Annie And The Cowboy (Western Night Series 3) by Rosie Harper

moved on top of her, parting her thighs so he could enter her slowly, and smoothly. He felt her gasp, and saw her face crinkle with pain. “I’ll be so gentle,” he assured her.
    “I know, it has passed,” she said, her voice filled with wonder and amazement. He eased inside her gently and she enveloped him fully as if they had been made perfectly for one another.  She pushed up towards him impatiently. He increased his rhythm, and soon he was lost in the sensation of moving together as one, lost inside one another. Her face was lost in passionate abandon. He kissed her, she bit at his lip and suckled at his tongue. He felt himself about to lose all control, but realised as he felt her contract around him that she was too. She began to pant, and he let himself go. “David, I love you,” she cried out as their climax came in perfect harmony.
    “I love you more than anything you little minx,” he said playfully as he shifted over onto his side, and gazed adoringly at her satiated face. “Now, we need to set a date before you take advantage of me again!”

 
    Epilogue
     
    Annie sat on the porch of their new home. The ranch was only small, but it had enough land to raise pigs, and have a small herd of dairy cows. It was what they both knew best, and both in their hearts loved most. David had decided to come clean, to tell his story to their closest friends, but he would always be Ted to them all. He didn’t mind one bit. Ted had a new life, one that was full of love and hope. He had handed his notice into Mariette, had helped her to find a new printer. But he hadn’t been able to give up his passion to put right the wrongs in the world, and he wrote articles for her still. But most of his time was spent here, on their farm.
    Their wedding had been planned as a small and intimate affair, but Mariette, in her usual generous manner, had decided to ensure that they had the wedding she thought they deserved. She had taken Annie off to her dressmaker in Dallas, and they had returned with a beautiful cream gown that showed off the warmth of Annie’s creamy skin, and the richness of her chestnut curls. It had been adorned with hundreds of tiny seed pearls, and was quite the most expensive thing she had ever owned. David had for a moment felt guilty that he had not been the one to buy her such a luxury, but he knew Mariette thought little of the money. For her it was about showing her love.
    He walked up the steps onto the porch and moved towards his beloved wife. She put her finger to her lips, quietly shushing him as she continued to rock the cradle with her foot. He knelt by her side and gazed at the perfect baby boy, wrapped up warmly against the cool air. He had no clue what he had done to deserve to have such perfection in his life. He knew he was so very blessed, so very lucky that Annie had forgiven him. With her help he had even begun to come close to forgiving himself, and that was the biggest miracle of all.
    Annie looked at her husband. Though she had been the one to lose her Mammy all those years ago, she had only lost the shell that had held her. Her thoughts, her words of wisdom had all stayed in Annie. As she moved through the days, she knew that she had always been the lucky one. Poor David had been plagued with fear and doubts for too long. But he was finally becoming whole once more, and she was so happy for him.
    “Hey darling’” her Daddy’s voice called from inside the house. “Can you get the door for me?”
    “Sure Michael,” David said as he moved to the screen door and opened it. A sober and clean Michael walked through the door carrying a large cake.
    “Is our little boy all ready?” he asked excitedly.
    “He’s fast asleep Daddy,” Annie said as her brothers and their wives, Katie and Brandon, then Margaret joined them on the porch. “And David’s family aren’t here yet either.”
    “Mariette did say she would pick them up from the station,” David said with a mischievous