Page 51 of Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire

Willow was almost as excited as Mindy, while Travis drove them to his stables, south of Chatfield Reservoir and southwest of his house in Cherry Hills Village.

Mindy gazed out the window in the backseat. “I thought the stables would be closer to your house.”

He was looking at her in the rearview mirror and then back at the road. “This is the closest I could get. I bought them because of their location. They were almost full and so I had to add another barn for my horses. The people who board here are nice, though. I think you’ll like them if you meet.”

“Good. I hope so. I want to spend a lot of time here, and it’s always nice to ride with new people.”

“We will as much as possible, firefly.” Travis smiled at her in the mirror.

Willow had to smile. Travis would spoil Mindy rotten, if given the chance. Willow would have to make sure that didn’t happen. She didn’t need a spoiled, obstinate daughter. She’d keep her sweet girl for as long as she could. Oh, she knew teenage years were coming, and she remembered her own actions at that age. She was a bit of a wild thing. Her mother had cursed her, “You just wait until you’re a mother and your children do this to you.”

Willow knew what was coming and didn’t have any idea how to stop it.

“We’re almost there,” said Travis. He signaled to turn and followed a dirt road for a mile or so. Two large barns appeared. He drove up to the newer one, parking next to it.

“Okay, we’re here. I have horses in mind for you and, if you like them, they’re yours to keep.”

Mindy was already out of her seatbelt and had opened her door.

Travis came around the SUV and helped Willow, taking the opportunity to kiss her when she was out.

“Get a room.” Mindy made kissy sounds.

“Where on Earth did you hear that expression?” asked Willow.

“Um...TV, movies. Those ones you like. The romantic ones.” She clasped her hands in front of her, looked up and batted her lashes.

Travis’s laugh rumbled from the depths of his chest. “You just wait, firefly, until you find the one person you love and can’t get enough of. You’ll do the same things your mom and I do.”

Willow stilled and her heart pounded. He loves me. He said it to Mindy, just now. “Wait.” She grabbed his arm as he turned away. “You love me. Truly?”

His smile softened, and he cupped her cheek. “Yes, I love you. I thought you knew.” With his hands around her waist, he pulled her close. “Willow Adams. I love you more than the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky. I would give up everything I own just to have you love me, too.”

“I do.” She shook her head to clear it. Tears filled her eyes. “I mean, I love you.”

He tilted his head, a smile played around his mouth. “Will you marry me now?”

“Yes. Travis. Yes.” She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him with all the love in her heart. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled back enough to see his eyes in all their sparkling coffee-brown glory.

“Oh, pullease. I’m happy Travis is going to be my dad, but we have riding to do. Grownups are so weird.” Mindy stomped off toward the barn.

“When do you want to get married?” Willow ignored her daughter for a moment.

He held her by the waist, their bodies aligned. “Isn’t that the question I’m supposed to be asking you?”

She chuckled. “I suppose so. I don’t want a big wedding, unless you want one. I had my big wedding with Alex, but this is your first marriage, so I think this is something you need to decide.”

He brought a smile to bear. “I don’t care about the wedding. I’d be perfectly happy getting married at the courthouse.”

“Courthouse it is. We should probably go see what Mindy is up to.”

He let her out of his arms but took her hand in his. “She’s undoubtedly found the new filly. She was born about the same time as Snow. She’s a little buckskin. Probably looks like her dad. Seems to me I remember a stallion who looked like her at the ranch where I bought her mother. I called her Surprise because she was. I bought the mare last fall. No one knew she was pregnant. Hence, the surprise we all had when the stable manager came out to feed Maybelline and saw a foal.”

“That’s a cute story. You’ll have to tell Mindy, while you try to get her away from the stall with the baby.”

“Willow.” His voice took on a serious note. “Would you like for me to propose like a normal proposal of marriage? Do you want me on one knee, professing my love?”

She relaxed into a smile. “I don’t need you on your knee, but I definitely want you to profess your love for me...every day...since that’s what I intend to do with you.”