Page 54 of The Tycoon

Chet laughed.“Well, I’m headed in.I have to get washed up for lunch, even if you don’t.”The old cowboy walked out of the barn, headed toward the house.

“How about we give the horses the rest of those horse cookies you have in your pockets.”She patted both of his shirt pockets.“And then head in to clean up.”

“We won’t be first in for lunch.”

“That’s okay, I want to see and get to know each horse.As I’ve told you, I love horses.I can’t believe you have so many.Can we ride them or are they all for racing only?.”

“We can ride them.We’ll take a picnic lunch and spend the day.The area’s rolling hills make for a nice ride and there is a slow moving river just west of us.A couple of spots are perfect to wade in.”

“Sounds good.Let’s do it.”

They finished with the horses and closed up the barn.Then they walked to the house, hand-in-hand.

Regan looked up at Cole.She never thought she’d find love again, but this time it wasn’t a young girl’s infatuation with a boy, but a woman’s love for a man.She never had that with Kip.He was a rebound love.

But Cole, he was everything she ever wanted…everything she would ever want…in a man.

She thought about her life.Nothing had ever been easy, except Danny.Maybe that was why she was with him.It was easy when nothing else in her life had been.Losing her dad, then struggling through school.Not making friends because everyone felt sorry for her, but she was strange because of her dad dying.

Danny had been her only friend, so she fell in love with him.

Then he’d married someone else, and now she realized it was the best thing he could have done for both of them.They might have married, but it wouldn’t have lasted because theirs wasn’t the lasting kind of love.Even the love she felt for Kip was not the same.She never felt for either of them what she felt for Cole.

Cole was her present and her future.

Danny was her past, and she finally was okay with that.She realized now she’d let her anger at him control her.But she wasn’t angry anymore.She was grateful.Maybe someday, if she saw him again, she’d tell him.

Cole released her hand and placed his arm around her shoulders.“What are you thinking so hard about?”

She smiled and cuddled close.“I was just thinking about my life and how everything that happened before brought me here to now…to you…to us.”

“I like the sound of that…to us.I feel the same way.I wasn’t whole until you came along and filled the part of my life I’d been missing.You filled my heart.”He stopped and stared into her eyes.“I love you.Will you marry me?Should I get on one knee?”

She laughed and shook her head.“You don’t need to get on one knee and yes, I’ll marry you.How could I not when you are the other have of my heart?You are my everything.”She moved so she could gaze into his eyes.“When do you want to get married?”

“As soon as possible.You?”

“Same.I don’t want to spend a moment longer than necessary before I am your wife.”

“Oh, baby.I love hearing you say that.”He stopped and pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and took her lips with his.

He made love with that kiss.It was hard, deep, and touched her heart, filling her with joy.

She didn’t know how long they kissed and just held each other.When the kiss ended, they were both sucking air, both spent.

“We need a bed if we’re going to keep kissing like that,” said Cole between breaths.

“We do.I think in two weeks.”

“In two weeks, what?”Then it was like a lightbulb suddenly went on.“Oh, you want to get married in two weeks.”

She nodded.“Yes.Do you think you can get everything done that you need to do, before then?”

“Sure.Wait, what do you think I need to do so that we can be married in two weeks?”

“Well, we need to find a justice of the peace.We don’t need a venue, I’d like to get married right here, and you need to draw up a prenup.”

His face told her he did not like the idea of a prenup.She knew that he needed one, if for no other reason than to prove she wasn’t marrying him for his money.She didn’t care if he had money.He could lose it all today, and they would still be fine, and she would love him just as much.