“Don’t make her choose,” Mom tugs on Dad’s arm.

“We raised her better than this, Darla. To be smarter.”

Tears fall and I let them. I’m not heartbroken about my father’s words. He has his ideas about Austin based solely on his paternity, and he’s made his feelings clear. What saddens me is that I see Dad differently now. No longer is he the rock who always shields me, protects me, and who I listen to without question. Now he’s a real person. A real person with flaws—cracks in his perfect facade.

I swallow hard. “You raised me well, Daddy. You raised me to be strong and to be able to make my own choices. I love you for it. I love you both. But I’m going with Austin.”

Everyone’s watching. Chance and Miles. Lexie. The sheriff.

“Ready?” Austin murmurs.

I nod.

“I’ll take care of her, Mr. Vance. I swear it.” Austin turns and leads me out the door.

The air’s cooler now, the sun low in the western sky.

“Come on. Let’s go home.”

I shake my head and he stops in the parking lot. Looking down, he cups my face in his big palms.

“What is it?” he asks. His eyes are dark and fathomless. I want to get lost in them. In him.

“I… I don’t have a home.”

The realization aches in my whole body. I’m twenty-seven and coasting through life in my childhood, pale yellow bedroom. No house of my own. Not even a rental apartment.

He leans down, swipes his lips over mine. “I don’t have one either. But, baby, I think I just realized that home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And my home’s with you.”

“But Seattle… Your mom…”

Austin sighs. “I have to figure everything out, but my brothers…” He smiles. “It still seems weird to call them that, but my brothers helped me get Mom’s routes back. She fell earlier and she’s in the hospital with a broken hip—”

I gasp.

“But her prognosis is excellent,” he continues.

“No wonder you nearly didn’t take my call. I’m so sorry, Austin.”

“It took me about a second to realize you’re my first priority,” he says. “Mom is right up there, in second place, and Chance and Miles and the ranch in third. But you, Carly Vance, are everything to me.”

“Oh, Austin.” I kiss his cheek. “Yes. Please take me home.”

26

AUSTIN

I used to think I wouldn’t do laundry for any woman but my mother. It’s a pain in the ass, and one of the household chores I hate most.

But here I am, unloading the Bridger washing machine because the housekeeper is busy making dinner. Carly doesn’t have any clothes here, so I put her dirty stuff through a cycle while she showers.

I thought about joining her, but we both decided she needed to relax alone for a bit. We’ll have plenty of time for lovemaking later. Once I get her beneath me, I’m not letting her up for a good long while.