Page 41 of Sweet Temptation

“Is that what I think it is?”

He nodded. “But there’s a catch.”

Most people had butterflies in their stomach when they were nervous. Not Jackie. Right about now she had a flock of crazed geese swooping and diving and flapping around inside her. Her mind turned over one possibility after another, her heart holding out hope while her mind continued to churn. “Catch?”

His head bobbed again. “When we originally agreed to marry to save the ranch, I intended to give you a simple wedding band.”

Somehow, she managed to nod, but words were not an option.

“Since we would need to rush through the preliminaries for a quick wedding, an engagement ring didn’t make sense.”

This time she couldn’t even nod, her heart was hanging on every word.

“But then I saw this,” Garret continued, the ring catching the silver moonlight, “and I knew it belonged on your finger.”

Jackie stared at the delicate swirl of gold around the diamond, mesmerized by its simple elegance.

“The catch is,” his voice softened, “I don’t want our marriage to be temporary.”

Her heart tripped in her chest. “What do you mean?”

Garret set the box on the railing and took both her hands in his. “I’m saying that somewhere between rescuing a drunk girl from a bar and watching you orchestrate the downfall of that jerk today, I fell in love with you. The real you.”

The night air stilled around them. As if waiting for her response, the crickets seemed to pause their chorus.

“Our arrangement was supposed to be strictly business,” he continued, his thumbs stroking the backs of her hands. “But every morning I wake up looking forward to seeing your smile. Every night I go to sleep thinking about the sound of your laughter. That’s not business, Jackie. That’s love.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. “Garret…”

“When I saw you today, standing up for yourself and those other women, I realized I don’t want this to end after a year. I don’t want it to end—ever.”

Releasing her hands, he picked up the ring box again and slowly lowered himself to one knee. The wooden porch creaked beneath him as he looked up at her, vulnerability and hope mingling in his eyes.

“Jacqueline Drake, I’m asking you—for real this time—will you marry me? Not for the ranch, not for the trust, but because I want to spend the rest of my life with you under these stars.”

The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them on the porch. Through the window, she could vaguely make out shapes moving inside, but they felt distant, unimportant compared to the man kneeling before her.

“I know this is fast,” he hurried on when she didn’t immediately respond. “And maybe I should have waited, done this properly with candles and dinner, but—”

Finding her voice at last, she cut him off, barely managing a whisper, “Yes.”

Eyes filled with disbelief blinked, a hint of a smile teased at one corner of his mouth. “Did you just say yes?”

A laugh bubbled up from deep inside her, washing away any uncertainty. “I did. To everything.”

Rising to his feet, Garret tugged the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

Her gaze settled on the sparkling stone, a perfect fit. A delightful surprise. What had she said not so long ago, everyone loves surprises. Slowly, she lifted her head and leveled her gaze with his. “I came to West Texas looking for a fresh start, but I found so much more. I found a home. I found you.”

The hint of a smile spread wide and bright as if trying to outshine the stars. “So no more pretending?”

“No more pretending.” She rose on her toes to press her lips to his.

Unlike the few short pecks on the lips for anyone looking, this kiss was just between them—it was hard and soft and sweet and strong and filled with love and passion and everything she’d ever dreamed of. A promise sealed under the vast Texas sky.

Not wanting the kiss to ever end, but knowing they had the rest of their lives to show each other the depths of their love, they slowly pulled back.

His forehead gently touched hers. “I love you, Jacqueline Drake.”

---