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“I don’t believe in luck. A man has to make his own luck. And if a man can’t make his own luck, he’ll have to steal it from someone else, no matter what it takes. You can’t last out here without any luck—Shit.”

I looked down at the script’s pages, wanting to start from the top. Levi sat across from me at the dining room table of the main cabin, with a small smile on his face. “That was really good, baby. I know you messed up a little at the end?—”

“I’m still in the discovery stages.” I sulked. “This is always the worst part. Just getting the lines down. Once I have the lines down, I can start adding my own spin on things, saying things how my character might say them.”

“Is all acting like this?” Levi asked. “Because this seems stressful as all hell.”

“It’s mostly my process. I have a thing about embodying the character.”

“Or just taking cues from your boyfriend and adding that to the character.”

“That too.” I chuckled, still looking at the pages. “It’s not my fault you’re so perfectly cinematic.”

“And it’s not my fault that you’re so beautiful.” Levi reached across the table, resting his hand on top of mine. “How about you take a break from those pages and?—”

“Oh, my God, Levi. You are going to sabotage me!” I playfully pulled my hand away from his. “Maybe we can take a break together later.”

“You promise?”

“I promise to think about it.” I smiled over at him. “Speaking of breaks, are you sure it’s okay that I extend my stay at the ranch? Only until I can find a place of my own.”

“You think I want you going anywhere?”

“I just want to make sure I’m not overstaying my welcome.”

“You’re not overstaying anything, baby.” Levi smiled right back. “And if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me.”

Levi bent across the table to gently kiss the back of my hand. I felt something warm inside me, a security forming around my decision to stay in Paradise Valley for good. Hollywood could wait a little longer for my return, especially since the Antonio Cruz western didn’t start filming until later this year. I was also inadvertently building a profitable mystique around my career, my choice to move to Montana seeming inexplicable to those who didn’t know about my whirlwind romance with the perfect cowboy.

“And trouble sticks around…” Virgil entered the dining room with a smirk. “Happy to see you made it through.”

“Don’t mind him,” Levi quietly mouthed.

“Hey, don’t put any ideas in his head.” Virgil laughed. “I’m a pretty worthwhile guy to listen to. It’s not my fault I always see things coming. Call it a side effect of the chip.”

“The chip?”

“Oh, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about that later.” Virgil nodded towards a window. “But I just wanted to let you two know that I think the party is supposed to be outside, not inside. Amber’s been setting up for the last half hour.”

“Then, outside we go,” Levi replied as he got up from the table. “Thanks for the heads-up, Uncle Virgil.”

“Just keeping an eye out, as always.” He nodded. “Vigilance serves us all.”

* * *

“Shane was right. I’m starting to like your uncle,” I started, as we stepped into the backyard. “He’s one-of-a-kind?—”

“There he is! Oh, my God!” Amber ran up to me, her arms already outstretched. “Cameron Clarke! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you at my fundraiser! I’m practically obsessed with you!”

She took me into her arms and kissed me on both of my cheeks. “Welcome to Stratton Ranch! I can’t believe you’re here! And I can’t believe you’re with Levi!”

“Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Levi, be serious. He’s Cameron Clarke. He could date anybody he wanted to.”

“That’s not exactly true?—”

“Don’t be humble. You don’t have to do that here.” Amber took my hand into her own. “We respect your artistic side, Cameron. Be as free as you want to be.”

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” Cole stood in front of us. “Apologies on behalf of my sister. We love her but she’s yet to understand that not everyone’s a hugger. Or a cheek kisser.”

“I don’t mind, really.”

“So, you’re Cameron Clarke,” he continued. “Thanks for your help with the fundraiser. And sorry about how it turned out.”

“I’d say it turned out pretty well, actually.” Levi beamed beside me.

“Is that Cameron?” A new voice entered the conversation. A few minutes later, there was a man standing next to Cole, their hands casually finding each other’s.

Got it.

This must be Dylan.

“I’m a huge fan of your work, but don’t worry. I’m normal about it. Unlike Amber,” Dylan said, laughing as he spoke. “And I just so happen to be a wedding planner extraordinaire, if you ever happen to need my services?—”

“Baby, they just started going out?—”

“I didn’t say anything about getting married tomorrow,” Dylan gently pushed back. “I’m just letting Cameron know that he has in-house options, just in case. I planned Amber’s wedding. She loved it.”

“He’s right. I did,” Amber added, before waving at the bonfire behind her. “Do you know what else I love, though?”

Amber moved closer to the burning, wooden logs, soon picking up a long, skinny stick. “S’mores! Come on, everybody!”

“We’re still going to have actual dinner, right?” Dylan asked. “As in, we’re going to eat something after this?”

“With Amber? It’s a coin toss.” Cole shot his partner an apologetic look. “But we can always raid the fridge right after.”

The group of us crowded around the bonfire, each with our s’mores sticks held in the flames. There was chatter in the circle, Amber and Doug detailing a recent trip they’d been on, time spent in love and in Greece. I listened to every bit that I could, enjoying the way everyone bantered back and forth, the bond they had so evident between them. When Shane eventually showed up to join the group, Amber threw a few marshmallows at him for being late.

“Take these things seriously!” She playfully scolded him. “One day, you’re going to miss something important!”

“Sorry! I was busy!” Shane replied, while expertly dodging marshmallows, like that wasn’t his first time having to do it.

Even so, Amber forced us all to scoot over just enough to make some room for Shane to join us.

“Running late, hmm?” Levi’s tone was mischievous. “Does that have something to do with your thriving, personal life ?”

“Levi, you’re literally never going to know.” Shane smirked back. “Don’t waste your time worrying about it.”

“You’re going to slip up one day, Shane. And I’ll be there?—”

“Except I’m never going to slip up?—”

Levi and Shane went back and forth, their voices escalating. Even as they did, the rest of the circle continued with their separate conversations. I smiled to myself as I thought about how often Levi and Shane had talks just like this, playfighting like siblings, as everyone just carried on. I was back to listening in as much as I could, feeling like I was in the middle of a movie set about a family that loved each other dearly, despite their differences, despite an overbearing father figure who’d tried his best to break them apart?—

But this wasn’t a movie set. This was real life.

This is my life.

By coming out here to Montana to research for a role, I’d ended up snagging the part of a lifetime. I didn’t have to play a character anymore, no more worrying about getting my lines right or making sure I hit my mark. There wasn’t anything I needed to do here other than be myself and be the best that I could for Levi. My heart warmed as I imagined our future together, with me helping him make his dream come true with Big Sky Rescue, me returning from filming movies or TV shows and plopping down beside him in bed, Levi visiting me on set when he could, wherever I was in the world…

It was a vision of a beautiful life together, that small, invisible string still wrapped around us at every turn.

For the first time ever, I felt like I was home .

“What are you thinking about?” Levi whispered, so only I could hear.

“You,” I answered, honestly. “Us. Everything.”

“Good thoughts, I hope?”

“Only the very best.” I smiled over at him before kissing him, his lips sweet from the chocolate and marshmallow.

Sweet.

That was exactly what it was going to be from here on out with Levi, with whatever came our way. It didn’t matter how hard things ever got, because we’d always have each other, we’d always have this.

I’d always have my perfect cowboy, and he’d always have me.

**