Page 156 of Buckin' Around

I close in on her and take her face in my hands. She stumbles backward. She looks...

Her face is twisted with confusion.

I find a hay bale and sit on it. I know she needs a moment to process this. Hell, so do I.

She sinks onto the bale behind her and starts to sob.

“S-spence?” she cries.

“Yeah, baby.”

“Oh my god.” Her face falls into her hands.

She works through a handful of raw, chugging wails before she composes herself and stands.

“What are you doing here?” she whispers.

My gut sinks.

There it is . . .

“Riles, please,” I start.

She holds up a hand.

“I-I... My heart has been broken since the day I left.” Tears stream down her face.

Hope inflates in my chest.

She steps a little closer, like she’s making sure I’m really here before committing. “What about Ives?”

“I could never leave her behind,” I rasp.

“So . . . you’re here. To stay?”

“If you want me to, baby.”

Surprise stretches her pretty face as she huffs.

Her hand reaches for her hair, gathering it to one side before it falls over her chest, her brown winter coat curtained with it.

“I do,” she breathes. Her hand reaches for me. “Come here.”

I don’t move. I can’t. Emotion has stolen the last of my usable airway.

“Baby, I’ve come all this way. This last step is going to have to be yours.”

Realization crosses her expression. She swallows, closes the distance between us, and captures my face with her hands.

“I love you, Spencer Lockwood. I have for a long time.” Her gaze searches mine as my jaw feathers. “Come on, cowboy, I’m right here.”

A smile tugs at my lips as I haul Riles onto my hips.

Her mouth crashes over mine, and my hold on her tightens. I devour her like it’s been a thousand years since we were in each other’s orbit.

It may as well have been.

Riles jerks back, her face turning back to shocked.