Page 131 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

“How did you…? When did you…?”

He came to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. As he looked down into her eyes, her heart felt as though it melted in her chest when he said, “I didn’t; I knew what I wanted to do, but the family set it up.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “This is so nice of them.”

He slid his hands up to cup the sides of her neck. “It’s about a bit more than making the place look pretty with candles for you.”

“What then? I mean, this is a lovely thing to do…”

He held her gaze as he got down on one knee in front of her. “It’s about this, darlin’.”

Her heart felt as though it might beat out of her chest as he took her hand.

“Say yes, Mom! You’re going to say yes, right?”

Tanner chuckled. “Slow down, bud. Give me a chance to ask her.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Everly choked out a laugh around the lump that had formed in her throat.

Tanner squeezed her hand and held up a little velvet box. “I think you know what’s coming by now,” he said with a smile.“But I want to do this right. I love you, Everly.” He glanced over at Ashton. “And I love you, too, Ash. I feel like we’ve already become our own little family, but I want to make it official. I want to be your husband – and I want to be your dad, kiddo.”

“I want to be Ashton MacFarland for real!”

Everly’s hand covered her heart as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I give you my word that I’ll love you until the day I die. I didn’t know if I was cut out for this, but I know now. Being with you has made me into the man I want to be. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Everly nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

Tanner looked down at the box in his hand. “Well, shit!” He flipped the box open. “I meant to show you this first – thought it might help seal the deal.”

She laughed. “Wow! It’s beautiful, I love it, but I’m saying yes because of you – not because of the ring.”

He slid it onto her finger and got to his feet. Closing his arms around her, he lowered his head and claimed her mouth in a deep, searing kiss.

“Guys! I’m still here, remember!”

They pulled apart, smiling at each other. “Sorry, Ash.”

“That’s okay. But I want to be part of this, too.”

Tanner held his arm out to him, and Ashton came and wrapped his arms around them both. “You are part of it, son. This is about all three of us. Look at your mom’s ring.”

Everly understood what Tanner meant when Ashton grabbed her hand and traced his finger over the diamonds – the three, large, diamonds.

“There are three of those, like there are three of us, and diamonds last forever.”

Everly swiped at her eyes as another wave of tears came.

Tanner winked at her. “And since the three of us are going to be together forever, we need to ask your mom if it’s okay to change your name.”

She met his gaze. “I talked to a lawyer. She said that it should be easy enough for me to adopt Ash, and for you both to become MacFarlands – if you want to.”

“We want to! Right, Mom?”

She laughed. “We do.”

---