Amy felt tears prick at her eyes. She was finally, truly free.
The families began to disperse, moving inside for the lunch Sadie and the other wives had been preparing. Conversations flowed around Amy—plans for returning to South Carolina, discussions about ranch work that had been neglected, laughter and relief that came with the end of a long journey.
Amy remained standing at the porch railing with Nash, looking out over the land where the gold had been hidden for so long. The rolling hills stretched endlessly toward the mountains, peaceful and beautiful in a way that made her understand why the Cross family had fought so hard to protect this place.
“It’s beautiful here,” she said softly, leaning into Nash’s warmth.
“It is,” he agreed, but when she looked up, his eyes were on her face instead of the landscape.
“I can’t believe it’s really over,” Amy continued, still processing the magnitude of what had happened. “No more running. No more hiding. No more?—”
“Amy,” Nash interrupted gently, his voice carrying a strange quality that made her turn to face him fully.
“What?” she asked. Then her breath caught as Nash stepped away from her and slowly, deliberately, dropped to one knee on the weathered porch boards.
Around them, conversation gradually died as family members noticed what was happening. Amy heard Cheyenne’s sharp intake of breath, saw Porter and Sadie exchange knowing smiles from the corner of her eye.
Her heart raced.
He pulled out a small velvet box, his blue eyes never leaving her face. “Amy Emma Roberts,” he said, his voice steady despitethe emotion she could see in his expression, “will you marry me?”
Amy’s hands flew to her mouth as he opened the box, revealing a simple, elegant ring that caught the morning sunlight and threw it back in brilliant sparkles. It was perfect—classic and timeless, exactly what she would have chosen if she’d dared to dream of this moment.
“Nash,” she whispered, tears already streaming down her cheeks.
“I know it’s fast,” he continued, still on one knee, still looking at her with those impossibly blue eyes. “I know we’ve only had a few days together after eight years apart. But Amy, I’ve loved you since we were seventeen years old. I loved you through every day you were gone, and I love you more now than I ever thought possible.”
Around them, she was dimly aware of the families gathering, drawn by the magnitude of the moment. But all she could see was Nash, this extraordinary man who had risked everything to save her, who had shown her what love really meant.
“I love you too,” she said, the words coming easily now, naturally, like breathing. “I’ve loved you since prom night, and I never stopped, not even when I thought I’d never see you again.”
Nash’s smile was radiant, transforming his face with pure joy. “Is that a yes?”
Amy laughed through her tears, throwing her arms around his neck as he stood up. “Yes! Yes, of course, yes!”
Nash spun her around on the porch as applause erupted from both families. When he set her down, he slipped the ring onto her finger with hands that shook slightly with emotion. It fit perfectly, as if it had been waiting for her all along.
“How long have you been planning this?” Amy asked, admiring the way the ring caught the light.
Nash grinned sheepishly. “Since yesterday morning, when I realized I could have lost you forever. I called the jewelry store in Cross Creek and had them rush it over.”
Amy kissed him then, pouring all her love and joy and gratitude into the contact. Around them, the Cross and Stone families cheered and laughed and cried, celebrating not just an engagement but the end of a journey that had brought them all together.
When they finally broke apart, Amy looked around at the faces surrounding them—Porter and Sadie beaming with pride, Cheyenne crying happy tears, Colt and Chance grinning like fools. The Stone family looked equally delighted, as if Nash and Amy’s happiness was their own.
“Welcome to the family,” Porter said, pulling Amy into a bear hug that lifted her feet off the ground. “Officially, this time.”
Each person took a turn hugging her.
Amy was overwhelmed by the love and acceptance radiating from every person on the porch. She’d spent eight years believing she’d lost her family forever, but she’d been wrong. She hadn’t lost them—she’d just had to travel a longer road to find them.
As Nash slipped his arm around her waist and the families began talking excitedly about wedding plans and celebrations, Amy looked out over the Montana landscape one more time. The helicopters were gone, the gold was gone, the danger was gone.
But love remained. Family remained. Hope remained.
CHAPTER 32
Nash adjusted his tie for the third time, his hands uncharacteristically nervous as he stood in the ranch house bathroom. Through the window, he could see the transformation that had taken place over the past three days—Cross Creek Ranch had been turned into something that belonged in a fairy tale.
