He nodded and reached into his pocket, popping open thelittle black box to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring Jessie had ever seen before. The sunlight caught on a million different facets of the solitaire diamond and Jessie nearly went weak in the knees.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Just like you. And just like our daughter will be.”
“Bee—”
“I’m not asking you just because of Bee. I need you to know that without a single doubt in your heart. Because you and me, we were always the goal. The dream. Waking up with you in my arms, falling asleep with you by my side… I thought about it more than I’d like to admit, Jess. And getting to live it now, getting to feel the baby grow bigger between us, knowing that bedtime snuggles are going to include her too… I’m such a happy man. But it won’t feel right until you have my last name. Until you say you’ll spend forever with me. Until we make it permanent. You’re too precious to me to ever let go,my pearl. This life we’re building, this family we’ve made, it's a forever kind of thing.” Hawk pulled the ring box from his pocket, dropping down on one knee under the arched tree Jessie had always dreamed of being proposed to under, and smiled. “Can I ask?”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “Yes.”
“Jessica Ford, will you finally let me become your husband?”
Jessie snorted out a laugh, her whole face lighting up. “I thought you’d never ask!”
“As much fun as this has been, sharing this moment with all of you, there’s one more surprise I have for Jessie today before I tuck her in bed.” Hawk lifted his hand and waved at theirfriends and family before gently grasping Jessie’s shoulders and turning her towards his truck.
Cheers and whistles followed them down the path as the sun began to set. Hawk heard someone—either Beau or Hayes—yell something about not having to worry about knocking Jessie up.
“My brothers seem to really be on board with us. I know they said it at the hospital, but it’s still wild seeing them so happy and celebrating with us.”
“They had better be. They all gave me their permission to ask you.”
She stopped walking, her hands coming up to rest on his arms as he steadied her. “You asked them? Why?”
“I asked everyone in your family. I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to smooth over any last rough edges with them. Make no mistake, Pretty Girl. I was going to ask you to marry me no matter what. But it seemed like the right thing to do. Lachlan and Colt have known the longest, but I was able to get Beau and Hayes on board after your dad and I smoothed things over.”
“I just… Thank you, Hawk. That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”
Her hand slid up to his elbow and she leaned into him as they made it back to his truck. Shit. If he’d been nervous about the proposal, that was nothing to how he was feeling about showing her what work he’d gotten done at the homestead.
He tried to not let his nervous energy get the best of him, smoothly helping her up into the truck and getting her buckled in.
“When did Dad clean up this drive?” Jessie whispered, her eyes going wide as the house came into view. “What… What’s going on?”
Her confused chuckle as he turned up towards the house instead of heading back into town made his nerves double.
“There are lights on in there? Did Dad fix the electric?”
“No,” Hawk said. “He didn’t.”
Jessie turned in her seat as they pulled up to the house. “I don’t understand.”
“I fixed it. Well, I hired a professional who came out to fix it.”
Her eyes went wide. “This is the other part of my surprise?”
He nodded. “Welcome home, baby.”
“Home? No.” Her chin quivered and her eyes sparkled, but she smiled and twisted the opposite way, her hand moving to the door handle.
“Don’t even think about it,” Hawk growled. “Give me a second to come over and help you out.”
And that’s just what he did. As he opened the door, Jessie’s smile nearly blinded him. Her hands went firmly on his shoulders and he helped her down, her belly pressed safely between them. His girls were home. He was home. In all the moments of sneaking away and overseeing the work being done in the last few weeks, Hawk always wondered what this moment would feel like. Would it feel right? Would he still feel like an outsider intruding in on the Ford family?
But every doubt left him as she vibrated with excitement next to him.
“Did you paint the house?” She pressed her hand over her heart. “It’s white with wood shutters.”
