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tense as you are. How else could he convince me to marry him after only knowing him for four days?”
“Days? I didn’t know that.”
“One of a kind love.” Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Okay, let’s get this food out there, and I’ll sneak you and Jenny out.” She huffed out a breath. “Marriage. Wait, does this mean babies too? I know not right away, but the chance of babies?” She clutched my arm. “You would make the most beautiful babies.”
“Mom, let’s get to the proposal first and see how it goes, okay?”
“Right, of course. Oh, I can’t wait to tell Aggie. She’s going to pass out.” She rushed over to the table and picked up chips and dip. “Okay, muscles, get the beans, and let’s get this show on the road.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
It took more than a few minutes to get out of there. Noah caught my sister and I trying to escape, which sucked but it wasn’t surprising. He had to know something was up with my request to visit home.
At least he’d been unobtrusive through the process. And my sister only busted my balls marginally. In the end, we’d walked out with something that was far more perfect than I’d ever imagined. Lady Fate was giving me some heavy signals, and I was taking them all and running for the endzone.
It took a while to get back, but I was almost positive Teagan hadn’t even noticed I was gone. She was in the alpaca field, and her red and gold curls were blowing in the breeze as she helped feed some of the babies.
Suddenly, one took her out and she landed on her butt with three babies in her lap. I headed into the enclosure, my heart racing, but she was too busy laughing to notice me.
“All right there, babe?”
She pushed the peachy-brown cria, who was going for her hair, and spit out a bit of hay. “I’m wonderful.” The baby came right back and nuzzled her neck before plopping into the triangle between her crossed legs. “I made friends.”
“So I see.” I crouched down in front of her and gave the little one a scratch. “And who might you be?”
“Your Aggie let me name her. They were only numbers.” She smooshed its face. “You’re not a number, are you?”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that they numbered them just to make sure they survived. Lucky for Teagan, these little ones were almost ready for the pasture. At least based on the color of the tiny tag on her ear. “And what would her name be?”
“How’d you know it was a her?”
“I gave my mom the startup money for this place.” I planted my ass on the grass across from Teagan. My legs didn’t bend like hers, however. “She likes to give me way too much info.”
“Aww.” She buried her face in the baby’s neck. “That’s awesome. I’m sure she was very appreciative.”
“She tried to hand me my ass, actually. Said she could take care of herself.”
Teagan’s laughter lit the cloudless sky. “You’re surrounded by stubborn women.”
“Tell me about it.” I leaned in and picked a piece of hay out of her hair. “It took some convincing…and possibly a certified check she couldn’t ignore.” I gave her a rueful smile. “But she made it work, just like I knew she would. She and my sister went into business together. My sister does the dyeing and most of the pattern stuff.” I shrugged. “They’re always busy, but they’re happy, secure, and independent. A win all around.”
She gave the baby alpaca a little snuggle then set her aside. “Her name is Marmalade, by the way.”
“Of course it is.”
Teagan crawled to me and straddled my lap. Dear God, don’t let her feel the box in my pocket. But she seemed intent on a different kind of goal. One that left me with an armful of sunshine-soaked Teagan with my favorite peachy scent chaser.
Her arms slid around my shoulders. “I really like your family.”
Relief shot through me like the summer storms that blew through the mountains, swift and fierce. I gripped her hips and caught her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss. “I’m very glad.”
“I didn’t get to talk to your sister for long.” She lightly raked her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck. “Where did you guys disappear to?”
“I had to get the full report my mom will never give me.”
She nibbled her lower lip. “Is that so?”
“Just making sure they’re okay. Being so far away, I don’t get home as much. And now with all the crap going on, I don’t want to bring any danger here.”
