Page 54 of The Spice Is Nice

“Fine. This is Austin. He works on a ranch over near Lewistown. We met at the last Cowboy Night.”

“And we haven’t been apart since, except for work.” Austin had a rich and deep voice that matched well with his tall, dark appearance. Adorably, he pulled her to his side and kissed her temple.

“How nice. I’m so happy for you. Does that mean I won’t be seeing you at the next one, if you’re off the market?”

“She is definitely off the market.” He winked at her.

As they passed us, Tina stopped and hugged me. “It’s all because of you that I met him. You and your CowboyNights. I have a great feeling he’s the one. Thank you, Ivy,” she whispered in my ear.

I gawked after them in awe, Colt witnessing the entire thing.

“See that, Wylde? Because of you, two people have found each other. You should be proud. Your idea to rebuild this town is working. One couple at a time.”

On the one hand, my heart surged. Maybe some things in town were a mess right now, but I had to believe and hope that love would prevail. Colt and I were proof of that.

On the other hand, it left me wondering about the Forest Grove Gossip Gal. If Tina would not be attending Cowboy Nights, and if the Gal kept writing, then she couldn’t be the author. Back to square one, trying to figure out who it was.

When we returnedto the apartment, we made coffee. Yes, we could have bought some downstairs at the Copper Cup. But I’d never had a coffee maker here, so that was the first thing Colt and I bought together.

Standing with our mugs, waiting for the last drip, it was all so domestic. Over the past week of basically living together, we’d learned a lot more about each other. Like how we each took our coffee, how we brushed our teeth, and all about our sleeping habits. And I wouldn’t change a thing about Colt.

We poured coffee into our mugs, and I sat across fromhim at my dining table by the window. My hands wrapped around the mug for warmth, staring at him instead of the view of the street below and the mountains in the distance.

He had a book open in front of him, though I was fairly certain he hadn’t turned a page in the last ten minutes, because he’d been eyeing me instead.

Scratch that—smoldering at me.

I suddenly laughed, breaking out into a huge grin.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.” I paused. “I’m just happy you’re here. And… I love you.”

I’d said it once before—two days ago while making love in the morning, both of us half awake, and my voice croaking.

This was the first time I’d said it with a full voice that he couldn’t mistake.

He shoved aside his book on military history and reached across the table for my hands.

“And I love you,” he said. “In case saying it while fully awake changes things.”

“It does.”

“Good. Because I meant it. Now, come here.” He patted his lap. I gladly went around the table and sat in his lap with my arms around his neck and his around my waist. My head rested on his broad chest. His chin rested on my hair. We stayed like that for a while, in the comfort of each other’s arms. All so domestic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This feels so good, being here with you. Like the calm before the storm. The sheriff’s election is going to be a fight, though,” Iworried.

“I know.”

“The Congressman will not stop until he sees Trevor elected. And the town is split?—“

He lifted my chin up and kissed me in the way that made me lose myself.

When he pulled back, I’d forgotten what came next.

“We’ll handle it together. That’s what we do now. Right?” He asked.

I studied his face: the firm jaw, the blue-green eyes, the way he said I was something worth staying for.