Page 53 of The Cowboy's Magic Touch

“Brody, I love you too, so much,” she murmured, moving her arms around his waist and leaning against him. “I thank God for you every day.”

“We’d better get those horses tacked up before I give into temptation and carry you back in the house.”

* * *

A short time later they entered the peaceful forest with Rocky and Bella happily sniffing the ground running along beside them.

“Thanks for this,” Annie said with a happy sigh. “It’s so wonderful to be on a horse and riding through this magical place.”

“Wait until you get to the top.”

“We’re going all the way up?”

“The conditions are perfect, and if you think this is magical, you just wait. How about we lope a bit.”

“Sure.”

“Come on you two,” he called to the dogs as he asked Maverick to step into a canter. In just a few minutes, the mist became thicker and Brody slowed back down to a walk.

“Not long now,” he said, shooting Annie a grin. “It get’s dense like this, then suddenly it’s—”

“Brighter,” she exclaimed, cutting him off.

“Yep, and see how the fog is breakin’ apart.”

“I do.”

As they moved through the last of the mist she suddenly found herself on a plateau under bright sun, but Brody continued to ride forward, then turned around.

“Oh, my gosh,” she breathed stopping beside him. “You were right. It’s like being in heaven. It is heaven.”

Beneath them the fog looked like puffy white cotton, while behind her the mountain peaks soared into sky, and huge white clouds drifted aimlessly overhead.

“Annie,” he began softly, “wherever I am, I’m in heaven if I’m with you.”

“Brody, I feel the same,” she whispered, barely able to make her voice work.

“Marry me, darlin’.”

“Marry you? Oh, my gosh, Really?”

“Really!”

“YES, YES, YES,” she exclaimed as happy tears brimmed in her eyes.

Breaking into a wide smile, he leaned across the space between them and pressed his lips against hers in a long, lingering, loving kiss.

* * *

Though Annie wanted to have the wedding at the ranch she was afraid it would be too easy for the paparazzi to intrude. It was Brody who came up with the answer.

“The campgrounds,” he declared. “You’ve never been there, but it’s a beautiful location. We’re keeping it relatively small so there should be enough accommodation for the guests, and there’s a bridal cabin overlooking the lake.”

“The campground is where Geoff stayed when he was on the run,” she remarked. “Talk about poetic justice.”

“Do you want to drive over there and check it out?”

“Absolutely!”

---