"Wait."
"What?"
"Madison already mentioned it to Gabe."
"Yes."
"Last night."
"Yes."
"Were you all in on this?"
"Define 'in on'?"
"Anna."
"Luke."
"You came to that cabin already half-deciding."
"Luke Davis. I came to that cabin running for my life."
"And–"
"And I noticed within seventy-two hours that you're the best man I've ever stood in a room with. So yes. By the time my friend mentioned, in passing, in a truck, that the ranch could maybe use somebody who knows how to run a website and a social media account and an email campaign, I was already wondering how I'd ask you if I could stay."
I’m off the couch.
I’m off the couch and across the floor and I have her in my arms before I've thought about it, and I'm kissing her so hard she stumbles back and I catch her with one arm braced behind her shoulders.
I kiss her until she's laughing into my mouth.
"Luke?"
"Mm."
"I want to stay."
"Yeah, Brown Eyes."
"Do you want me to?"
"Anna."
"Say it."
I pull back enough to look at her.
"I want you to stay. I want you in my cabin. I want you in my bed. I want you eating my food and reorganizing my spices and using my coffee machine and learning the name of every cow in that pasture if that's what makes you smile. I want you. I want you for as long as you'll have me."
"That's a long time, Luke."
"Better start now then."
I kiss her again.
She wraps her legs around my hips. I lift her like she weighs nothing. She's laughing and crying at the same time and I'm not far off. I carry her back to the bedroom and shoulder the door open with her mouth on mine.