* * *
Half an hour later, Tanner rode down through the trees behind the house.
There were a few things to do before he could leave.
He had to arrange to board his horse. The guy he’d bought him from would probably be okay with that. And he had to close up the house. It was still early fall, but you never knew what the weather might bring in these parts. He’d want to shutter the windows, make sure the place was capable of standing up to a storm.
When he reached the rear yard, he dismounted. Patted the horse on its flank. Picked up the trailing reins and led the horse to the big barn behind the house.
“Good boy,” he said softly, and reminded himself that the animal needed a name. He’d been calling it Horse, but it deserved better than that.
Once inside the barn, the horse headed straight for its stall. Smart horse. He’d learned where he belonged very quickly.
It had taken Tanner a lot longer to know that he belonged wherever Alessandra was and that she, by God, belonged with him.
He’d been foolish to buy into anything else.
Or maybe he hadn’t, but she’d have to look him in the eye and tell him she didn’t love him this time, because he wasn’t settling for letters that didn’t really say anything at all.
He unsaddled the horse. Hung the gear away. Brushed the horse down. Got him some oats. Turned on the hose and added fresh water to the trough.
Then he patted the horse again, headed out of the barn, walked briskly to the back door of the house, stepped into the kitchen, went through into the living room…
And saw Alessandra, curled up and asleep on his couch.
His head swam.
He hadn’t eaten in days. He’d stopped at a stream and downed endless gulps of water, but maybe the fast had gotten to him because this couldn’t be real, this couldn’t be the woman he loved.
He went slowly towards her.
His heartbeat rocketed.
It was Alessandra. A different Alessandra.
She had cut her hair.
A halo of golden curls surrounded her face.
Her lovely face.
Tanner swallowed hard. He squatted down beside the couch. Stretched out his hand to touch her, but his hand shook.
Should he wake her? Should he sit right here and wait until she opened her eyes?
And then he stopped thinking, murmured her name, touched his hand to her hair, her cheek, her shoulder, and her eyes flew open.
“Tanner,” she whispered.
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He smiled. “Sweetheart,” he said, and whatever he’d intended to tell her when he saw her, whatever she’d intended to tell him, was forgotten as she laughed and wept and went straight into his hard, strong, welcoming arms.
EPILOGUE
They were married at El Sueño on a bright day in late November.
The family gathered at the ranch the week before.