Finally, Kyle cleared his throat and got Brady's attention.
"Oh, yeah," he said with a shrug. "Horses. That's right. I'm in charge of the horses aren't I?" He shifted his hat over his eyes and tipped it with his finger toward Sabrina. "Later, partner." He walked away whistling.
Finally, they were alone and Kyle turned to her, once again wrapping her in his arms.
"We have a lot to talk about," he said.
"Yes, we do."
Kyle took her hand and led her up the white wooden stairs to the porch. He sat on the porch swing and pulled her down beside him, not once letting go of her hand. Sabrina calmed at the feel of his warm strength touching her. "First, I want to say something to you."
"Okay." She turned her head to look into his eyes.
"Forgive me," he said as he grasped both her hands. "I can be incredibly bullheaded at times. Hell most of the time. I never meant to
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hurt you. Sometimes I talk without thinking, and I end up hurting the people I love the most. God knows I've done it to Jenna and Brady so many times they simply ignore me now. You'll have to learn to do the same thing."
"I'll try."
He was opening his heart to her, confessing his weaknesses, and not making empty promises. It was everything she needed to hear.
"And now for the second thing."
"Go ahead."
"I love you, Sabrina."
No, that was the only thing she needed to hear.
"I love you too, Kyle."
His eyes welled then, surprising her. She caressed his cheek, feeling the familiar and welcome roughness of his beard against her palm. It sent tingles of pleasure through her and she shuddered.
"I want to marry you."
Her hand froze on his cheek as she looked at him. "You do?"
He nodded. "Yes, I do. But before you say yes, there are a few things you need to know about me."
Sabrina doubted there was much about Kyle she didn't already know, but nodded. "Go ahead."
"I'm a mean, prideful, surly, grouchy pain in the ass."
She tried not to smile. "Tell me something I don't know."
"I'll hurt you. Say things in anger I don't really mean. More times than I want to."
"Yes, I know that too."
"But I'm not Mark. I might say something stupid, then I'll spend a week showering you with my love and apologizing over and over until you forgive me."
Now she did smile. "I'm counting on it."
"And when I yell at you, I expect you to yell back."
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"That seems to come fairly easily to me."
He grinned. "Life with me won't be easy."
"That's an understatement."
"But I'll love you with all my heart, every single day for the rest of our lives."
She squeezed his hand. "Yes."
He looked at her quizzically. "Yes what?"
"Yes, I'll marry you. Despite your stupid, bullheaded, moronic pride. I love you, Kyle Morgan. I want to work this ranch with you, raise a bunch of children with you, and be your wife, your lover, your friend, and your partner. I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to make all your dreams come true."
He paused, tilting his head sideways.
"What?"
"You said children." He looked confused. "I'd love to adopt some if that's what you're saying."
She shook her head, a sly smile on her face. "I don't want to adopt any. Well, not right away. Maybe down the road."
"Okay, so you want to wait before we adopt kids. That's fine. I can do that."
"You don't understand, Kyle. I want children right away."
"Okay now I'm really confused."
She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm pregnant."
He looked as if she were speaking a language he didn't understand.
"Huh?"
"You heard me," she said with a grin she could no longer suppress.
"I'm pregnant. With our child."
"Our--I don't understand. You can't get pregnant. You told me."
"That's what I thought too. But it turns out Mark lied about my inability to get pregnant. It was him, not me, who couldn't have children."
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Kyle stood and paced in front of the porch swing. Then stopped and turned to look at her, shock evident on his face. "You?"
She nodded.
He pointed to himself. "And me?"
She nodded again. "Yes. You and me. A baby." She rose and walked toward him, laying her hand on his arm. "Our baby."
He pondered her for a moment, until his eyes welled up. "When?" he asked in a husky whisper.
"About six and a half months."
"How long have you known?"
"Since the day of the rodeo." She prepared herself for his anger.
"You didn't tell me."
"I know. The timing never seemed right. First we had that big fight after the rodeo, and then we never talked much after that. I figured you weren't interested in me, and I didn't want to force you to keep me around just because I was pregnant."
Kyle dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head. When he lifted it and looked at her, misery shone in his eyes. "I was an idiot. I'm amazed you came back to me after the way I treated you." He picked up her hands, but seemed almost afraid to touch her.
"I had to come back," she said with a smile. "I told you, I have to make all your dreams come true."
"You already have. You rescued me from a life of loneliness. I love you, Sabrina Daniels. I will be the happiest man in the world when you become my wife. And thank you."
She tilted her head. "For what?"
"For giving me a child. And all the love I will ever need." He pulled her against him until her head rested on his chest.
Sabrina listened to the comforting, steady beating of the heart the man she loved had just entrusted to her.
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Jaci Burton
He tipped his finger under her chin, and pressed a passionate kiss to her lips.
She sighed and rested against him, watching as the ranch bustled with the morning's activities. A storm was coming, and there was work to be done. But for now, she was content to be held by the man she loved.
Sabrina thought she wanted independence, and assumed that's what Kyle wanted too. But she discovered true independence was won when you were free to choose.
Both of them were free.
And they chose the love that rescued them both.
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Jaci Burton
To learn more about Jaci Burton, please visit
https://www.jaciburton.com. Send an email to Jaci Burton at
[email protected] or join her Yahoo! group at
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