I shrugged. "It's dark and clear and the weather is very nice."
I didn't look at her because of the narrow, winding road, but I could feel her suspicious gaze. The thing about living quiet, comfortable lives was that it meant it was very easy to do something completely random and out of the blue, just to liven things up.
Today we wouldn't be hiking up to the lake, but the trailhead had a great view of the sky and bears generally didn't like the area. I parked us in the open and killed the engine. "You trust me?"
"I'm starting to think maybe I shouldn't, but yes."
"Then come on." I had dumped a mattress into the bed along with a ton of pillows and blankets. I let down the tailgate and offered to help her up, but she jumped up on her own.
"This is either amazing or ridiculous. Are we going to get eaten out here?"
I hopped up behind her and began arranging pillows. "I sure hope not. Sit." We sat with our backs to the window and our legs out long. I handed her an earbud. "Just like old times."
She stared at it. "Oh my goodness."
They were really nice earbuds. One for each of us. I watched as she bit her lower lip and slid it into her ear. Her eyes rounded as "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic played.
"That's a little on the nose." She settled against me, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Maybe, but you loved that song and wearestargazing." I looked up at the diamonds dotting the night sky and felt everything inside me relax. "I can't listen to this song without thinking of you drooling on my shoulder."
Her body shook with laughter. "Bruno Mars is a no-go for me. Every time I hear his voice, I picture you and get sad."
"Even now?"
She shrugged. "I haven't tried. But I guess it would be different now. Got any Bruno Mars?"
I did, but I wasn't going there. Not yet. "Maybe we'll test that tomorrow. Before the saloon gets busy we'll put it on the sound system and dance just the two of us."
She looked up at me. "I like that."
I did too. Dancing would be part of our lives. I had a whole dance floor after all. The first song faded out and the "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons replaced it. I held my breath and my heart started to hammer.
Mackenzie sat up, her eyes darting between mine. "This is a curated list."
I nodded. "I waited and I'll happily wait again if you ever need me to."
"And the next song?"
I hit the next button and John Legend's "All of Me" came on next.
"You are so cheesy." She shook her head. "But I love it. I loveyou."
"I can't help it. You make me happy, Mackenzie, and I wanted to use this part of us, of our past, to tell you how much I mean it."
"Stars, earbuds, music...it's a pretty spectacular way to say you love me. That you've always loved me."
"Is it working?" I pulled her onto my lap, her legs straddling my hips.
Her hands settled on my shoulders. "I hate to break it to you, Shaw, but I've been a sure thing for a while now."
I squeezed her ass in my hands. "When are we getting married?" I expected her to blush again, to look uncertain, and I was prepared for that. One day she'd smile when I asked, and I'd know it was time.
But instead she shrugged. "In the fall. When the leaves are changing and the air is crisp."
I shook my head. "The fall?"
She rose up on her knees and then ground down on my lap. "That gives us a few months to settle into each other, so we don't have any nerves when we do it. I don't want to be a nervous bride. I want it to be a party."