Diane’s hand flies to her mouth, tears spilling over, the happy kind. She looks from me to Quinn, then back, her expression full of fierce maternal pride and something deeper. Trust.
“Oh, Landry,” she says, voice trembling with emotion. She reaches out and covers my hands with her own. “You’ve already got it. You had it the minute I saw how you looked at my girl, and how you are with that precious child of yours. Welcome to the family, son. For real.”
Lane lets out a whoop, wiping her own eyes. “You two are disgusting levels of perfection together.”
Sadie giggles, climbing half into my lap. “Does this mean we get another wedding? With horses?”
We chuckle, the tension easing out of my shoulders as I pull both of my girls close, meeting Diane’s gaze with gratitude that runs bone deep. “Horses and everything, baby girl. Long as your grandma and aunt are there to help us celebrate.”
Diane nods, emotional from her new and sudden title, still holding my hands. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
And just like that, in the glow of the portable TV screenand the warmth of a house full of new beginnings, the family feels a little bigger, a little more complete. I press a kiss to Quinn’s temple, whispering against her skin, “Told you I’d do it right.”
She smiles, eyes bright. “You always do, cowboy.”
The last thing this moment calls for is the ring Bert and I have been working on for a few weeks. This is the surprise even Quinn isn’t aware of. Sadie, either.
I get up, sliding Sadie into a free cushion on the couch, and pluck my hat from my head, resting it atop my daughter’s. I wink. “Hang on to this for a minute, will you, sugar?”
She nods, and I fall to one knee between the two couches, and the room falls silent.
From my pocket, I produce the navy blue box and flip it open, Quinn’s eyes already intense on mine. I don’t have a big preamble planned. I just say what I feel. “I love you. I’m honored to be loved by you. I love the way you love Sadie. I love everything about you. Be Mrs. Vaughn, make me the happiest man alive. Please.”
I take the ring from the box as tears coat her cheeks, her chest growing flush as she sniffles. “Landry,” she whimpers as I slide the ring onto her finger. She beams down at the diamond, pure and beautiful, just like her, tucked perfectly into a solid gold band.
“It’s gorgeous, Landry.” She blinks down at it, eyes teary, with Diane and Lane banding around her to check it out. They coo and aww, and I watch the women in my life enjoy the beauty of this moment, knowing there will now be luckily so many more beautiful moments. And I have Quinn to thank for that. For everything, really.
“Landry, you did great. This is so beautiful,” Diane compliments.
“Damn, dude, this is huge,” Lane says, eyes wide as she traces the stone with the tip of her pointed finger.
“Wow!” Sadie says, holding Quinn’s hand, analyzing it like she’s never seen a diamond before.
Then again, maybe she hasn’t.
“Bert made a beautiful ring for a beautiful woman.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon touring the Vaughn Ranch property on the four-wheeler. Lane gets out and wants to mount Daisy, and I help her, and Quinn laughs when she falls off. We feed the chickens and introduce everyone to Big Bertha, then let Diane and Lane brush out Hector. At the end of the day, we ride out to the wishing well, where Sadie distributes pennies for everyone to toss in and make a wish.
I do it, but I have nothing left to wish for.
I already have everything I’ve ever needed, thanks to Quinn.
MY INSATIABLE LITTLE WIFE
EPILOGUE
I stand at the altar in my three-piece suit, the bolo tie from my dad’s saved things snug at my throat, the silver slide cool against my freshly shaved jaw. It’s the first time in years I’ve gone clean-shaven, and the breeze feels strange on my skin, but nothing compares to the way my heart is hammering right now.
The music shifts, soft and sweet, and then I see them.
Sadie first, my beautiful, sweet girl with those wild chestnut curls bouncing as she walks down the aisle in her little white dress, clutching a basket of petals, little nailspainted pink.
And right beside her, holding her hand, is my gorgeous wife, Quinn.
My chest actually aches at the sight. My Quinn. My wife. The woman who started as a convenient wife on paper and somehow became the love of my damn life. She saved my life, in fact.
She looks like every dream I’ve ever had, in the flesh, gorgeous… and all mine.
