Page 84 of Relentless Hearts

She searched his face, letting him speak without interrupting.

“I had a buddy in the service who created his own cryptocurrency a few years back. It’s not Bitcoin, but it’s done well. Really well. And he gave me a significant stake early on for helping him with the security protocols.”

“Are you telling me I’m marrying money?”

He smiled to himself at her mention of marriage—he had another surprise in his pocket for later.

“I have a lot of money put away,” he confirmed. “Enough to build this house, enough to make sure we never have to worry about anything. I just… never had a reason to use it before. Never had anyone to build something for.”

She was crying again, but these were good tears. Happy tears. The kind that came from being overwhelmed by love and possibility.

“I can’t believe you did all this. That you planned all of this.”

“You’ve spent your whole life taking care of everyone else.” He framed her face with his hands. “It’s time someone took care of you.”

He kissed her then, slow and tender, tasting the salt of her tears and the sweetness of her smile. It was a kiss full of promise and the passion that would come later when they were alone in their hotel room, but also of the life they were building together.

When they finally pulled apart, Willow rested her forehead against his. “How did I get so lucky?”

“We both did, love. I was broken when I came to that ranch. So closed off I couldn’t speak. And you saw past all of that. You saw someone worth saving.”

“You saved yourself. I just reminded you of all the reasons to.”

Maybe they’d both saved each other. The woman who’d spent her life caring for everyone but herself, and the man who’d forgotten how to let anyone in.

Together, they’d found something neither had believed possible—a love that didn’t demand perfection, love that made space for healing.

Now they had a future stretching out before them like that view from the south field, wide open.

A house to build. A family to raise. A life to share.

And all the time in the world to love each other exactly as they were meant to be loved—fiercely and completely.