Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch, #1)

by Lyla Sage

She knew me better than I knew myself and knew what I needed before I even did.

Everything was so unfamiliar lately, but not this. Not home.

There was nothing like the feeling of familiarity that only being around people you love can provide,

“And your family is my family, Emmy, so even if you weren’t in my bar, you would be my business. You’ve always been my business, and you’ll always be my business.”

I didn’t wake up with women. I was gone before the sun was up, and I never regretted leaving. Not with Emmy. I wanted to wake up next to her every day.

Emmy Ryder might have been in like with me, but it was then that I knew I was falling in love with her.

For someone who’d spent their entire life begging for attention from others, he really knew how to make me feel like I was the only person on the planet.

“Sugar, you deserve to go out on your own terms. Just because you got dusted doesn’t mean you’re done.”

“She asked for you.” Teddy shrugged. “Emmy never asks for anything. She just puts her head down and deals with things in the only way she knows how, by kicking shit around in her own brain. But she asked for you.”

When we made it down to the entry area, I spotted Emmy in her red shirt. My eyes had found their way to her before my brain could catch up. “Emmy!” Teddy called out, and Emmy looked over and started running toward us. Wait, no. Not toward us. Toward me.

So "The Alchemy" coded. :'(

Before I knew what my feet were doing, they were running toward him. I threw myself into his arms, both of our hats falling to the dirt.

“Thank you,” he continued, “for taking care of my baby girl.” “She can take care of herself,” I said. “I know she can, but you made sure she didn’t have to do it alone.”

“Some love stories burn hot and fast, but you two are more low and slow,” she said. “It’s a strong and steady kind of love.”