Chapter 67

“Let’s take this conversation elsewhere,” Garrett recommended as he gently clasped Meredith’s elbow. “We don’t need to involve the entire town, now do we, darlin’?”

“I’d say no in a heartbeat,” she concurred. “But there are eyes everywhere.”

“We can avoid them,” he murmured as he pulled her to him. “You just need to give me the benefit of the doubt, honey. Can you do that for five minutes?”

She didn’t say anything.

But Meredith did allow him to guide her along the back parking lot that led to the service entrance of the boutique.

When they reached it, she said, “I don’t have any keys. I’ve totally locked myself out.”

“Well, lucky for you,” he told her as he held up a keyring, “Genevieve hooked me up.”

Meredith smirked. “Whose side is that girl on, anyway?”

“I think it’s perfectly obvious. Ours.” He let them in and also unlocked the apartment door.

Before Meredith had even cleared the threshold, he whisked her into his arms and hauled her up against him.

Making her gasp.

He stared deep into her eyes and said, “Meredith Jane, I will never cheat on you. Don’t think it for a minute.”

She didn’t know how to respond to that.

He continued, saying, “I understand that what you saw on the street was confusing—and might have seemed wrong in some ways. But it was totally innocent, I assure you. Rachel means nothing to me, other than as an acquaintance, and—”

“But she did once upon a time, right?” Meredith asked, while gazing up at him. “At some point, she did mean something to you. For one thing, she turned to you quite easily. For another…That hug…You two have clearly been very intimate with each other.”

“We were,” he concurred. “Once upon a time, as you said. A long time ago,” he stressed.

“I sure as hell can’t fault you for that. Hell…She’s fucking gorgeous.” Meredith wiggled out of his embrace.

She entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

As she sipped, Garrett rested his forearms on the granite-topped island and said, “What you’re trying to do is keep yourself from getting hurt any further. But the thing is, darlin’…I’m not the least bit interested in hurting you. All I want is to figure out how to be with you, Meredith Jane.”

“But that’s complicated when it comes to all these people reaching out to you and wanting to hire you for this cause or for that cause…Right?” She gave him an earnest, penetrating look. “I can understand that, Garrett,” she softly added.

He slid into a barstool across from her, steepled his hands and said, “Meredith Jane. I will forever contend that whatever I can do to help a horse—or more than one horse—is going to be a plight that calls to me, that beseeches me. But it’s my own duty to reconcile which job I pursue. It’s my own conscience that will drive me to one case over the other. Above all that, however…”

Garrett pressed his palms to the counter and shoved off his stool. He rounded the island and he moved in close to Meredith.

So close, she inhaled his earthy scent, felt the weight of his gaze…And nearly melted at his feet.

He whisked a hand over her cheek, up to her temple and through her hair. His head dipped and he said, “Thing is, nowadays, darlin’, there’s something more important driving me, guiding me. And as much as I love the horses…I love something even more. Much more.”

She stared up at him.

His lips grazed hers.

He murmured, “That something is a someone, by the way. You, Meredith Jane. I choose you. Over the horses. Over the travel. Over everything. If you say stay, I’m staying. There’s no doubt in my mind, no question. In my heart and in my soul, I know what I want.”

His mouth sealed to hers.

Meredith lost all touch with time and space.

Her arms snaked around his neck. His encircled her waist. He pulled her tightly to him once more and she let instinct and intuition lead her.

Nothing else mattered.

Maybe Genevieve’s lecture had gotten to her.

Maybe Garrett’s strong convictions had.

Maybe Meredith just knew, deep in her own soul, that if she didn’t put her trust in something of this magnitude, she’d forever regret it. She’d forever question why she’d been so afraid, why she’d not deemed herself worthy of being a part of something so amazing.

Why she couldn’t permit herself to be a part of something so amazing.

She returned Garrett’s scorching kiss.

But when she eventually dragged her lips from his, she also very honestly asked, “Could I ever be enough to make you stay?”

“Tell me you love me, honey,” he quietly implored.

She gnawed her lip a moment before taking a leap of faith. “I love you, Garrett Slater.”

“Then stayin’ is what I’m doing.” He lifted her slightly off her feet and started walking them down the short hallway.

“Where are we going?” she whispered.

“To the bed, of course.”

Meredith couldn’t help but smile again as heat rushed through her veins. “It’s the middle of the morning.”

“Yeah, well, I have a new motto when it comes to making love to you.”

“What’s that?”

“No time like the present.”

He rested his knee on the edge of the mattress and then slowly eased her downward, until she was on her back and he was settled between his legs.

He kissed her again, passionately, searingly. A branding of sorts. And Meredith knew she had to believe in everything that had been transpiring between them, everything that Garrett was saying to her, everything that she was feeling for the sexy cowboy.

It was time, she told herself, to fully accept that this man loved her.

And they were damn-near perfect together.

Her fingers curled around the material of his shirt at his waist and she murmured, “You know how I like your shirts best?”

“Hmm?”

“Piled in the corner with my lingerie.”

He chuckled. “I cannot argue with that.” He grabbed a fistful at his nape and hauled off his tee, tossing it aside.

Meredith’s hands glided along his muscular back, up to his shoulder blades. Then her nails lightly skated down his spine and she felt a slight tremor through him.

Incited by her.

Meredith really had hit the jackpot…

“We need a condom,” she teased. “Stat.”

“Patience,” he muttered as he left kisses along her neck. “I’d like to make you come a time or two, first.”

And who the hell was she to argue with that?

***

Two weeks later, the sky was a sparkling blue with nary a cloud in it, the temperature was a balmy seventy-two degrees and music from the Battle of the Bands and the aroma of zesty chili, mesquite-smoked ribs, barbecued brisket and rotisserie chicken wafted on the slight breeze.

The Wildfire Street Festival was well underway.

Meredith and Garrett spent over an hour on the dance floor, then perused some of the vender tents before gathering with Lacey, Chase and Tristan in the beer garden.

After they’d all placed their orders with Emma, who was serving up drinks, Lacey said, “This turnout is sensational, Mere. Your social media and marketing efforts are paying off in spades.”

“Well, it was your idea to begin with, Lacey,” she reminded her friend. “And it was a fabulous one. Problem is…”

“Yes?” Lacey asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

“How the hell are we going to top this next year?”

With a laugh, Lacey said, “Oh, Jesus Christ! I can’t even think about that right now! Between all that’s been going on at the ranch for the competitions, all the wedding planning and all the festival preparations, I’m going to need one hell of a honeymoon.” Turning to Chase, she asked, “What are the chances of us spending at least a month in bed after we’re married?”

“As if I’d complain,” he drawled. And kissed her.

There were some hoots and some cheers that followed.

Garrett snickered and said, “While I do hate to steal y’all’s thunder…” He pulled Meredith into his arms as he was perched on a barstool and she was standing between his parted thighs. “I have been remiss in giving Meredith Jane her birthday present.”

“It’s a bit late for that, by a long shot.” So she suggested, “Why don’t you save it for next year?”

Because she was banking on him being around—waking up in bed with her every single morning…with any luck.

Garrett said, “It’s not exactly something I want to wait on.”

He reached into his pocket, retrieved a ring and slid it on Meredith’s finger.

The almighty important one.

She gasped.

As did every other woman in the near vicinity.

Meredith stared down at the gorgeous princess-cut diamond and her heart nearly stopped.

She had no idea how many seconds or minutes passed. The garden had gone so silent she could’ve heard a pin drop. And she wasn’t even sure she was breathing.

Eventually, she managed to tear her gaze from the stunning ring and it landed on Garrett.

Somehow finding her voice, she asked, “What, exactly, are you thinking, cowboy?”