Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
He backs into wherever he wants to be, cuts the engine, and turns to me. He drags his fingers down my face.
“You’re fucking beautiful.”
I feel my cheeks flush. “I’m glad you think so, babe.”
His eyebrow ticks up, just like I wanted. “Who the fuck is babe?”
“Holden.”
His eyes narrow.
“Honey.”
“Try again.”
I laugh and take his hand, planting my lips in his palm. “Husband.”
“Hmm.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “Come on.”
We climb out of the truck, and I grin when I see that there’s a pile of blankets and a cooler in the back. Holden spreads out the blankets, and we sit side by side, our backs against the cab of the truck, his arm around me, as we stare at the view that I’ve loved since I was a kid.
“I love this place,” I whisper as he passes me a glass of tequila. “I feel like I can breathe when I look at this view.”
“Good.” He kisses my temple, then sips the whiskey he just poured for himself. “Because I’d like to build us a house, right here. With this view.”
“What?” I stare up at him in surprise. “I didn’t think you wanted to live on this ranch.”
“Your brothers and I just spent two weeks moving fence,” he says. “Next year, when I’ve fulfilled the terms of the will and everything officially moves into my name, we can move forward with the merger. I can pay my sisters their share and make sure they’re taken care of. But in the meantime, we’re going ahead with plans to consolidate the ranches.”
I can’t believe it’s happening. A year ago, if someone had merely mentioned that our two ranches could someday be combined into one huge, successful operation, I would have laughed at the audacity.
And now, it’s happening.
“When will we build the barn for the rescues?”
After seeing the horses that Ryan took in, and hearing that there are so many more who need love and help, I talked to Holden about having a small horse sanctuary on this side of the ranch, and he thought it was a good idea.
“We’ll break ground on that next week,” he says with a smile. “And then you can fill it up.”
“Good.” I sigh and enjoy leaning on my man while we watch the sun set over our mountain. “So, you want a house right here, huh?”
“I do. But there are going to be some ground rules.”
I smirk and sip my drink. “Okay, husband, lay them out for me.”
He tosses back the last of his drink, and I follow suit, and then he sets our glasses aside, and I straddle him so I can look into his eyes.
“You’re missing the view, you know.”
“No, I’m not.” I kiss his lips softly. “Looking at you is the best view in the world. What are your rules?”
His hands move up my thighs and around to my ass, then back down again.
“Number one, we build what you want.”
I frown at him. “No, it should be what we both want.”
“I have everything, Millie. I have you. I want to build you the house of your dreams.”
I sigh and tip my forehead to his. “You’re so swoony sometimes.”
“Number two, we’re going to fill this house up with kids.”
This isn’t the first time he’s mentioned babies, and it always wakes those murder hornets up in my belly.
“How many? Two?”
“Eight.”
My mouth drops, and then I laugh at him. “Three.”
“Seven.”
“Husband.” I kiss him and then drag my nose against his. “I can’t have seven babies. That’s too many. How about four?”
“Five, and that’s my final offer.”
“Let’s see if we can have one and go from there. How many rules do you have, anyway?”
“A few more.” His hand, that beautifully tattooed hand, journeys up my chest and circles the column of my throat, and his thumb presses on my pulse point.
I fucking love it when he does this. Thank God he does it every chance he gets.
“Number three,” he continues, his voice getting rougher, “you need to wear this.”
He holds something up between us, and my heart stumbles. Winking up at me is a beautiful solitaire diamond ring.
“I told you, I don’t need—”
“I do.” He slides it onto my finger, and it nestles right up against my wedding band. “I need it. We did everything so fast, and a little backward, before, and I want you to wear my ring. Besides, I have two.”
He holds his hand up, and I grin at both the gold and the ink.
“I love your ring finger.” I kiss it and then him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Any more ground rules?”
“Just one more. Number four, we always remember our anniversary and spend it like this.”
I frown down at him. “Husband, today is not our anniversary.” I hold my own tattoo up so he can see the date printed there. “Remember?”
“Oh, I remember. I’m not talking about that anniversary. It was nine years ago today that I had you in the back of this truck, and you gave me your virginity.”