Page 73 of Broken Roads
The night wraps around us like a protective cocoon, the rest of the world falling away until it's just us, just this moment.
"Thank you," Hailey whispers after a while.
Confused, I frown slightly. "For what?"
"For seeing me," she says. "The real me. And for staying anyway."
My throat tightens with emotion. I turn on my side to face her fully, wanting her to see the truth in my eyes. "Hailey, I'm not just staying. I'm all in."
Her eyes search mine for the longest time. If she’s looking for any hesitation, any doubt. She won't find any. I've never been more certain of anything in my life.
"All in," she repeats, her voice soft but sure.
I seal the promise with a kiss, gentle but full of meaning. Whatever comes next—whatever challenges we face, whatever demons resurface, whatever joys await—we'll face it together. Under this vast Montana sky, with the woman who's somehow become the center of my world in my arms, I finally understand what it means to find home in a person, not just a place.
Chapter 30
Hailey
Iwake with Bradley's arm resting heavily across my waist, his steady breathing warm against my neck. I lie perfectly still, savoring this moment of complete contentment. Last night replays in my mind—his hands on my body, his whispered promises, the way he looked at me when I told him about my past. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I don't feel the need to run away from this feeling of happiness. Instead, I want to sink deeper into it, to memorize every detail of waking up beside this man who somehow made me feel again.
Careful not to wake him, I shift slightly so I can study his face. Sleep softens his features, erasing the constant vigilance he carries during waking hours. A strand of hair falls across his forehead, and I can't resist brushing it back. The slight touch is enough to make him stir and his arm tightens around me.
"Mmm," he mumbles, eyes still closed. "Watching me sleep, sunshine?"
"Maybe." I trail my fingers down his cheek, feeling the rough texture of his morning stubble. "You're pretty when you're not scowling."
One eye cracks open, dark and amused. "Pretty?"
"Devastatingly handsome," I amend, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Better?"
"Much." His voice is rough with sleep, deeper than usual, and goodness, every nerve ending in my body lights up.
Pulling me closer, his hand slides up my bare back, tracing each bump with gentle fingertips that leave goosebumps in their wake. The simple touch shouldn't feel so intimate, but after last night every point of contact between us feels heightened.
"Sleep okay?" he asks as his lips find my temple.
I nod, settling more firmly against him. "Better than I have in months."
His hand continues its exploration, sliding over my hip to rest on my thigh. "No regrets?" The question is quiet, vulnerable in a way that makes my heart squeeze painfully inside my chest.
Lifting my head, I look directly into his eyes. "Not a single one."
The smile that breaks across his face is slow and beautiful, crinkling the corners of his eyes. He cups my cheek, thumb tracing my lower lip with a reverence that steals my breath.
"You're so fucking beautiful in the morning," he murmurs.
Then his mouth is on mine, the kiss achingly tender. There's none of last night's desperate urgency, just a slow, thorough exploration that leaves me melting against him.
"I could get used to waking up like this," he whispers against my lips.
"Is that your way of asking me to go camping more often?" I tease, threading my fingers through his hair.
"That's my way of saying I never want to wake up without you again."
The admission catches me off guard and my heart stutters inside my chest. We've known each other for such a short time, yet somehow it feels like we've been moving toward this point since the moment I arrived at Walker Ranch.
Instead of answering with words, I press my body against his. He groans when my nipples brush against his chest and his hands immediately slide down to cup my ass and pull me more firmly against his growing hardness.
