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Cassidy’s mouth formed a perfect O "Is there a tub?" she whispered, like she was afraid there wouldn’t be

I grinned and tugged on her long hair "A big one"

"Really?!" She squealed and kissed me hard "Oh, I can’t wait to use it"

I couldn’t wait for her to see it She was already dreao into shock when she saw that monster

"I love the wraparound," she said drea we built Only added it because that night on the hill you said you wanted to live on a ranch one day and just sit on the porch during the evenings It was so hard not to tell you right then about the house, but I was going to take you the next day before everything happened with Tyler Now I’lad you didn’t see it before it was finished"

She didn’t say anything, just looked atthe words that she lovedoff her, and God, I loved her too

"Now all that’s left is to go pick out furniture and make it our home"

Cassidy’s face fell "What about all the furniture from the town home?"

I shook my head "I didn’t pay for that furniture Dad did, ’cause he was trying to helpout of the dorets all that stuff" Ah I wasn’t thrilled she was gonna live with a couple roommates off campus, I’d moved into an aparte, is th--" She stopped suddenly and looked down atto be our home? Here on the ranch?"

My heart skipped a beat I could have sworn she’d want this "Uh, that was the plan I built on the ranch for a reason I’d always planned on living here with my family And you, Cassidy, you’re my future I want a family with you"

Her eyes welled with tears and she did a face-plant onto ? Do you not like it here?"

She shook her head, but before I could feel like she’d killed my dream, she spoke up "You don’t understand Since we set foot on the ranch a year ago, all I’ve thought about was living here with you It’s all I want, Gage, and I was afraid I’d never get to"

I laughed once "Cassidy, you scared the shit outta "

"No, no I love it, I swear I do I just didn’t want to get too excited about it if you weren’t sure abouthere with you"

"I’m sure, trust me Cassidy, if this is what you want too, then this is our future This house, this ranchit’s yours"

"I want it! I want it so bad"

"I’? Afterward, we’ll get dressed, I’ll show you the rest of the house, and we’ll go back to thefirst?" she pleaded, leaning up on one arm to peer down at h talking to you about everything else if I’et that out of the way first"

I took a deep breath in and out, looked up at the skylights, and ran my hands over her back "I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at hi you have those feelings for hi and that had to be hard, and after all is said and done, you left hi back to o I told Connor not to contact you again, and I don’t want you contacting hiet about Detective Connor Green"

She nodded and pressed her lips softly to e Michael Carson"