Page 39 of Home to You
“Tell him coffee’s on if he wants some,” Eden called after him as he bolted for the door.
After making sure Eden was settled upstairs for her rest and then finishing up some paperwork, I found myself standing in the nursery doorway, looking at the crib we’d put together last month.
In a few weeks, our daughter would be here. The thought still took my breath away—that something so perfect could come from something that had once felt so broken.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Eden appeared beside me, her hand finding mine.
“Just thinking about how far we’ve come,” I said. “How different everything is now.”
“But better, right?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
“So much better,” I confirmed, pulling her close. “I used to think this kind of happiness wasn’t meant for me.”
“And now?”
I looked around the nursery—at the paintings I’d hung earlier in the day, at the rocking chair where I’d read our little girl bedtime stories, at the window where morning light would stream in to wake her up.
Then I looked at my wife, at the life we’d built together, at the love that had healed us both.
“Now I know that sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times,” I said, my voice catching. “And I’m grateful for every single day.”
She smiled, that beautiful smile that had changed everything, and I knew that whatever came next, we’d face it together. Our family was complete, our love was strong, and our future was bright.
And that was more than enough.
Want to find out what happens when Gage Mercer meets his match? Keep reading for a sneak peek at the second book in theThree Pines Ranchseries.
MADE FOR YOU
The resort was supposed to be proof that I could lead my family’s empire. It was also a way to honor the valley that had claimed my heart years ago.
I expected long, exhausting nights … just not with rugged cowboy Gage Mercer in my bed.
He was everything I shouldn’t want: rooted where I’ve always been a wanderer, content where I’m constantly chasing more.
I tried to keep my distance by telling myself I couldn’t afford distractions. But resisting Gage was like trying not to breathe.
We called it casual, a fire destined to burn itself out. And the more I resisted, the deeper I fell.
I didn’t just let go of the reins—I surrendered. And Gage knew exactly what to do when he was the one in control.
With him, I wasn’t just chasing success. I was exactly who I was meant to be.
His.
Chapter One
Gage
The second I stepped inside,I immediately spotted her—the kind of woman who belonged in a Manhattan penthouse, not propped against a rough oak bar in a Bridger Falls honky tonk.
She wore a form-fitting black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Large, bright diamonds winked in her ears. A slim platinum watch circled her wrist—one I knew she didn’t get at the mall. Her dark, glossy hair was pulled up into one of those tight, sexy ponytails I loved to wrap around my fist and yank. I could feel my fingers practically twitching to grab hold and hang on for the ride. And when she crossed her legs, the flash of red under her stilettos told me exactly the type of money I was dealing with, which made me wonder: what the hell was she doing in a place like this?
I took a few steps toward the bar, then paused, hooking my thumbs in my front pockets and debating whether to go up to her. I rolled my shoulders back, trying to shake off a sudden case of nerves, and ran a hand through my hair before I could stop myself. Truth was, I wasn’t sure if I should bother. The girls I usually hooked up with were tourists wanting their authentic cowboy experience or hometown girls who knew the score. Sweet, simple, no strings attached.
This woman, though? She looked like she’d eat me alive and enjoy every damn bite.
And for some reason that I couldn’t explain, the idea of messing up that cool, polished composure? Yeah. That thought had me harder than I cared to admit.
