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Jill’s eyes filled with tears as she looked from the ring to her forever love. “Yes,” she said.
“I haven’t asked yet,” he said.
“You did too,” she argued.
“No, I said I couldn’t think of anything better than to ask you. I haven’t actually asked yet.” He shook his head, his smile still in place, though. “You’re always jumping the gun.”
“Sorry,” she said, giddiness gathering up inside her. She bounced on the balls of her feet. “Go on, then. Ask me.”
He just looked at her, that perma-grin so fake.
“I’m going to say no this time,” she said, and he burst out laughing.
When he sobered, he said, “Jill Kyle, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, practically shooting the word out of her mouth. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you!” She squealed again and launched herself at Slate, who barely managed to save the ring and catch her at the same time.
She placed a sloppy kiss to his mouth, both of them laughing. Well, Jill was half-laughing and half-crying, but they were both because of something amazing. She found herself kneeling with him as he slid the ring on the appropriate finger, and this time, when their mouths met, it was for a proper Christmas engagement kiss.
He pulled away too soon for her liking, and he helped her to her feet. He turned toward where she normally stood, and asked, “Did you get it?”
“All of it,” Luke said, striding forward and handing Slate his phone. “It’s pretty epic.”
Slate took his phone and held it out in front of both of them, swiping through the pictures Luke had taken. He stalled on one, where he was down on that one knee, the ring box held out in front of him, his face turned up toward her, lit with hope and love.
She had her hands clasped against her breast, her face tilted down toward his, lit with anticipation and joy.
“This one,” he said.
“It’s perfect,” she said. “Though I hate this costume. I’m burning it, and I’m finding one that’s not made of felt for next year.” She looked up at him. “You’ll have to come up with the money in the budget.”
“Oh, I’m going to start putting a few dollars away every month for air conditioning for this event,” he said. “You can count on that.”
She grinned at him, and he grinned at her, and he said, “I was a pretty good Christmas cowboy, wasn’t I?”
“The best,” Jill agreed. “Will you send me that picture so I can send it to my mama?”
“Absolutely.” He did, but Jill didn’t take out her phone when it buzzed in her pocket. Instead, she reached up and took off Slate’s cowboy hat. She ran her fingers down the side of his face, the moment turning serious and charged in that single movement.
“I love you, cowboy,” she said. “Winter, spring, summer, fall, Christmas. I can’t wait to be yours for all of them.”
“I love you too, Jill.” When he spoke her name like that, coated with such care and such love, Jill’s whole heart melted. “You’re all I need for Christmas, and for forever.”
He kissed her, and Jill saw a future of love, hope, and happiness with this tender-hearted cowboy.
* * *
