For Hannah, the rest passed in a blur.

Back across the border. An entire phalanx of DEA agents took away el Hambrón and the intel that Rick and Troy had delayed their departure to grab. That delay had nearly gotten them captured, but they’d snagged a complete set of Los Zetas cartel’s border route maps and the next several week’s delivery schedules—in addition to anything the DEA would be coaxing out of The Wolverine.

“Neither of you is in any condition to drive home after that,” Mike D’Antoni said as he dropped them off behind the house at Jesse’s ranch. “We’ll bring your rental over tomorrow and talk about when you’re signing aboard. I think that you should—”

Kat took him by the arm and gently pushed him back into the helo while he was still talking.

Faith gave her a strong hug, then tucked her hand into the crook of Mark’s elbow and they, too, returned to the helicopter.

Jesse led her to the ranch house porch. She leaned back against him as they watched the helo take off—lit by the half-moon before it disappeared into the darkness.

She’d thought that her equilibrium was gone and her energy spent, but she could feel it returning even as Jesse held her. Held her as they watched the helicopter filled with their new friends taking off into the starlit sky.

It was easy to imagine having those extraordinary people in her life. Women who each had skills of their own and didn’t judge her for what she was, but rather accepted her for who she was.

“Was that your idea of a good time?” Jesse’s whisper tickled against her ear as he began swaying them in a slow dance.

She could only nod because there was too much caught in her throat to say. And something in her chest so big she didn’t even know what to do with it.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Worth leaving the Night Stalkers for?”

“Worth leaving Delta for?” Jesse’s soft chuckle teased her back.

Hannah shrugged against the uncomfortable question.

Suddenly Jesse had spun her around and was crushing her to his chest. No armor separated them this time. No weapons, spare magazines, or other paraphernalia. They were pressed together hard down their entire lengths. One of his big strong hands cradled her head to rest against his shoulder.

“Phoenix doesn’t matter, Hannah,” his voice was fierce in a way that she wouldn’t have credited as possible coming from him. “I like what they do. I like those people. But all I care about is making damn sure that whatever I do, we’re doing it together. US military, Phoenix, or raising horses, that’s all just window dressing compared to you.”

Impossibly, it was absolutely true.

For the first time in her life, Hannah could picture a future rolling out ahead of her as wide as a spring night on the Texas prairie. And she could picture doing it only with Jesse the Outlaw Cowboy. Maybe it was time for her to break a few rules and try being a little bit outlaw herself.

She leaned back enough to kiss him, to really kiss him. Unlike when they were creating sound, this fed back the energy until it vibrated within her and she felt so alive that it seemed a sun had been born inside her. A sun that outshone any darkness from her past.

Against all chance, she’d found the childhood dream. She would never have guessed that her Prince Charming would be a Texan Outlaw in a cowboy hat who flew to her rescue in a helicopter.

She plucked the hat off his head as she slipped out of his arms and descended off the porch.

“You’d best grab a blanket,” she let her hips swing loose as she walked away.

No sound from behind her as she walked out of the range of the porch light.

Then she tucked Jesse’s cowboy hat on her head, “Gonna hav’ta get me one of these.”

There was a sudden clatter of boot heels on the porch. He must have cleared the steps down in a single jump without touching a one because the next thing she heard was his boots rushing through the grass. She could feel him coming for her. Could feel her heart kicking to life as if it had never truly beat before.

Hannah tipped over the edge and plunged straight into love for Jesse.

At the last moment she placed one hand atop his hat, then turned to face him.

She enjoyed the fall, all the way down.