Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Timberlynn leaned into me, so I wrapped my arm around her waist. Ty and Kaylee had joined us and stood between Timberlynn and my folks. My mother turned to see us all there and smiled so big I couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m so happy to have all my kids home. I love you all so much! I’m sure Beck is looking down smiling on us this evening. Happy to see all of his brothers are home safe and sound.”
Ty leaned down and kissed our mother on the cheek, followed by Brock, then me.
Timberlynn smiled up at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I just love your family is all.”
“You’re a part of it now, darlin’.”
Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and she jumped when Dad shouted, “It’s almost time! Grab the person you want to ring in the New Year with!”
“Where’s Dirk?” I asked Brock. We both searched the crowd. He always rang in the New Year with us when he was home.
“He probably can’t find anyone to kiss at midnight!” Brock said with a laugh.
“What about Merit?” Timberlynn asked.
Brock laughed again. “That was a long time ago and only a one-time thing.” He frowned, though, and looked around once more. “Last I saw him, he had taken Merit to look at the ranch survey.”
Lincoln, Kaylee, and Timberlynn all exchanged a look. “That’s funny. Dirk is missing. Merit is missing. Interesting,” Kaylee mused.
“Don’t go starting anything with that, Kaylee,” Ty warned. “That happened a long time ago, and I doubt Merit wants anything to do with Dirk’s whorish ways.”
Kaylee shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.” I laughed as she pointed to each of the Shaw brothers.
“A toast, before the New Year rolls in!” my mother shouted. “To love, happiness, family, and health!”
“Well said!” Brock called out as everyone took a drink of champagne. Well, everyone but Lincoln and Kaylee. They both held up glasses of water.
“One minute!” Dad yelled out.
Timberlynn pulled out her phone from the small purse she had tucked under her arm. She stared at it, and I instantly saw the tears forming in her eyes.
“Hey,” I asked, tipping her chin up so our eyes met. “Is everything okay?”
“Twenty seconds!” Ty cried out.
She nodded. “My dad sent me a text. He said Happy New Year and that he loved me.”
I smiled. “That’s a good thing, right?”
Timberlynn chewed on her lip. “Yes.”
“Ten!”
“Come here,” I said as I drew her closer to me.
“Seven!”
I used my thumb to wipe away the tear that had started to fall down her beautiful face.
“Four!”
“I’ll fix it all, Timber. I swear to you.”
“Two! One!”
Happy New Year was shouted as I leaned down and kissed her lips gently, fireworks exploding above us.
The whole world faded away as Timberlynn wrapped her arms around my neck, and I laughed as she kissed me.
I loved this woman; I felt it in the depths of my heart and soul. And I knew exactly how to make good on the promise I had just made her.
My father and two brothers stared at me like I had lost my mind.
“Tanner, you can’t be serious,” Brock said, his arms folded across his chest and a serious expression on his face.
“I’ve seen that look before,” Ty stated. “He’s dead serious.”
“What do you expect to gain from flying to Georgia and talking to Timberlynn’s father?” Dad asked.
“Well, for one thing, I’m going to tell him I’m in love with his daughter and to ask him to come to Montana.”
“You’re going to do what?!” Ty said, his eyes wide. “Do you think it’s wise to tell her father you’re in love with her when you’ve only been dating for a month or so?”
It had been exactly a month and some change since Timberlynn and I had officially started dating. After the New Year, my folks and I quickly worked on me buying the lake house, and I had moved in a few days ago. My folks sold me the house fully furnished, but there were still a few things I wanted to do to update things and make it my own. Timberlynn decided she would move in with me, but she was still keeping an eye out for her own place to buy. And she had made arrangements to speak with the Peterson’s about buying some of their land that backed up to the parcel of the ranch that I now owned.
I followed my father’s advice and hadn’t pressed the issue of Timberlynn starting her business on the ranch. She had also insisted on paying me rent, which had caused our first fight. It didn’t last long, and we both agreed she would pay the utilities. Then we had make-up sex on the kitchen island.
My father sighed, took off his hat, and ran his fingers through his hair before he carefully placed it on top of his head again. “Tanner, a lot has happened in your world in the last month. You’ve retired from ropin’, you bought a house, and you entered into your first real relationship.”