Swift and Saddled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #2)

by Lyla Sage

“Once I leave, you’ll realize it. And then you’ll find her—someone as warm and bright as you.”

“You say you’re not nice, or warm, or bright, or any of these other stupid fucking words that people use to describe the sun, but I never asked you to be the sun.” I rolled my eyes, trying to move them in a way that would stop the tears from falling. “I would rather have the moon anyway.”

“I’m the moon?” I asked sarcastically. “You’re the moon,” he said. “And I’m the tides. You pull me in without even trying, and I come to you willingly. I always will.”

“You saw something in that house that I never could,” my dad continued. “And I am so proud of you.” As he said it, he pulled an envelope out of his denim jacket and slid it across the counter. I picked it up. “What is this?” I asked, opening the seal. “A deed,” he said.

I felt I’d proved to myself that I could do something that I and my family could be proud of.

It was beautiful in here, but everything paled in comparison to Ada Hart.

“You’re devastating,” I whispered.

I would never have to wonder what it was like to be loved, because Weston Ryder would love me all the way.

He was always so warm, and he never got mad when I put my frozen feet on him.

Everything he’d said—distance not being important, that he’d wait for me, that I was the moon—was hitting me all at once, and my head started to spin.

Seriously, the sky could fall right now—the titan that held it up could collapse, and I wouldn’t care. Because who needed the sky when I had Ada Hart?

Today felt like the perfect time. Riding through Rebel Blue with my woman to the place we’d built together? And it was on my property? Yeah, I could get into that.

Plus, I was so proud of Ada. She was so good at what she did—talented as hell—and I couldn’t wait to show her off.

Wes once said to me that I was the moon, and I’d scoffed at him. But he was right. I was the moon, and the moon couldn’t glow without the sun. And my sun was in Meadowlark, Wyoming.

I took a deep breath before I raised mine to meet them. I was worried he would look angry or sad. He didn’t. He was smiling. Dimples on full display.

“Hi,” I breathed. “Hi.” He was still smiling. “What are you doing here?” I asked. There was no way he could have known I would come back. “I was waiting for you.” But somehow I guess he did.

“I love you,” and as soon as the words left my mouth, I felt shock color my features. Wes’s dimples grew and his green eyes glittered. “I wanted to say that first,” he said. “You didn’t have to say it.” I shrugged. “You showed me.”

He saw me for exactly who I was, and he loved me because of it, not in spite of it.

And as far as lifetimes went, basking in the warmth of the sun seemed like a pretty damn good way to spend one.

I still switched back and forth between there and the Big House. When my dad asked me why, I told him it was because the new house didn’t feel like home without Ada there.

“The rare vintage set of Pyrex mixing bowls that I got for our house was worth the risk.”

I didn’t think I’d ever get over the fact that Ada Hart was mine and I was hers.

I followed my dreams, and they led me back to you.”

“Get married, I mean.” I kissed her temple and said, “Yes, ma’am.”