“Wow. I’m your favorite, huh? What did I do to deserve that title? Was it my charm? My good looks? My great ass?”
Archie groans. “Jesus, Dallas, I don’t want to hear about your ass. I just figured since you’re sleeping with my sister now, I should try to have a good relationship with you.”
I flop down on the love seat that’s more uncomfortable than the couch I was sleeping on at my place. “To that end, maybe this’ll help.” I rub the back of my neck, feeling all kinds of awkward. I’m used to joking my way out of everything. This feels…important. I can’t get it wrong. “I, uh, want to propose to Shelby.”
There’s a beat or two of silence. “Didn’t you already put a ring on her finger?”
“Yeah. But that was fake. She deserves a real proposal. And I want your blessing. I would have asked your daddy, of course, but without him here, I feel like getting your endorsement would be the right move. Don’t get me wrong, the proposal will probably be a complete disaster. I keep fucking up these romantic gestures, but I have to try.”
“Well, shit, Gamble. That just made me tear up a bit.”
I flop my head back and instantly regret it when my skull meets the wood frame of the love seat. “Shut up,” I grumble, rubbing my head.
“No, seriously,” Archie continues, all business now. “I appreciate that. More importantly, Shelby would appreciate you coming to me. You have my full support. In fact, I have Momma’s wedding ring set. After our grandparents died, they gave it to me for safekeeping. I think that was around when Shelby was dating that one vet. Anyway, I can mail it to you if you think you want to propose with it. I always assumed it would be Shelby’s one day.”
My heart expands in my chest. I had no idea that ring was even an option, or I would have proposed with it in the firstplace. “Yes. Please send it to me. I’ll give her the option of which ring she wants to wear.”
“You got it, brother.”
“Thanks again for being willing to help out,” I whisper into my cell phone.
Hallie is quick to respond. “Are you kidding me? I might be as excited as Ryder.”
I hear the shower shut off. “I gotta go. We’ll be there right before sunset.”
“We’ll go up now and be hidden. Don’t you worry.”
I end the call and shove the phone in my pocket. Shelby steps out of our bathroom, steam billowing behind her. She’s all girl, that’s for sure. She told me she needed an “everything shower” after her day at work, whatever the hell that is.
She’s wet, her skin glistening everywhere the tiny towel isn’t. She knows I’m watching her walk across the room to the dresser. Her hips have an extra sway to them that makes me harder than a hammer in an instant. Fuck. Maybe I should have planned a proposal with just her and me, naked and thoroughly satisfied in bed.
“You’re killing me,” I growl, my hand on my fly, trying to strangle my dick.
Shelby tosses me a sultry smile over her shoulder that does nothing to help my problem. Then her towel drops to the floor,and I groan out loud. The doorbell rings, and I nearly jump off the bed. Shelby laughs and takes her time finding clothes.
“You gonna get that?” she asks when I don’t immediately leave the bedroom.
I sneak another peek of my naked fiancée. Honestly, we don’t really need food on this horseback ride. Except the doorbell rings again, and since it’s my sister delivering the takeout I ordered along with the two horses all saddled and ready to ride, I know she won’t go away until I answer the damn door.
“Ugh, fine,” I whine like my son.
I collect the food bag from Frankie, toss her a thank you that’s not nearly sincere enough for the amount of effort she’s gone to, and then shove her out the door. Shelby’s ready to go a minute later, her hair up in some messy bun that makes me want to fist it and drop her to the ground for a wrestling match. Preferably naked. But since I can’t do that right now, I look away and try to name all of Meemaw’s chickens to keep my dick from running this show.
Nelly lies down in his doggie bed and gives me doleful eyes for not taking him along tonight. We ignore him and head outside to mount our horses. I love that I don’t have to help Shelby onto Foxtrot. Whiskey is a bit feistier, so I take him, leading the way to our spot on the river.
I pull out my phone at one point and take a selfie of us on our horses, golden hour lighting in front and the wide-open spaces of Oklahoma behind us. Shelby smiles for the photo, and I see the girl she used to be, the woman she is now, and who she’s going to be twenty years from now. I want to be right there to see every gray hair sprout up and each new wrinkle that forms from making her laugh every day. I want to see her stomach rounded with my baby and her arms full of all the animals she’ll heal.
I’m still not sure I’m good enough for this woman, but I do know I’ll love her with my dying breath. I’ll never look at anotherwoman or give her reason to doubt what I feel for her. I’ll work my hands raw to provide for her and be by her side for anything she wants to tackle in life.
When we get to the river, I slide off of Whiskey and tie him loosely to a tree, then head over to assist Shelby down, even though she doesn’t need the help. I catch her around the waist and pull her in for a deep kiss. She melts into me, every muscle giving way, surrendering herself to me with complete trust. It’s enough to make me reconsider everything I’ve done in my life and find ways to be better.
“Very romantic, Dally,” Shelby whispers as we come up for air. “I dare say your gestures are getting better.”
I grin sheepishly, then sneak another kiss before letting her go. “When you’re at rock bottom, there’s only one way to go from there.”
Shelby smiles patiently, like she doesn’t even care how many times I messed up. She helps hold some of our supper containers as I pull them out of the saddlebags. Whiskey steps sideways, tossing his head at the interruption. We’ll have to race them home, just to burn off some steam. Ridge has been a little off his game keeping up with everything around the ranch, for good reason.
We head for our favorite spot by the river, the one we come to when it’s the three of us. I spread out a blanket and set down the food. I don’t see Ryder and Hallie anywhere, which is good, but I also hope they made it. Otherwise, this might not go to plan.
