"My mom?"
"Yes, both of your parents. They brought some others, too. Your mom called and asked how certain I was that you'd go along with this."
"And what'd you tell her?" I asked.
"I told her she should come," he said. "I knew you wanted to. You had seemed serious when you said you wanted this."
"I was serious," I said. "I am serious. I don't feel scared or doubt one bit. Do you? Do you want this?"
He paused, and when he spoke, I could hear a smile in his voice. "No, I don't feel scared," he said. "And, yes, I want it. Of course I do. I can't wait."
"So, my parents are there? Who else?"
"Two of your aunts and a grandma. I think about eight people. Twenty total. Alex is here. And Judd."
"Oh, my goodness, I'm freaking out."
"In a good way?"
"Yesssss," I said in a dramatic, deep voice that made him laugh. "How's this supposed to go down?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding out of my chest.
"Your sister and I picked something for you to wear. It's in the barn. That's what this phone call was supposed to be about. I was just going to tell you I'm in the barn and that you should meet me in here. There's a dress. It's your style. You'll see it. It's beautiful, and it's comfortable enough for you to ride a horse."
"I’m riding a horse?" I asked.
"Well, everyone's waiting for us in the new building. I thought you'd want to take Candice and Snowball over there."
"Oh, my goodness, Henryyyyy," I moaned.
"Are you happy?" he asked.
"I'm the happiest I could ever be. I'm almost there. I'm on my last turn right up here. I'm going to be with you in like two minutes. Are you happy?" I asked.
"Of course I'm happy. I'm the one who set all this up. I can't wait for this."
"Oh, my goodness, Henry. I don’t even know what to say. I can't wait to see you. Okay, I'm hanging up. I’m turning into the ranch. I'll be there in one minute."
It was as if I were in a dream.
It was a good thing I didn't put myself in any danger because I was convinced I could not feel pain at the moment. It was like I was floating through the atmosphere since the moment Henry told me I was marrying him.
It was the best possible scenario.
I wanted to see him and marry him so bad that I went through the motions of finishing the trip to the barn as quickly as possible.
PJ was there, and he ran up to me while I was on my way to the barn. Henry let him greet me outside, and he waited for me in the doorway.
I paid PJ just enough attention to satisfy him, and instantly crossed to Henry. My man. He was such a man. I could not get to him quickly enough. I hadn't seen him in four months, but we talked every day. We were in love. We had been in a committed relationship the whole time I was away.
A lot of the feelings were familiar, but my body was reacting to him on a different level. I found myself leaning into him and letting my body mold to his in a way I'd never done before. He was holding me differently, too. His grasp was gentle but firm, and his body was fully against mine. Husband and wife things were going to happen with us, and we were both aware of it.
He was dressed nicely in slacks and a button-down shirt with a tie with a vest. He looked like the picture of a gentleman. His hair was combed away from his face, and I wanted to cry as I took him in.
"Merry Christmas," I said, even though it was still five days away.
"Merry Christmas, my love. PJ's got a Christmas surprise for you. He's going to ride with you."
"What?"
