Page 56 of Long Past Dawn
He cleared his throat and smiled up at me. “I was going to take you up to the ridge and ask you to marry me under the stars but decided everyone here deserved to witness it, at least in my opinion. They matter to us. They matter to me. They are the only reason I can kneel here tonight and ask the woman I love with my whole soul to marry me. Da—da—” He cleared his throat again and changed the direction of his jaw. “Dawn Briar Lee,” he said, this time nothing but determination was heard in his words, “you have been my best friend for years. You have taught me to be the kind of man I want to be, taught me to be the kind of man I should be, and taught me that the only family that matters is right here. So tonight, in front of all of them, I ask you the question I’ve wanted to ask you since the first day we met. I didn’t know the long walk we would take to get here or the things we’d learn about each other along the way, but I know this isn’t the end. It’s only the beginning. There will be times I have to carry you, and there will be times you have to carry me, but as long as we’re together, neither will be a burden. I didn’t know I had the power to love like this until I met you, Dawn. I came alive that day for the first time. I—I just pray tonight you’ll agree to become Dawn Briar Hanson-McAwley. I know it’s a mouthful.”
Everyone chuckled, and my lips lifted upward at the idea of my name changing in a way that said you belong to someone. You are loved by someone who wants you to have what they have.
“My ma—ma—ma taught me that life is wonderful, but her death ta—ta—taught me life is fleeting. I have put this moment off for years out of fear, but no more, Da—Dawn. You’re my whole life now. I love you, sweetheart. Will you? Ma—ma—,” he paused and cleared his throat. I winked, and he finally got the words out. “Marry me, that is.”
Tears choked away the words I wanted to say to the man kneeling before me, the honesty and earnestness in his eyes leaving me without words. I couldn’t speak, so I grabbed his cheeks in my hands and kissed him with a passion that I hoped would answer his question better than any words could.
“Was that a yes?” he asked, everyone around us holding their collective breath.
I nodded with a shaky smile. When I spoke, my voice was barely a whisper. “Yes. Tonight. I’ll marry you tonight, Beau. I love you,” I said as he slipped the delicate diamond ring onto my finger.
The stone glinted in the light of the fire, and I saw the hope he spoke of inside the diamond. It was the kind of hope that offered love, laughter, trust, and forgiveness in the arms of a tender cowboy.
“We might have to wait until tomorrow, but, darlin’, we aren’t waiting much longer than that.”
He pulled me into a hug and lovingly kissed my temple before resting his lips against my ear. The four words he whispered would be what I remembered years from now when it was long past dawn, and our time together was ending.
“Thanks for walking in.”
