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.”
“I dated in high school, Dad. I’m not a relationship virgin.”
“Son, high school doesn’t count. You are living with Timberlynn. This is a relationship, not sex in the back of your truck and a trip to Sonic afterwards for dinner and a chocolate shake.”
Ty and Brock both laughed, and I shot them each a dirty look.
“You yourself said that this is the first time Timberlynn has been free to do what she wants. Now you’re asking her to set up shop in a place that isn’t hers.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. I knew he was right. Hell, Timberlynn and I were moving faster than fast, but it felt right.
“Fast is something we do in this family, Dad,” Brock said. “Look at how fast Lincoln and I went.”
“Lincoln was also pregnant and…”
Three sets of blue eyes looked at me. Ty and Brock suddenly seemed amused, and my father had a stern expression on his face. “Good Lord, tell me you haven’t gone and gotten the girl pregnant.”
I laughed. Only because now I could laugh. For a few weeks I did my fair share of silently freaking the fuck out until Timberlynn went to the doctor and got the all clear she wasn’t pregnant. She was now on birth control, though the doctor advised her to continue the condoms for at least a month. I even had the damn day marked in my phone when I could make love to her bareback again.
“Timberlynn