knew that I’d been so blind to not tell you how I needed you, how I’d do anything to keep you with me. I love you,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. I know that you’ve never been able to rely on anyone, but I promise you can rely on me. I promise you I won’t let you get hurt.”
She laughed, but it got caught on the tears threatening to clog her throat. He was always making sure she didn’t get hurt and he’d risked his life more than once for her. The least she could do was risk her heart. Just this once. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” And just that easily, she took what she wanted and made it hers.
Epilogue
Emmy couldn’t look away from the band of gold encircling the finger on Hunter’s left hand. On her husband’s left hand. It was a perfect match for her own slightly smaller one. Even the thought made her breath catch. They had exchanged vows mere hours ago and her mind still hadn’t caught up to the fact that this magnificent man was hers.
She stared at that hand, fingers clasped with hers, and couldn’t resist reaching out to caress the strength there. He looked down at her and gave her that half smile she adored before bringing her hand to his lips.
“It’s right in here.” His eyes twinkled with mischief as he led her into the stables and let her go to pull the door closed behind them.
Music from the wedding celebration still going on in the house followed them outside, but it was softer here. A large group of people had spilled out onto the lawn to enjoy the warm summer night. One of them laughed, but it barely reached them in their cocoon. It was the first time since they’d taken their vows thatthey’d had a moment alone. For some reason she felt nervous—possibly because he’d enforced a two-week period of celibacy on them before the wedding—and fidgeted with the lace of the short train she’d draped over her arm.
The anxiousness made her babble. “Aren’t you excited about Castillo’s upcoming marriage?” The announcement had taken her by surprise because he’d only met the bride days before when they had both arrived at the ranch for the wedding. “I suspect they’ll be very happy.”
The lantern caught, the blaze lighting Hunter’s face as he hung it back on its post. He shook his head. “It’s an arrangement. A marriage of convenience. You know that.”
She grinned. “An arrangement? The way he looks at her takes my breath away. I think there’s more there than we know.”
“Do you?” He smiled and lifted a brow, intrigued.
He was so handsome in his formal wear that she’d had trouble keeping her hands to herself all night. But she’d tried to maintain some propriety. She knew there was talk about how improper it was that she had lived at the Jameson Ranch before the wedding. Though Hunter hadn’t cared in the least, she had wanted to prove to his father’s friends that she wasn’t some loose woman using Hunter for his money. She thought it had worked, either that or no one from town really cared while imbibing the champagne, escargots, and all the other exotic and wildly expensive food his father had brought in for the reception.
Hunter had concocted some story about how their families were distant acquaintances and that he’d lost his heart the moment he saw her. She’d laughed at that part when he’d told her the story while wearing that devilish grin on his face. But he’d maintained that it was true.
She finally believed him. She’d spent countless hours over the past months replaying the night they’d met and the day that followed. There had been something drawing them togethereven then. Something inexplicable had happened and he had felt it as much as she had. It was why he’d followed her to Helena, and it was why he’d asked her to marry him. The past months had been like some enchanted fairy tale, but she finally believed that it was real.
“I do. Mark my words. They’ll be deliriously happy.”
“Like us.” Hunter walked the few feet separating them, arms going around her waist to hold her close. His eyes were positively glowing with the love he felt for her.
“I don’t need another wedding present from you, so I hope that’s not why you brought me out here.” She’d been telling him this for weeks, when he’d first starting hinting at a surprise. Touching the sapphire necklace he’d given her that morning, she said, “This is more than enough.”
“That’s not a wedding present.”
