Page 72 of Once Upon a Cowboy
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Megan took a deep breath to steady herself as she asked the driver to drop her off at the farmhouse instead of going up to the main castle. She could have used Elle and Ruby for moral support, but she needed to do this on her own. Hopefully, Jake would be willing to hear her out. Because after two days in Florida under constant helpings of her mom’s tough love and advice, Megan was ready to own her mistakes, if Jake would give her the chance.
The farmhouse was empty, though, except for Barnaby, who bounced and wagged his pleasure to see her.
“I missed you too, buddy.” She knelt and pulled him into her arms for a hug. As she stood, she noticed a picture frame on the counter. That hadn’t been there before she left. She was positive. She walked over and picked it up, and her heart somersaulted into her throat when she saw the selfie she’d taken at the top of the Ferris wheel at the Spring Fling. She and Jake were facing each other, kissing, as she’d held her phone overhead.
Her scar was turned toward the camera, glistening slightly in the sunlight, and yet, it was hard to see past the radiant looks on their faces, the joy that glimmered in the air between them, and the vibrant colors of the fairgrounds below.
“I’m an idiot.” She carried the photo to the shelf by the window and nestled it right in the middle of the individual photos of her and Jake. Then, she left the house, walking to the barn. She’d expected to find him working with one of the horses, but nothing prepared her for what she saw as she rounded the barn to face the outdoor ring. Her breath caught in her throat.
Jake was riding Bug.
“Oh my God,” she gasped.
Jake turned, straightening in the saddle as he caught sight of her. He reached down to give Bug a reassuring rub. “Megan.”
“I’m back. I’m…you’re riding Bug. I’m sorry, I just…”
“It turns out she’s either a really quick learner or she’d already had more training than we thought,” Jake said as he dismounted, leading Bug in her direction.
“When I called Elle yesterday, she said Bug had an adoption pending. I wasn’t…I wasn’t sure I’d even get to see her again.”
“I adopted her,” Jake said. “It was going to be a surprise for you, since you two were so bonded. I thought maybe we could trail ride together, you on Bug and me on Twister. And then…” His jaw clenched.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, tears swimming across her vision. “I, um…I’m a total asshole for treating you the way I did the other morning, for everything I said.”
“Yeah, you were,” he said, but his expression had softened.
“Apparently, I have some issues from my accident that I need to work through, which my mom laid out for me pretty hardcore while I was in Orlando.”
“Did she?” He smiled, just slightly, his eyes locked on hers.
“Yeah, like the fact that I’m more hung up on my scars than anyone else is, least of all you, who’s never given me any reason to doubt you, and yet, I panicked and ran the first time we had an argument…which was all my fault, by the way.” She blew out a deep breath, stepping forward to stroke Bug’s face. “And I’m just so sorry, because I love you so much, and I hope I haven’t ruined everything.”
Then Jake’s hands were on her waist, drawing her in for a kiss. His lips closed over hers, hot and urgent, filling her with warmth from head to toe. “Stop apologizing and kiss me.”
“But…” She was kissing him, and tears were streaming over her cheeks, and Bug’s mane was in her face, and she was so happy she could hardly think straight.
“We’ve both got scars, Megan, inside and out. We’ve been through a lot, and we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to hurt each other. But as long as we’re willing to work at it and learn from our mistakes, we’ll be just fine, don’t you think?”
“I hope so,” she whispered through her tears.
“Life’s short, and true love like what we have is rare. I don’t want to let it go to waste, do you?”
“No.” She pressed her forehead against his, breathing him in, his masculine scent mixed with the horse beside them and the earth beneath their feet. It all felt like home.
Jake cupped her scarred cheek with his right hand, his brown eyes boring into hers. “I love you, Megan. We’ve started something wonderful here together, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us. And now we’ve got Bug to round out the four-legged family.”
The horse stomped a hoof, nuzzling her nose through the loose strands of Megan’s hair. Her brown eyes were bright and curious, no trace of the fear and distrust she’d displayed when she first arrived at Rosemont Castle.
“I can’t believe you adopted her.” Megan’s voice had dropped to a whisper again.
“You two were meant to be together, just like you and I are. Plus, she and Twister have really hit it off since I started turning them out together. I think it means we’re all meant to stay together, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” She stared into the eyes of the man she loved, and everything that had been out of sorts inside her since her accident, everything in her that had ever felt restless or unsettled, seemed to calm as her world snapped into perfect alignment. “I do.”
