The Cowboy’s Secret Valentine Bonus Scene

Laura

Today is Valentine’s Day. Usually, on this day, Ford arranges for someone to watch the kids and we go on a date followed by dinner.

But today, he said we were doing something different and told me to wear jeans and sneakers instead of anything dressier.

I lean close to the mirror to put on the little flower earrings he gave me a couple of months ago. He always hides something for me to find every week.

Last week, I found a love note stuck in a box of chamomile tea. The week before that, it was a new journal and pen hidden beneath my pillow because I like to write about our lives. I want to give the kids a record of our family traditions and anecdotes that they can have someday.

“I’m too old to have someone come over and I don’t see why I can’t watch Jaxon and Reid,” Violet says, crossing her arms and leaning against the bedroom doorframe.

“I’m almost thirteen in two weeks,” she says when I start applying makeup. “Becky watches her brothers and they’re ten and eight, the same age as the demons.”

“Don’t call your brothers demons and Dad said no.”

She walks into the room and plops onto the bed. “He thinks I’m still a baby.”

“You are. You’re our baby.”

“Mom! Can’t you talk to him? He listens to you.”

“He already told you that you had to be sixteen before you babysit. Where are your brothers now?”

“Probably doing something stupid.”

“Vi.”

“Fine.” She gets off the bed. “I’ll go find them. Have fun on your date.”

She says the last sentence on a long sigh.

I’m changing into a pair of jeans when the door opens and Ford strolls in.

Even after all these years, one look at my handsome husband still makes my heart gallop in my chest.

His eyes light up when he sees me. “My sister is here. Need some help?”

“No.” I swat his hands away. “If you touch me, I’ll end up out of these clothes and not in them.”

“It’ll be a happier Valentine’s Day, though, right? It’s a day that’s all about the love.”

I laugh. “Hand me those shoes.” I hold onto his arm while I ease my foot into one, then the other.

Then I look up to find Ford looking at me. And he’s got that expression on his face that never fails to make my mouth go dry. I swallow.

He captures a strand of my hair between his fingers and smooths it behind my ear as he steps closer.

His lips brush the top of my ear.

“We could ask your sister to take the kids back to her house and stay in for the night,” I say, turning to find his lips.

He kisses me, then reluctantly steps back. “Hold that thought, but for now I want you to see something. Let’s go.”

In the living room, Ford’s sister Brooklyn greets me, then Violet happily announces her aunt is going to take them to town to pick up pizza.

At the word pizza Jaxon and Reid rush into the living room and dive onto the sofa, immediately calling out what kind they want.

“Shoes,” I say automatically, and both boys kick them off.

“We’ll be back late,” Ford says during the kids arguing about who gets to choose which toppings.

We walk outside and Ford leads to the way to the truck.

“Give me a clue where we’re going,” I say when he gets in.

He shakes his head as we drive away from the ranch.

I guess several different locations.

“Nope. Not even close,” Ford says miles later as he turns onto a backroad.

“The old mill?” I say once I realize where we are.

“Yep.” He drives carefully across the rebuilt bridge.

This was the place where Ford and I had our first kiss and spent our first night together. It was the beginning of everything.

“The owner is selling it. We can’t afford to buy it, but I did ask him if he minded if we came up here tonight.”

“He probably thought you were crazy to ask to be here on Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah, a little.”

Ford parks not far from the front door and shuts the engine.

I hop out, eager to see the place that changed the trajectory of my relationship with my husband. Here was where it went from a one-sided love to one of the happiest nights of my life.

Ford unlocks the door and swings it open.

There’s a small table decorated with flowers and battery-operated lanterns.

He walks over to it and then connects his phone to a speaker. A sweet love song begins to play.

“Wanna dance with a handsome cowboy?” he asks as he extends his hand.

“Only if it’s you,” I say.

“Baby, it’ll always be me.”

I go into his arms, and we dance until the last note ebbs away.

“I remember every second of how you looked that night,” he says in the stillness.

“I had water-logged hair and looked like a rabid raccoon the way my mascara smudged,” I say.

“Nah. You froze time because you’re so beautiful. I couldn’t move. Then when you took your clothes off, I swear I thought my knees were going to buckle.”

“I made you go weak at the knees?”

“Actually, I was going to get on my knees and thank the stars that you stripped down.”

I laugh. “You told me we’d be a mistake together.”

He kisses the side of my neck. “I was an idiot.”

I tip my throat up. “You said you wouldn’t touch me.”

“I was a big idiot.” He kisses my collarbone. “But I was trying to do the right thing.”

“Mm hm. And now?”

“Baby, you are the right thing to do, and I’ll show you what I mean.”

I twirl to the side, away from his hands. “I’m hungry.”

“Same. Let me show you how hungry.”

“Will you behave?” I mock scold him.

“Never.” I laugh. “That’s my cowboy.” He’s my not-so-secret Valentine anymore. The love of my life. The one who made all my dreams come true.