“Oh, yeah. Our flight is tomorrow evening out of Dallas. We’ll have to leave Ringgold right after lunch.”

Liz went back to the living room and curled up in Raylen’s lap. “Think we’ll ever get them raised?”

Raylen didn’t answer, so she leaned back and looked into his eyes.

“What are you worried about? Something happen at the barn? Are the horses all right?” she asked.

***

“It’s not that. It’s…”

The idea sounded so silly in Raylen’s head that he wasn’t sure he could put his feelings into words, but he felt like he had to say something if he and Liz were ever going to take another step in their relationship. He remembered when Rye fell head over heels in love with Austin; and now Colleen called him daily wanting to talk about nothing but Blaze McIntire.

It hadn’t happened like that with him and Liz. He’d felt as if they’d been put on the earth especially for each other. He hadn’t needed to call Gemma or Dewar and talk about it every day—or even Becca back in those days. It didn’t mean he wasn’t in love with her or that he took that love for granted, but were they missing something that they would regret later in life?

“Okay, now you are worrying me,” Liz finally said. “Are you about to tell me that this is over and I’m going to be sitting on the porch tonight all by myself for the first night of the light show?”

Raylen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Liz, I’m in this for a long relationship. But I work all year for a living, sometimes from daylight to way past dark like today. I’ve got land and a house, but I don’t have the time or money to book a flight to some remote island for a whole week, as bad as I’d like to. It sounds romantic and I—”

Liz cupped his cheeks in her hands and stared right into his eyes. “Look at me, Raylen. I’ve had the traveling scene my whole life. Sitting here with you after a hard day’s work, having Jasmine’s leftovers for supper, looking forward to tomorrow with your family, and cuddling down in your arms tonight is living my dream.”

He leaned forward and the kiss they shared was more passionate than any that preceded it. “I love you,” he said simply.

“And I love you. Did you ever see a baby chicken fresh-hatched?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Can’t say that I have. Is that anything like a newborn colt?”

She kissed him again. “Not at all. Poppa raises a few chickens out on the property. He likes fresh eggs. Little chicken comes out of the egg with these little wings that don’t look they’d ever be good for anything, but give them six weeks and they’re flapping them all over.”

“What does that have to do with spending a week on an island with no one but me and you?” Raylen asked.