Page 87 of Cowboy’s Christmas Baker

His eyes went to Katie, and Mal realized he wasn’t just talking about Harrison, Katie was quickly becoming her dad’s other number one girl too.

“Oh, Katie,” Mal said. “Is this really okay with you? To share your dad and your home?”

“If you say yes, you get the prettiest ring,” Katie said with pleading eyes. “And you get to come live with us and we can bake every day if we want.”

Mal turned back to Harrison. His blue eyes were trained on her, an expression of patience and calm on his handsome face, like he could wait forever if he had to.

But he didn’t need to. Because Mal couldn’t wait to marry him.

“Yes,” she said at last.

Harrison rose and pulled her into his arms.

There was a flurry of joyful noise around them as Katie squealed, and Peppermint barked, and Mal’s dad chuckled.

But Mal only had eyes for her fiancé as he bent to kiss her.

It was a chaste kiss, the kind you wouldn’t mind your dad and soon-to-be stepdaughter seeing. But the warmth of his mouth and the way his big hand wrapped around her cheek, as if he was desperate to hold her still with him forever, sent her heart racing and little fireworks of happiness bursting inside her chest.

“Thank you,” he growled, pulling back and gazing into her eyes. “Thank you, Mallory.”

“The ring, Dad,” Katie squeaked. “Don’t forget the ring.”

Harrison pulled a pretty wooden box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful bezel-set emerald, twinkling happily on a golden band.

“It’s so beautiful,” Mal breathed. “Oh, Harrison.”

“If you really like it, you have your friend Valerie to thank,” he told her with a wry smile. “She wasn’t kidding that she had the ring ready. She didn’t even let me look at anything else, just said this was the one, and that the setting is just right for a baker.”

“And the emerald is almost as pretty as your eyes,” Katie added, tugging on Mal’s sweater.

“Thank you both,” Mal said, bending to give Katie a big hug.

Katie laughed with joy and ran off to find Peppermint and Mal’s dad, who had headed back to the kitchen.

“And thank you,” she said, turning back to Harrison.

“I’m so glad you said yes,” he murmured, his eyes on hers with an intensity that made her pulse race. “I know it’s not easy for you to open your heart like this. I promise you won’t regret it.”

She went up on her toes to kiss him again, her heart filled of so much love it might have hurt if it weren’t so very, very sweet.

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