Page 75 of Taylor’s Warrior

“As I’ll ever be.”

They made their way to the far end of the parking lot and the start of a bark-strewn trail. Taylor glanced down at her sneaker-clad feet, then across at the sturdy boots Rhys habitually wore. “Are you sure my footwear can cope with this?”

“Tay, I’d have suggested a change if that had been the case. You won’t need walking boots for this, but if we’re going to do things like this more often, we could always get you kitted out—boots, waterproofs, the works.”

“Whatever you say, but how about we wait until we get back? I know this is nothing to you special forces guys, but I’m a civilian.” She looked him in the eye. “And I’m used to Texas.”

“Wales is just like Texas; you just have to imagine it with substantially more rain and substantially less sunshine.” He shrugged and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s broaden your horizons. It’ll be worth it—I promise.”

There was something about the way he said it that aroused her curiosity, but she shrugged it off. With her hand in his, they set off.

The path wasn’t as rough as she’d anticipated, and for the most part, they could walk side by side. Although they weren’t in a hurry, they passed a few people, some of whom had stopped to take photos of white water tumbling over rocks in the river just a few yards away. The incline was gradual, and after they’d been walking about fifteen minutes or so, they came to a small viewing area.

“Can we stop and take a look?” Taylor asked. “It’s so beautiful here.”

“Of course. Just don’t fall in, okay?”

“There’s a rail.” To emphasize the point, she gestured toward it.

“And you’ll lean out over it to get as much of the view as you can.”

She couldn’t deny the possibility. “Then I’ll just hold on.”

“And just to make sure, I’ll hold onto you.”

With Rhys’ arm around her waist, Taylor felt bold enough to stand on the ankle-high horizontal bar in an effort to get an even better view. Upstream, there was a bend not too far ahead, and judging by the speed of the flow, the incline was about to get a little steeper. Downstream, though, she was able to see the fast flow over the rocks that they’d just passed, and the calmer waters beyond.

Life rarely got more perfect than this—sharing beautiful surroundings with a beautiful man. She was so, so lucky.

“Was that a happy sigh?” Rhys murmured close to her ear.

On impulse, she planted a brief kiss on his cheek. “I’m so glad you brought me here. Not just this place, but to Wales, and to meet your family. I’ll treasure this forever.”

Rhys leaned in closer to kiss her back, his lips soft on hers. “Like I said, we can always come back and see more. Ready to move on?”

She nodded. “Yes, please. I’m not complaining, but do we have far to go?”

His brow furrowed. “Is that you asking if we’re there yet?”

She elbowed him in the ribs. “Very funny. Let’s go.”

As they made their way further along the tree-lined route, the sound of rushing water became louder and louder. To take it all in, Taylor ended up walking backwards as they continued along the trail. The impact of the view from this vantage point stopped her in her tracks. “Rhys, look. It’s amazing.”

He returned to her side and pulled her close. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until we get to the top. It’s just a few more minutes.”

After resuming their hike, a couple of visitors to the beauty spot passed them on their way back down the track, until Rhys and Taylor finally reached the topmost vantage point.

The waterfall took her breath away. Although she’d visited Niagara Falls, which had been awesome for their sheer size and power, this cascade, though smaller, was more than their match when it came to the beauty of nature. White water thundered down—narrow streams here, wider flows there, and the spray… It was something else. The freshness of it could have woken Rip Van Winkle in the middle of his two-decade slumber. The scent of soaked vegetation gave the air around them a unique vitality, reminding her of the time she’d explored Central Park during a spring shower.

With no one else around them, Taylor leaned over the rail again and held out her hands. The sensation of the tiny droplets raining down brought a childlike joy all its own. She laughed out loud and spun around, eager to share the sense of euphoria with her man.

And stopped dead in her tracks, too stunned to speak. Lips parted in shock, she simply stared at the strong, proud man on one knee before her.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while, and last night, I realized it couldn’t wait any longer. I know bearing Markham’s name is something that’s bothered you ever since you found out what really happened to your mother, and you know I’ll do whatever I can to help you find out your surname at birth, but I hope you’ll consider another option. Taylor, will you marry me?”

Her heart nearly burst from her chest. Almost overwhelmed with emotion, she gazed at the wild, natural beauty that surrounded them—the stunning deluge of water, rumbling over the rocks, the cocoon of trees on the cusp of turning gold for fall, shards of sunlight streaming through their branches, and the clear blue sky beyond.

Then the shock dissipated, and in its place, realization kicked her in the ass. “Ask me in Welsh.”