Bryson was waiting on the tarmac of the private airstrip when the plane landed. It had been two days since he'd heard Milo's voice. Two long days and Bryson could barely contain the excitement grabbing hold of him.

His mate and child were on that plane.

A child he had yet to meet.

Harland, Clayton, and Jed were there, along with Sparrow, as the plane touched down. Jed squeezed Bryson's shoulder and smiled. "They're finally here."

Bryson's throat constricted as he nodded. He felt light on his feet as his pulse raced and adrenaline coursed through him. The smile on his face was from ear to ear as he watched the plane come to a stop.

A burst of laughter ripped from his chest as he hurried over to meet his mate and child. The door opened and the steps descended.

The first to exit were three men Bryson had never seen before. They were in all-black fatigues, strapped to the teeth with weapons. They resembled warriors, men of action. He'd seen people like that before when he was in the military. These men wore the same looks as the men in the Special Forces. They were tough as nails and hardcore to their bones.

Bryson ran his sweaty palms down the front of his jeans as he stood there in anticipation. His eyes widened and his grin grew as Milo stepped into view, cuddling a small bundle to his chest. Bryson raced up the steps, pulling Milo into his arms, careful of the infant between them.

Milo began to shake in his arms as he openly wept. Bryson held onto him tightly, swearing to himself that he would never let the man go.

That was until he heard his child's cry.

Bryson backed up just a hair as he stared down into amazing green eyes.

Milo chuckled and sobbed at the same time as he handed the bundle over to Bryson. "I think it's time you met your daughter."

Bryson's hands shook as he pulled her into his arms. Tears trickled down his face unchecked as he ran a knuckle over her soft, cherubic cheek. "Hello, beautiful."

He wrapped his free arm around Milo, tucking the man's red head under his chin and kissing his mate's hair. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

Milo took in a ragged breath as he pulled his head back and glanced up at Bryson. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Bryson's throaty laughter was filled with joy as he kissed Milo on the lips, inhaling his familiar scent.

Someone cleared his throat behind Milo. "Congratulations."

Milo turned and smiled at the man. "This is T-Rex. He delivered our daughter."

Bryson reached out and gave the man's hand a hearty shake. "I'm indebted to you."

T-Rex smiled. "I'm not even going to ask how this is possible. But I do have to say that you have a beautiful daughter."

"Thank you," Bryson replied before he turned and led Milo down the steps. The men who had rescued Milo were off talking with Sparrow. Harland, Clayton, and Jed surrounded Bryson.

"Well?" Harland said. "Boy or girl?"

"Meet my princess," Bryson said with pride as he turned his daughter so the other men could see her. His arm never left Milo's shoulder, giving it light squeezes as he continued to kiss Milo on his head.

Bryson was also indebted to Sparrow. There was no way he could ever repay the man for what he had done for not only Bryson, but Milo as well.

"My mom is going to flip," Harland said. "She's as cute as a button. What's her name?"

Bryson glanced at Milo. He hadn't a clue. Bryson hadn't even known that Milo was pregnant.

"Willow," Milo replied. "I used to listen to the sound of the willows blowing in the breeze at night and that was the only thing that kept me calm, kept me sane."

Bryson handed Willow off to Jed before he turned and pulled Milo fully into his arms. He hugged the man tightly as he whispered, "I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner. On my life I swear that you'll never be taken from me again."

Milo melded into Bryson's body, his arms wrapping around Bryson tightly as he nodded. He could feel a slight tremor and knew that Milo was once again crying. Bryson pressed his lips against Milo's temple, thankful that his mate had made it home safely.

"Don't cry, baby. It's breaking my heart. You're safe. I swear." Bryson ran his hand up and down Milo's back as he slightly rocked the man until Milo's body finally relaxed.

"I love you." Milo breathed the words into Bryson's chest. "I love you so much that it hurts."

Bryson felt dizzy at Milo's confession. He wanted to shout with joy that Milo was his. "Aw, sweetheart. You have no idea just how much I love you."

He hated to let the man go, but knew that they needed to get moving. Before he could whisk Milo into the truck, Clayton stopped Bryson's mate. "I'm sorry about being so terse with you on the phone."

Milo shook his head as he smiled. "I've had a long time to think about everything. I know you were just looking out for Bryson. After what I've been through, I think I can forgive you."

Clayton chuckled as he gave Milo a quick hug. "Congratulations on your daughter."

"Thanks," Milo said. "I just want a long hot bath and to sleep for days."

"Oh," Clayton said as he released Milo. "I'm pretty sure Bryson is going to take care of all your needs." Clayton winked at Bryson before he turned and climbed into the truck.

Jed handed Willow back to Milo as he gave Milo a quick kiss on the temple. "Congratulations, honey."

Bryson kept Milo glued to his side as he cradled his daughter in his arms on their drive home. He was still in wonderment as they pulled into the long, winding driveway. Bryson couldn't believe that he had a daughter.

He still couldn't believe that Milo was his mate.

Renee burst from the front door, her arms extended as Bryson and Milo walked up the steps. "Boy or girl?" she asked excitedly.

"Her name is Willow," Bryson announced proudly.

"A girl!" Renee seized the baby from Bryson. "She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Do you mind keeping her for a little bit while I get Milo settled in?" Bryson asked.

"There's no need to ask!" Renee turned on her feet and walked inside, cooing to Willow. Dresden, Noah, and Josh welcomed Milo home before Bryson led his mate upstairs where he drew a hot bath for the weary-looking man.

Bryson had a million questions for Milo. For starters, had he been treated well? Had anyone hurt him? How had he lived in another country, in a hut, for three months with no running water and other essentials? But most of all, how was Milo's mental state?

Bryson didn't want to push the man if his mate wasn't ready to talk about it. Milo hadn't said much on the way home and his features were a bit sunken.

Before Milo headed into the bathroom, Bryson buried his face in his mate's hair. "If-" He swallowed roughly. "If there is anything you need, anything at all, you'll let me know, right?"

The doctor was coming by later to check on Milo and Willow to ensure both were healthy. Bryson sucked in several steadying breaths before letting Milo go.

Milo gave him a wobbly smile. "I just need a hot bath and some rest."

Bryson had Milo back and he'd kill Quinn if the man ever came near Bryson's mate again. Too bad he hadn't gotten the chance to do so already.

But if he ever came face-to-face with Quinn, Bryson was going to tear the man apart.

Chapter Nine.

Milo eased into the bathtub and pulled his legs to his chest, curling his arms around them. He was thankful that he hadn't gone insane in that dark and desolate place. But he hadn't come away totally unscathed.

Much of what he'd experienced was better left forgotten. Ethan hadn't harmed him, but Milo couldn't say the same for his captors. There were nights when they beat him to a bloody pulp just for being the son of a very rich American.

They had taunted him, calling him names, threatening worse if he ever told his father what was really going on. But after the initial drop-off, Milo had never seen Quinn again.

His breath caught in his throat as he began to tremble. His nerve endings felt like they were firing in random succession. An endless staccato of agony barreled through his veins. Milo sucked in air through his nose, his nostrils flaring with the effort.

He had never been good enough for Quinn. He didn't belong on this ranch with these nice people. And by now, all of Milo's things would have been thrown out at the trailer Park.

But you belong with Bryson.

Did he, or had he convinced himself of that over the past three months just to stop himself from going insane? Milo was having a hard time deciding what was real and what he'd made himself believe in order to survive his captivity.

When the bathroom door clicked open, Milo turned his head toward the wall and rested his cheek on his bent knees. He concentrated on each breath. In and out. After a minute or two, the tightness in his chest eased and he began to relax. He turned to look at the man whose face Milo had held onto for so many months.

Bryson knelt by the tub, folding his arms over the edge. "You're not alone," Bryson said as he picked up the sponge that had been floating in the water and smoothed it over Milo's back.

Bryson was being tender with him, so reverent that it brought tears to Milo's eyes. "Then why do I feel that way?"

Milo inhaled swiftly when Bryson pulled him into a hug. The man's body trembled against him. Bryson's shoulders heaved, and Milo thought the man might be crying, but he was afraid to look up, afraid of losing his own tenuous grip on his emotions. If Bryson broke down in front of him, Milo would simply shatter.

"Do you know how many nights I laid awake and dreamt of just holding you?" Bryson asked, still keeping Milo close. Milo laid his head on Bryson's chest, listening to Bryson's heartbeat thump against his ear. The sound was soothing, calming.

Milo had dreamt the same thing. He used to hug himself at night, pretending his arms were Bryson's. "I've missed you so much," Milo confessed.

His soul felt tattered, worn down. But as Bryson held him, Milo could feel a part of himself healing. Bryson pulled back and brushed the pad of his thumb over Milo's cheek.

"Whatever it takes, whatever you need, I'm here for you. Just"-Bryson glanced down toward the bathwater-"don't shut me out. I lost you for three months, lost out on so much. I don't want to lose you while you're right here next to me."

Bryson looked so vulnerable in that moment that it tore at Milo's heart. "I don't want to be lost," he said.

The water had cooled and Milo began to shiver a little. Bryson dipped his head and placed a gentle kiss on Milo's lips before he bathed Milo and then pulled him from the tub. Bryson wrapped a towel around Milo and carried him to the bed.

Once settled, Bryce curled himself around Milo. The man just held him, running his hand up and down Milo's arm in a leisurely manner as the sun began to cast shadows over the room.

Milo wanted Willow back in his arms, but he was so tired that his lids began to drift down. Bryson was making a soothing noise in the back of his throat, a sound that lulled Milo to sleep. For the first time in months, Milo finally felt safe.

Bryson cradled Willow over his shoulder as Elyse rubbed her body across his leg. Over the past eight weeks, Milo had slowly begun to heal. He no longer woke up screaming, and he was integrating himself into the family more and more. Bryson knew Milo wouldn't recover overnight from what he'd been through. The healing process was slow, but it was happening and he couldn't be happier with Milo's determination to put the event behind him.

"Why won't you tell me where we're going?" Milo asked as he exited the bathroom, nearly tripping over one of Elyse's kittens.

"Just don't take much longer," Bryson said. "I'm going downstairs to find Renee."

Renee had agreed to watch Willow while Bryson took his mate on a much-needed outing. Although Bryson adored his daughter, he was getting a bit antsy to spend some time alone with his mate.

Bryson was dressed in his badass biker getup, knowing how much Milo loved to see him like this. He'd talked Sparrow into letting him use his bike once more. The sheriff told Bryson that he should consider buying one of his own.

And he was.

Just not right now.

Bryson walked into a living room filled with munchkins watching some kids' movie. He tiptoed through, knowing how rare it was for all of them to be quiet at the same time.

Renee lifted her arms, smiling at Bryson as he handed Willow off to her.

"Thanks," he mouthed before he crept out the front door where the Harley was sitting, shiny and ready to be ridden. Bryson straddled the bike and slipped his sunglasses into place as Milo walked onto the porch.

The smile on Milo's face spread as he gazed at Bryson. "What a nice bike," Milo said. "Yours?"

"I borrowed it from a friend of mine," Bryson admitted. He loved the fact that Milo remembered their conversation the first time they had gone riding.

"Then let's go for a ride."

The man kneed Bryson in the back as he mounted. Bryson chuckled to himself. Some things never changed. Well, some did. Milo held him tighter, resting his cheek on Bryson's back. Instead of holding his hands over Bryson's chest as he had done the first time, Milo now held Bryson around the waist, closer to his cock.

Bryson pulled from the drive and headed up into the mountains, taking Milo back to the abandoned house they'd visited once before. As the bike roared down the paved road, he could hear the contented sighs Milo was making the entire way. It did Bryson's heart good to know the old Milo was slowly coming back, emerging from the shadowy form he had lived in for the past two months.

Bryson found the dirt road he was looking for. It wound up into a thick forest, just as he remembered. He heard a soft laugh behind him, as if Milo was pleased they'd returned here.

He parked the bike on the side of the house and both just sat there for a moment, soaking in the view.

"It's still as beautiful as ever," Milo said as he dismounted.

His red hair was windblown, making Milo look like a wood nymph that had strayed from the forest. Bryson gazed at his mate, mesmerized at how much he loved the guy and how blessed he was to have a second chance.

He dismounted, shoving his glasses on top of his bandana-clad head. Bryson stood beside Milo, appreciating the view. But he wasn't looking over Bear County. He was staring at the most stunning man to ever walk the earth.

He turned back to the bike and pulled a blanket from the saddle bag, something he'd placed in there before announcing their little trip.

Milo blushed as he bit his lower lip. "And what is that for?"

"So you can give me more." Bryson winked at his mate, hoping he wasn't pushing Milo to do more than he was ready for. They hadn't had sex since Milo's return, and that was fine with Bryson. He knew Milo had needed the time to heal emotionally.