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Cole
It had been two weeks since he’d told her he loved her. Since he’d lost his heart to her in the stable, and she hadn’t said the words back. In fact, tonight was her going away party, and damn it—he was near pissed off at her.
They’d given everything to each other this summer—or at least, he’d given himself. All he had. But Willow seemed to be holding back.
The barn was full of townspeople. They talked and drank and danced while he brooded in the corner. Willow made the rounds in her summer dress, those same sandals he’d seen her in the first day she’d been back at the ranch. Was it really that easy for her to think of going away again? For her to leave him behind?
When Mr. Morgan walked in front of the band with a microphone and called for attention, the room quieted down. He kept his place by the doors, ready to go at any time. He just didn’t feel like celebrating tonight.
“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight. Most of you thought this party was for Willow, to say goodbye, but it was actually for us.” He wrapped his arm around Mrs. Morgan and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We’re retiring. And leaving the ranch to Willow.”
Everyone turned to Willow, clapping and smiling at her. She met his eyes from across the room, but he had no idea how to feel. Happy that she was staying or upset because he’d worked so hard to help the Morgan’s get this place back on track and they hadn’t acknowledged it.
“And,” Mr. Morgan continued, “Cole Park.”
Shock had him frozen in place. While everyone clapped and congratulated the Morgan’s, his eyes locked on Willow’s. She held his gaze while she walked across the dance floor and directly up to him. She nodded her head to the door. “Would you like to talk outside?”
He didn’t say anything, just followed her through the doors. Lanterns lit the area outside the barn, but it was still dim. He could barely make out the expression on Willow’s face.
“You seem confused,” she said.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “A little.”
She stepped up to him, close enough for him to pull her into his arms. But he kept his hands to himself this time. “Dad told me two weeks ago that they were planning on moving away. I wasn’t sure what to think. With them gone, I didn’t really have a reason to stay. Unless…”
“What?”
She shrugged, cheeks flushing. “Unless I had more of a reason. When you told me you loved me, it all came together. I knew I wanted to stay, but I knew I wanted to be with you, too. Dad said he still wanted you in charge of the ranch, and if I didn’t want to stay, he wanted you to be in charge. Completely.”
He shook his head, still confused. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying this place is yours as much as it is mine. It belongs to you, too. So…if you’re up to it, I thought we could run it together. We’ve been doing pretty well so far.”
“We have,” he admitted. But there was more to it than that. He wanted to know how she really felt for him. Where she saw this going—or if she saw it going anywhere.
“Oh, one more thing,” she said.
“What?”
She rose on her toes and kissed him. “I love you.”
He snatched her around her waist, holding her tight against him. “Damn it, Willow. That took you long enough to say.”
She laughed, and the sound soothed him. “I felt it, trust me. I was nervous and I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay, so I couldn’t say that to you and just turn and walk away. But I want to be here, with you.”
“So what you’re saying is I can move into the main house with you and stay in your room every night?”
“If you don’t, I might have to fire you.”
He grinned. “I thought we were equals. You can’t fire me. I’m half your boss, too.”
“Am I allowed to sleep with the boss?”
“It’s a requirement for the job.”
She licked his bottom lip, shimmying her body against his. “Please say the job starts right now.”
“Always so horny for me. I like it.”
“Good. Then we’d better make another quick appearance to thank my parents, and after that…”
“What?”
“I want you naked.”
“I want you in every different way I can.”
She exhaled and brushed her hand on his cock through his pants. “Sounds like we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too.”
“I love you, Cole.”
“I love you, too.”