Page 68 of Take Me Please, Cowboy
She stared into his eyes, the dark irises bright with heat and desire.“I won’t tell my family about our engagement yet.Then we can break the news to my mom together.”
“What about my family?Should I keep it a secret from them?”
“No.”She smiled.“They’re quite invested in our romance.Your mom called your sisters and your sisters raced from Missoula to save us.I think they need to know how grateful we are.”
“We are grateful, aren’t we?”he murmured, nuzzling her neck, making her sigh.
“Very, very grateful,” she agreed, gasping a bit as his teeth scraped a very sensitive spot, sending bolts of delicious sensation through her.
“When will we get married?”he asked.
She shivered against him, his mouth and hands lighting her up.“As soon as we can.”
“I like that answer.”
*
Back home Ryewas met in the driveway by his sisters and then his mother appeared on the doorstep.They were all looking at him waiting for news.
“It’s okay,” he said, unable to hide his smile.“We’re good.”
“How good?”Josie asked anxiously.
“She said yes,” he answered, suddenly feeling shy.
“Yes to what?”his mother asked.
Rye gestured to the house.“Can we all go inside?”
“Not until you answer Mom’s question,” Hannah said.“Yes to what?”
“I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.I bought her a ring.We’re engaged.”
Rye’s sisters shouted and started jumping around.His mom was smiling, too, and the girls were asking a dozen questions, one right after the other.
Rye shook his head at the noisy celebration.“I promise to tell you everything, but I need a shower and some sleep and then later this afternoon I’ll fill you in.”
Two and a half hours later Rye stirred, slowly waking.His head felt fuzzy.He felt strange.Carefully he rolled onto his side, looked at the clock.It was almost four in the afternoon.Still staring at the clock, he tried to clear his head.What happened this morning?Was it real, or just a dream?
But then he reached for his wallet from the nightstand and pulled out the receipt for the Whitefish jewelry store and laid back down.It wasn’t a dream.He’d proposed, she’d said yes, and he’d bought Ansley a ring.Smiling crookedly, he got up and walked into the kitchen for water.He drank a tall glass and then leaned against the counter.
He was going to get married.They would be planning a wedding.His smile grew.He couldn’t believe it, and yet he’d never felt so good, so hopeful about anything.
A knock sounded on the trailer door, and he opened it.It was his mom on the doorstep.
“I wanted to talk to you before your sisters started screaming and jumping up and down again.They’re still very excited,” she said.“They’ve got Jasper worked up, too.”
Rye studied his mom’s expression.His sisters might be thrilled but his mother didn’t seem as happy as she had earlier.“Come in, let’s talk.”He watched his mom walk around the tiny living area before sitting on the edge of the gold plaid sofa.“What’s on your mind?”
“I was curious about your plans.I didn’t know if you and Ansley had discussed the future—”
“We have.”
“Where will you live?”
“Here.”He hesitated.“We’re going to fix up the trailer—Ansley has lots of ideas—and it will be a good starter home.”
“No, it won’t.Don’t do this.Don’t bring her here.”
