Kissing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 5)

All I can do is shake my head.

“Guess we better clean this mess up,” Kane says. “Don’t want Uncle John to find all that. He might kick our asses.”

“You’re right. Better get to it then, considering you’re half responsible,” I say, shooing him away.

“Do you think they’ll ever grow up?” Hadleigh asks when Kane is out of earshot.

I laugh. “Sorry, but no. Not a chance in hell.”

It’s Christmas morning, and I’m more excited about it than when I was a kid. I wanted to do something special for Harper and can’t wait to see her face when she sees it. I stayed at her house last night so I could wake up and open gifts with her. The start of one of our many traditions as a couple.

While she’s still asleep, I slip out from under the blankets and start breakfast. Her cabin isn’t very big, so it doesn’t take long for the smells and sounds of frying bacon to wake her.

Harper steps out wearing nothing but an oversize T-shirt and panties, then wraps her arms around my waist. “You’re too good to me. Want some coffee?”

“Sure,” I tell her, and she gets it started.

The small Christmas tree in the corner casts a warm glow in the room. Harper turns on some classic holiday music and hums along. Once the coffee’s finished brewing, she makes me a cup, then pours herself a glass of orange juice. I plate our food, and we sit at the tiny two-person breakfast nook and eat.

“Oh my God, this tastes so good,” she says around a moan. “You can cook for me the rest of my life.”

I grin. “Plan on it. No coffee?”

“Nah, I wasn't in the mood this morning,” she says, shoveling a spoonful of eggs in her mouth.

After we finish eating, we go to the living room and sit in front of the tree, which has a few presents under it. I’m so damn excited for her to see what I did.

“Ready?” I ask.

She smiles and nods. I hand her a small black box that has a red glitter bow wrapped around it. Carefully, she opens it but is completely confused when she sees a key.

“What does this go to?” she asks, looking at it, trying to figure it out.

“I know how much you’ve wanted more space for your business…”

She gasps, covering her mouth. “No, you didn’t.”

“I had a shop built by my office for you. It’s big enough for when you hire employees and grow. You’ll have all the space you need.”

Harper squeals and nearly knocks me over when she wraps her arms around me and kisses me. “I have no idea how you were able to pull that off without me noticing.”

“You’ve been so busy with work and planning the wedding that it was actually pretty easy. Next time you drive by the barns, you’ll see it on the side because it looks like part of the expansion.”

“I don’t deserve you,” she says teary-eyed.

“Of course you do. You deserve the world, and I’ll give you every bit of it that I can.”

“Thank you. I can’t wait to see it and move all my stuff inside. Perhaps we’ll have some of the cabin back.”

We sit back up, and I remember the other gift I have for her.

“Oh, almost forgot,” I tell her, grabbing another present from under the tree.

“Another gift? Now I feel like I didn’t do enough for you.” She frowns.

“Being with me is enough,” I reassure her.

She peels open the wrapping paper and opens the box. Pulling out a sheet of paper, she studies it. Now the tears are really pouring. “No way! We’re building a house too?”

“You got it.” I beam as she studies the property. “This is where we’ll build,” I explain, pointing it out to her. “Not too far away from either of our parents' places, but it gives us our own space too. We have an appointment next week to go look at plans so we can pick out something that we can grow into as a family.”

“Ethan,” she says while wiping her cheeks. “This is too much. All of it. But I’m so happy and can’t wait. You’ve given me so much.”

“This is just the beginning, love.” I tilt her chin and capture her lips. “You and me. Forever.”

“Welp, I guess it’s time for your gift. Give you a little taste of your own medicine.”

She pulls a single bag from under the tree. There’s so much tissue paper in it that our space is nearly covered in red and white by the time I make it to the bottom of the bag. I pull out a box wrapped in paper. I rip it open only to find another smaller one inside.

Harper reaches out, stopping me. “Wait. Before you open it, guess what it is.”

I shake it, and it feels light. “I have no idea.”