Ethan rubbed under Phoenix’s chin. Each time he tried to stop, the horse butted his head hard against his chest, then regarded him with a haughtiness that hinted at royalty genes. Every day, some of his broken pieces healed, and he regained not only his confidence and dignity but his love of racing, too. It was bred into his bones and that big pure heart of his. Watching him rediscover it reminded Ethan of how much he loved his job.
This time, he stepped back when the horse tried to butt him. “Nope, I have other horses to attend to, buddy. But I think you’ll be happy with this.” He took out the iced oatmeal cookie and fed it to him. “We’re gonna get a snowstorm today, so this coat should work well.” He adjusted the cover over Phoenix’s body and closed the gate, heading down the line. When each horse had been coddled, fed, and wrapped warm and tight, he leaned against the barn door and stared out at the mountains.
God, it was beautiful here.
The peaks were coated in frosty white, and the snow blanketed acres of land in a nonending blinding silvery sheet. The sky was a cranky gray, and clouds hung low to give off a thick mist. He would miss it, but already, being away from Mia was a constant ache he didn’t want to suffer any longer. He’d planned to tell her this weekend, but they’d canceled due to the storm. Ethan figured he’d finish up for the day and head out in his truck to surprise her tonight. He’d already been working with Harper to hire an additional hand, and he figured he’d plan biweekly weekend visits to the farm to keep an eye on Phoenix and the rest of the horses.
“Ethan!”
His name rippled through the air. Half turning, thinking it was his imagination hearing her voice, he watched in shock as Mia raced forward, furry designer boots pounding over the ground, snowflakes sparkling in her golden hair, face alight with an urgency that gripped him temporarily in panic.
“Are you okay?” he demanded, running to meet her.
“Yes.” She threw back her head and laughed, her red-mittened hands thrown out to her side to catch the flakes. “Yes, I’m more than okay. I love you.”
“And I love you, but dammit, Mia, I told you not to drive! Don’t you ever listen to me?”
“No. Maybe, sometimes. Ethan, I have to tell you something.”
“No. There’s no need to do this any longer. I’m moving in with you, Mia. I can’t take this separation anymore, and you deserve to be able to run your business and make a mark on this world. You were meant for greatness, baby. I’ll come up some weekends, and we can make this work. Say yes.”
She blinked. Snowflakes clung to her lashes. Those beautiful whiskey-colored eyes gazed into his with a swirling mixture of raw emotion. “You’d move to the city for me?” she whispered.
“Yes. I love you, of course I’d move to the city.”
The smile broke open her face, filled with pure joy. “Thank you for that. But I’ve already made my own decision. I’m moving up here.”
He shook his head. “No, there’s no need, baby. I will not let you walk away from your business.”
“Too late,” she sang. “I already did. Well, kind of.”
He froze, staring at her. “What do you mean?”
“Ethan, listen to me. I’ve been unhappy for a long time, and when Jonathan came to visit me, he made me see how I’ve changed. Yes, I love my business, but not at this breakneck speed and level where I’m required to live in Manhattan and work around the clock. I don’t want that anymore. I want this. I want you. I want it all.”
His heart stopped, then pounded in a crazy, uneven rhythm. “What do you want to do?”
“I’m making Gabby full partner. I’m hiring additional people. I’m assigning certain clients to representatives, and I’m going to work from here and oversee the whole production. I have clients clamoring for our services, so now I can pick and choose carefully and not overwhelm any of us.”
“You won’t be bored living in this small town? You won’t miss the glamorous city life you’re used to?”
She placed her cold mitten-clad hands on both sides of his face and smiled up at him. “No, silly. I can go into the city whenever I want. But what I really want is to take on clients right here, in this town. I have big plans for these local businesses, and I think I can be a huge help. Plus, Ted owes me that tattoo.”
His hands shook and words failed him, so he did the only thing left to do.
He kissed her.
His tongue dove deep, claiming her for him. Her cold lips were slippery and delicious, and they stayed together locked in an embrace for endless, perfect moments.
“Oh, and Chloe’s coming back to New Paltz for the upcoming semester. Jonathan agreed she was better off being where she was happy.”
“I’m glad. Now, let’s get you inside before you freeze. I know someone else who is dying to see you.”
“Ophelia? Harper?”
“Hei Hei. He’s been a beast lately, locked up and squawking for you nonstop. You stole his heart and everyone else’s around here.”
He stopped to gaze down at her. His heart broke open, and for the first time, all the pieces fit together in a perfect puzzle. For the first time, everything made perfect sense. Because he’d learned early on you needed to take the bad with the good and embrace it all. They’d started with something good, but they’d ended up with the best thing of all.
Love.
“Let’s go home,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion.
“Yes. Let’s go home.”