“Are you threatening me?” The idiot takes out his phone and I see red, but for Poppy’s sake I keep it together.
“Oh, for God’s sake, Matt. Put your phone away.”
I risk a quick glance over my shoulder, to see that Poppy is at the edge of the porch. “Stay there, baby.”
She frowns. “If you say one thing about Gibb, or tell anyone where he is, I’ll call the Sherrif’s Office and tell them you left me in the woods and cut Gibb’s fence—and kidnapped one of the goats.”
Matt’s face goes a mottled red. “You can’t do that.”
“Oh, yes she can.” I hold out my own phone. “And my agent and my lawyer will be contacting you to explain the meaning of consent. You can’t use anything you’ve learned without my express consent, or I will sue you and any company or platform that tries to air your podcast.”
Matt kicks a rock before flinging open the door to his car, getting in and driving away, sending up a dust cloud of gravel.
Immediately I turn back to Poppy, rushing to her side and lifting her in my arms, while the crutches fall to the ground. “You shouldn’t have come out here.”
“And let you deal with him all by yourself? I could have lied and said he was wrong about you living here and that I was with someone else.” Her arms loop around my neck.
I growl, not liking the sound of that. “If the world wants to know about what happened to Gibson Hart, the story they’ll be getting is that he rescued a woman, who rescued his goat, and fell in love with her. You won’t ever pretend you’re with someone else.”
Her mouth drops open. “You what?”
“I don’t ever want to hear you say you’re with someone else, even if it is to protect me.”
“No, the other thing you said.”
I look down at her. “The part where I said I fell in love with you?”
She nods. “That part.” She bites her lip. “It can’t be real, can it? I mean, we just met.”
I capture her mouth with mine, carrying her over the threshold and into the cabin. When I come up for breath, her eyes are dazed. “Did that feel real to you?” I walk to the couch and sit down, settling her on my lap.
"Matt's not the first person who's tried to find me and he won't be the last." I pause. "But there’s a difference between privacy and hiding and I’m done with the latter. I’ll take whatever legal steps necessary to protect you." I swallow hard, not wanting to give her a choice to change her mind, but I know I have to. “If that’s what you want.”
She rolls her eyes. “How many times do I have to say it?” She snuggles into my chest. “I just want you.”
“You’re mine.”
“Well, only if you’re mine too.”
I kiss her again. “Suddenly bossy aren’t you?”
A loud bleat sounds from the kitchen, and we both look up to see Stevie standing there. “How in the world…”
Poppy giggles. “I don’t know that there’s room for two bossy females here.”
“I know when I’m outnumbered.” I touch my forehead to hers. “Just in case I didn’t ask clearly enough, stay here with me, not just until your ankle heals, but as long as you want.”
Poppy’s eyes shine as she looks into mine. “What if I want to stay forever?”
“I can make that happen.” I built this house as an escape, a place to hide and shut out the world, but now I want to build it into something else – a place for us to build a life together.
EPILOGUE
Poppy
One Year Later…
The clearing is the same.