She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him over her, kissing him intently. Her hands roamed down his buttons until she could skim over skin. “I love you too, you eccentric billionaire recluse.”
Josiah laughed. “It’s a little fast to fall in love, isn’t it?” he teased.
That got an immediate response. Lisa shook her head. “When it’s right, it’s never too fast. When you’re looking at spending forever together, it’s important to get started right away.”
She was right.
He leaned down to kiss her again when a sudden scratching at the back glass of the truck cab was followed immediately by a long, drawn-out howl.
Ollie, heartbroken at being separated from her people.
Josiah kept going, kissing Lisa enthusiastically until she planted her palms against his chest and pressed him away.
She looked apologetic, “I’m sorry. I can’t dothiswhen she’s doingthat.”
Josiah gave a mock sigh before spinning them around until Lisa was sitting upright. “Softie,” he teased before sneaking away. He jumped down to go rescue the dog.
Lisa leaned her arms over the edge of the truck bed, smiling sweetly at him. “I love you,” she repeated.
He scooped Ollie up and tossed her in the back, separating out one blanket and firmly ordering the dog to sit and stay.
Then he grabbed Lisa and slid her into his lap, leaning against the outer edge of the cab and bringing Lisa close enough they could concentrate on the next thing. “I’ve never kissed a cowgirl rock star before. I don’t know if I’m any good at it.”
Lisa ran a hand along his cheek. “You never know until you try. And besides, we’ve got forever to practice.”
Epilogue
End of May, Rocky Mountain House. Whiskey Creek ranch.
Karen Coleman stared at the letter from the Department of Education. No matter how long she looked, the words didn’t vanish. “I got in.”
Her father looked up from the newspaper in his lap. “Got in where?”
She waved the envelope but kept reading. “Helton. Therapeutic training. Oh my God, I start in October.”
“Good for you.” George Coleman cleared his throat as he closed the paper to give her his full attention. “Glad you get to spread your wings and try something new.”
“I’m glad you’ve got a lot of people who can help you here on the ranch.” She was about to put the letter aside when a name caught her eye and she stopped to read the comment again more thoroughly. And then just once more, because she wasn’t sure what she was seeing.
Of all the things she could have imagined, this was not on the list of possibilities.
She looked up. “You sent in a recommendation?”
Her father’s lips twisted. “You had the papers lying all over the table. They said you were supposed to send in recommendations, right?”
“Yes, but that’s usually from teachers and employers, not family.”
George shrugged. “Not your fault you’ve worked for family all your life. You’re good at what you do, honey. Just sorry it took so long to get my head on straight and say it without making it into a backhanded compliment. This equine training is something you want, so I need to help you succeed. I wrote up a note and slipped it into the envelope before you sealed it.”
Her throat was closing up. They still had their moments when they butted heads, but ever since Julia had come on the scene, George Coleman was acting a lot more like a father than he ever had over the thirty-two years previous.
“I appreciate it. A lot,” Karen said sincerely. “But I want you to know, I wouldn’t be doing this if Whiskey Creek didn’t have the help she needs to run.”
He waved a hand. “I know that. If you ever want to come home, there’ll always be work here for you.” He made a face. “I’m going to catch so much shit from my brothers and nephews for letting the best horsewoman in Alberta slip away.”
She stepped to his side, meeting in the middle as he rose to embrace her in a hearty hug, patting her on the back as if she was one of the guys.
He stepped back and eyed her. “Here’s something else I think. Go spend some time with your sisters.”
