Page 105 of Fury

Hollyn grinned and laced her fingers with his. Something he’d never get tired of. “Lead the way, boys.”

Davis took a covert breath as he led them down a path they’d walked hundreds of times before. But instead of following it all the way down to his cabin, he veered them off the path to a spot he’d never shown her before.

Fury was loving life. He sniffed the dirt path. Darted back and forth through the wild grass.

Hollyn trapsed through the foliage. For a second, he wished he’d thought to cut it down. But she didn’t complain.

When he stopped them in front of a wide oak, she looked around. Squinted against the sun. “You know, as long as I lived here, I don’t think I ever came out this way.”

“Too many bugs?” he teased.

Fury caught the scent of something and started to take off.

Davis whistled. “Fuss!”

The RMWD spun on a dime and zipped back to his side.

“Hey.” Hollyn laughed. “I just prefer the clean environment of a lab. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Such a girly-girl.” He grinned. Shook his head.

“And you love me exactly the way I am.”

“You got me there.”

“And I love you and kind of like hanging out with you, so don’t let me die out here.” Humor lit her blue and green eyes.

“Promise,” Davis replied. “I wanted to show you this before you sold the place.”

She eyed him. “So mysterious.”

Davis cleared his throat. Man. He used to tease buddies about their proposal jitters, but this was honestly harder than he’d thought. “I used to walk out here every time I came over,” he started. “The summer of our junior year, after things got really bad with my mom, I’d sit here thinking about what I wanted my life to be like. How I could have what you guys seemed to.”

Hollyn nodded knowingly. The breeze blew a strand of her strawberry-blonde hair across her face. He reached out to tuck it behind her ear.

Not to be outdone, Fury pressed his ninety-pound frame into Davis’s leg.

“Anyway.” Davis mentally steeled himself. It was now or never. “I carved something in the tree that I never told you about.” He tipped his head.

She turned. Gasped when she saw what he’d carved. “Are you serious!?” Hollyn rushed up to the trunk.

Touched the roughly carved D + H.

Davis reached into his pocket and slid out the ring he’d been holding on to for the right time: a delicate gold band—she’d been adamant about not wanting a diamond or jewel in the setting so it wouldn’t get hooked on any of her projects at work?—he’d purchased a few weeks prior.

He took a knee behind her. “Sitz,” he whispered to Fury.

“I never knew you felt that way back then!” She turned. “I thought?—”

When she saw him kneeling there, he heard her gasp again. She looked at the ring. At him. The ring again.

“I should have told you a long time ago, but it took me a while to get my head on straight. I love you so much. Think you could be happy with a couple hammer-head soldiers like us?”

“Yes!” she squealed, bouncing with excitement. Calmed herself a little when Fury got antsy. “Yes, of course I could!”

Davis stood just as she threw her arms around his neck. Kissed him. He gladly returned the gesture, arms around her waist. Held out a hand to stay Fury but rubbed his ears. “Mind if I put the ring on?” He pulled back.

“Please!” she wiped tears from her eyes. Held out her left hand so he could slide the band into place. “I love it!” She smirked at Fury. “You helped him pick it, didn’t you? ’Cause we had more than one conversation about this.”

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