Page 38

Beth

T he next morning, our friends buzzed with excitement, their laughter echoing through the crisp air. We sat inside the cooking gazebo, passing around sausages, eggs, and biscuits, our voices rising as we talked about what had happened the night before.

“Beth, you were incredibly brave.” Mary beamed, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. “I knew from the start you were a woman. You had that fire in your eyes that men just can’t drag up themselves.” Leaning forward, she poked my wrist. “Not many guys wear gold bracelets.”

Heat rose into my face. Why hadn’t I thought about how that might look?

“Hey, men have fire.” Joel pouted, but his eyes sparkled.

“You do, love,” Mary said, leaning into his side .

Chuckling, I shook my head. “I'm pretty sure my braid stuffed under my hat didn’t help either.”

“Aw, poo,” Mary said. “Lots of men have long hair. It's kind of sexy, don't you think?”

Joel grimaced, running his fingers across his nearly bald head.

Mary nuzzled his shoulder. “I love you sweetheart no matter how much hair you have.”

“That's good, because it's not coming back.”

We all laughed.

Pete leaned around Ruugar to pat my back. “I love how you kicked that bastard to the curb.” He tapped his temple. “Brawn's all well and good, but you used your mind. I think that works best on slimeballs like Bradley, don't you, Carol?”

She nodded. “Total slime. Glad we sent him running back to town.”

“And Ruugar...” Pete turned to him. “I love how you threatened to battle him with a sword. Good thing he didn't call you on it.”

“I'm lethal with a sword,” Ruugar said, a deadly look in his eyes. “Better than most of my brothers. It hasn't been long since orcs rode into war on our sorhoxes. We start training when we’re three.”

Mary and Carol exchanged raised eyebrow looks.

“Whoa,” Pete said. “Do you have a kill count?”

Ruugar's tight smile rose. “I'm here. They are not.”

And that was enough for my racing heart. The thought of him sword fighting with anyone made my knees tremble and my jaw ache.

“No more,” I said.

He sent an easy smile my way. “Only if Bradley returns.” From the look in his eyes, Bradley had better not.

Breakfast passed in a blur. We cleaned up together, packing away gear and rolling up the tent, placing it and the sleeping bag back inside the shed. Sel would be by to collect it and the linens from the cabins, and once they'd been laundered, they'd be returned for the next trail ride.

Even the city folks pitched in, laughing like old friends instead of strangers thrown into the wilderness only a week before. I'd miss them when they left, but there was no denying the pride soaring through my chest. The trail ride had been a success, and I'd played a part in making it happen.

More than that, I'd found someone worth holding onto. That realization hit hard. I turned to Ruugar, meeting his gaze, and grabbed his hand. “Come with me?”

His palm engulfed mine.

“We'll be right back,” I called over my shoulder, already dragging him away from the group mingling near the sorhoxes, exclaiming about the beauty of the mountains, how amazing it had been to swim in the lake, and how eager they were not only to book their next trail ride but to tell all their friends.

Lonesome Creek was about to see an influx of new customers.

The lake stretched ahead of us, glassy and still. We stopped on the shore and stared. I tried to press the memory of this place, this trail ride into my mind. I should've taken pictures.

Well, I could next time.

Assuming Ruugar wanted me to stay.

“Last night…” My swallow took a long time to go down. “What you did for me, Ruugar. No one's ever stood up for me like that before.”

“No one should've had to.”

“I know, but you did. It means everything to me.”

He tugged me into his arms, holding me. “Mate. My perfect mate.”

“Not too perfect. Don't forget I'm not much of a cook. I've never run a vacuum, though I'm eager to learn. And?—”

“Why?”

I frowned. “Why what?”

“Why would anyone be eager to learn how to vacuum?”

“Because I've never done it before. I'm sure I can dust, and I'm going to get better with riding. I don’t know about laundry, but there must be a YouTube video or two I can watch. In fact, I bet?—”

He silenced me with a heady kiss.

When he lifted his head, I couldn't remember what I was talking about.

“I love you,” he said. “If you'll have me as your mate, Breela?—”

“Tell me the truth. What does that mean?” I pouted. “It can't mean helper. Who'd call someone they love a thing like that? ”

“Darling. It means darling in my language.”

Aw. “You're so sweet. You were calling me that almost from the start.”

“From the start in my heart.”

“I love you.”

“Stay with me forever?”

“I thought you'd never ask.”

His lips found mine, sealing every promise and every unspoken confession with a kiss that left no doubt.

This was real.

This was forever.