Now, we’re taking the next step in our relationship, living together. Officially, anyway. But not before I support Em returning to the ranch she’s always called home.
“You’re still OK with us stayin’ in one of the cabins at Cooper Ranch until we decide where we’ll live?” I ask again.
Thankfully the biggest of the cabins we’ve been renovating for future farm stay accommodation had just been finished. When I talked to Will about moving in there for a while, he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“Hubby, I mean this in the best possible way. I could live in a box as long as you were right there next to me.”
I snort out a laugh. “There ain’t no way I’d ever let us live in a box.”
“Me neither. Just know I would.” She sighs. “It sounded a lot more romantic in my head.”
Lifting her hand, I press my lips to her skin. “It is. You’re sayin’ you love me so much you’d give up life’s modern luxuries to be with me,” I say. “Lucky for you, I’m sayin’ that won’t ever happen. Doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the sentiment.”
I grin when she rolls her eyes at me, doing it with a wry grin. I’m just happy I’ve managed to distract her from her thoughts for a little while.
A crack of static fills the cab of the SUV.
“Come in, Cooper two.” Em giggles and picks up the radio.
“Just checkin’ the plans haven’t changed. We’re headin’ to the Wilson side and you two are goin’ to the Cooper side. Is that still the plan? Copy,” one of Em’s twin brothers asks.
I shoot her a side-glance. “It’s your call, wifey. Do you want to wait and psych yourself up for tomorrow, or rip off the Band-Aid and go to Wilson Ranch today?”
She bites her lip, warring between what shethinksshe should do and what shewantsto do. “I think–you know what? Screw it, let’s go now. It’s better than worryin’ about it all night and not gettin’ any sleep because of it.”
Squeezing her hand in mine, I let her go and gesture for the radio. “Wilson one, we’re goin’ to revert to the original plan like I mentioned before we left. Copy?”
“Really? Copy,” they reply in unison.
“Yep. Also means you owe me a beer at the Lion’s Lair next time we’re there. I told you she’d change her mind. Copy.” Em’s breathy laugh warms me from the inside out.
“I can’t believe youbeton this,” she muses.
I shoot her a smirk. “What can I say? I know my wife.”
Static cracks over the air. “One beer added to the tab, check. Final destination now updated to home and we’ll update Cooper one and let big boss daddy know. Copy.”
A check of the GPS display shows we’re just a few miles out of town now.
“Bigbossdaddy?” Em giggles. “That’s a new one.”
“I bet Dare hates it.”
“I think that’s a safe assumption,” I muse. “Can you tell if that was BJ or EJ on the radio?”
“Definitely BJ. EJ is drivin’ and he won’t do two things at once.”
“How can you tell them apart that easily?”
She shrugs. “Twenty years of experience. Over the radio with just voices, I have to rely on instinct. BJ talks more fully than EJ does so that’s an easy tell. They still finish each other’s sentences most of the time too. In person, BJ’s heterochromia gives it away.”
I frown, trying to remember where I’ve read about that. “Wait. How can he have eyes that are different colors if they’re identical?”
“Don’t ask me, I just know itispossible. They’re definitely identical otherwise. The eyes are the only way anybody else can tell them apart. EJ used to be so jealous growin’ up. He wanted to have one blue eye too.”
Spotting the ‘Welcome to Timber Falls’ sign, I reach out for Em’s hand again, my muscles relaxing as soon as she touches me.
“You ready, wifey?”