Page 68 of Her Cowboy Baby Daddy
“Spence... we haven’t even dated.”
He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so that she ended up half on top of him.
“I think I’ve loved you since you rescued me from the equipment shed.” The arm he had around her shoulders tightened.
“Right.”
“I’m not kidding. I saw a girl that I didn’t know existed until that day and I liked her. And now she’s here with me, naked at that, and I’m not going to let her go.” He met her gaze. “Not unless she wants me to.”
Hayley let out a long sigh and snuggled into him. “She does not.”
“Good.” He closed his eyes, wondered how he was going to tell Millie that after this job, he might not be available for more. That he might have to set up shop and stay in one place, earning his living while working on the ranch—or ranches, if he counted the Lone Tree. But he had a feeling that Henry might like to work there until he was really ready to retire. If Hayley was agreeable, that was.
“Spence?”
“Hmm?”
“Can we spend the day in bed? I’ve never done that.”
“I like that idea, but I don’t know what Henry, Ash, and Connor will think when they show up for work.”
“Right.”
“But,” he said, touching her lower lip with his index finger, “I foresee a lot more time here, and... especially if we’re going to make a baby.”
Hayley cupped his face in her hands and smiled. “There will be bumps in the road.”
“No doubt. And if there are two people who can take them, it’s you and me.”
Epilogue
“Hunt has beentoo quiet,” Daniel said as he stretched his legs out.
“Maybe he’s given up.” Audrey glanced at the clock as she spoke. Em was due to arrive, and Audrey was obviously excited to see her only daughter.
“My dad has been too quiet,” Trenna said.
“Can’t you go do some top-secret spy thing and figure out what his next move is?” Lex asked.
“I don’t think, given the circumstances, that my dad is going to leave me alone with his secret papers.” Trenna gave Lex a gentle smile.
Spence’s future sister-in-law was caught between her husband-to-be’s family and her dad, but she seemed to have a firm grasp on things. She still saw her dad, but Spence knew from talking to his brother that the relationship was tenuous. Hunt hadn’t expected his daughter to end up in the enemy camp, but she was his only child, so he kept the lines of communication open.
But no, he wasn’t going to leave her alone with his secret papers or diary or anything like that.
“We’ll take things one day at a time,” Spence said.
Hayley nudged his side, and he smiled without looking at her. They, too, were taking things one day at a time as per their couples counselor’s suggestion. It was early October and Spence had to say that things were going well—really well. He’d been pleasantly surprised at the first session to discover that he didn’t need to drop deep, dark secrets or anything. It turned out that the counselor was a resource to help them get their relationship started right, without being sidetracked by preconceived notions and baggage from past relationships.
So, bottom line, his relationship with the woman he loved was flourishing. Henry was happily splitting his time between the Keller Ranch and the Lone Tree Ranch, and Vince had scored a small farmhouse on the outskirts of Missoula and planned to adopt Remy the Pig as soon as he moved.
Hayley still planned on becoming pregnant as soon as possible, as per her doctor’s advice, but she was waiting until after their late-spring wedding... or should he say late-spring elopement? They’d agreed that a trip to the courthouse, followed by a small family party, was the perfect wedding, which worked well because Trenna and Reed were planning a huge summer blowout for their nuptials. Trenna’s stepmother, Dawn, was already involved, but Spence had the feeling that no one was looping Carter Hunt into the plans. Would the man even attend his daughter’s wedding?
Time would tell.
“She’s here!” Audrey jumped to her feet at the sound of an engine. Lex followed her out of the room, and a moment later, the door opened. There was a rush of motion and then two huge dogs bounded into the living room, startling Daniel, who nearly fell out of his chair when one planted one front paw on either side of him.
“Daisy,” Em chided from the doorway. “Feet on the floor.”
