Page 162 of Rocky Mountain Home

“Where’s the fun in that?” Dare teased.

Bright laughter rumbled up from deep in his chest. “You’re trouble today.”

“Today and every day, isn’t that how you like me?”

He leaned closer. “Say yes.”

“But I want to marry you for the sex.”

Jesse laughed out loud then touched their foreheads together. “Tell me yes, woman.”

Dare cupped his face in her hands. She spoke from the depths of her heart, and the only words she had to say, pretty much said it all. “I love you.”

“I know.” He winked at her indelicate snort. “Dare.”

No more holding back. No more teasing, because the truth poured out of her heart and very soul. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. Not because Buckaroo needs a daddy, and not because your family is so damn awesome. Not because marrying you means I get to be around Vicki and Joel, who fit into my world and my heart very nicely, thank you.”

He waited, love written all over his face.

She reached up on her tiptoes and whispered against his lips. “Yes, because you’re home to me too.”

Chapter Thirty

They didn’t make it back to the rental.

They didn’t even make it to the truck before Dare swore.

Jesse had a hand around her waist, and he didn’t think she’d slipped. “Did you twist your ankle?”

“No.” She glanced up, eyes wide. “I think you need to take me to the hospital.”

“Now?”

Dare nodded, then made a terrible face. “Oh, hell. Okay, this is not going to be fun.”

He didn’t bother to try and change her mind. Just got her into the truck and drove at slightly slower speeds than their trip that summer.

Dare made a few calls then tucked her phone away. “Wait. Stop at Tim Hortons,” she ordered.

“Seriously?”

“You can use the drive-through. I haven’t had supper yet, and if this ends up being a marathon, I’m not eating that damn hospital food. We’ll bring a box of Timbits for Dr. Kincaid.”

Jesse laughed, glancing over in concern as she puffed through a contraction. “So this is really happening.”

She linked her finger through his and offered a slightly scared smile. “It really is.”

In spite of her worries about a marathon, everything from that moment forward turned into a blur. He got them safely into town, grabbed Dare’s requested sandwich and doughnuts, and they were pacing the halls outside the maternity room in a blink of an eye.

Fine, it took a lot longer than that in reality, but he couldn’t pull the individual moments out. Just snapshots of time that registered hard enough Jesse knew he’d never forget them.

Like Dare focusing on his face as she relaxed through the last of the contractions. Her eyes fixed on his, anchoring herself in him.

The endless moment that passed between Buckaroo being a bump-maker and suddenly being there. A living, squirming, crying baby.

The light in Dare’s eyes as the doctor laid their son in her arms—a son—and she blinked back tears. Hell, Jesse wasn’t too dry-eyed himself at that moment.

In the moment of calm before the rest of the Colemans began to arrive, Jesse wrapped his arm around the woman he loved. He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “Hey, Buckaroo. It’s good to finally meet you.”