“To put back into the land,” Dare adds.
I look over to find Jude watching me. Now it’s our turn to have a silent conversation. “I’d have to see the environmental impact reports or do one myself before agreein’ to anythin’.”
“We’ve already had one done,” he says. “But if there’s anythin’ missin’, we know you’ll pick it up before we move forward.”
“And speakin’ for myself, Em’s still workin’ for the USGS, just in more of a remote capacity, so any work required for us to pull our weight, I’ll be doin’ it,” Jude adds, making my heart swell.
“Hubby…” I say quietly.
He turns to look at me. “You’re a rockstar and I’ll do anythin’ to support you stayin’ that way, wifey. You moved here and away from the life you’d built back in Palmer, and I’m not goin’ to do anythin’ to make you regret it.”
I shake my head. “I could never regret it, not with you.”
Both Will and Dare sigh, but when I glance their way, they’re smilin’.
“Hate sayin’ it, but Sully definitely knew what he was doin’,” Will says.
Dare nods. “Dad had many faults, but he was rarely wrong when it came to matters of the heart.”
“Right, now that we’ve clearedthatup, can youpleasetell us where you’re takin’ us? Or just take us there already?” I beg, shooting my big brother pleading eyes.
“Sure thing, Little Em. This is somethin’ Iknowyou’ll like.”
A few minutes later, on the other side of the woods, and close to the boundary between the two ranches, we come to a clearing where a small, rebuilt cottage appears, seemingly out of nowhere.
That’s when it dawns on me. “Wait! Didn’t this used to be stone ruins that we’d play in when we were kids?” I ask Dare.
Will nods. “Yep. It’s where Henley and Marion lived after they were married, before they took over Cooper Ranch from Henley’s parents. It was far enough away from the main ranch house to give them privacy but close enough to the boundary that Henley could still visithisfamily through the old gate.”
Jude frowns. “There’s no gate there now. We would know about somethin’ like that.”
“Marion’s father removed it after Henley’s death and all the drama that came after that. Marion didn’t want to live in this house again after losin’ Henley so she lived with her parents and her sons in the main house.”
I think back to the love Marion expressed for her husband in the letters Jude and I have read over the past few months.
Henley was her soulmate, her One. I can’t imagine living without Jude for a single second now, and here’s a woman who lost the love of her life and couldn’t bear sharing his ranchortheir newlywed home after he was gone.
I know from the Wilson family tree that Marion Cooper never remarried. I doubt she ever even looked at another man after the death of her husband.
Looking at the house standing in front of us, I worry about how all of my stuff will possibly fit.
As if reading my thoughts, Will’s mouth quirks up. “We’ve done as much as we can to give you a place to sleep for the night. Tomorrow, we can play Tetris with your belongin’s. There are plans already drawn up and materials waitin’ in the barn at Cooper Ranch so we can extend the back of the house to make more room. Think of this as your starter home,” he explains.
There’s no way… “Did you know about this?” I ask my husband, who looks as surprised as I am.
“Nope. I’ve never even been to this part of your land. I did wonder what was back here though.”
“And now you know,” Dare muses.
“We’ve also installed a gate again so you two can come and go between the ranches.” Will pins Jude with a stare. “Can’t have you thinkin’ you can get out of any early starts and blamin’ Timber Falls traffic.”
Jude snorts. “The most traffic the town gets is when one of the old timers take their tractor to the mechanic and block the main road. I think I’m good.” His expression turns serious as he looks between our big brothers. “Thank you for this. It’s unexpected but appreciated.”
Dare smirks. “Even if it means you’re livin’ on Wilson land?”
“Even then.” He turns me so we’re chest to chest. I slide my hands up so my palms are resting over his steady heart. “Besides, I’m a Wilson now too. Right? Just like Em is a Cooper.” I nod. “When you think of it that way, it seems kind of fittin’, doesn’t it?”
Jude dips down to kiss me gently before leaning his forehead to mine. “Unitin’ the mountain. Joinin’ our families.”