When they got to the cabin, Chance turned in his seat to smile at her. “Welcome home, honey.”

Hope smiled back. “Thank you. It feels so good to be here. It feels different from before. Before when I came here, I was just visiting you, staying over at your place.” She looked through the windshield at the quaint log building. “Now I’m here to stay.” She looked back at Chance. “You’re stuck with me.” The look on his face worried her and she reached out to touch his cheek. “Not really. I was only joking. I know this must be hard for you. If ever you want me to leave you just say so, and I’m gone. I only want you to be with me if it’s the right thing for you.”

He covered her hand with his own and shook his head slowly. “You’re usually good at reading my mind, but you got it wrong that time. If I looked sad, it wasn’t because I’m worried about being stuck with you. It’s the other way around. I’m worried about you feeling that you’re stuck with me. I don’t ever want you to feel like your world shrunk because of me. If this,” he waved his hand toward the cabin, “if it’s not enough for you, don’t worry, I know it isn’t, I’ll get us a better place. But honey, if I’m not enough for you, if you decide one day that you want more, that you want a bigger life than I can give you, you have to tell me. Don’t ever be afraid to tell me if you’re done with me. I don’t want to hold you down.”

Hope’s heart raced. “Chance, being with you, being here, living this life, it is a bigger life to me. Life isn’t defined by possessions or money or any of that stuff. Life is measured in happiness, and believe me, I couldn’t be any happier than I am right now, right here, with you.”

He nodded slowly, but she knew he wasn’t convinced.

“Chance, please?” She held his gaze. “You don’t understand what you mean to me. You don’t understand how much being with you has changed my life. And no, I don’t mean moving from LA to Montana. I don’t even mean that being with you has brought my dad back into my life in a way I didn’t think was possible. I mean being with you makes me so happy. I feel alive in a way I haven’t since my mom died. I told you that I didn’t allow myself to feel, because I didn’t know how to not feel too much. You’ve made me feel again, and it feels so good. I love you, you silly man. I hope you’ll learn to understand just how much.”

He smiled. “It might take me a while.”

She nodded. “I understand. I’ll keep doing everything I can to make you understand.”

“It might take me the rest of my life.”

She nodded. “And I want to be there for every day of it, showing you just how much I love you.”

“And I’ll be showing you, every day, just how much I love you back.” He leaned across and kissed her softly on the lips. “Are you ready? Do you want to go in and get started on the rest of our lives?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Okay. Wait there.” He got out of the truck and came around to her door. When she opened it, he held his arms out to her with a smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his arm under her legs and carried her out.

She pecked his lips and smiled. “I hope you’ll always keep up the tradition of carrying me around. Though that first time, you scared the life out of me when I saw you sitting up there on the rocks at the beach.”

He smiled back. “I know. I scared you so much you went sprawling.”

She shrugged. “I was mortally embarrassed at the time, but I’m so glad I fell. I mean, if I hadn’t we might never have gotten to know each other. And even if we’d gotten to talking at the clinic somehow, it wouldn’t have been the same.” She clung tighter to his neck as he opened the front door. “I love that within five minutes of meeting each other, you’d scooped me up in your arms and carried me away home.”

He chuckled. “I couldn’t exactly have left you down there on the beach, could I?”

She shook her head. “No. Do you know that when you took me home I was daydreaming about you taking me straight to bed?”

His eyes widened and he looked down at her. “You were?”

She nodded gleefully. “I was. I was so horny. My breasts were rubbing against your chest the whole way back. You felt so strong and manly, and I just wanted you to throw me down on the bed and have your wicked way with me.”

He chuckled and closed the door behind him with his foot. “I would never have done that. I’d only known you a couple of minutes.” He tightened his grip on her and carried her toward the bedroom. “I’ve known you a couple of months now, though.”

She looked up into his eyes, happy to see the lust in them. “You have, and I’m still hoping you’re going to throw me down and …”

He did exactly as she said, sending a little thrill through her as she landed on the mattress and looked up to see him unbuckling his jeans. “Have my wicked way?” His lips curved up into a smile that she knew by now meant he wanted her badly.

She nodded and pulled her top up and off over her head. His eyes fixed on her breasts as he took his own shirt off then pushed down his jeans and boxers. Hope licked her lips at the sight of him and wriggled around to free her breasts from her bra. They were aching for his touch. He didn’t disappoint. He got down on the bed beside her and soon had her out of the bra and her jeans. She sat up to kiss him and he closed one hand around her breast, teasing her nipple with his thumb, while he slid his other hand inside her panties. She gasped as he began to stroke her. She was already wet for him; she’d missed him so much, and it seemed her body had, too. She grasped his shoulders and kissed him deeply, moaning into his mouth as his fingers found their way inside her and began to pump in and out. She was going to come, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She spread her legs wider and knelt up to give him better access. He dropped his mouth to her neck and nipped her hard, making her scream and bear down on his fingers to take him deeper. He tightened his finger and thumb around her nipple and squeezed sharply, sending shockwaves racing through her. She let her head fall back and began to moan as all the sensations rolled through her. His hand on her breast, his mouth on her neck, and his fingers thrusting in and out of her until it all reached a crescendo and the tension inside her found its release. “Chance!” She screamed as her orgasm tore through her and his talented hands continued their work. “Yes!” She moved with him, her hips rocking frantically as the pleasure crashed through her. “Oh, God, yes!” She moaned when she finally stilled.

He closed his arms around her and hugged her to him for a moment before laying her down. She rolled her eyes at him, knowing what was coming next.

“Don’t tell me you can’t,” he said with a smirk. “Because you know I’m about to prove you wrong.”

She smiled. “I know, but I need a minute, before I can give you my best again.”

“Your best is right when you think you can’t. You’ll see.”

She chuckled and turned over to crawl away from him. Not because she wanted him to wait, but because she wanted him to take her and make her. She smiled to herself when his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back to him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She tried to crawl away again, but his arm tightened around her, pulling her back against him. Thrills raced through her when he planted his knee between hers and spread her legs wider. His coarse fingers stroked her ass and the moan that escaped her lips surprised her. He had both his knees between hers now and his fingers were seeking her heat again. For a moment, she was concerned he was going to make her come that way a second time while he held her from behind. She realized that wasn’t his plan when he pulled her back against him and his hot, hard shaft pressed against her ass. His fingers were simply opening her up and guiding him inside her. She closed her eyes and moaned as he moved against her. This was new, and it felt so damned good!

“Are you okay?” His voice was gruff, but still tender.

She nodded, then wondered if he could see that and opened her mouth to reply. The Yes! that came out was an answer to the thrust of his hips that buried his hard shaft deep inside her. He grasped her hips and pulled her back to receive him as he pounded into her over and over and over. She moved with him, taking him deeper and deeper, feeling as though he was filling her mind and soul as well as her body. The little part of her mind that managed to remain somewhat coherent under the barrage of pleasure thought of him as a stallion. He was wild and free and claiming his female, mounting her and … she lost the little grip she’d had on conscious thought and let herself float away on a cloud of pleasure. She was so close to the edge, but she didn’t want to go without him. On the next thrust, she felt him tense and she screamed when he let himself go. She felt herself tighten around him, her inner muscles gripping him tight as he spilled his need inside her.

“Damn!” she murmured when they collapsed down onto the sheets. “You really did miss me, huh?”

He chuckled. “I did, and we haven’t even started making up for lost time yet. That was just a little welcome home.”

She rolled onto her side and planted a kiss on his lips. “I love you, Chance.”

“I love you, honey.”

~ ~ ~

Chance smiled when he came out onto the back porch. The sight of Hope sitting there sipping her wine made him feel like all was right again in his world. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he looked up at the big Montana sky and shook his head. He’d sure as hell come a long way since he met her. He stared up into the big blue and implored Chloe to understand. He felt a pang of guilt that Hope made his world right. Some small part of him still clung to the idea that his world could never be right, not without Chloe. The bigger, better part of him had accepted that wasn’t true, but it still snuck up on him sometimes—the guilt, the sadness.

Hope looked up and smiled. Her eyes asked if he was okay and he nodded, grateful that she didn’t voice the question, and that he didn’t have to explain. It wasn’t fair to her. He shouldn’t spoil the happiness she was feeling, the happiness they were sharing, by talking about Chloe. Not now especially; tonight, was the first night for him and Hope. It was the first night of the rest of their lives together. When he looked at her more closely, he could see Hope had tears in her eyes. He went to her and squatted down in front of her, resting his hands on her knees. “What is it, honey? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to say anything. I don’t want to upset you.”

He frowned. “The only way you’re going to upset me is by not telling me. I’ll drive myself nuts wondering what it is. Please?”

She nodded and sucked in a deep breath. “I was just thinking about Chloe.”

Chance closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” she looked genuinely puzzled.

“I thought you could tell I was thinking about her.”

Hope shook her head rapidly. “I didn’t know you were, but I’m glad. I didn’t want to bring her up and make you sad.”

He shook his head. “What were you thinking?”

She sniffed and blinked away fresh tears. “I was wishing she was still here, that she could see you now. I was talking to her in my head, telling her I’m sorry she missed out on you, but that I promise to do my best to love you and take care of you.”

Chance swallowed, but didn’t speak. He didn’t trust himself yet.

“I feel so bad for her, that she didn’t get to live the life she was supposed to, and I feel guilty. I feel guilty that I’m so happy with you, but if she hadn’t … if she were still here, I would never have met you, or you wouldn’t even have noticed me if I had. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bleating to you about how bad I feel. It’s a million times worse for you.”

He shook his head. “You’re not bleating. You’re sharing, and I appreciate it. You’re braver than I am. I wouldn’t have said anything. I came out here feeling so happy about you and me, I was kind of talking to her too. Asking her to understand, wanting her to know that I love you.”

Hope nodded and sniffed again. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

She gave him a weak smile. “I don’t even know. I just feel bad. But I only feel bad because things are so good between us. I don’t feel bad that they are good. I just … am I even making sense anymore? I care about Chloe, because she’s such an important part of you is, I guess, what it boils down to. I wish I could have known her. I wish she got to feel as happy as I do right now. Part of me feels like I’ve stolen the happiness that should have been hers.”

“No!” Chance gripped her knees tighter. “Don’t ever think that. You didn’t steal a damned thing. You brought happiness back. You’ve made me the kind of happy that I didn’t think would be possible. Chloe had a huge heart, she loved to see people happy, to make people happy. She’d be pissed at both of us for talking like we are.” He brought a hand up to cover his face as his eyes filled with tears. “She’d want us both to be happy and she’d be madder than hell if she knew we were being miserable on her behalf. She’d kick my butt, and she’d kick yours, too, and tell us to get on with it.” He nodded. “I know she would.”

Hope nodded and smiled through the tears that were streaming down her face. “I believe you. Can I ask you to do something for me?”

“What?”

“Don’t ever not talk about her because you think it’ll upset me? It won’t upset me.” She met his gaze. “Okay, maybe sometimes it will, but it won’t upset me anywhere near as much as you not sharing how you feel with me. I don’t want that kind of distance between us. I know you must think about her a lot, and I’m not asking you to share all of that with me. I just mean I don’t want you to not say things because you don’t want them to upset me. Okay?”

He nodded. “Okay. I can do that. It’ll be easier to do now I don’t have to make a decision about whether I should upset you.” He gave her a small smile. “I already know you want me to.”

She smiled back. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Thanks, honey.” He reached up and kissed her lips softly. “You’re one amazing woman, you know?”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

Chance nodded. He was glad they’d had that conversation, but he wanted to move on from it. They’d said what they needed to. “What do you want to do with what’s left of the evening? I wasn’t sure how tired you’d be after your trip.”

“I’m fine. It’s not a very long flight. Do you have any ideas? Do you want to go out or something?”

“Out for a walk maybe, or a ride if you feel up to it.” He frowned. “Unless you want to go out out. We could go for dinner at Chico or a drink. Or there’s the Lodge.” Maybe the fancy restaurant at the lodge would be more to her liking. They hadn’t been there yet, and it was where her kind of people liked to eat. Cassidy loved it.

Hope shook her head at him. “Would you relax? I live here now. You don’t have to figure out where to take me and how to entertain me, and you certainly don’t need to start going to places you don’t even like, just for me.”

He raised an eyebrow, as if he didn’t know exactly what she was talking about.

She laughed. “I do like the Lodge, or at least I used to, it’s been a long time, but if it’s anything like it used to be then I’m sure you don’t like it and I can go there with the girls. Like the hotel at Mammoth.”

He smiled. “Okay, fair enough. I’m not going to argue with you on that one.”

“I didn’t think you would. Do you feel like going for a walk? I’d love to go down by the river.”

“Sure. That’d be nice. We can stop and say hi to the horses on the way, if you like?”

“I’d like that a lot. I want to see about getting a horse of my own now I’m going to be here. Do you think they’ll let me board one at the barn?”

Chance made a face. “Of course. We all have our horses there. The girls each have their own now, too. We need to start looking for one for you.”

Hope gave him a weird smile, as though she had some kind of secret.

“What? Have you already found one or something?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. We don’t need to worry about that right now, do we? Let’s just go for our walk and say hi to the horses.”

“Okay.” He got to his feet and offered her his hand. “Anything you say.”

She waggled her eyebrows at him. “I’ll remind you of that when we get back.”

“Please do, I’d be happy to oblige.”