“I do,” I say finally. “In the future.”
She takes a short breath.
“Can we talk about this?” She makes a wide gesture.
“Us?”
“Yeah, us.” Her eyes flash. “Are you intending on marrying me eventually?”
“I’d planned on it.”
A faint blush creeps up her neck. “Okay, alright, well, I agree we should take it slow. We haven’t really known each other that long.”
“I know,” I say. “That doesn't make me any less sure.”
She studies me for a moment, and I wonder if maybe I said the wrong thing. I put aside the bowl of chili and go to her, picking her up and setting her on the counter. She goes from being her confident self to tucking her hair back shyly. I’ve got her right in the spotlight, right where I want her, because I want to articulate myself clearly.
“I’ve never gotten a lot of time to just be happy,” I say slowly. “You make me real happy, and I like soaking that up. I think time when it’s just us, figuring things out, is a good thing.”
She nods. “I understand.”
“But,” I say, “that doesn’t mean we aren’t headed to one place and one place only.”
She bites her lip. “Okay. I hear you.”
“I need you to know that last part. I know I move slow, and I don’t want you thinking I’m dragging my feet.”
She nods. I lean in and kiss her, tucking her hair back.
“I like how slow you move,” she says. “It feels intentional.”
“And I do intend.”
She giggles, and I kiss her again, letting her body meld into mine. Daisy is somewhere in the background, scuffling around, but I barely hear her. There’s nothing but the woman in my arms and a slow realization that I never dreamed of anything this good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JANIE
TWO YEARS LATER
It’s our wedding night.
I didn’t want a big wedding, but it was kind of hard not to invite everyone who works on Ryder Ranch. So what started out as just family and close friends in the living room of the ranch house turned into family, friends, employees, and their friends, second cousins, and near about everyone their second cousins are friends with. Deacon said it was alright, and he covered the bill for the food and paid for all the prep labor.
“It’s a wedding gift,” he said. “But don’t be expecting anything else.”
Bittern shook his hand, thanking him like he meant it, and then Deacon got uncomfortable and punched him in the ribs. They’ve gotten a lot closer over the last few years, and Iappreciate that, because before Deacon, Bittern didn’t have any positive male relationships. He’s come out of his shell a lot more with the other wranglers now.
The ceremony was in the mess hall, by the big fireplace there. Deacon was the officiate, and Freya and my mother stood up with me. It was simple, over in ten minutes, which was a relief, because we were both looking forward to the reception the most. It was everything we hoped for, warm and full of familiar faces. I barely remember a lot of it, but I do remember little moments in time I’ll hold in my head forever.
Holding his hand, looking at him beside me.
In his arms, lights low, while we had our first dance. Him cutting a piece of cake and holding my chin so he could feed it to me without getting any on my lipstick. When he held me close on the dance floor, hearts beating fast because we knew the night was coming to an end. Running through the tunnel of guests, the night glittering with sparklers. He put me in his truck, even though we were just going back to our house, and we drove off, our hands tangled together.
Now, we’re on the porch. In the distance, the party is still loud.
He lifts my hand. The simple diamond and gold ring sparkles.
