Page 113 of Derecho

“How are you feeling today?” she whispered, scaring the shit out of me.

Once the feeling came back into my body, I smiled over at her. The sunlight was just starting to come into our room, bright golden rays illuminating the edge of her hair like a halo. “I didn’t know you were awake. You scared me.”

She laughed. “I’m not. Not really. I’m going to roll over as soon as you take our smiling boy out of here and sleep for another two hours while you do dude things. But I wanted to make sure you weren’t in too much pain.”

“I told you all week that the procedure was nothing. A little snip, and soon mommy and daddy time will be so much more fun.”

Lainey laughed, her face pressing into my neck. “Can’t wait.”

I turned and kissed her cheek. “Sweet dreams, Mommy.”

“You boys behave.”

“Oh, we will,” I smiled as I grabbed my cane and finally made my way over to Reid, who was playing with his feet while he babbled. “What do you say, kiddo? Ready for some shenanigans with Dad?”

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but he looks so much like your dad when he scrunches his face up like that.” Lainey smiled, setting her hand on my arm. She’d just finished the last bite of her breakfast, Reid screeching in delight as he sat in his playpen. She must have seen my face fall at the mention of my dad, because her eyes went soft and she gently nodded. “Are you doing okay?”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Thanks for checking in.”

“Always. I only got to love him for a little while, but what a dad he was.” Her voice cracked. “I’ll always want to hear more about him. And I feel him here, still.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the wind. When I take Reid outside and his hair gets all ruffled up. Every time your dad saw him after he was born, he did that. I don’t know. I just get the feeling it’s his little way of saying hi to us, and letting us know he’s still here.”

My fingers wound through hers. “I love that, Lain.” My thumb brushed over her fingers, the nerves definitely settling in now that I knew she’d be wearing the ring I picked out for her in just a few hours.

Everyone—outside of Lainey—knew this family dinner wasn’t a normal one. Birdie included, who had thankfully coordinated a girly nail day earlier this week because apparently it was essential to the best proposal plans. And that was what I was determined to give her. She deserved to know how deeply I love her.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to her, although I hope she is shocked in the best way. I told Lainey in the hospital room, after the doctors had all rushed in to check over Reid and told us he was going to be fine, that I wanted to marry her. That I was going to ask, and I wasn’t going to wait very long to do it. But when the world came crashing down with losing Dad, she was right there, never wavering in her commitment to hold me up when I couldn’t stand on my own. Never pushing me to make plans when it felt like the whole world was crashing down around us again, and again, and again.

But my dad wouldn’t want me to put this off. Giving Lainey and Reid my last name, getting to officially acknowledge that I was going to love them for the rest of my life, it felt more important now than ever.

My accident showed me that nothing in life is guaranteed. And losing Dad…I don’t want to waste any more time.

I leaned back in my chair, bringing my mug up to take a sip of my coffee. Tonight at dinner, I’d start forever with Lainey by my side.

I couldn’t wait.

“Oh, I have something for you.” Lainey smiled as she pushed away from the table. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get my act together.”

“Something for me?” I asked.

“Yup. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

She stood with her hand on her hips until I followed her directions with a chuckle.

“Don’t peek,” she warned.

“I’m not the one who looked at someone’s naked ass at the springs,” I pointed out.

Her laughter filled the kitchen. “Fair.”

I felt something soft land in my hands.

“Okay, Florence. Open your eyes.”

I looked down, my old cowboy hat in my hands. My brows pulled together. I hadn’t even thought of wearing this hat since my accident. It didn’t feel right when I couldn’t help out on the ranch anymore.