“Oh my God. Take the cameras down. Find the security guy and take them all down. We’re done with the cameras. Please! I’ll be right down.”
I tug up my jeans and grab the wire from the wall connected to the camera and tear it down before returning to Scarlett’s side. “Well, I was trying to memorize everything, but now we have the video. That’s fun.”
Her eyes roll. “What am I going to do? What if everyone saw that?”
“It’s early. Opal is usually the first person in for the day, aside from my guys, but they’re not watching TV.”
“The guests?”
“The guests don’t get channel nine. They’re all hooked up to the main cable line. It’s okay, princess.” I brush my hand down over her warm cheeks. “I’ll make sure we have the video in our hands.”
“You really want that video, don’t you?”
I grin and kiss the top of her head before pulling on my t-shirt. “Yeah. I do. I’m gonna watch that over and over again. It’s a blessing in disguise, really.”
She shakes her head, straightening the little dress that curves her hips in all the right places. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
I grip her hips and pull her in, kissing her softly as my hand wanders toward her round bottom. “And you’re already wanting more spankings.”
Her eyes roll to the side as she swings open the office door and bites back a smile I can’t wait to look at for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Scarlett
One Year Later
“You want to feel like you’re shaking hands with the gun, like it’s an extension of your arm.” Clyde leans down beside me, his giant frame surrounding mine as I try to aim the shotgun toward the target we nailed to a tree about forty yards away. I should be focused on the target, but instead, I’m thinking about how good he smells and how warm his body feels against mine.
“I’m never gonna hit that. It’s like a million miles away.”
“You can do anything. I’ve watched you build a ranch, boss grown men like they’re children, marry me, and carry a baby around for six months. You can do anything.”
Until now, I’ve never had interest in shooting, or guns in general, but with a baby boy on the way, I figure it’s time I get used to handling myself. Lord knows his father will have him out in the fields hunting and target shooting. I want to be part of that too.
I lift the stock to my shoulder and try to line up the sight.
“Good girl,” he groans low in my ear. “Now assume the stance.”
I plant one foot forward and lean my weight into the front foot, keeping my legs slightly bent.
His big hands hold my hips in place. “Just like that. Now make sure your weight is on the balls of your feet. Take a deep breath and then squeeze the trigger.”
My heart slams against my chest as I drag in a deep breath. What if it recoils? What if I shoot in the wrong direction and hit something? I don’t know why I’m so scared. Clyde is right behind me. He’d never let anything bad happen.
As I steady myself, I breathe in the spring air, aim as best I can, and pull the trigger. The sound echoes in my ear, and I’m knocked back a bit, but Clyde is there to catch me.
“Good girl, princess. I think you hit the target.” He takes the gun and jogs out into the field towards the bullseye he nailed to the tree. “Sure did. Just caught the outer edge. A little more practice and you’ll have this down.”
I drag in a deep breath and lay back on the grassy hill. There’s still snow on the ground in patches everywhere, but the sun hits the top of the hill daily, and in this one spot, it’s almost always green. “Nah, I think I’m good for today.”
Clyde lays down next to me, rubbing his hand over my expanded stomach. We married right here seven months and one week ago. It was a small wedding, but my father made it. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t want the big to do, but I knew that wouldn’t have been for me. I wanted something simple. Something that celebrated love over cash, and I’m determined to give the baby the same kind of life. Sure, Mail Order Ranch is booming. We’ve got clients from all over the world flying in to snag their very own mountain man. We’ve well surpassed the worth my father would’ve ever put on the place, and our bank account shows it. We’ve been able to help Clyde’s sister, given to local charities, and saved a lifetime’s worth.
I refuse to give our baby my childhood. I won’t let him grow up thinking money will solve his problems, because itwon’t. Sure, it’ll keep the lights on and buy you shiny new things, but money isn’t success. I see that now.
Success is lying on the grass, breathing in the bloom of spring as a giant man rubs my stomach and tells me he loves me. Success is a tiny cabin tucked into the woods with a freezer full of food. Success is this baby growing inside of me, and the love we’re about to show him. It took me a while to get there, but I see it now, and there’s no way in hell I’m ever letting it go.
