The Rancher's Surrender

'Ask me again,' she said.

She was killing him, but he played along. 'Who do you love?'

'You,' she whispered. She let out a little laugh, then said it louder. 'I love you, Ty Jackson.'

Before he could even begin to absorb the words that had his heart lodged in his throat, she was reaching for him, sliding that body to his and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Catching her to him, he whirled her around, squeezing her tight as joy flowed through his veins.

A delicate cough reminded him they weren't alone, and he lifted his head over Zoe's, smiling down into two pairs of misty, happy eyes without letting go of his future. He had two handfuls of shirt and skin and warm woman and he wasn't sure if he could let go, since Zoe had a viselike grip on his neck.

'I suppose you're hungry,' Maddie said to him through her tears.

'Starved.' He hugged Zoe closer.

'And I suppose you're going to want us to leave now,' Delia said through a wet smile.

'Wait.' Zoe pulled back to stare into Ty's eyes. He could swear he could see all the way into her soul, and his was mirrored there.

Then, so gently he felt his own eyes go damp, Zoe cupped his face, smiling with the tenderness and love he'd only dreamed about.

'All of you, all three of you love me,' she said, her voice thick and husky. 'I'm sorry I was so slow to understand that. I felt burdened by the weight instead of blessed, but I was wrong. I'm the luckiest woman on earth, because together you gave me the greatest gift of all, the gift of life.' Her fingers stroked Ty's jaw and she smiled at him through her tears. 'Much as I tried to throw that gift away, you persevered, and now I want to give something back.'

'The only thing I want, Zoe, is you.'

Maddie and Delia sighed dreamily.

Zoe's eyes filled again. 'Then take me,' she said. 'I'm yours.'

'For keeps?' He nudged her closer. 'As in becoming my lover, my best friend, my soul mate… my wife?'

The tears fell. 'Yes, I want to be Mrs. Jackson. For now and forever.'

Epilogue

It wasn't until much later that night, after Maddie and Delia had finally stopped hugging and feeding them, that Ty was alone with Zoe.

'Finally,' he said, coming slowly toward her. They were in his house now, in his bedroom, right where he'd wanted her for too long.

'Finally what?' She smiled, but it was a breathless one and he hadn't even touched her yet. Ty looked forward to making her much more breathless before the sun came up.

'Finally I get to see…' He slipped off her sweatshirt. Beneath was the loose T-shirt he'd been dying to get off her. 'Kick off your shoes, sweetheart. Yeah, like that.' Her sweat bottoms slid down her legs at his touch. Then he lifted her arms and slipped off the ragged T-shirt, leaving her bare and glorious.

'No sunburn,' he whispered, gliding his hands over her smooth, creamy skin. 'I was worried.'

'You protected me well.' Smiling up at him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought that incredible body flush to his.

'I always will,' he vowed, scooping her up. He was halfway to the bed with her when she laid a hand on his chest and looked at him steadily, love pouring from her gaze.

'Both our dreams have been met,' she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Gently he set her down on his mattress and covered her with his body. He braced his weight on his arms as he looked down into her face. 'The mystery wasn't solved,' he reminded her gently. 'You still don't know which of you is owner of Triple M.'

'But I know something better.' Tugging, she pulled him close, then closer still, kissing him with her entire heart and soul. 'I know I'm loved. By Delia and Maddie. By you. And I know where I belong, Ty.'

'With me.' Capturing her head in his big hands, he kissed her back. 'Forever and always,' he reminded her.

'Forever and always,' she repeated softly. And they let their love take them to ecstasy.

Jill Shalvis

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