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I held my breath for a while, waiting for my old man to barge into my life and ruin everything.
With every passing day, nothing happened. And the tension began to melt from my shoulders.
“Hey, cowboy.”
I lifted my head and squinted in the sun’s harsh glare. Callie came toward me with a basket hooked over her arm, wearing a large, floppy straw hat and cut-off shorts. My heart skipped at the sight of her, just like it always did.
“I brought you a picnic,” she added. “Do you have time for a break?”
I set aside my tools and hooked an arm around Callie’s waist, pulling her in for a kiss.
“I’ll always make time for you, peaches,” I replied.
She grinned, holding her hat in place with one hand. Hooking two fingers into my belt, Callie tugged me toward the shade of a nearby willow. The long, trailing leaves created a curtain of privacy from the world, even though the horses and cattle were the only living creatures in the pasture with us.
After spreading out a blanket, Callie sat and patted the spot beside her. I nuzzled into her neck, inhaling the scent of sunscreen and garden soil after she’d been working in the greenhouse. She unloaded a small feast of plump cherries fromthe orchard, fresh golden cheese, pillowy muffins, a pitcher of sweet tea, and my favorite, peach cobbler.
Callie tugged on my elbow.
“Let me see your back. The doctor said you should keep your shirt on.”
I let her move me around until my back was facing her. I no longer needed to wear the ointment and bandages that had plagued me for the first few weeks after the fire. But when Callie’s fingers grazed over the puckered skin, it was still sensitive and tender.
“It’s too damn hot for a shirt,” I protested.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Callie replied. “I like the view very much. Although you won’t be happy if you get sunburn on top of those old burns.”
“I’m tough. I can take it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s not the point, Landon. Don’t make me wrestle you into that shirt.”
I raised an eyebrow in amusement.
“I think you got that mixed up. It’s the other way around. I’m supposed to wrestle you out of your shirt.”
I plucked at the hem of her shirt and she laughed, swatting my hand away. I caught her around the hips, drawing her into my lap. I would never get tired of the way her waist dimpled beneath my hands when I clutched her. Callie grinned as she kissed me, breaking off into a moan as she opened her mouth to me and I slid my tongue inside. She pulled back with a small smile, nuzzling at my cheek and neck.
“Thank you again for fixing my fence. If you keep doing so many chores around here before I can get to them, I’ll have to start paying you hired hand wages.”
“Wouldn’t do any good,” I countered. “Like I said, I’m not taking a penny from you.”
“Fine. Then I’ll just have to fatten you up on peach cobbler as payment.”
I chuckled as she slid off my lap and returned her attention to the picnic basket.
“Or you could just say yes and make me your husband.”
Callie snorted. “Ha ha. Very funny.”
I said nothing. A heartbeat of silence settled over us.
She froze. Silverware slipped from her fingers and clattered back into the basket.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I tend to be that way, yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck. My throat suddenly felt too tight and my voice was hoarse as sandpaper when I finally managed to continue. “I’ve been…thinking about it.”
Callie hesitated. “Oh.”
