Page 82 of Hudson

“Oh, what’s that?” she asks, spotting the large telescope at the door of our igloo that I had brought in for us tonight and we come to a stop in front of it.

“This is for you,” I say to her, and she looks at me with a cute pinch between her eyebrows. Grinning, I lean over and take her lips in mine. I will never tire of this, of her. After all that we have been through, it’s nice to have everything now falling into place. I feel nervous, because now is the time for my question. I’ve been toying with it for weeks, wondering what she will say, and I’ve talked at length with Tanner about every possible scenario. Pulling back, I look into her beautiful eyes.

“So, ahhh, I got you something,” I tell her as I pull an envelope from my jacket pocket and pass it over to her.

“What is it?” she asks curiously, eyes widening.

“Just a little gift.” I press another quick kiss to her lips, relishing her smile.

“You don’t have to buy me gifts, Hudson,” she grumbles playfully as she opens the envelope, and I wait as she pulls out the piece of paper.

Her eyebrows furrow before they rise.

“What!” she gasps, her smile now taking over her face.

“I named a star after you.” Holding her a bit tighter, she hops in my arms, full of excitement.

“Seriously? You can do that?”

“I called it the Lacy Baby, and its location is just above us here. I brought in the telescope so we can try to spot it,” I explain, and her eyes well up.

“Hudson. This is too much.” She shakes her head as a tear falls down her cheek, and I lean over, rubbing it away with my thumb.

“Nothing will ever be enough for you,” I whisper, and I see her swallow before I continue.

“Hudson, I—” she starts, and I cut her off.

“Lacy, did you know that for most butterflies, finding a mate to share their short lives with is their most important mission. To meetthe oneamong a swathe of unsuitable or unwilling partners, butterflies must adopt clever tactics. So…” I trail off before I drop to a knee in this freezing cold snow.

“Oh my God …” she whispers, her eyes now wide and watery.

“Lacy. When I first laid eyes on you, there was no doubt in my mind that you were made for me. Your smile lights up a room, your humor makes me smile, your intelligence makes me think, and your body makes me crave you incessantly. You are the most beautiful person, both inside and out, and you’re the perfect mom to Harvey, stepping into the role of a mother figure for him and he adores you just as much as I do. I want to spend every second of my day with you. Every day of the year with you and all the years of my life with you. I want you in my life for eternity. You and Harvey are, without a doubt, my most important mission in life. We both know exactly how short life can be, but I hope on the ranch, we can live a long and beautiful life, under the stars, together.” I’m leaving my heart wide-open for her. “So Lacy, will you make me the happiest man in the entire universe, and will you marry me?” I ask, my heart beating in my ears, my breath nonexistent as I wait.

She sniffs as she takes in everything I’ve just said. It’s been a big week for her, and I really wanted to cap it off with something good, with a new start. I let her take it at her own pace, watching as she takes a steadying breath.

“Yes, Hudson. Yes, I will marry you,” she says through happy tears, her mouth curving upward, and I smile. Jumping up before my knee gets frost bite, I grab her around the waist and lift her completely off her feet to kiss her. I kiss her and kiss her and kiss her before I put her back down when we’re both breathless, and I take her to the telescope, where we look for the Lacy Baby together.

---