Page 141 of The Cowboy's Unshakeable Love

He trampled through the undergrowth, following the sound of her voice – and the trail of freshly broken tree limbs that clearly told him someone had driven through here not long ago.

“Retta? Keep shouting, darlin’.”

“I’m here! Over here!”

And then he saw her. He stumbled and almost fell as he changed direction slightly and then he was there. She was standing, wavering on her feet, until he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. Hugging her to his chest in the way that was now so familiar.

“Jesus, darlin’. You had me scared.”

Her eyes shone with tears as she reached up to touch his face. “I knew you’d come.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Too damn right.”

Trip appeared at his side. “Told you – you can’t shake him once he’s decided that you’re his.”

She looked up into his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to.”

He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Are you okay? That’s a nasty knock to your head by the look of it.”

“It’ll be alright. I think I might end up needing another cast, though. It was Jamie – and she stomped on my leg again.”

He tensed and she patted his cheek. “It’ll heal. And in the meantime, you’ll just have to go back to carrying me around like this for a while.”

He held her closer to his chest and smiled. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

As they tramped back through the trees, Trip called the others to tell them that they’d found her. Travis didn’t pay attention; all he cared about was having the woman he loved back in his arms and safe.

When they got back to the truck, he sat her in the passenger seat and gently ran his fingers down her cheek.

“I’m going to be fine,” she told him.

“I know.” He smiled. “They’re all going to give me so much shit for doing this right now, but I have to. I love you. I was scared I might have lost you. I can’t wait another minute.”

She gave him a puzzled smile. “Who’s going to give you shit for doing what?”

He dug in his pocket and pulled out the ring box. He’d only bought it this morning, but that already felt like a lifetime ago.

He dropped down on one knee next to the truck and held the box up. “I love you, Retta. Marry me, darlin’?”

Her hand came up to cover her mouth and tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded. There was a big bruise forming on her temple, a streak of blood ran down her cheek, but she’d never looked more beautiful.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” she croaked. “I love you, too, Trav.”

He took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger, then got to his feet and gently cupped her face between his hands to kiss her.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Two weeks later

Retta held her arms out, and Callie placed baby Levi in them. She was mostly confined to her wheelchair again, but she didn’t mind so much this time. It made her the obvious choice whenever Callie needed someone to hold him.

Travis grinned at her as she settled the little man more comfortably against her.

“Now you get it,” he said.

“I don’t,” she said with a laugh. “What do you mean?”

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