She laughs as she takes off for the hotel bathroom squealing. Thirty minutes later we’re both wrapped in the hotel robes,laying on the bed cuddling and reminiscing on our vacation.
“This week was perfect. It’s been years since I’ve taken a vacation that lasted longer than a weekend.”
She nods against my chest. “It really was great to have this time away. Life has been so hectic since I took over Louis’ business and now that I have a few employees, I feel like I can finally breathe again. Can you believe it’s been six years since we first met that night at the bar?”
“You know that first night that I saw you sneaking behind Baxter’s to check on the kittens, I thought you might have been going back there to pee.”
“Ew, and you followed me? Perv,” she says jokingly.
I laugh, “I wanted to make sure you were ok, but I’m not sure what I’d have done if I found you back there pissing. When I realized it was about kittens, I fell hard for you. And I have a confession.”
“What’s that?” she asks, turning towards me.
“One night a few weeks after you left for school in Houston, I slept with the pool house door open. It was so hot, and the power had cut out from another intense storm. That night, the light gray kitten crawled into bed with me. At first, I was annoyed because she always wanted to sleep right on my shoulder and her tiny claws hurt, but then I remembered what you said and let her stay. For months after you were gone, she slept right there on my shoulder every single night. Honestly, it was nice having her in bed with me. She kept me from bringing women home. Every time I got close to taking someone back to the pool house for a hook up, I thought about little Teagan, the kitten, back home waiting for me and, in a way, cock-blocking me.”
Teagan throws her head back in laughter. “Oh my gosh. That’s hilarious. The kitten version of me was keeping you celibate.”
“It just felt right to name her Teagan after all of that.”
She smiles. “I love that story.”
“After a few months of sharing my bed with me she finally realized that Willow would let her do anything including eat human food, so she ditched me.”
She smiles.
“Look,” I pull her closer to my chest, my fingers stroking the bare skin on her back lovingly. “I know we’ve only been together for a few months now, but it sure feels like I’ve known you for those full six years that we were apart, trying to figure out our life. I think you’re the most incredible, generous, and loving woman that I’ve ever met. Willow adores you, too. How do you feel about joining Ashwood ranch permanently and becoming the next Cameron in our family?”
She smiles and kisses my lips. “Are you asking me what I think you are?”
I nod as I reach into the pocket of my fluffy rope and pull out a tiny wooden box with her initials carved into it. “I asked Riley for her blessing before I dropped Willow off in Austin.”
Teagan’s eyes fill with tears as she listens.
“And what did she say?”
“She gave it to me and said you deserve to be loved and cherished for the rest of your life. She also said that if we want to give her another sibling, she’d like that too. Willow agrees.”
Teagan laughs easily. Her smile fills her whole face, and I think to myself, I’ve never seen her this happy, but I intend on keeping her this way for the rest of her life. “Well then, I guess there’s my answer. I love you, Wilder Cameron. Yes, I’ll marry you. You want to get started on that sibling now?”
“Cowgirl, you don’t have to ask me twice…”
THE END
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