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He pulled his hands away, grabbing something from his pocket.
A small velvet box.
Her heart leapt. She bit her lip. Hard.Slow down. Maybe it wasn’t what she thought. Maybe he––
His eyes never left hers as he opened the tiny box, holding it out to her. “Jane Reilly, will you make me the happiest man on earth? Will you marry me?”
A silver ring with one simple diamond glittered in the afternoon light. For a moment Jane was speechless, overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. Then joy flooded through her.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, launching herself into his arms. “Yes, absolutely!” She had never been more certain of anything in her life.
One hand cupping the ring box, Bridger whooped and spun her around before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. No more doubts, no more hesitation. The future was theirs for the taking.
She’d never forget the feel of his capable hands on hers as he slipped the ring on her trembling finger. A perfect fit.
“I borrowed one of the rings in your jewelry box a couple weeks ago,” he admitted.
So he’d been thinking about this as long as she had…. The thought only added to her certainty. The Lord was sending signals too clear to ignore.
Bridger was her soulmate.
Jane was still floating on a cloud of euphoria when Tai emerged from the house.
“Hey lovebirds, food’s on,” he called to them. Then, addressing Bridger, “I was thinking, I was being selfish before. You should take the bigger cabin.”
Jane started to pull back, suddenly self-conscious, but Bridger held her close.
“Thanks, but the cabin’s yours,” he told Tai, his eyes never leaving Jane’s. “I’ve got other plans.”
Tai let out a low whistle as understanding dawned. “Well, well. I gotta say, Jane, I didn’t figure you for the impulsive type.” He grinned and shook his head. “But if you’re sure you know what you’re getting into with this knucklehead...”
Jane smiled up at Bridger, her heart overflowing. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“Okay,” Tai drew the word out, but his wide grin belayed his fake concern. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She blew out a breath. “Warning received, Commander Kaholo. Whatever comes next, it’s on me.”
The big man’s dreadlocks flew from his shoulders as he shook his head, grinning hard now. “Love is the beauty of the soul.”
“Hallmark?” Bridger teased.
Tai’s eyes widened in horror. “Seriously? As if. Saint Augustine, dude. Amazing,” he muttered as he headed back inside.
Bridger’s eyes softened. He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“C’mon,” he murmured. “Let’s take a walk before dinner.”
Hand in hand, they headed down the porch steps and out across the field. The sun was setting in a blaze of golden light, washing the mountains in alpenglow.
Jane tucked herself against Bridger’s side with a contented sigh. The future was uncertain, but they would face it together. Come what may, this was where she belonged.
* * *
After he andKellen finished up the last of the dinner dishes, Tai swatted the boy on the butt with a towel. “Nice work, there my man. I think there’s just enough ice cream left for you and me. How about we have it out on the porch?”
The boy’s eyes glowed. “Oh yeah!”
“You head on out,” he told the boy and scooped up a couple whopping cones.
