Entering the room, I leave the door ajar an inch. That way I’ll be able to hear anyone approaching. Reaching under the bed, I drag out my suitcase and pop it on top of the quilt. I take out the sweatshirts I didn’t bother to unpack. I dig my hand into the pocket for the box I left there.
It made no sense to bring it. And makes even less to unpack it. I flip the lid back on the stunning emerald and diamond ring. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one, a lot like I knew Summer was the one the first time I laid eyes on her.
I untuck it from its cushion in the base of the box and hold it between my thumb and pointer finger. I’ve rehearsed asking her a million time in my head. Getting down on one knee and telling her how much I adore her. How much this family we’re creating means to me. And how proud I would be to be her husband.
I never imagined she wouldn’t want it.
Heavy footsteps cross the hallway while I still have the ring out. I almost drop it in my haste to put it back in its box.
There’s a rap on the door and I twinge my neck, looking over my shoulder. I catch sight of agent Lane through the narrow opening.
I breathe a sigh of relief and open the door. “Agent.”
“Rook went to the barn to keep an eye on your brother.”
“Good.”
“That’s a pretty rock.”
“It’s perfect for her.” I clasp the metal and rock in my palm. Yes or no, whatever her answer, this isn’t the time. “Do you need something?”
“I’m done for now,” he says. “I’m going to have a look around outside and then go back to my car and get some sleep.”
“I’ll walk out with you.” I put the ring back in the box and toss it, along with the shirts, back inside my suitcase. “There’s an empty cabin if you’d rather sleep in a bed instead of your car.”
“Thanks. That would be appreciated.”
“When are you going to ask the lucky lady?” he asks when we’re on the porch.
That was the question. Now it’s what will her answer be when I do.
“When the time is right.” If it ever is. “I start down the steps. “When you’re done looking around you might as well come join us in the barn. Have something to eat. Everyone will be congregated there anyway. If anyone asks you can say you’re our cousin on our mother’s side.”
“Do you have a cousin on your mother’s side?” he asks.
“As far as I’m aware she was an only child.” And I did my research after finding out about West. Don’t need any more surprise siblings crawling out of the woodwork thank you very much.
Especially not psycho ones like Alec. The fact he’s still out there somewhere… is more than enough.
31
Kelsey
“Are you going to give the bull a try, candy head?” Riot murmurs close to my ear while we watch Bianca Del Ray in a tiny white bikini top and skirt spin circles on the bucking bronco.
She stole one of the Heart brothers’ cowboy hat a few minutes ago after flirting up a storm with him. I’m not sure which one it was. I can’t keep the names straight with the faces. “Mmm, I don’t think so.”
Bianca waves the tan hat in the air while yodelling at the top of her lungs.
Always dramatic.
“Bianca’s surprisingly good at staying on.” I tip my lips to his ear. The music is loud and so is the conversation. But I love it like that. It makes intimacy while pretending not to be intimate much easier when you have to get closer to have any kind of conversation. “She has thighs of steel.”
“She certainly has a death grip on that bottle of champagne.” He grins at me affectionately before searching out the bar. “Do you want to split a bottle of brut with me?”
Sharing a bottle in public is like kissing in front of everyone and knowing they’ll never figure it out in a totally teenage crush kind of way. Normally my answer would be yes. Normally I wouldn’t be holding back on him, either.
But it’s been one day and already many secrets have been spilled. It’s not the right time or place for this news. A couple of days from now, when we’re on the plane back, I’ll tell him about the baby.
