and held on tight as his arms wrapped around her. “You’re never going to lose me.” He kissed her on the head. “That’s twice we’ve broken up and I didn’t even know about it until it was too late.”
She leaned back and smiled up at him.
He stared down at her and traced his fingers down the side of her face, his eyes filled with a mix of deep emotions she couldn’t name. “It could have been you he pushed off that bridge.”
A cold chill ran up her spine. She couldn’t deny it.
Clint had to be out of his mind. Unstable. Volatile. Unafraid to do whatever he thought needed to be done to get what he wanted.
The chilling realization only made her believe even more that life was short and she didn’t want to miss anything.
“What are we waiting for, Tate?”
He leaned down and pressed a soft, tempting kiss on her lips that had her rising on tiptoe to get closer as he pulled back and stared deep into her eyes. “Pack a bag. Come home with me. It’s not safe here for you right now. And I need you with me. I know I was too stupid to see how much you mean to me, but now that I know, I can’t lose you. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“Not stupid, just a whole lot of stubborn.” She smiled up at him, hoping teasing him took the edge off.
The rumble of his chuckle vibrated against her belly pressed to his. “Thank God you’re just as stubborn and held out for me to come around and realize everything I ever wanted was right in front of me.”
Tears filled her eyes.
Tate’s hand pressed to her cheek. “Don’t cry. I don’t think I can take it.”
“They’re happy tears. I love you.”
He swooped in for a passionate kiss that left her breathless and clinging to him. He didn’t say the words back to her, but the kiss showed her the depth of feeling inside him.
His tongue swept over hers one last time before he held his lips pressed to hers for a long moment. He broke the kiss and stared right into her eyes. “It’s like a switch flipped inside me when I realized I could have lost you forever today. It started at the bar when I saw you with him and I knew you’d shut me out because you wanted someone else. Declan asked the question, but I knew I loved you. Of course I loved you all these years. But I want you to know I really love you. The kind of love that includes rings and vows and a home we share and waking up with you by my side, just like you’ve been by my side practically my whole life.”
This time, the tears spilled over and down her cheeks. “I told you when we were five I’d marry you.”
He brushed away the tears with his thumbs. “I should have listened. You’re always right. And you’re right about that.” He kissed her again, but this time it felt like a promise. “Go pack a bag. Stay with me until we know for sure you’re safe. I want to wake up to you in my bed where you belong and I’ve wanted you far too long.”
The look in his eyes told her he was all in. He loved her. Knowing that erased the sorrow in her heart and fear from this day and shined a bright light on their future.
She couldn’t wait to make her kindergarten prophecy come true.
But first, she needed to stay out of Clint’s reach because he was a real threat to the future she wanted with Tate. A few days out at the ranch with Tate while the detective built a case against Clint and hopefully arrested him sounded like heaven.
She’d planted the seed of their life together years ago. Tonight, they’d take the first real step into their shared future.
Chapter Seventeen
Tate checked the rearview mirror for the hundredth time since leaving Liz’s place. Her car turned into the ranch driveway behind his truck. He watched the road behind her to be sure no one followed them.
Paranoid? Hell yeah.
Clint killed someone.
Unlike the cops, Tate didn’t need the evidence to pin that on Clint. Fear that he’d come after Liz next drove Tate to keep her close and protect her.
Liz could be stubborn and independent. She fought for what she believed in and worked hard to achieve the things she wanted. He admired her for her persistence and