West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(97)

My lip trembles as I hold back the tears. “Can you pinch me?”

He pulls back, his hands falling, and confusion flashes across his face. “What?”

“Pinch me or something because I’m pretty convinced that I’m dreaming or still in the coma or something, because none of this makes sense.” I get out my words with shaky breath.

The beeping from the monitor grows faster, and both of us look up before he rubs his thumb against my cheek. “Relax, don’t get worked up. I’m sorry I’m laying this all on you.”

I blink a few times as the reality that this isn’t a dream finally sinks in.

Tristan is here, he loves me, and he told everyone about us and how he feels while I was in a coma.

Okay.

I look at him, my heart feeling stronger than it ever has. “I should make you work for it.”

He grins. “You should.”

“I should make you make that announcement.”

“And I will.”

I shake my head with a smile. “It took me having a head injury for you to come to your senses. Make that make sense.”

“It doesn’t. All I can say is that I knew before the injury. I knew the minute you rode off. I was…terrified. I didn’t want to love you because I was afraid of what would happen if I ever lost you.”

Man, he’s making me all gooey inside, but along with that, I want to know he’s serious. That this isn’t just him making a decision out of fear because I could’ve died.

Thankfully I didn’t, but none of them knew I wouldn’t.

“Tristan, you realize that this isn’t going to be easy.”

He lets out a half laugh. “I’m very aware. Between your brothers and my sisters, yeah…we’re in for it.”

“What about Sadie?”

His warm hand cups my cheek. “Sadie is more than happy with the prospect of us being together.”

I try to hide my smile at that but fail. “I swear, before…before I rode Cloud, she was trying to set us up.”

“Oh, I know. She did it the day I brought her home from camp,” Tristan confesses.

That’s a bit of a surprise, but one that warms my heart. I like that she likes me. I adore her. I’m really hoping I can be a part of her life, in whatever way she’ll have me.

Thinking of her right now causes my chest to constrict. “Oh, God, Cloud? What happened?”

Tristan’s jaw tightens before he releases it. “When you didn’t come back to the barn for a while, she waited, and then Cloud returned without you, and the saddle was askew. She ran to me, told me everything and was sorry she lied.”

She lied? “I don’t understand. What did she lie about?”

“She knew she wasn’t allowed to work with that horse. She knew, and she went behind my back—and you almost died because of it.”

Oh boy. I have a feeling this is going to be a fight, and right now I’m way too tired.

“That’s not what happened, but we can argue later.”

The air pushes from his lungs, and he leans in to kiss me softly. “Rest, sweetheart. I’m going to let your brothers come in. I pretty much fought my way here, and they’re worried.”

I nod, my eyes closing. “Okay.” As soon as he comes in to kiss me again, I grab his arm. “You’ll come back?”

“Yes, love. I’ll be back. I promise. I’m not leaving you again.”

It’s as though my next breath is the best one I’ve ever drawn. As though all my worries left me with that one promise.

I don’t know how we got here. And I really don’t care how. We just are.

He brushes my hair back. “Rest. I’m not leaving you.”

And I let the peace wash over me, and I wait for my brothers to come in.









Chapter 40





Tristan




Lark is recovering better than any of us could’ve expected.

Instead of weeks—plural—in the hospital, the doctors let her go exactly one week after she woke up.

The swelling went down, she has no residual issues, and while the one lingering worry was her vision, it shows no signs of any complications.

However, she has to take it easy, which means no riding, no training horses, and a lot of rest.

This also means the once-peaceful nature of our nights is gone. If I want to see her, I have to go to her house and sit with her family—who don’t shoot death stares anymore but are definitely not friendly—and we’re not allowed to touch.

That’s her father’s rule.

While I’d love to tell him where to shove his rule, Lark expressed her desire to take things slowly for their sakes, so I’ve abided by it. However, she’s been home for over two weeks, and I want some time alone.

Tonight, I’m breaking her out. To hell with their rules.

“Now, I don’t think that’s going to happen, son,” Mr. Gatlin says as I stand at the door.

“She needs some air.”

“She needs to recover.”

I sigh. “Mr. Gatlin, I love Lark, and I would never risk her safety. You should know that.”

He looks torn, and then a small hand rests on his shoulder from behind. “Daddy, I’ll be fine.”