Rich, Rugged Rancher
Author
Joss Wood
Reads
18.2K
Chapters
1
Epilogue
Fee looked at Clint posing for photographs with the mayor of Royal, Jeff, the new fire chief, and James Harrison, the president of the Texas Cattleman’s Club, thinking Clint looked perfect in his exercise shorts and the tight fitting Royal FD T-shirt. Yeah, he should be more smartly dressed for such an important occasion, but most of the attendees had heard about his impromptu gym session with young Beck and applauded him for it.
Her man could walk down the main street of Royal buck naked and nobody would blink an eye. He was their own homegrown hero, one of their favorite sons and he could do no wrong.
When it came to her, though...well, she’d seen firsthand the challenges that faced anyone who loved this man.
Fee didn’t have many stars in her eyes, and while she loved him with every strand of DNA she possessed, she wasn’t naive enough to believe Life had just sprinkled a can of fairy dust over their lives. She fully accepted that, going forward, there would be problems and arguments and flared tempers and hurt feelings. That was just life. But there’d be love too. Happiness. Passion. Acceptance.
She’d found her happy place and it was here, in Royal, with Clint. And she’d told him the truth earlier. Even if Clint hadn’t been part of the deal, she’d want to spend most of her time in Royal, make this town her home base. She felt at ease here, settled.
Royal was where the rest of her life began.
Having finished with the photographer, Clint made a beeline toward her, his hazel eyes more gold than green.
“You okay? Any second thoughts?” he teased, but Fee wasn’t fooled by his light tone. He was worried and she couldn’t blame him; this happiness was so new, it felt like it might disappear in a puff of smoke.
“Just catching my breath.” Fee linked her fingers with his and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling when he dropped a kiss on her hair.
“I know. I keep feeling it’s the most amazing dream and I’m going to wake up alone.”
Clint took her glass from her hand and placed his mouth over the lipstick mark she’d left on the glass. He swallowed the rest of the chardonnay and handed the glass back to the waitress. He looked around and sent her a conspiratorial grin. “When can we leave? While I’m loving your dress, I sure as hell can’t wait to get you out of it.”
Fee grinned back. “Rockwell, really? We have to stay for a little while—it’ll be rude to leave now.”
“Ten minutes? Fifteen?” Clint asked, mischief in his eyes.
Fee rolled her eyes then allowed them to drift around the room, searching for a neutral subject to distract them from what they were both desperate to do. Soon...
“How are the cleanup operations going?”
“Slowly,” Clint replied. “There’s so much damage, Fee. More buildings were affected than we originally suspected, including the TCC clubhouse. By the way, James Harrison has asked me to join the Texas Cattleman’s Club.”
That didn’t surprise her. “Of course he has. You’re the town’s hero.”
“I wish everyone would stop calling me that. I just did what I needed to do,” Clint replied, frustration in his voice. “I was able to help so I did.”
He didn’t realize many people wouldn’t have, that lots of people threw money at a problem and then washed their hands of any responsibility, looking to others to find a solution. Clint used his money, and his time and his skills, and that was a rare and beautiful thing. But she liked the fact he was unaware of just how amazing he was.
“I’m surprised the Blackwood siblings aren’t here,” Fee commented, changing the subject.
“I heard Sophie Blackwood has left Royal for New York City.” Clint shrugged. “Kellan is in Nashville, I think. I’m not sure where Vaughn is at present.”
“Kace is here.” Fee gestured to the lanky lawyer talking to James Harrison.
“And your friend isn’t,” Clint said. “Something happening between them?”
Fee was curious on that point too—but Lu had been uncharacteristically quiet lately. Then again, she’d been heartbroken and not really interested in anything but her own misery.
“I don’t know. But I haven’t been a great friend lately. I’ve been rather wrapped up in my own heartbreak,” she admitted.
Clint turned her to face him and placed his hands on her shoulder. “Hell, Fee, I have to apologize. Again. I acted like a jerk, and I’m really sorry.”
“And I was a lot meaner than I needed to be but I was hurt. I’m sorry too. You’re not a coward, Clint. I’m so sorry I insulted you like that,” Fee said, her heart in her throat. She was still ashamed of herself, that of everything she could’ve said, she’d gone straight for his emotional jugular.
“But I was. When it came to you, and love, I was a total coward.” Clint jerked his head at Beck, who stood by the table laden with desserts, stuffing his mouth. “I told him he had to try, that he could fail but he had to try. Then I realized I was crap at taking my own advice. And I looked up and there you were.”
He smiled and Fee’s heart jumped into her throat. Clint had an amazing smile and she was going to look at it for the rest of her life. How lucky was she?
“Your arrival damn near gave me a heart attack,” Clint admitted. He looked at Beck and lifted one huge shoulder. “The fire station project is, obviously, over and we need to clean up Royal but—”
“But?” Fee asked, intrigued by the light she saw in his eyes.
“But I was thinking that, for my next project, I’d like to build a rehab center, a gym, something specifically designed for veterans and people struggling to come to terms with their disabilities. Maybe hire some physios, some counselors, have some skills training. A place of...acceptance.”
Fee blinked away her tears. Oh God, that sounded perfect. “It sounds awesome, darling. You’ll have my full support, Clint.”
“Maybe we can call it Fee’s Place, because you led me to a place of acceptance.”
She was touched but...no.
“We’ll find a name, a good name, but not that one.” Fee rested her forehead on his chest before looking up at him, tears rolling down her face. “I’m so in love with you, Rockwell.”
“As I am with you,” Clint told her, spearing his fingers into her hair and tipping her jaw up to receive his kiss. “I only have one more thing to ask you...”
Oh God, it was too soon. What would she say? Yes, of course, but were they rushing things? Was she ready for a proposal?
“What?” Fee asked him, sounding a little breathless.
“Can we go home now?”
Fee released a long breath, a little disappointed. “Yeah, sure.”
Clint took her hand and led her through the throngs of people, adroitly avoiding everyone who wanted to talk to them by telling them he’d catch up with them soon. Outside, in the cool evening air, he turned back to Fee and smiled at her. “So, would you have said yes?”
She didn’t pretend to misunderstand him. “It’s very soon but...yes. I would have said yes.”
Clint brushed his lips across hers. “Good to know. Let’s go home, my darling Fee.”
She was already there. No matter where she was, if her hand was in his, she was home.
Don’t miss a single installment of
Texas Cattleman’s Club: Inheritance
Tempting The Texan by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child Available December 2019
Rich, Rugged Rancher by Joss Wood
Available January 2020
From Boardroom to Bedroom by USA TODAY bestselling author Jules Bennett
Available February 2020
Secret Heir Seduction by Reese Ryan
Available March 2020
Too Texan to Tame by USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard
Available April 2020
Her Texas Renegade by USA TODAY bestselling author Joanne Rock
Available May 2020
Keep reading for an excerpt from Vegas Vows, Texas Nights by Charlene Sands.
