West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(98)

Thank God.

He looks to me, then Lark, and steps back. “I should’ve stopped at the fourth boy instead of thinking I needed a girl,” he mutters.

She holds back a laugh and smiles when I pull out the flowers from behind my back. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Hello, cowboy.”

“Care to take a ride with me?” I ask, pointing to the side-by-side behind me.

Her big smile lights up my entire world. “I’d love to.”

Tonight is about her. It’s a chance for me to make up for the pain I caused her—as much as I can.

I want to give her everything she’s ever wanted, and while that’s not completely possible, maybe I can give her a piece of it tonight.

I help her into the passenger side and then head around. Deacon stands in the door, arms crossed over his chest. “I don’t like you, Stone.”

“Feeling is mutual,” I toss back.

He flips me off.

I return the favor.

Lark huffs. “Really? Grow up—the both of you.”

“Only because you said so, Tornado.”

Now it’s her turn to flip him off.

What a full circle we make.

“Be nice to her or I’ll kick your ass,” I threaten jokingly. Okay, half jokingly. I would relish the chance to punch him.

“Name the time and the place, old man,” he tosses back.

“As super fun as this is, you’re ruining my date. Go away,” Lark calls out to him and then turns to me. “Can you not bicker with my brother and just leave?”

I laugh. “Your wish is my command.”

She groans and rests her head back as we drive off.

The ride out to the ridge takes an extra fifteen minutes. I have to take a different route than I would on horseback.

“Where the heck are you going?” she asks. “We can’t get to the ridge on this.”

“Oh, ye of little faith.” I grin, steering to the trail that I spent about six hours putting in—with her brothers.

The four of us went out there—Carter came as well—and we cut brush, cleared a few trees that we’re going to pretend were already felled, and removed debris so I could get out here. They bitched the entire time but never stopped working until we knew we could get the machine through here.

It’ll be another few weeks until Lark can ride, and now she can safely come out here anytime she wants.

“Tristan?” she asks, sitting up as she sees us getting through what was unpassable just a few hours ago. “How?”

“Your brothers and I were out here all day.”

Her hands go to her mouth, and she gasps. “You gave me back the ridge?”

“I would swim through a flood for you, Lark.”

I remember when I said that to her, how I felt, the way the words were meant, but then what they’ve become. Lark has always been different than just her last name. She’s deserved more than what she’s accepted from the people in her life.

I hurt her when I did the same, and I won’t ever do it again.

She reaches her hand out to take mine. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Cutting down some trees?” I ask jokingly.

“No, you know what. This place is special to me—to us—and now I have a way to get to our little slice of heaven.”

I lift her hand, kissing the top of it. “There’s more.”

“There is?”

I grin. “Oh, there is.”

We drive through, and where we had a small tent with a blow-up mattress now sits a big white tent, very similar to the one we went glamping in.

Lark gasps as it comes into view. “Tristan!”

The joy in her voice goes right to my heart. I pull up close, stopping the side-by-side and helping her out. She holds on to my arm as we walk up the stairs that I built today. I wanted the tent elevated so we have less chance of bugs.

We enter, and I watch her face. The smile, the brightness in her green eyes, the way she looks around in complete disbelief that this is here.

The tent is pretty basic, but what we did inside isn’t. There’s a full-size bed in the center, complete with pillows, blankets, and even a headboard. On the right side, I set up a makeshift sink with jugs of water under it, and on the left is a comfy chair she can sit in. The front opens to a mesh screen, so we can enjoy the outside without any intruding bugs.

She turns slowly, looking at everything. “How?”

I shrug. “I had help.”

“This is…how do we have lights?” she asks, looking up at the string lights.

“They’re solar powered.”

“Tristan…I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Do you like it?”

Lark nods. “So much.”

“Then that’s all I needed.”

She closes the distance between us, then takes my face in her hands. “I need you.”

“That went without saying.”

Her lips touch mine softly before she slides her arms up, knocking my hat to the ground. She holds on to me, her fingers sifting through my hair as she deepens the kiss.

Since her injury, we haven’t had any alone time, but the doctor also advised against getting her heart rate up.

“Sweetheart,” I say, pulling away. “We can’t.”