Page 87 of Broken Roads
A shadow crosses his face. "And now?"
The question hangs between us, weighted with everything neither of us has put into words yet. We've shared our bodies, our secrets, our fears. We've fallen into each other with a kind of desperate hunger that still takes my breath away. But there's one truth I haven't spoken out loud.
I take a deep breath. "I just told Tessa I'm staying."
His eyes widen slightly, hope flickering across his features. "In Montana?"
"On this ranch." I hold his gaze, watching as understanding dawns. "With you."
His hands tighten at my waist, but he says nothing, waiting for me to continue. That's one of the things I've come to love about Bradley Walker…he knows when to push and when to simply wait.
"I love you."
I don't elaborate, don't qualify it with explanations or conditions. Just three words that I've been carrying inside me, waiting for the right moment to set them free.
For one heartbeat, two, three, Bradley remains perfectly still. Then his face transforms—the surprise melting into something so warm, so open that it steals my breath. The corners of his eyes crinkle, lines etched by sun and laughter deepening as a smile breaks across his face like sunrise.
"Say that again," he whispers, his voice rough with emotion.
A laugh bubbles up my throat. "I love you, Bradley Walker. Even when you're being stubborn as hell. Maybe especially then."
His hands slide up to frame my face, fingers gently stroking my skin. "Fuck, Hailey." The words come out ragged. "I've been trying to find the right way to tell you the same thing for days."
My heart pounds so hard I'm sure he can feel it. "You don't need the right way. Just tell me."
"I love you. Probably have since you showed up in that pink dress at breakfast and made me forget how to breathe."
I roll onto my toes, closing the small distance between us to press my lips against his. The kiss is gentle at first, a confirmation, but quickly deepens into something more urgent. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me flush against him as my fingers tangle in his hair.
When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, he rests his forehead against mine. "This is home," he murmurs. "You. Us. This place."
The sun dips lower on the horizon, painting the sky in strokes of orange and pink. The air smells of pine and horses and hay and the undefinable scent that is uniquely Montana.
"I never thought I'd find home again," I confess, the words barely audible. "After my parents died, after the accident... I stopped believing I deserved one."
Bradley cups the back of my neck, his touch both gentle and grounding. "You deserve everything, sunshine. Everything good in this world."
A bark cuts through the moment, and we both turn to see Bandit bounding up the porch steps. The border collie skids to a stop beside us, tail wagging furiously as he looks between us with bright, expectant eyes.
"Someone feels left out," I laugh, reaching down to scratch behind the dog's ears.
Bradley watches us, something soft and wondering in his expression. "Family," he says, his voice low. "You, me, this troublemaker. Dad back home. Even Sebastian sticking around for a while."
"Family," I repeat, testing the word. It feels right. After years of being alone, of keeping everyone at a safe distance, I've somehow stumbled into belonging.
Bandit nudges my hand, demanding more attention, and I oblige, smoothing the soft fur between his ears. "Think he approves of me staying?"
Bradley laughs. "He approved of you before I did, the traitor. Started following you around while I was still being an ass."
"You weren't that bad," I tease, knowing full well how much he fought against my presence in those early days.
"I was worse," he admits, pulling me back into his arms. Bandit settles at our feet, apparently satisfied with his share of attention. "Thank heavens you're stubborn."
Behind us I can hear the murmur of voices—Sebastian and Bradford engaged in conversation, Ruthie's occasional interjection. The sounds of family. Of home.
"I love you," I say again, because now that the words have been spoken, I can't seem to stop them. They rise up in me like a tide, inevitable and true.
Bradley's answering smile is everything I never knew I was looking for. "I love you too, sunshine. Welcome home."
