Number one.

Number one.

Noelle hung up the phone, unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face. Number one. God, how her life had changed–

Footsteps sounded on the front porch, but before she could wipe away the tears, the front door opened. In walked Wyatt, with a new saddle slung over his shoulder. His limp from being shot fourteen months ago was finally gone, and he was as lean and fit as he'd ever been. Behind him was Brody Hart, who was carrying what looked like a large, white cake box.

The minute Wyatt saw her face, he dropped the saddle and strode right over to her. "What's wrong, sweetheart? What happened?" His voice was so tender, so sweet, so concerned that she wanted to cry even harder.

She put her hands on his cheeks, his whiskers prickling her fingers. "How is it that I got so lucky to have you?"

He grinned. "It's a team win, babe." Then he wiped his thumb across her cheeks. "What's wrong? Why isn't my bride smiling the day before her wedding?"

Brody cleared his throat. "I'll just take the cake into the kitchen then, and you can check it out when you're ready." He ducked past them, giving them privacy.

Wyatt didn't even spare his best friend a glance. His entire being was focused on Noelle, making her feel as treasured as he had every day for the last fourteen months. She smiled through her tears. "My agent just called. My new mystery...it hit the New York Times list at number one." Number one.

His face lit up, and he let out a loud whoop. "Hot damn, girl! I knew you could do it." He grabbed her around the waist and swung her in a circle, making her burst into laughter as she hung on to keep from flying across the room.

Noelle locked her arms around his neck, beaming up at him. His face was happy and light, a perfect reflection of the joy dancing in her own heart. She loved this man so much, and he poured his love into every moment of life.

Wyatt angled his hat back, then bent his head and kissed her, a beautiful, amazing kiss that made her heart melt every bit as much as it had the very first time he'd kissed her in the barn on that rainy night so long ago.

Noelle clung to him, pouring her love into the kiss, needing to connect with him, to open her heart to this wonderful man who had changed her life. Wyatt's arms locked around her waist, and she melted into his strong body, loving the feel of his muscled strength encasing her in a shield of his love and protectiveness.

After a long moment, and a kiss that consumed her entire being, he pulled back a tiny bit, just enough for her to see his face. "I'm so proud of you, Noelle," he said. "I knew that book was genius when I read it, and I knew the world would see its brilliance."

She sighed and rested her wrists on his shoulders, her hands still clasped behind his neck. "And I knew that you would win that championship. It was so amazing to see you win after all you'd been through."

It had been a difficult off-season, with his recovery from being shot, but Noelle had used that time to make sure the entire bull riding tour understood what Nathan had done to his reputation. By the time Wyatt stepped back into the chute on the first competition of the season, he'd had fans screaming his name, and cowboys vying for a chance to have his back.

And now, he held the title he had coveted for so long, despite all that had happened.

He grinned, a shit-eating grin that never seemed to leave his face. She knew that her cowboy would always have a little bit of rebel in him, a little bit of needing to bask in his awesomeness, and she was just fine with that. A tender-hearted cowboy with a heart of gold and just enough arrogance to accomplish anything he wanted sounded perfect for her.

"Yeah, I got my win," he agreed, "but now it's time to turn this ranch into the brilliant operation that Bunny never had time to turn it into. Speaking of Bunny, has she arrived yet? I know she's dying to meet the woman who finally tamed me."

"Tamed you?" Noelle grinned. "You will never be tamed, Wyatt, and I'd never change that. I love the rebel in you, and the rancher, and the lover, and the man who makes me feel like the most treasured woman in the entire world."

His smile faded and he slid his hand through her hair. "You are, you know. I would trade my life for yours any second of any day."

"I know." She wrinkled her nose. "You almost did once. Let's not do it again, okay?"

His face softened with love. "Deal." He pulled her against him and kissed her again, this time a decadent, sensual kiss that made her think of tousled sheets, moonlight, and secrets shared between lovers. Kate would be arriving in a couple hours with Joel, who had turned the restaurant into a five-star destination in Boston. Bunny would be there momentarily. Brody was waiting in the kitchen, and his entire family was going to be attending as well.

She'd found her home, her man, and her heart...and he had done the same. She smiled up at him. "I love you, Wyatt Parker, and I will love you forever."

He smiled back at her, brushing a lock of hair off her face. "And I love you right back, sweetheart, and I am counting the seconds until you become my wife." He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to each knuckle. "Forever and always, my love. Forever and always."

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