"No. I told them to go to hell and they cut me off. I want nothing to do with those toxic people. You're it for me. You're my everything. You, Brax, Austin and Ellie, you're my family now."

I caressed her back and took a moment for the anger to dissipate. "You're my everything too, darlin’ and you're perfect the way you are. Those people never deserved you. Maybe I don’t either, but I’ll spend every waking moment making sure you know how special you are." I dropped a kiss on her forehead and ran my hand in lazy circles on her back. "I'll never let anyone make you feel that way ever again. There's not a goddamn thing about you that I don't love, ‘Melia. I was wrong about you being a city girl. This is where you belong. You’re a country girl through and through. You fit here, darlin’. You fit me."

She pulled her face away from my chest. Her satisfied eyes smiled at me in pure contentment. "And I promise no more secrets. If we are going to do this, everything has to be shared, no secrets, no fears, no regrets."

Destry and I cleaned up, our eyes never leaving each other and our hands touching each other whenever possible. I was so damn in love with this man. Grabbing my hand tightly in his, Destry pulled me out of the barn and we walked hand in hand toward the house.

“You done drinking up a storm, cowboy?” I asked, the question hanging on my lips.

He stopped walking and pulled me into his chest, my hand landing on his muscled stomach. “You gonna move in with me?” he asked with a small smile and a need flickering in his gray-blue eyes.

I stared up at him and laughed. “Well, my place was about to get crowded anyways. Ellie decided she wants to move in there.”

I watched him closely as I announced the news. I knew how much he adored his little sister, and this would be massive for him to get his head around. His eyes widened and I heard the hitch in his voice as he spoke, “When was this decided?”

I stood on my tiptoes and grazed his lips with mine, offering him comfort. “She will be safe, and it’s time for her to have her own space. She is a young woman, but she will always be your little girl.”

“You do realize I’ll be over there all the time.”

“She knows that.”

He looked at me in a way I’d never seen before. His eyes flashed with recognition and something else, maybe hope, maybe new beginnings. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me even closer to his chest. “Ellie can have your place, as long as you come and live in sin with me.”

“Mhmm, how am I meant to reject an offer like that, cowboy?” I mumbled against his mouth when I bought his face back to mine. “I think I like your particular flavor of sin,” I told him with a smirk.

He palmed my ass and pulled our bodies flush, grinding his hips into mine. “Cherry,” he laughed. “Cherry’s the only flavor I need.”

“Let’s get inside and get this done so I can show you how many times I can sin in a night.” I pulled him up the stairs towards the house, loving his throaty chuckle as we went. The house was unusually quiet; there was always noise in this house. For a moment, I thought everyone had left; that was until we stepped into the living room and were met with three sets of curious eyes staring expectantly at us.

“‘Bout fucking time you two sorted your shit out,” Austin drawled, stretching his long legs out in front of him when he leaned back on the sofa, hands behind his head and a big shit-eating grin on his face.

“Don’t be a douche,” Ellie chastised him from her spot on the arm of Braxton’s chair. I looked around, knowing in my heart I was where I wanted to be. This place, and the people in it, had healed the brokenness inside me. I’d found my true self here right alongside Destry and his family. It felt like home. A real home.

Destry flicked his head to the kitchen, silently indicating Ellie should come with him. “I’ll be right back, darlin’,” he whispered in my ear, leaving a small kiss at the edge of my shoulder before he let my hand go and followed Ellie out of the room. I loved how close those two were; he really was so much more than a big brother. He was their rock and he’d move mountains for them.

“So should I start calling you sister yet?” Austin laughed from beside me as I flopped onto the couch. He nudged his elbow against my ribs. “In all seriousness, I am glad you two sorted this out. He hasn’t been the same.”

“I’m happy too.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes for a moment, absolutely worn out from the panicked drive over to the ranch.

“Well, I’m going to head out. Got some stuff I’ve got to do in town,” Braxton’s deep voice echoed from across the room. My eyes shot up and I looked at him questioningly. I had noticed a change in Brax over the past few weeks. He had suddenly been disappearing at random times. Austin told me he’d missed a couple of family dinners, which was so unlike him and Ellie had told me he had been moody all the time. “It’s good to see you smiling again, ‘Melia.”

He kissed my forehead and left without another word. Turning in my seat, I looked at Austin who simply shrugged his shoulder; he was as clueless as I was.

Destry wandered back in not long afterward and found me snuggled up under a blanket with my head on Austin’s lap watching a movie. “You trying to steal my girl already?” Destry laughed and stopped in front of me dropping a kiss on my forehead.

Austin gently moved my head and stood up stretching out his arms. “All yours buddy. I adore this pretty girl, but we’ve all seen what an asshole you turn into without her.”