Page 51 of Wannabe in Wyoming
Willow awoke in small degrees,smacking her lips and groaning. Damn, she was sleeping like the dead lately. She knew the reason behind her exhaustion but was still trying to think of the best way to tell Nathan. Plus, he’d been the reason she’d gone to sleep very late last night—making love to her once in their shared shower and then again immediately afterward in bed. The man had mythical level stamina sometimes, not that she was complaining.
Going to sleep with wet, sex-mussed hair had been a terrible idea, she thought as she shoved the tangled mess off her face. Blinking open her bleary eyes, she noticed a folded piece of paper, with “Wannabe” scrawled in Nathan’s handwriting on the front, propped against her plant. “Hmm, weird,” she mumbled.Maybe he had an early errand?
Lifting herself up on one elbow, she grabbed the note and opened it.
Dear Wannabe,
A special something has been planned for you today. But first, breakfast is ready—drink your coffee and eat your bagel. (Don’t cheat and skip that step!)
When you’re done, Lucy’s best friend will have the next instructions for you to follow.
Now, hurry and follow my clues, if you want to keep me from having the blues . . .
XOXO,
Nathan
Grinning, she dressed quickly, brushed her teeth, quickly ran a brush through her hair, wincing when it got caught on a few knots, and hurried to the kitchen. Sitting in her cat bed was Ethel, wearing a red bow tied around her pink collar with an attached scroll. “Oh my God! What is that crazy man up to, Ethel?”
After wolfing down her waiting bagel and coffee, she untied the bow from Ethel and unraveled the scroll.
Wannabe,
You’ve had your food and drink, so come and find us next before we fall into a ring of fire. We have a love like them ...
XOXO,
Nathan
“Holy shit balls, Ethel! It’s Johnny and June!” Willow exclaimed, but the feline just blinked at her and then went back to cleaning her paws. Clearly her cat wasn’t excited as she was. “For a man who claims to hate country music, he can sure quote it, huh?”
Pulling on her muck boots, coat, and hat, Willow raced to the barn.The dogs began barking like mad as soon as they spotted her. Dale was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual, but a quick look around confirmed the morning chores had been done. The alpacas were out in their pasture, eating their hay.
Willow felt like a kid on Christmas morning as she entered the barn.
“Johnny, June, c’mere guys,” she coaxed, noticing another scroll, this time around June’s neck. When the dogs rushed over to her, she patted their heads, earning her some licks and nuzzling, before untying the scroll.
Wannabe,
Retrace your steps.
Go back to the beginning, to the place where your lips first touched mine. There you’ll find another couple lines ...
XOXO,
Nathan
She had just enough sense to make sure the barn door latched behind her as she sprinted for the driveway and her truck. Her grin wouldn’t quit, and her heart was racing. She couldn’t keep a thought in her head beyond where she needed to go next. Coming to an abrupt stop beside her truck, she jerked open the driver’s door and found another scroll, this one resting on the driver’s seat. Sliding the red ribbon off, she unrolled it.
Wannabe,
With your words, I fell. With your kisses, I burned. With your touch, I shattered. Now, turn around, baby, so I can ask you . . .
Whirling around, Willow gasped when saw Nathan behind her, down on one knee in the snow, holding a small black box open.
A squeal escaped her before she found her voice. “Holy shit! Oh my God! Holy shit, Nathan! What are you . . . Oh my God!” She jumped up and down, happiness exploding within her, making her hands shake so hard she could hardly hold onto the stack of notes. Tears of joy blurred her vision, and she swiped them away with her hand.
He looked more nervous than she’d ever seen him. Sweat dotted his handsome face and brow, despite the frigid February temperatures, and his hands trembled almost as badly as hers. “Willow, the day I received that letter from you was the day my world brightened for the first time in years. You gave me something to live for, something to fight to get back to. I want to spend the rest of our lives fighting for each other, building a life together. I want to make love to you, argue with you just so we can make up, and adopt more animals with clever names. And when you’re ready, I want to start a family with you. Will you marry me?”
