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“Yes, of course I would.”
“Would you… Would you marry me?”
She widened her eyes. “What?”
“I love you, Angelina.” He dropped down to one knee. “Would you be my wife?”
She dropped down next to him. His words echoed in her mind, their sound sweeter than a Mozart sonata, sweeter than a baby’s laugh. “Say it again?”
He took both her hands in his. “I love you more than life itself. I swear I’ll take care of you. It might be a modest life, but I’ll work two jobs if I have to. I’ll kick Tom out of the apartment and you can move in. Or we’ll find our own place. A better place. I’ll do anything, if only you’ll say yes. Please, Angie. I love you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. He loved her.
And suddenly nothing else mattered. Not the ranch she’d lost, not the fact that he’d already been married, not that her mother had lied to her entire life, and even not that the father she’d adored had been her uncle, not her biological father. Nothing mattered but Rafe and their love for each other.
His gaze penetrated her. “Do you… Do you think you could grow to love me?”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Rafe, I already do. I’ve loved you for so long.”
He clenched her in a bear hug. “I’ll bust my ass to provide for you, I swear it.”
“Oh, Rafe, Rafe. I love you so much.”
“I promise I’ll take care of you. I’ll treasure you. You’re my most precious thing in the world.”
She whimpered silently into his shoulder.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your ranch for you. I’ll find some way to make it up to you. I promise, baby. I’ll give you a good life.”
She sniffed and choked back a sob. “I don’t care about the ranch anymore. All I need is you and our love.”
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. My mother told me if she called today to take the call. That it’d be important.”
“I understand,” Rafe said. “Go ahead.”
“Yeah, Mama?” she said into the phone.
“Angie, you need to come over to the house right away. It’s important.”
“All right. We’ll be right there.”
“We?”
“I’ll explain when I get there. I love you. Goodbye.” She clicked the phone off and turned back to Rafe. “I need to go to my mother’s, and I want you to come with me.”
“Okay, but why?”
“My mama says it’s important, and I want you with me to hear anything important. You’re my fiancé now, and everything that involves me involves you.”
He smiled. “I kind of like that.”
“I kind of do too.”
When they reached the house, Angie and Rafe walked in hand in hand.
Her mother greeted her with tears in her eyes. Jefferson Bay sat on the sofa in the living room.
“Oh, Angie,” Maria said, “did you mean it?”
