AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ask me what?”
“If you’ll marry me.”
“Yes.”
He stopped, his smile fading. “That wasn’t a question.”
“Too late. I accepted. We’re engaged now.” She couldn’t decide whether to laugh or feel guilty over the bewildered and moderately disappointed look on his face. “You wanna know what I think?” She continued without him responding. “You seem to have this fairytale wedding all planned out in your head. It’s like you have these expectations on how everything should go. But that’s not the way life works. You have to be willing to be flexible.”
“But you deserve—”
“I don’t deserve anything, Wade. But what I want is simple.”
“What do you want?” he asked softly.
“You.”
They stared at each other for a good long minute, and she almost wondered if she’d broken him. Perhaps she’d been too quick to get what she wanted. This would be a partnership, after all.
She cleared her throat and reached up to place her hand against his cheek. “But you wanna know something else? I want you to be happy too. If you want a big wedding with all the bells and whistles, then let’s do it. We can make it a grand event out at Slate Rock Ranch. If you want, we can even double with Shane and Eloise.”
Wade made a face, causing her to laugh.
“Okay, we don’t have to double with Shane. But you do what you want and know that I will be happy with whatever comes of it as long as you are the man by my side. You are the one I want to be with, even if it’s not forever.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Oh, it’s going to beforever. You won’t be able to get rid of me that easy.”
She smiled. “Really?”
“Really.” Wade traced the outline of her face with the back of his hand, caressing her cheek and studying her face. Sparks of electricity danced from his touch, lighting a fire in their wake. His eyes dropped to her lips and he exhaled, his warm breath mingling with hers. “I’m going to be yours and you will be mine until my dying breath and even longer.”
“How romantic,” she murmured.
“I’mveryromantic.” His voice was just above a whisper. She didn’t have any opportunity to comment before he lowered his lips to hers. His kiss was soft at first, as if searching for something. She could feel the hesitation behind it, so in one swift movement, she tugged on him. Her fingers slid into his hair as she gave her whole self to him.
Fire exploded in her stomach, licking at all the edges of her insides. Wade reacted in much the same way, his grasp of her tightening and their kiss growing sweeter.
There was a sense of rightness when she was in his arms, allowing herself to be fully seen and to give over her control to him. No longer did she have to hold back and keep her heart protected. She trusted Wade with her whole heart.
And that was when she realized that perhaps she always had. Why else would she seek out his help when Clark arrived? Wade was the man in her life she had never shied away from.
Her heart burst with this revelation. She sucked in a sharp breath as she pulled away from him. With her breaths heavy and erratic, she looked up into his eyes, her hands placed on either side of his face. How could she tell him everything she felt inside of her at this very moment?
Wade beat her to it. “I guess you realized it, too.”
“What is that?”
“You figured out that we’re good together.”
Her smile widened, and she let out a laugh. “So you’ve said in the past.”
“And I’ll say it again and again.” Wade traced her lips with his thumb. “Because I love you, and I don’t want you to ever forget it.”
“I don’t think I ever will.”
EPILOGUE
One month later
