So many things to see, so many things to do.

I want to stay in your arms,

And never let go.

My gray-eyed cowboy, I want to know. (Please tell me)

Your heart may never be tamed,

But I am not afraid.

Will you love me if I leave, will you love me if I stay.

Dear gray-eyed cowboy, please show me the way.

You may love me now, but can you promise me forever.

If there’s one thing I can say,

It would be this . . .

I promise to love you, I promise to stay.

Never again will I leave you.

My heart is yours, your heart is mine.

My gray-eyed cowboy, thank you for showing me the way.

The whole room was silent. A tear fell down my cheek and I wiped it away quickly before turning my gaze to the crowd. I didn’t know what to do or what to say, so I sat there waiting, as if I was on trial. I guess I kind of was. No one had ever heard the song before and now my fate rested on what the audience thought of it.

They jumped to their feet in applause, screaming and hollering my name, and I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Wow,” Helen exclaimed, “That was amazing. I could feel your emotions in it. I know that’s what we all love about your music. You put so much heart and soul into it.”

“Thanks. I like to write music about the people I care about. It makes it special.”

Helen smiled and gazed out at the crowd. “I know I’m not the only one who can’t wait to hear more. Why don’t we make things a little more interesting and bring out this gray-eyed cowboy? What do you say people?”

The audience went crazy, clapping their hands and whistling. Eyes wide, I turned to Blake, knowing he was going to hate coming out there. Instead, he winked at me as one of the producers hooked a microphone to his button down shirt. What was going on?

He walked out on stage and waved at everyone as he took the seat beside me. Leaning over, he kissed me and whispered over the loud applause, “Love the song. Thank you for singing it to me. You need to do it more often.” He put his arm around me and I snuggled into his side.

“I will,” I murmured, winking up at him.

Helen reached over and shook his hand. “Blake Evans, it’s good to have you on the show. I know a lot of people in the world want to meet Hadley’s hero, or better yet, her gray-eyed cowboy. Where’s your boots?”

“Soon to be burning in a fire the second we get home,” he joked. “I think I need to get Hadley a pair to wear at her next concert.”

I snorted. “Don’t think so.”

The crowd laughed and Helen giggled. “That’d be pretty epic. But Blake, I know the world’s been dying to ask you this question.” She glanced out at the crowd and then back to him. “How did you even think to go searching for Hadley? What made you think she wasn’t dead?”

His arm tensed around me as he went into detail about hearing of my death, and the struggle he endured thinking I was gone forever. Over the next five minutes, he answered questions about the mission to find me, how he was dealing with the paparazzi, and even more questions about his boots. The crowd adored him. But how could they not?

The show was about to be over and I couldn’t wait to get off stage and head back home. Blake and I hadn’t been back to Wyoming at all since the rescue.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a few minutes left and I do believe Blake has something he’d like to say.” She looked at him and he acknowledged her with a nod.

This was a surprise to me.

The stage lights brightened, and the lights over the audience dimmed. Blake stood, then got down on one knee. Gasps erupted from the women in the audience.

I clasped a hand over my mouth. “What are you doing?”

Felicity came out, handing him a small black box, winking at me before scampering away.

Blake squeezed my hands, his gray eyes swirling with raw emotion. “The day you showed up on my doorstep, I took one look at you and knew you were going to be trouble.” Snickers could be heard from the audience and I smiled.

“I didn’t want to care about you, but you made it impossible. I fell in love with you, knowing you could never be happy with a guy like me, or at least I thought you couldn’t. That’s why I’m here today, in front of all these people and the world, to ask you two questions.” Lifting my hand, he kissed it gently, his gray gaze never swaying from mine. “First, do you think you could be happy with a guy like me?”

Lips trembling, I nodded vigorously. “Yes,” I whispered.

“That leaves just one more question.” Taking a deep breath, he blew it out and opened the box.

“Oh my God,” I cried. Warm tears fell down my cheeks. It wasn’t just any diamond ring in that box . . . it was my mother’s.

He pulled it out and held it up in the air. “I promise from today on to protect you, body and soul. I won’t be happy until I know you’re mine for the rest of my life. So, with that . . . Hadley Rivers, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Yes,” I burst out. “Yes, oh my God, yes.”

Beaming, his eyes lit up as he placed the ring on my finger and lifted me in his arms. The crowd exploded into cheers and applause. “That was fast. You sure you don’t need to think about it?” he teased.

I shook my head. “You’re all I want, Blake Evans. There’s no thinking twice. The real question is, will you be happy with me, with my life?”

He kissed me again. “As long as I have you, I’ll let nothing come between us.”

“Promise?”

“On my life.”

Hadley

Eight Months Later

Belonging to a small community was better than I thought it would be. When everyone around Jackson Hole first realized who I was, it was a little crazy, but now they treated me just like everyone else. I didn’t have to worry about walking down the street and having a gazillion people trying to chase me down for autographs. However, a lot of that was probably due to Blake always being with me.

“Do I have to be blindfolded?” I asked. For months, Blake had had contractors and builders out at our house, designing and constructing a separate house of sorts. It was almost like a small version of his ranch, just enough room for maybe two bedrooms. I had no clue what was going in there or what it was for. Today was reveal day. “You’re not going to invite my dad to live here are you?”

Chuckling, Blake guided me through the door. “Fuck that shit. I might be impressed with how he’s butted out of your life, but I don’t want the man living here. This is our space.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I love him to death, but I don’t want him living here either.” It took a few months for our relationship to get back on track, but I was glad to have him back in my life. He was trying hard to make up for what he did.

“Are you ready to see your surprise?”

“Yes,” I squealed, jumping up and down. Blake took off the blindfold and I gasped. I stood in the living room and gazed around. “It’s so beautiful, Blake.” There was a kitchen off to the right and a set of stairs to the left. “But, what is it for?”

Taking my hand, he walked me through the house. “Now that you’re here with me full-time, I know you still have work to do and people you want to see. If your dad, Felicity, or anyone else wants to visit, they can stay out here, away from us. But that’s not the real reason either.” There was a closed door down the hall and he stopped in front of it. “This room is for you.” He opened the door and I froze in awe.