Page 119 of Roping Her In

“She taught me how to connect with them better and how to take notes like this, and how to follow my heart while listening to God at the same time. I’m a different person today than I was when I met her, and it’s because she deserves the very best. I hope to be able to give it to her, whether here on this farm, or one we buy for ourselves, or anywhere else entirely.

“As long as I’m with you, baby, it won’t matter where we are because I’ll be home.”

He zipped up his bag. “End dictation.”

He unclipped the phone from his collar, and saw a circle whizzing around with the words Saving underneath it. He started away from Marvin Gaye and out of the makeshift paddock, just ducking under the fence as Hailey came back out of the barn. He continued toward her, and when they met on the small path between her yard and the stables, he handed back her phone.

“I don’t know if that saved,” he said. “You might want to check it.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Let’s go get some tea,” he said, slinging his arm around her as he realized his mistake. “It’s really hot, and we’re not even in the shade right here.”

He didn’t want her to listen to his new note right now. He needed her next to that yellow front door she loved.

Hailey sighed like he’d caused a problem for her on purpose, and she kept her phone in her hand but didn’t put it in her pocket. Once they rounded the corner and started along the front porch, Jake couldn’t see that anything had changed, and he prayed Carson had been able to drop off the required items in the allotted time frame.

He stopped at the bottom of the steps and pulled out his phone to find a couple of texts from his brother. On my way, and then a few minutes later, Done. Good luck, bro.

Jake’s heart practically leapt out of his chest as Hailey had continued up the steps, then stopped next to the table holding her iced tea. She took a drink, her eyes on her phone.

Jake started up the steps, and he heard his own voice saying, “This is Doctor Jake Ahlstrom,” and then the more robotic voice of “Initial assessment,” before his own voice started in again.

“I was attracted to Hailey the very moment I met her….”

Hailey pulled in a breath and turned toward him, her blue eyes bright and round and filled with shock.

Jake smiled at her, even as she asked, “What is this?”

“Just listen to it,” he said, and when he said she deserved the very best, Jake reached to open the bright yellow door, and he found the bouquet of flowers and the black velvet box sitting just inside the house.

Bless you, Carson, he thought, and he stepped back onto the porch as his voice on the app said, “As long as I’m with you, baby, it won’t matter where we are, because I’ll be home.”

He met her gaze, hers dropping to the flowers before rebounding back to his.

“End of entry,” the app said, and Jake gently took the phone from her and set it on the table. A breath shuddered from between his lips, and he told himself it would only take a few seconds to get down on both knees.

He’d seriously debated whether he wanted to do that or not, and faced with the pretty woman he loved, he had to do it. He handed her the flowers, and said, “Give me just a sec.” He braced himself against that bright yellow door and got down on both knees.

He opened the ring box, which creaked, and said, “I’m in love with you, and I can’t wait until you’re my wife. Will you marry me?”

He’d made no assumptions, but he knew Hailey believed in marriage, and he believed she loved him.

Hailey didn’t even look at the ring, but she reached for her phone, tapped a couple of times, and then looked at him steadily as she said, “This is Hailey, vet technician. Start a new note in the file Hailey Winters.”

“New note,” the app said.

“My handsome, charming boyfriend is down on both knees,” she said, her smile absolutely beautiful on her face. “He brought me my favorite flowers and a diamond ring, and he’s asked me to marry him.”

She paused, and Jake suddenly wished he’d chosen a more comfortable location for him to be down on both knees.

“I know how hard it was for him to get down there,” she said. “As the last time he did this, it didn’t go so well. But I’m happy to report that there’s definite improvement the second time around, because I’m going to say yes.”

Tears streamed down her face as she said, “End note,” in a high-pitched voice.

Then she held out her left hand. “I love you, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

Jake slid the ring on her finger with his trembling hands. She laced her fingers through those of his on one hand and twisted to put the bouquet on the swing. When she twined her last five fingers with his and helped him to his feet, everything in Jake’s life became stable again.