Page 48 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
He slid to a stop as Winnie came into view, walking away from the gate she was supposed to be at, her hand rubbing her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Winnie,” he called, ignoring the people who stared.
She looked up and tilted her head. “Bear?”
He charged forward and dropped his boots. “I’ve spent the last week trying to convince myself that letting you go was the best thing to do. That you shouldn’t have to give up your dream. That making you choose would be wrong. But I’ve fallen in love with you. I think I will wither and die if I let you leave without asking you to stay.”
“Stay?”
“I’m begging you to pick me. I know you have a dream. I know you do, but I will give up the ranch. I will give up my heart. I will give all I am to you. You can have all of me for as long as you want. Just pick me, please.”
“You would?”
“I would.” He swiped at the moisture on his face. “I’d rather risk it all with you than live the milquetoast existence I’ve been living. I want you. I want to spend my life with you, have children with you. My foreseeable future is mapped out with you as the captain. Please stay.” He paused. “I’ll understand if you can’t, but I had—”
Winnie threw her arms around her neck and kissed him. “I choose you. I want you. I was already on my way back. The closer I got to the gate, the sicker I got. I was trying to be strong. I was trying to walk away. I just couldn’t. The thought of not being with you was killing me. I’d rather have just pieces of you than nothing at all. I choose you, Bear West, with all my heart.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Yeah. Always and forever.”
“Always and forever. You’ve got it.”
He brought his lips to hers, and they’d never tasted sweeter. The woman in his arms was worth everything to him. Even if she’d chosen to leave, the purest form of peace he’d had was deciding to fight for her. Fear had nearly crippled him and let her slip away.
Sounds of cheers and clapping broke their kiss, and they looked around at the crowd that had gathered to watch them.
He set his forehead against hers. “I love you, Winnie.”
“I love you.” She balled her fists in his collar and kissed him.
“I have a ticket to Vegas.”
“What?” She laughed.
“It was the only flight that could get me past security.” He chuckled and dropped to one knee. “I don’t want to go to Vegas, but I’d be the happiest person on the planet if you’d marry me.” He pulled a ring from the pocket inside his coat.
“But you were letting me leave.”
“My dad stopped me before we left and handed it to me. He said if I came home without you wearing it, he’d take it as a sign that he needed to kick some sense into me.”
She nodded. “I love that man.”
“So, will you? Will you marry me, Winnie?”
“Absolutely, and the sooner the better.” She smiled.
As Bear stood, he slipped the ring onto her finger. “I like the way your mind works.” He winked, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her like the world wasn’t watching.
He had his girl. Wherever that landed him, he’d call it home. He’d traded an old dream for a new one. Life with Winnie was a dream that gave him joy and purpose. A risk that no longer felt all that risky.
Epilogue
Six months later…
“It’s your show, sweetheart. Ready when you are.” Bear stood behind Winnie, arms around her middle, and kissed her cheek. The ribbon-cutting would tell the world that all her dreams had come true.
She’d married Bear in the small Caprock Canyon church a little more than three months after he proposed. It was the best day of her life, exchanging “I do’s” with him. He loved her enough to give up everything, and she loved him enough not to let him. The funniest thing about the entire day was getting a call that the airline had finally found her missing luggage and she could expect it in a couple of days.
