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Grace took in the horse’s tawny coloring. “She’s beautiful. What’s her name?”
“Hera.”
She smiled. “Arcadia and Hera. I think they’re going to love each other.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I think they are.”
“Now let’s go talk to people. Before they start talking about us.”
“You still worried about that?” he asked, his brows dipping.
“Not really.” She shook her head. They’d been the talk of the town for a week or two, but the gossip soon moved on. They were happy, they were settled, there wasn’t much to gossip about.
She loved that a little too much.
“Michael!” Mia called out, her face beaming as she saw her oldest son. She was fully recovered and it showed. “Come over. We want a family picture. You too, Grace. We all need to be in it.”
“Duty calls,” Michael murmured, sliding his arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
And so they did. It took five minutes to corral the whole family in, there were so many of them. Aunt Gina was at the center – the matriarch of the family. Surrounded by Grace’s mom and her uncles, and their spouses. Then there were the cousins and their partners. And Delilah at the front.
Sabrina and Josh were having a heated debate about something – probably her non-arrival home last night. And Presley’s face looked like a thunderstorm until Marley elbowed him and told him to smile.
“Okay then. Let’s try a couple more,” the photographer said.
Michael pulled her close. And she didn’t have to pretend to smile. Because she couldn’t be any happier than she was in that moment.
* * *
A few hours later it started to rain. The sudden downpour caused them all to rush to get the tables and chairs underneath the canopy. Michael watched as Grace laughed with her cousins as the torrential rain plastered her hair to her face and for a moment it was like that first time he saw her.
She was the pretty drenched girl trying to steal his cab.
He was so in love with this woman it hurt in the sweetest of ways. And he had the ring in his pocket to prove it. He’d thought long and hard about how to ask her to be his.
Thought about doing it when his horse arrived and they rode together. Because she never looked more beautiful than when she was riding fast and free.
He’d thought about doing it in bed, but she deserved more, so much more. Even if it was their happy place.
And also their dirty place.
Grace turned around and caught him looking at her. Her dress clung to her skin, revealing the curves he loved to touch. Her eyes were bright, her smile still pulling at her lips. He loved her so much.
There was no good time to ask. And no bad time.
Just time. And the time was now.
He dropped to one knee and Grace blinked, her brows crunching together for a second, as though she was worried he was hurt. He could feel the damp from the grass soaking into his pants. Then everybody stopped moving. Started staring at him.
“Grace Carter, you look beautiful in the rain,” he called out.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He pulled the box out of his pocket. He’d bought the ring last week while he was away. Asked Sabrina for advice because she was an annoying little sister but she had great taste.
“Oh this is fabulous.” Sabrina clapped her hands together. “He’s doing it.”
“Michael?” Grace looked at him. “What’s happening?”
