"You knew her mom?" a voice asks from the stairs, and my heart skips a beat when I look up and find Kym.
"I was talking about you," I say with a chuckle, squinting slightly as I look up and the sun glows bright from behind her.
She steps closer, gesturing to the cane porch chairs. "I think I have a solution to our problems if you have some time to talk."
"That's exactly what I was I was going to say to you," I say, quickly standing to join her.
"You have a solution too?"
"I hope so."
Kym and I sit down facing each other, with Miffy settling in comfortably at our feet. I pet her absentmindedly while Kym takes a deep breath and starts talking.
"I love you, Hayes," she says, looking at me with an intensity that makes my heart race. "I never thought I'd be saying that to some guy I only met a week ago. But it's the truth. I've fallen one hundred percent, head over heels for you."
"Me too," I say, taking both of her hands in mine. "It's why I just quit my job and convinced your brother to let me buy into the farm."
Kym's eyes widen in surprise, and it’s like I can see the gears turning in her head as she processes what I just said. "You quit your job?" she asks, incredulous.
I nod, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I couldn't stand the thought of being away from you," I confess, gazing deeply into her eyes.
"But...but what about what you said? I thought shearing was important to you."
"It is. But it isn't as important as you. And let's be real here, I can't shear forever. And after thinking about our talk this morning, the farm just felt like the right place for me to be. You know, I've always wanted to work more with animals and learn about plants. And I know it sounds crazy, but I'm willing to say goodbye to my life on the road and take the risk with you, Kym. If you're willing to take the risk on me."
Kym's eyes glisten with tears as she leans in, pressing her lips passionately against mine. Our tongues tangle together in a wild dance as we lose ourselves in the moment. I'm taking this response as a yes.
When we finally come up for air, Kym looks at me with a renewed sense of purpose. "Hayes, you have no idea how much that means to me."
"I think I have a small idea, trouble. I know how much this place means to you. It was unfair of me to expect you to leave it." I slide my hand along her cheek and bury my fingers in her hair. She shakes her head, her hand coming up to cover mine.
"I was willing to, though. That's what I wanted to tell you. I would have left the farm to be with you. I thought we could split our time between your work and mine."
Overcome with love and devotion for this amazing woman, I lean in and press my forehead to hers. "Seems the both of us had the same idea. Just different methods of execution."
She nods. "I like your plan better though," she whispers, and I laugh, pulling her closer to me and feeling her warm body meld into mine.
"I'm glad you think so," I murmur, trailing my fingers down her spine. "I like my plan too. Means we'll have all this space to fill with little farmhands and shearers in the making." My lips graze the tender skin of her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her.
Suddenly, Kym pulls away from me. "What did you just say?"
"Babies, Kym. I want to make lots of babies with you." Kym stares at me, her eyes slightly wide with surprise. But then she smiles, a soft, radiant smile that reaches her eyes and warms my heart.
"You want to make babies with me," she repeats, as if trying to wrap her head around the idea.
I nod, a smile spreading across my face.
Kym takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes with an intensity that takes my breath away. "I want that too, Hayes." Her words send a rush of excitement through me, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly against me.
"That just means we need one more thing," I say, pulling away from her slightly to meet her gaze.
"What's that?" she asks, confusion shrouding those beautiful blue eyes.
"To make it official," I say, with a hint of mischief in my voice. I reach down and grab Kym's hands again, cradling them between us as I kneel down in front of her. "Kym, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"
The look on Kym's face is one that I will never forget. Tears start to stream down her cheeks as she nods wordlessly and pulls me into an embrace. She wraps her arms around me tightly, burying her face in my shoulder as she sobs with joy.
"Yes, Hayes," she finally whispers. "Yes, of course I'll marry you."
