Page 93 of Rough Ride with the Grumpy Cowboy
She takes a deep breath and relaxes her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.”
“Thank you. Now let’s do this,” I decree, just in time to hear my intro, and it’s game time.
I usually need to rehearse with backup dancers for some performances, but since this was rushed, I’ll be going onto the stage solo.
The crowd goes wild as I step up to the podium with my first performance of the day, an oldie but a goodie—Royal. I am feeling nostalgic and kind of want to do it as an apology to Ella.
The rest of my set is great—the crowd is electric, the DJ knows what he’s doing, and even when I start to get dizzy, I push through it to finish my allocated time. It’s already dark by the time I’m done, and Lou is there to receive me.
“I have a surprise for you,” she smiles mischievously, leaving me wondering what she’s up to.
I’m tired, and all I want is food and sleep, so it better not be an over-the-top surprise.
“What is it?”
Before she can reply, a familiar voice speaks up behind me. “Me.”
I turn around, coming face to face with my best friend, who immediately starts crying once our eyes meet.
“El.”
“Ava.”
I expect her to be mad at me and cuss me out, so when she hugs me instead, I am caught off guard. She smells so good and feels so warm—it’s a relief to be in her presence like this.
“When did you get here?” I inquire when we pull apart.
“We missed you just as you were about to get on stage. Thank you for the song, by the way. I loved it.”
I can’t believe she was here for the whole performance. “What are you doing here?”
“We came here to get you, duh. Didn’t think we’d just let you run off like that, did you?” she replies.
The wording in her statement makes my breath hitch. “We?”
She smiles and nods. “He’s waiting in your trailer.”
My heartbeat increases as I forget all my exhaustion. “Is he mad at me?” I whisper, scared of her answer.
“I don’t think he would be here if he was.”
Ella takes my hand and guides me to the trailer with Lou quietly following behind us. When we get there, I hesitate at the door, scared of what will happen when I walk in.
“Trust me,” Ella whispers just as she opens the door and shoves me in, just like the day of my debut when she pushed me into her brother’s arms.
This time he’s not there to catch me, so I have to steady myself. Instead, he is down on one knee, ring box open, with the most expectant look on his face.
“Ava Noa Ramirez, Miss Diva to me, will you marry me?” he asks, not wasting a moment or giving me time to catch my breath.
I look back to find Lou and Ella recording us on their phones with the biggest grins on their faces.
“Zane, what is this?” I wonder out loud.
He smiles, looking a bit uncomfortable, and I want to ask him to get up because of his leg, but I’m too stunned.
“Being away from you has been hell, and I’m done torturing myself. I get it—I know why you left. I was just too stubborn to admit it. Forgive me for taking so long. I don’t want to waste any more time; we have already lost enough. So will you please do me the honor of marrying me and spending the rest of your life with me? I promise to love you, protect you, and our baby—“
“You know?” I whisper, tears rolling down my cheeks as I wonder why he’s being so kind instead of cussing me out for leaving and hiding our baby from him.
